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Tragedy at Antwerp

Heroes Remember

Transcript
We were to clear a, it was a big home and we came across the pasture as I remember it and it didn't look right. It was too quiet and there were some trees down by the house or some branches there and I, no way, you know. We had a new lieutenant. I had never met him, I just shook his hand that morning when we went out, and we were down, wondering whether to go any further or not until something happened and he stood up to have a good look, I guess, and there was an explosion and when I came to, he was up ahead of me laying there with no head. He obviously got hit in the head by a bazooka which is an anti-tank weapon they had and there was no blood or anything. He was just, you know, scooped out but I was, my leg was hurt pretty bad. I went to roll over and my foot stayed where it was. So I didn't roll over and then I passed out again shortly after that. So I don't really, that's all I know except I was told that the company sergeant major had, saw the man who had fired the bazooka and he hit him and he was gone. We all carried morphine with us, of course, you probably know, little capsules, and so I imagine somebody jabbed me with that too as soon as they saw what, you know, as they could, as soon as they calmed down so they could get close without being hurt. So I was out then for, oh gosh, maybe the next day I suppose I came to. There I was laying on the ground on a stretcher and there was a sister in the full habit looking down at me. I'm not sure if she spoke English or not. She seemed to think I was alright so she kept on going. Yeah, that was at, that would be at Antwerp, close to there you know.
Description

Mr. MacLeod describes a German attack near Antwerp, Belgium in which his officer is decapitated by a bazooka, and his leg is so badly shattered that he is hospitalized in England until the war ends.

Malcolm MacLeod

Malcolm MacLeod was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on March 21, 1923, and was one of three children. Despite his father being a rural school teacher, he had to complete grade twelve via correspondence. Mr. MacLeod enlisted in the army rather than the air force in the spring of 1943, and the army performed hernia surgery which he couldn't personally afford. He was quickly sent overseas to reinforce post D-Day efforts in France, joining the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. Mr. MacLeod's war service ended near Antwerp, Belgium when his leg was badly fractured during a shelling.

Meta Data
Medium:
Video
Owner:
Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:
2:11
Person Interviewed:
Malcolm MacLeod
War, Conflict or Mission:
Second World War
Battle/Campaign:
Northwest Europe
Branch:
Army
Rank:
Private
Occupation:
Infantryman

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