Canadian Military History

Volume 3 Issue 2 Article 9

1994

Eugene Colson and the Liberation of the Port of Antwerp

Shelagh Whitaker

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Recommended Citation Whitaker, Shelagh "Eugene Colson and the Liberation of the Port of Antwerp." Canadian Military History 3, 2 (1994)

This Feature is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Whitaker: Eugene Colson and the Liberation of the Port of Antwerp

Eugene Colson and the Liberation of the Port of Antwerp

Shelagh Whitaker

n September 1944 a unique alliance of drive from the Seine, British troops of General I Canadian infantrymen with Belgian Brian Horrocks' 11th Armoured Division (30 resistance fighters joined forces to liberate British Corps) under Major-General Pip the port of Antwerp. It was the key, as many Roberts captured the city of Antwerp. see it, to victory. One fact in early September of 1944 In September 1994, the Governor General seemed more evident to the Belgian of honoured this collaboration and Underground than to Field Marshal the one man responsible for the Belgian Montgomery was that at this point in the war participation in it, Colonel Eugene Colson of the full use of Antwerp's harbour installations Antwerp, with the Meritorious Service Medal. was essential for victory. In their drive for the Rarely have such medals been given to non­ Rhine, the Allied armies had outstripped their Canadians. supply lines. The resulting logistical famine left them unable to maintain momentum. This extraordinary union goes back five decades to an association-and a friendship­ Despite this shortage, Roberts had only that developed between the commanding been given the mandate to secure the docks, officer of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, but not the bridges over the Albert Canal­ Lieutenant-Colonel Denis Whitaker, DSO, and the vital access route needed to cut off the sea captain Colson, codenamed "Harry," who 15th German Army, then escaping across the was the Belgian Secret Army Commander of River Scheidt and east on the South Beveland the Underground in the Antwerp dock area. Peninsula.

Colson's mission had been initiated earlier Colson's men had, meanwhile, captured in the war when the head of the Belgian the Groenendaal Laan Bridge -the last bridge Secret Army, Lieutenant Urbain Reniers, across the Albert Canal to Merxem. Without appointed him to develop a plan to prevent specific orders, General Roberts did not exploit the Germans from destroying the essential this achievement and the enemy gained installations of Antwerp harbour. control of the canal. When 11th Armoured Division was ordered to withdraw on 6 Colonel Colson organized a force of 600 September, the dock area was only partly dock workers as the nucleus of his secured. The Germans still held the area underground harbour unit. With an area of beyond the Albert Canal and had detonated some 40 square kilometres to protect, his all bridges across it. Colson and his men force was specifically trained to capture and were left to fight alone, with only small arms, hold key strategic positions of the harbour in the struggle against huge odds to hold the against German sabotage until the Allies docks. arrived. Their achievements were stunning, September 4th, 1944 saw the long-awaited particularly as they had had little support arrival of Allied liberators. After a lightning from the British. During those 13 days before

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Second Canadian counterattacks until help Division arrived, the men of arrived in the form of the Secret Army under Canada's Second Infantry "Harry" doggedly pursued Division. their objective of preventing the Germans from Second Division com­ demolishing the port prised the 4th Brigade (Royal installations. They slept only Hamilton Light Infantry, in snatches, patrolling the Royal Regiment of Canada, docks around the clock and and Essex Scottish relying heavily on their one Regiment); 5th Brigade (The advantage: familiarity with Black Watch (Royal Highland every metre of the ground Regiment) of Canada, The they defended. Highlanders and Le Regiment de Maisonneuve); "The area was vast and and 6th Brigade (Les Fusiliers we were few," Colson recalled. Mont-Royal. The Queen's "We were continually Own Cameron Highlanders of harassed by the enemy trying Canada and The South to regain control of the port Saskatchewan Regiment). and destroy whatever equipment they could On 16 September 1944, recapture." the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry war diary noted the A group of 21 men was assignment: "RHLI took over sent to Merxem to protect the from the Royal Welch hydro station which supplied Fusiliers in Antwerp Harbour. power for the harbour Our role was to guard the facilities. Another section set docks and port facilities of up a defensive position at the Port of Antwerp. Strength Kruischans Lock, which of the battalion 35 officers controlled the flow of water and 724 other ranks. Lt-Col to the harbour. W. Denis Whitaker returned to the unit and took over Number 12 Sluiskens command after several weeks Lock, two kilometres further of convalescing in England north along the Scheidt, also from wounds received in had to be defended against Verson." German sabotage. This lock controlled the water levels in The Royal Hamilton Light the low ground encompassing Infantry, known familiarly as the port to the north and the Rileys, were alone on the east. The Germans were able docks, spread thinly on a line to reopen this gate and flood "Harry" some 12 kilometres from a large area within the Colonel Eugene Colson Groenendaal Laan Bridge harbour. through Kruischans Lock to a point just south of the village of Oorderen. They also counterattacked Colson's unit The Essex Scottish overlooked the suburbs of holding the Merxem hydro station and killed Merxem and Eekeren where the Germans the 21 defenders. Despite these setbacks, were still strongly entrenched. A few "Harry" and his troops were able to hold the kilometres to the east, the Royal Regiment of other vital positions in Antwerp Harbour. Canada was assigned the task of defending The Belgians hung on against repeated the Albert Canal.

