Most of the Canadians that lost their lives in the battles that took place around the Dunkirk Perimeter are buried in the Commonwealth Cemetery in Dunkirk, France. The cemetery here in East Dunkirk Belgium is divided into three sections the Commonwealth section, which has five Canadians and the two Belgium sections where the Belgium Resistance Fighters lay at rest. We done two wreath laying ceremony's at this cemetery one for the Belgium Resistance and one for the members of the Commonwealth that died in these battles.

Following this ceremony we were invited to a reception at the city hall where we had the opportunity to meet the local dignitaries and had some interesting conversation over some wine and food. Early in the afternoon we had to leave this location to attend another parade in Morbrugge-Oostkamp.

THE DUNKIRK PERIMETER SEPTEMBER 1944

During September 1944, the 2^nd Canadian Infantry Division was involved in a series of very tough battles in Northern France. On 7 and 8 September the 8^th Recce Regiment (14^th Canadian Hussars) were moving well in front of the infantry when it ran into strong German defences in the village of Bourbourgville and Gravelines near Dunkirk.

It was the wish of General Montgomery that the Canadians should secure all of the channel ports and thus clear the outer ring of all German defences. To begin this the 5^th Canadian Brigade with the Royal Highland Regiment, the Black Watch was to seize a bridging site south of Bourbourgville to establish a base for the advance.

Much of this area was flooded the Germans had blown the banks of a canal, which flooded all local ditches and created a soggy ground condition. In this location the Regiment de Maisonneuve moved through the Black Watch to secure a canal crossing and advance to the eastern edge of the town.

The town was remarkable as it was surrounded on all sides by a canal. All of the bridges destroyed and the Canadians were forced to search for boats or barges to get into the town. Here the approaches to the town were harassed by fire from enemy 75 and 88 mm artillery. The 5^th Field Regiment Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) was brought up to deal with this problem and the Maisonneuve made it over to the town with boats offered by the local civilian population. Also Major Jacque Ortigny of C Company erected an improvised plank footbridge which helped the situation.

In the town the rail station was strongly defended with (2) 20-mm AA guns. No one had the audacity to face this type of fire until one soldier J.P. Leblanc, dashed forward in the street and dropped to a prone position firing on these gun locations. This effectively solved the problem and the rest of the attacking force was able to move on. It took several hours before the town could be liberated. But all the while during the action of the battle other parts that had been cleared were celebrating their freedom.

Now the Calgary Highlanders moved north to the village of Loon Plage shortly after first light. Halfway to this objective their lead companies commander Major Dolt Heyland was able to get his group into a cluster of houses called Les Planches. But in the next move to a road junction they ran into heavy enemy artillery fire. Here it was difficult to dig in and impossible to advance. D Company of the Regiment moved around the flank to approach Loon Plage from the west but were soon halted at a farm 455 meters outside of the village.

Meanwhile the Calgary Regiment was under pressure by the enemy and was receiving heavy casualties. Here they had to rely on the Regiment de Maisonneuve for support who moved 3 companies up the road to the north. It took these 3 companies 5 hours to move 1500 meters along this road. Here a platoon of the lead A Company had run into a strong German position. They were forced to get into some farm buildings and create an all round defensive position. The Company Commander Major Alexander Angers was wounded along with 12 of his men. The lead platoon of A Company was surrounded and unable to move. The 5^th Fd Regt RCA brought down a barrage which enabled the Maisonneuve to withdraw from the burning farm buildings where they had taken cover.

The Calgaries and the Maisonneuve were trying to break into the Dunkirk Perimeter against a superior force. The enemy had enough artillery and ammunition to defend this area until the end of the war. The Canadians were operating with out a clear mission, with no armour or air support and a lack of intelligence from the local French Resistance.

On the right flank the Black Watch were also trying to carry out an attack with out sufficient support. Here Major Alex Pinkham's C Company was teamed up with a troop of armoured cars from the 8^th Recce Regiment. Their objective was Coppenaxfort 5000 meters east of Bourbougville along a single, straight and elevated road on the bank of a canal, which had no trees, no shrubs or cover of any kind.

Travelling in single file with one armoured car 100 meters behind. This lead group soon lost the armoured car to enemy anti tank fire. The troops tried as best they could to dig in for protection from mortar and artillery fire. The 5^th Field Regiment RCA was short of ammunition and at the time fully dedicated to the support of the other two Regiments of the Brigade. So the Black Watch had to wait until dark in order to withdraw and regroup. The next morning C Company assisted by one armoured car rushed the bridge leading into the town only to discover that the enemy had left.

It was now of little gain to the 5^th Brigade to occupy these positions previously held by the enemy. For they were now the carefully surveyed victims of artillery fire anew. During the following weeks 5 Brigade sent fighting patrols to harass the enemy positions and to compress the perimeter. Eventually after a furious battle the Black Watch captured the town of Spyker on 11 September. But the enemy counter attacked causing them many casualties.

