From Belgium Into Holland

Heroes Remember

From Belgium Into Holland

The fighting in the Scheldt pocket was some, probably some of the deadliest, you know, of close up combat that ever you’d want to, under hazardous conditions of water, never dry, never. You had webbed, feet that’s basically what you had. But, it was quite an experience. Fortunately, when it all ended, they gave us a, a five day leave in Ghent, the, the city of Ghent opened up and they acted as host to all the division. They were billeted all around the families around the town. And then the equipment was out of town, in a little farm village. I’d stayed with a retired railman and his wife, Gus Gow and I. And then it was my turn to go back and guard the equipment on the outskirts so. But I enjoyed it out where I was, I said, “Don’t bother sending anybody. I’ll stand guard out here all the time.” See, so I had a good thing going for me, so I enjoyed life there for the few days. But then they moved us up to get ready to push onward into Holland. Because after the Scheldt pocket, it was after the paratrooper drop and they started moving us up into Holland. Interviewer: This was “Operation Market Garden?” No, this is basically the code word, that was the paratrooper drop the bridge too far, where the 101 dropped at Graz, the 82nd went up at Nijmegen and the British up at Arnhem. And then Horrocks Div went up and opened up the causeway to keep the narrow road opened for supplies to the, and hope to get up to relieve the British up at Arnhem, which unfortunately did not happen. They managed to get up part way and relieve some of the British paratroopers, but unfortunately some were caught on the other side of the bridge and they were taken prisoner.

Mr. Ross concludes his description of the action in Belgium and describes the move into Holland.

Joseph William Ross

Mr. Ross was born in Montreal on February 15, 1925. His father served during the First World War and was seriously wounded at the second battle at Ypres. When Canada declared war on Germany in September, 1939, Mr. Ross was only 14 years old, working as an office boy for six dollars a week. Later, he worked as an apprentice fitter in the aircraft division of Vickers, near Montreal. Mr. Ross enlisted in the Army on his 18th birthday in 1943. After training in Quebec and Nova Scotia, he was sent as part of the reinforcement troops to England where he was assigned to ‘C’ Company of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada. His overseas action included landing at Juno Beach on D-Day, and serving throughout both Normandy and Northwest Europe (Belgium and Holland). During an encounter with German forces, Mr. Ross sustained injuries from flying shrapnel.