The crucial last amphibious landing of the war

sir – I have just returned from a commemoration weekend with veterans and next of kin remembering the last amphibious assault of the Second World War in Europe.

The battle took place 75 years ago and was crucial to opening up the port of Antwerp to Allied shipping, thus supplying the Allied armies with fuel, ammunition and food. Without a new supply base, any offensive in 1945 by the Allies would have faltered.

The approaches to Antwerp up the Scheldt river were heavily mined and covered by German forces on the island of Walcheren, a fortification bristling with guns of every calibre. Their capture involved 4 Commando and three Royal Marine Commandos (41, 47 and 48) and 10 Commando, made up of international allies.

A Royal Naval support squadron bombarded the German defences with everything at their disposal, including the 15-inch guns of HMS Warspite.

Part of the support squadron engaged the German shore-based batteries with conspicuous gallantry, but with very heavy casualties. Its aim of drawing enemy fire from the landing craft that were making the primary assault succeeded, but at a high cost. Thirty craft were sunk and more than 300 men killed in action. Once ashore, heavy fighting, often from gun emplacement to gun emplacement, went on for six days.

On November 9 at 08:15, after some negotiation, 40,000 Germans surrendered. By the end of November, after a massive minesweeping operation of the Scheldt, the first cargoes were unloaded at Antwerp.

Seventy-five years on, it is time that the significance to winning the war of the capture of Walcheren and the bravery of those involved were recognised and remembered. Admiral Lord West of Spithead (Lab) London SW1