One Lieutenant Joe Nixon and his scout platoon played a crucial role in stopping the German counter attack with the use of a PIAT weapon. One other member Private Frank de Lutio won the MM. The cost in casualties was high and the Black Watch withdrew on the night of 13 September.

During this period of the engagement the Divisional HQ was most interested in gaining field intelligence information on the enemy. One Canadian Officer from the Maisonneuve took this most seriously and dressed in the smock of a French Priest he walked boldly up to and through the enemies positions. His name was Lieutenant Charles Forbes.

The Calgaries occupied Loon Plage on 9 September using it as a base for patrols into the perimeter. Here their HQ was visited by members of the French Resistance Force and 2 young French youths who brought in 3 German prisoners.

On the other side of Dunkirk the 6^th Brigade with assistance from the Belgium White Brigade was able to operate with detailed plans of the enemies defences including the mined areas of the French Belgium border. But when the brigade advanced it met with strong enemy resistance. Here the South Saskatchewan Regiment was forced to deal with a strong enemy defence area thick with mines and machine gun posts. The regiment was virtually a new one rebuilt after a nightmare battle in the Foret de la Londe. Also they were confronted with the problem of a lack of artillery ammunition.

The initial attack was thwarted by heavy enemy fire. A second attack started well but then faltered. Next the guns of the 3^rd LAA Regiment and the 2^nd Anti Tank Regiment were brought into the attack plus a Typhoon from the 84^th Tactical Air Group. But even then with this extra power the attack was again ineffective.

The Brigade Commander Brigadier J.G.Goudreau went forward to direct the SSR (South Saskatchewan Regiment) in its attack on the objective. Before the attack could go in the German defenders accepted surrender on the night of 12 September. Now the SSR joined their sister Regiments of the brigade at Bray Dunes where the FMR's (Les Fusiliers Mont Royal) and the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders were engaged in a bitter battle with a much more determined enemy. Here the Camerons had attempted to outflank the defences at Bray Dune Plage by traversing the sand dunes along the shoreline with no success. Further attempts on the 13^th and 14^th of September were equally unsuccessful. Although Typhoon aircraft pounded the enemy positions there was no coordination between the two separate attacks. Eventually the position was captured by a series of attacks on 18 September.

Meanwhile the 4^th Brigade had begun clearing the coast south of Ostend but it also had run into difficulties at a strong point at Westende. The Essex Scotish with platoons from the Toronto Scottish was involved in a miniature siege operation against some 4 large enemy naval guns using mortars and 17 pounder anti tank guns.

Further to the south the RHLI (Royal Hamilton Light Infantry) and the Royal Regiment of Canada began an advance on Berguet. By now the steady drain of casualties was slowly affecting the ability of the 9 Infantry Regiments involved from the 2^nd Canadian Division. Thus it was beginning to look like a very costly operation and Montgomery decided to move this Canadian Division to the Antwerp area of Belgium.

The allied high command sensibly decided it was not worth the price it would cost to pursue an attack across the flooded landscape so Dunkirk was left contained by a screen of armoured cars from the Checz Brigade for the rest of the war. Montgomery decided to move this Canadian Division to the Antwerp area of Belgium. The whole 2^nd division finally arrived in Antwerp on 18 September 1944.

The 2^nd Division would be tasked to clear the north shore as constituted by the south Beveland snaking west to Walcheren Island. Before the 2^nd Division with its right flank secured by the 4^th Armoured and the Polish Armoured Division pushing toward Bergen-op-Zoom and Breda and begin clearing south Beveland it first must take Merxem and push forward 23 Kilometers and secure the villages across the mouth of the peninsula. 4 Brigade to cleat Merxem 5 & 6 Brigades deployed on the right along the Albert Canal east of the city must go over this obstacle and wheel west to again another barrier the Antwerp-Turnhout canal curling north east from the Albert-Canal near Merxem.

With the fall of Calais the 3^rd Division moves north to deal with the south banks of the Sheldt.

Moorbrugge-Oostkamp Ceremony

On Saturday 8 September in the afternoon we did a ceremony at Moorbrugge in honour of the Canadians that fell in the battle of this area. The 10^th Canadian Infantry Brigade was involved in first fighting in Belgium that took place in early September in the area of Meorbrugge-Oostkamp. Although resistance was considered light some fierce fighting occurred in the battle for Oostkamp where a memorial has been erected in honour of the Canadians who lost there lives in this battle. On 8 September at last light the Argyll & Southerland Highlanders having gotten a boat on the canal and launched an assault on Moorbrugge, having captured the town the Lincoln & Welland Regiment using canoes from a local canoe club passed through them and widened the bridgehead. The Algonquin Regiment was to drive on in the direction of Beernem but was stopped by enemy artillery fire.

At Moorbrugge a road runs parallel to the canal, another at right angles to the first and another road runs parallel to the first. Two Companies of the Argyle & Southerland Highlanders was dug in along the road at right angles to the canal. Another Company was dug in on the right arm of the parallel road but inland from the canal. They had little support and were forced into a desperate fight.

