Cape Breton Highlanders war record remembered.
‘When (Dutch civilians) heard the bagpipes, they knew they were free once again’
“She’s over, we won.”
These were the words Sgt. John Macgregor of the Cape Breton Highlanders (CBH) said to Pte. Floyd Mcculloch at the end of the Battle of Delfzijl, Holland, in early May 1945.
The words also signaled the end of the Second World War for the men of the Highlanders. After six years of training in Canada and England, and after heavy fighting in Italy and Holland, they were able to relax and look forward to returning home.
The Cape Breton Highlanders infantry battalion acquired its name on April 1, 1920, as a result of the Canadian Department of Militia and Defence re-alignment of the units of the First World War. The CBH lineage flowed from the 94th Victoria Regiment and down through the 85th and 185th battalions of the 1914-1918 war.
The CBH was mobilized for active service on Sept. 1, 1939. The men came from all over the island — from the woods, from industry, from the Sydney steel plant, from the schools, from every walk of life. Some already had uniforms and had been in the unit for a few years. Others came new to the military but quickly learned how to “wear the uniform” and perform basic military drills.
In late 1941 the unit sailed for England and on Nov. 21 they sighted Scotland’s Mull of Kintyre (the southwest tip of the Kintyre Peninsula, Scotland) — the first land they had seen in 11 days. In late 1943, after extensive training, they sailed for Italy and battle. A routine of in-theatre training and patrols into enemy territory culminated in the first battalion battle in January 1944 in the area of Arielli (the soldiers called it “the valley of death”). After the battle was over, one soldier surveyed the casualties and said to his platoon commander “geez, sir, this is serious business.”
The business of war continued as the men from Cape Breton continued their advance north through Italy. Those who served with the unit all through Italy and Holland reckoned that the battle of Coriano Ridge in September 1944 was the first of the two most serious and bloody encounters of the entire war.
Coriano was one of those battles that had a good plan that served as the basis of the first few steps and then the wits of the soldiers and their commanders were required to deal with the unexpected — all in the middle of the night. Twentytwo soldiers were killed in action and 67 wounded. Company Sergeant-major Joe Oldford was decorated with the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his “courage and leadership.” He remained with the CBH after the war and concluded his career as the well-regarded and respected Regimental Sergeant-major of the post-war militia battalion.
In February of 1945, the unit arrived in northwest Europe and began the moves that would lead to the CBH liberating the small town of Delfzijl in northeastern Holland. The attack was well planned and had the support of tanks and artillery. Lieutenant-colonel Boyd Somerville said to his supporting tank commander “this is a bad one.” Twenty soldiers were killed in action and over 50 were wounded. Progress was made the more challenging by the fact that the town had a large population of women and children and certain artillery fire needed to be restrained. The unit captured well in excess of 1,000 German soldiers.
In the midst of battle and afterwards a strong relationship was established between the residents of Delfzijl and the Cape Breton Highlanders that has continued to this day. In 2005, my wife (Elizabeth Mcmichael) and I, together with Ian Macintyre and Gerald Mac Neil (both stalwart and longtime members of the post-war CBH), organized a trip for “CBH veterans and friends” to Delfzijl to commemorate the 60th anniversary of its liberation. A prominent Dutch historian, Franz Lenslink, has researched the Delfzijl for many decades and served as the guide for the trip. Many occasions come readily to mind. One night, long after dark, our bus took us to one of the areas where hand-to-hand combat had occurred. There we were, on the bus, listening to a Cape Breton Highlander piper play a lament while he was standing on the battlescarred dyke.
Next, in daylight, we drove past a building that had been a bank in 1945. One of the war veterans told us he had been in that building during the battle. He came across German soldiers who were in the process of looting. I asked him what he had done; his reply: “I did what I was trained to do.”
The culmination of the commemorative trip was the presentation of a plaque to the mayor of Delfzijl recalling the contributions of the CBH that ensured they now lived in peace and security. It is prominently displayed in the town hall.
One evening as were walking around the town, a woman came up to us with a young child. These were her words; “I was not alive during the war but my mother told me all about the Canadians, the Cape Breton Highlanders soldiers and pipers and how they freed us and our town. I want to make sure that my daughter can now say she met Cape Breton soldiers.”
On another occasion, a man told us he had been a young schoolboy during the fighting and he and his chums hid in a cellar. When they heard the bagpipes, they knew they were free once again.
A plan to make a return visit to Delfzijl this year to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation has necessarily been postponed. However, the hope is that it will take place in 2021.
The Cape Breton Highlanders memorial on King’s Road in Sydney is wellmaintained and well-visited by veterans of the Second World War, their relatives and friends and by members of the general public who wish to convey their appreciation for the gallant service rendered to international peace, security and stability by the soldiers of Cape Breton.
Alex Morrison, of Sydney and North Sydney, now lives in Cornwallis Park, Annapolis Co., where he has served as a county councillor since 2012. He has been a Cape Breton Highlanders army cadet, a member of the militia unit, and a veteran of over 30 years in the Regular Army. He has also served as Honorary Colonel of the CBH. He and Ted Slaney are co-authors of ‘The Breed of Manly Men: The History of the Cape Breton Highlanders.’
I did what I was trained to do.
Cape Breton Highlanders soldier when asked what he did when he saw German soldiers looting a bank.
Geez, sir, this is serious business.
Cape Breton Highlanders soldier to his platoon commander after a battle