10th Canadian Infantry Brigade

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

10th Canadian Infantry Brigade
Image:4 Canadian Armoured Division patch.png
4th Canadian Armoured Division Formation Patch
Active 1940 -=1945
Country Canada
Allegiance Allies
Branch Canadian Army
Type Infantry
Size Brigade
Part of Canadian 4th Armoured Division
Engagements Battle of Normandy
Battle of the Scheldt
battle of Moerbrugge

Contents

[edit] History

The 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade was first assembled at Nanaimo, British Columbia in October 1940, although Nanaimo was not established as its headquarters until February 1941. In April 1941 it was moved east to the Niagara area, exchanging places with the 13th Canadian Infantry Brigade. During World War II.It was part of the Canadian 4th Armoured Division , alongside the 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade.

[edit] Formation

[edit] Normandy

As part of 4th Armoured Division , it did not arrive in Normandy until the end of July 1944.It was present for Operation Totalise , Operation Tractable , and the Battle of Falaise. After reaching the River Seine , they advanced along the French coast to Belgium.

[edit] North West Europe

After France and Belgium the Brigade still part of 4th Armoured was involved in the critical Battle of the Scheldt , to open the port of Antwerp , to Allied shipping. Next came Operation Veritable clearing the land between the Rhine and Roer rivers and there last major operation of the war the Battle of the Reichswald.

[edit] Battle of Moerbrugge

Main article: Battle of Moerbrugge

The 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade was tasked to cross the Ghent Canal about five kilometers south of Bruges at a small village called Oostkamp in early September 1944. Directly across the canal from Oostkamp was another small village named Moerbrugge. The canal is about 20 metres wide and very deep. Opposition was not expected so only one battalion was chosen for the crossing: The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's), the Argylls.

Two batteries of the 15th Field Regiment, RCA were placed in support and the The South Alberta Regiment (SARs) would place its tanks on the friendly side of the canal at either side of the crossing point and hold the flanks of the crossing with their fire along with the Vickers machine guns of The New Brunswick Rangers. The 3 inch mortars of the Argylls and the 4.2 inch mortars of the Rangers were in support. A first-hand account of the battle written by a member of "C" Company of the Argylls is available at http://www.ashofc.ca/ASHbridgeMoer.htm.

This Canadian military article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.