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All Canadian units found that their first control the vital 40 kilometre strip of dock major problem was the extreme shortage of facilities that extended along the Scheidt. supplies; weapons and ammunition in Nevertheless, both groups carried out their particular. Montgomery had given the main various tasks with zeal and determination. priority for supplies to Operation Market There were daily reconnaissance patrols and Garden at Arnhem. The , fighting patrols: defensive actions to throw languishing on the left flank and lowest in back enemy attacks and offensive actions to priority of all the Allied armies, has since seize enemy positions. been described as the "Cinderella Army." Colson assigned Lieutenant Karl Six to "I set up my battalion HQ in the vacant work as liaison with the RHLI. Each night, Ford Motor factory near the docks," General Six would cross enemy lines into Merxem. Whitaker recalled. "Almost immediately, a Next morning he would return to Riley Belgian codenamed "Harry" turned up. I was headquarters with vital information extremely encouraged to meet this obviously concerning enemy defences and movements. audacious and well-informed young macquis officer who offered his services and those of The Germans were obsessed with the his men. A feeling of mutual respect and urgency of destroying the harbour. The accord was immediately established. My Canadian defenders and the Resistance briefing from Brigade about the situation had supporters hung on to repel an enemy that been extremely sketchy. Colson, who spoke was perilously close to recapturing the much better English than I did French, northern dock area. At Kruischans Lock, the explained in complete detail the many RHLI created a mini-battlegroup called "Lock complications of the harbour facilities, the Force" to prevent the enemy from seizing sluice gates and the various positions of the these vital locks either by land or by sea. This Germans. unique combination of specialized units was under the command of Major Louis Froggett, "Over a couple of shots of good Canadian DSO. It comprised 250 Rileys in addition to rum it was agreed that we would work together naval forces, searchlight batteries and ack­ to accomplish our dual goal of holding the ack units. important points and driving the Germans from the areas within the harbour that they Gradually, the Canadian/Belgian force still held." consolidated and strengthened their positions. But the villages surrounding the docks­ The short. stocky fighter with the hook­ Wilmarsdonck, Oorderen, Merxem and nose and a ready smile became a familiar Eekeren -still remained in German hands for sight at RHLI headquarters in the coming some days. weeks. From 16 September to 5 October the RHLI and the Resistance under Colson were On September 20th, the Resistance involved in daily confrontations with the requested and received artillery support from enemy in the Antwerp Harbour area. a battery of the 4th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, which enabled them to "It was a very difficult time for us, as launch a successful attack on Wilmarsdonck. supplies of ammunition of all types were short and very restricted," Whitaker recalled. The Rileys remained on the defensive until 2 October when they finally received supplies At one point there were only enough shells sufficient to attack German marshalling yards for the artillery 25-pounders to fire three north of Oorderen. In this successful assault rounds per day. In the face of their acute they were supported by the Scottish logistical shortages and the fact that enemy medium machine guns, Bofors from the 2nd strength was increasing, it was initially Canadian Anti-Aircraft Regiment and the full impossible, even with the combined strength power of the 4th Field Regiment. Meanwhile, of the RHLI and the Resistance fighters, to the sister battalions of 4th Brigade were advancing to Merxem, Eekeren and Starboeck.

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Senior officers of the Belgian White Brigade lead a parade through the port area ofAntwerp to honour theirfallen comrades, October 1944. Colson is at the extreme right. By 6 October the battalion was ordered to occasion he was accompanied by Antwerp advance north into Holland. At the Dutch officials and members of his Resistance border the Resistance fighters were given battalion. orders to return to Antwerp. However, a number of them, like Eugene Colson, In 1989, Colson was responsible for volunteered to join Second Canadian Infantry organizing the return of a group of 18 veterans Division units where together they fought and their wives as guests to Antwerp in its through the Dutch polderlands to free the 45th Anniversary of Liberation. In 1991 approaches of the Scheidt. Colonel Colson took on the additional task of becoming the unofficial representative of the Their victory was a costly one. In the veterans of the Second Canadian Infantry months of September and October, 87 oftheir Division and in this capacity he has given a number were killed and 114 wounded. First great deal of assistance and support to Canadian Army (with British, Polish and Canadian visitors to his city. American troops as well as units of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines under command) This year, Colson was the driving force had 12,873 casualties in the four weeks of which brought 25 Canadian veterans and fighting to drive the enemy from Antwerp their wives for the 50th Anniversary of Harbour and in the six further weeks of bitter Liberation as guests of the city. This group combat to free the Scheidt for Allied shipping. not only represented every Canadian infantry On November 28 the first Allied convoy unit that fought to free Antwerp but also steamed into Antwerp bringing vital shipping included representatives from the RCAF and hundreds of miles closer to the front lines. RCA as well.

Since World War Two, Colonel Colson has Eugene Colson's dedication to Canadians continued to render outstanding service to in war and peace over five decades has made Canada and Canadians in ensuring that our him a deserving recipient of the Meritorious contribution to Belgium and the Allied cause Service Medal. received rightful recognition. He has been a staunch supporter to Canadian veterans as Shelagh Whitaker is co-author with Denis well as to the families of those men who were Whitaker of three military histories: the killed during the liberation of Antwerp. Dafoe award-winning Tug of War: The Canadian Victory that Opened Antwerp On Remembrance Day each year he has (1984); Rhineland: The Battle to End the organized a visitation and laying of a wreath War ( 1989); and Dieppe: Tragedy to on the grave of a Canadian soldier killed Triumph (1992). during the fighting around Antwerp. On each

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