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THE COVENANTER
not able to silence the German artillety At this point Walcheren operations
before the battle began’. became the responsibility of 52nd Lowland
During this time, the battle on the Division. The Divisional Commander.
causeway, which began on 29th October, Major General Sir Edmund Hakewill Smith,
continued with heavy casualties but no opposed the concept of frontal assaults on
progress. The 5th Canadian Brigade had the causeway. ‘In the early hours of 1st
been given the task of attacking Walcheren November, Foulkes [GOC 2nd Canadian
from the east. Reconnaissance concluded Corps] appeared at 52nd Div HQ inciting a
that ‘there was only one way over and that head-on clash [with Hakewill Smith].
was on this damned causeway ... a raised Foulkes ordered Hakewill Smith to send his
embankment standing some seven metres division across the causeway ... Hakewill
above the high water line, ... dead straight, Smith demanded that Foulkes issue the
about twelve hundred metres long and forty order in writing. A blank piece of paper was
metres wide. The familiar poplars,... passed across the table.’ In the words of
Bordered an elevated rail line, a two-lane Hakewill Smith, ‘The Canadian Corps
highway and the inevitable cycle path. The Commander said that there was no other route
Germans, their backs to the sea, were far and that we had to go in at dawn the next
from beaten, they had prepared a morning. I again protested that it was not a
monstrous reception for their ... enemies ... viable military operation ... after further
The German guns were sighted squarely argument he departed, saying that if we did not
down this narrow strip of raised roadway put in this attack there would be a new
that they knew the Canadians would be commander of the 52nd (L) Division
forced to cross. There was, they believed, no immediately.’ However, ‘Hakewill Smith had
alternative. In 1940, as pursuers this time of won a reprieve of sorts. Foulkes grudgingly
a French armoured division, the Germans gave him forty-eight hours to come up with
themselves had attempted to cross the Sloe an alternative plan ... Or look for a new job.’
and had seen 150 of their comrades drown.’ After reconnaissance, a possible route
The conditions under which the Allied across the Sloe, south of the Causeway, was
forces fought in Walcheren are vividly identified. There is some uncertainly
described in the words of a Canadian surrounding the identification of this route.
officer, Roger Mathen: ‘Imagine a black night, A member of the Dutch resistance, Pieter
the rain pouring down, and a muddy road with Kloosterman, reportedly knew about it and
holes of one or two metres deep. If you fall into passed the details to 52nd Lowland. The
a hole you are muddy, deadbeat and without Divisional commander records that it was
your gun or ammunition. The road is ten metres discovered independently. The CO of 6th
wide, without trees to take cover. Imagine a Cameronians said that ‘I should not be
dyke leading to nowhere, enemy soldiers on surprised if the story [that Kloosterman
both sides with heavy machine guns and light provided the information] were true. You
cannons. Then let start a barrage of 296 shells come of a brave people; we found that ...
over the Germans, then observe a counterattack The Dutch Underground Organisation was
with 88mm and 105 mm mortars coming from of invaluable help to us.’
the other side. Now send to the other side of the ‘My battalion [6th Cameronians] was
dyke some hundred men, platoon after platoon, chosen for this role.’ ‘It was clear that this
the men following the edge of the water, with operation (Operation Mallard) would be a
their faces into the unknown.’ hazardous one. A few days earlier another
‘Near the Sloe dam the attackers found formation had reconnoitered a crossing place
themselves in an extremeIy difficult and reported it to be impracticable.’
position.’ Between 31st October and 3rd However, the Allied forces managed to
November a severe battle took place. Three form a bridgehead, thanks to a crossing
separate battalion strength assaults were through the Sloe area).’ This attack was
made on the Causeway; a fourth battalion, carried out by 6th Cameronians. It was a
1st Glasgow Highlanders, relieved the third bold plan, crossing at a place that ‘must
of these battalions on the morning of 2nd have been considered by the enemy as a
November, by which time the Canadian 5th most unlikely approach, since in addition
Brigade were ‘completely disorganized and to crossing the Sloe, it entailed negotiating
only a few remained.’ In three days of treacherous mudflats, extending some three
fighting on the Causeway the Canadian quarters of a mile, followed by a frontal
2nd Army lost over 1,000 men killed, attack up the enemy’s sea-dyke positions.’
wounded or taken prisoner. On the night of 2nd/3rd November, 6th
31
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