Battlefields Tour #9 - Invasion of Holland

[debris4spike]

As I said I was in Holland looking at a battlesite that I knew nothing about ... an invasion by The British Commandoes and Canadians ... called The Battle of Walcheren Causeway ... and we went to the landing sites. Our guide was alos" happy" to announce that we were having authentic weather ... in other words it was pouring with rain.

Our first stop was at one of the locations that the dyke had been bombed to flood the area. As you can see these land here is literally at, or below, sea level -

Walking up to the top of the Dyke

Looking down on the town





From there we went to "Uncle Beach" where much of the landings occurred -











A mini sub used by the Germans

A German Bunker





One of the reasons we fought to free Europe ... these were local people and their "transportation" dates


And then further up the estuary to see -

Sherman tank





Landing Craft



As ever, sadly, there were many casualties, buried in 2 separate cemeteries, next to each other ...

Comments

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

My husband, who is more than a bit of a history buff-with a concentration on WWI–did a tour of WWI battlefields/cemeteries in France in May.

[debris4spike]

This trip was different with both WWI & WWII locations.

They are special locations, I do hope your husband "enjoyed" the trip

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

I wonder if my grandfather was at that site - probably after the fact. He was a sapper, so he'd blow stuff up and then, once they regained the land, have to rebuild it.

I do know (based on post marks on his letters home) that he went between France and Netherlands about 3 times in 1944, probably mostly on foot.

Next year I'll be able to request his military records (have to wait for 20 years after his death), and I'll have a lot more information.

[debris4spike]

I am lucky that my grandfather who fought in WWI is the one whose path I follow. We have his war records. So many of the British WWI records were destroyed in WWII bombing.

Dad served in The Home Guard in WWII ... but I need to look into seeing if he has any records, although I do know where he served in greater London.

Seeing these places in times of peace, it is hard to realise what the men went through ... but then you walk through a cemetery and begin to get an idea.