"Operation Infatuate--Invasion Of The Dutch Island ..." Topic

…Of Walcheren

"Operation Infatuate, the codename for the invasion of the Dutch Island of Walcheren, was a major Combined Operation's amphibious landing against very heavily fortified and entrenched German positions. The island stood at the mouth of the River Scheldt and blocked Allied access to the captured port of Antwerp some 60 miles inland which was needed to supply the advancing Allied armies.

The city of Antwerp and its port had fallen to Dempsey's 2nd British Army in early September 1944. Montgomery's attention at the time was on securing several bridge crossing, including the Rhine at Arnhem in an operation code-named Market Garden. If successful, it might have ended the war by Christmas 1944 by opening a clear route to Germany and Berlin. There was no sense of priority given to securing the approaches to Antwerp which would require the island fortress of Walcheren, with its formidable array of weaponry and the Fifteenth German Army garrison, to be removed.

The First Canadian Army, under Crerar, was ordered by Montgomery to open up the Antwerp area but Crerer also had orders to capture Boulogne and Calais. His forces did advance north-westwards from Antwerp and approached Walcheren but were held up at the entrance of the narrow isthmus which connected south Beveland to the mainland…"
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Amicalement
Armand

One of my school teachers was involved in this op. His unit suffered their 1st fatality at the start of the crossing. The man jumped into the Buffalo which jolted his stent gun, which went off and shot him through the head!

Of course, there were two operations: Market and Garden.

What a bad luck for that soldier…

Amicalement
Armand

My father-in-law Harry was involved on the landing craft side of things and my friend Ted landed with 41 RM Commando. There was a very good TV programme made about Ted's experiences in Normandy and Walcheren: link