At 2200 hours a Rifle Company of the Lincoln & Welland Regiment moved down to cross the canal about 200 yards or to the right of the main street of Moorbrugge that runs parallel to the canal. D Coy crossed at 0100 hours 9 September and by 0300 hours all four Companies were across. By first light B Coy of the Argyle & Southerland Highlanders with C & D Companies of the Lincoln & Welland Regiment formed a strong point about 1000 yards south east of the Moorbrugge Church.

The Germans counter attacked the bridgehead twice with small arms, mortars, cannons, 75, 78, 88 and 105 mm artillery but failed. The one small boat used by the Argyle's was in bad shape but it was the only means of bringing up ammo and evacuating casualties. Firing intensified as the 4^th Division Engineers (6th Field Park Squadron and 8th & 9th Field Squadrons, Royal Canadian Engineers) were attempting to build a bridge. The New Brunswick Rangers, MG (Machine gun) contained the enemy attacks over open fields on the right flank. In this action on 9 September Cpl. James Alexander, A Coy of the Lincoln & Welland Regiment was awarded the M.M. although wounded twice.

By 1700 hours C Company of the Lincoln and Welland had cleared the houses up to the church and met up with Argyles, by 0400 hours 10 September the operation ended. 30 to 40 prisoners were taken. Sgt. J.C. Pirie won the M.M. During these operations D Company, Lincoln & Welland had to fight off heavy attacks. The Company Commander Major Crummer was wounded and evacuated. The Artillery Forward Observation Officer (F.O.O.) Captain Griffin, 15^th Field Regiment RCA took over the Company defenses for which he won the M.C. Medical Officer Captain MacKenzie won the M.C. for his action in bringing up ammo and food while attending and evacuating the wounded.

The Monument made out of old tank parts from the former battlefields at Oostkamp honours those who lost their lives in these battles as following:

 The Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders of Canada

Mc VEIGH, Francis

The 15th Field Regiment, RCA

CLENDINNING, William

The Canadian Chaplain Service

MOONEY, Thomas

Following this ceremony we were invited guests at a local pub for refreshments and meeting with old friends. Later that evening we drove on to Adagem where we stayed at a youth hostel and got ready for tomorrow's parade at the Canadian War Cemetery.

Sunday 9 September, early rise and had breakfast then we drove to the Cemetery and took part in the annual ceremony.

ADEGEM CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY

Adgem is a village of East Flanders, 21 kilometers east of Bruges, on the main road from Bruges to Eclloo and Ghent in Belgium. The cemetery is 2 kilometers east of the village on the south side of the road to Ghent. It is not far from the Dutch frontier. The nearest convenient city from which to visit is Bruges.

In early September 1944 the Allies held the city of Antwerp, but the Germans still held both shores of the Scheldt estuary, so the port of Antwerp could not be used. The task of clearing the southern shore of the estuary was allotted to the 3^rd Canadian Division aided by the 4^th Canadian Armoured Division and the 52^nd Division. Their operation lasted from 06 October until the beginning of November 1944. By 03 November the Germans had been cleared from the north west corner of Belgium and the South shore of the Scheldt was free. There had been fierce fighting for two weeks for the crossing of the Leopold Canal.

The majority of the men buried at Adegem died during the operations for the clearance of the south bank of the Scheldt, but many Canadians who lost their lives elsewhere in Belgium were also brought here for burial. A number of isolated graves from various communal cemeteries and churchyards in Belgium have now been moved to this cemetery. The total of 1,130 burials in the cemetery

One unknown casualty from the United Kingdom 1914 - 1918 is also buried in this cemetery.

The second Sunday of September each year the city of Maldegem-Adegem remembers those Canadian soldiers who fell for the freedom of their country.

The flags and the flowers are the symbols of their deep gratitude towards the Canadians who died during the Second World War.

Present at the ceremony each year is a representative of His Majesty the King, Canadian Ambassador, Veterans and hundreds of dignitaries who honour this ceremony. Most importantly our Zone Colour Party has attended this ceremony every year since 1981.

At the end of the National tribute an airplane drops thousands of poppies over the silent graves.

Following the ceremony we took part in the reception at a big hall and then on to the Canadian War Museum where a dinner is served. Although we have purchased tickets for the dinner and supposedly a table reserved for our Legion members, for some reason they never seem to have a place set up for us. So as in all the other years we wonder around like idiots until finally someone takes pity on us and eventually finds us a place to sit. Once the commotion is over the food and hospitality are good and as always Daniel and his wife Iris look us after exceptionally well.

Then its back to the youth hostel to change and our Belgium friends Emiel Herrebout, his wife Anita and son Frank pick us up and take us to local establishment for a couple of hours which is always pleasant. After a long day its bed time and tomorrow its the long drive home.

Cross of Sacrifice in the commonwealth section	Zone Commander prepairs to lay a wreath	Section one graves of the Resistance fighters	Section two graves of the resistance fighters	Photo taken during the ceremony

East Dunkirk City Hall	Memorial at Oostkamp made from tank parts from the battlefield	Following the wreath laying in Adegem

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