Deventer, 10th of April 1945

[Robert Jan Leerink]

It was 60 years ago on the 10th of April 1945 my old home-town Deventer was liberated. The Wasp just passed a tank ditch 500m behind him and is driving on the Brinkgeverweg speeding forward to town centre.

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by Robert Jan Leerink
It was 60 years ago on the 10th of April 1945 my old home-town Deventer was liberated. The Wasp.......

.... of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada (8th Cdn Inf Bde), under command of 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade (3rd Cdn Inf Div) for the clearing of Deventer.

Cheers

[Robert Jan Leerink]

This a part of an arial map dated 10th of April 1945.
The location of the Wasp (thin arrow), the troops
came from the triangle, a small village called Schalkhaar.
right above.

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by Robert Jan Leerink
the troops came from the triangle, a small village called Schalkhaar. right above.

Hi Robert;

The troops that came from Schalkhaar, would have been the 1st Battalion, Canadian Scottish Regiment.

Cheers

Sketch Map:

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by Robert Jan Leerink
My father identified the location as Oerdijk crossing
Kolkmansweg just outside Schalkhaar.

Hi Robert;

Is this "Oerdijk crossing Kolkmansweg" - north-east or east of Schalkhaar.

Cheers

[Robert Jan Leerink]

The situation has changed completly in 60 years, here's
a map. The black arrow shows the location.

[Robert Jan Leerink]

The white arrow shows probably the location of the
Sherbrooks Fuseliers driving on the westside of the
Overijssels Kanaal = Zijkanaal towards a small village
called Colmschate.

[Robert Jan Leerink]

Three Canadians just arrived the Deventer policestation in the town centre. Note the right soldier risking his private parts by wearing a Mills handgrenade on his belt.

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by Robert Jan Leerink
Three Canadians just arrived the Deventer policestation in the town centre. Note the right soldier risking his private parts by wearing a Mills handgrenade on his belt.

Hi Robert;

I'd say that they were from 1st Battalion, Canadian Scottish Regiment (7th Canadian Infantry Brigade/3rd Canadian Infantry Division), your 'friend' with the Mills looks like he has an 'oak leaf' on his shoulder title.

Cheers

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by Robert Jan Leerink
Three Canadians just arrived the Deventer policestation in the town centre. Note the right soldier risking his private parts by wearing a Mills handgrenade on his belt.

Robert;

These soldiers are probably from either No. 13 or No. 14 Platoon of "C" Company under Lt. W.K. Wardroper, who cleared the town centre. I've attached an image of the 1st Battalion, Canadian Scottish Regiment shoulder title.

Cheers

[Robert Jan Leerink]

The policestation is right above. The big churchtower (6o m high) is on their left side. That was one on the main reasons that Deventer has to be taken prior to Operation Cannonshot. The crossing site was in view of German observators .

[Robert Jan Leerink]

Same location. This picture is taken from the policestation.
Date and time: early in the evening of the 10th of April. The church is on the right. P.O.W in the middle. Note that the
damage of the houses and most of the windows are gone.

Deventer sufferd a lot during the war because of heavy air attacks. The goal was to destroy the two bridges over the river Ijssel. They were never destroyed. Locals said that the safest place was to hide under a bridge during an air raid....

[Robert Jan Leerink]

Location postoffice Deventer. 11th april 1945.

Note the soldier with the glengarry, replaced his
jackknive with a ss dagger and the tall guy behind
him with a mp40 on his shoulder.

[Robert Jan Leerink]

Same location, with a 3" mortar carrier.

[Tony Smith]

Robert, how about some "Then and Now" pics? Are these locations still recognisable?

[Robert Jan Leerink]

Hi Tony,

The postoffice is on the right.

At your service !
Robert Jan

[Robert Jan Leerink]

Around 1930

[Robert Jan Leerink]

This is the location of the Snipperling bridge near Colmschate. The area was defended by elements of the 16th and 17th Fallschirmjager Regiment. The bridge was destroyed by the
Germans.

[Robert Jan Leerink]

Looking from the Deventer towards Colmschate.

[Andrew Wardroper]

Hello, everyone,

Just to let you know that my father, W.K. Wardroper, Capt. (retd), 1st Bn. Canadian Scottish Regiment, is alive and well living in Victoria, B.C. He is tickled pink that he has achieved some notoriety on the Worldwideweb. To correct one thing on the posting, the picture of the fellow with nurses hanging on his arm is not my father, it is an unknown corporal. The fellow in the picture with the grenade threatening his private parts is my father.

My father was invited back to Holland in April 1995 for the celebration of the Liberation, to aid in the launching of a written history of Deventer during the occupation. To my father's surprise, they brought out the two women nurses in the famous picture, who were sure they recognized my father from 50 years ago. My father, to his great credit, did not ruin the moment by letting on he was not the fellow in the picture. Dad did say that he and his men were mobbed by ecstatic Dutch nursing students as they worked their way into the centre of town, with German bullets still flying overhead, so there is an element of truth about the whole affair. During the actual event in 1945, my father had reconnoitred into Deventer the previous evening, where he connected to the still-functioning phone network, spoke to a Dutch underground fighter over the phone and left, having gained no doubt important information. He met this same fellow over 15 years later by accident at a party in Los Angeles.

Thanks for letting me contribute

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by Andrew Wardroper
Thanks for letting me contribute

It's our privilege, Andrew.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Great pictures!


Is that a Sherman ARV MK1 I see behind the Ram Kangaroos in the second photograph ?

Robert Jan, I have sent you a PB. An old collegue is trying to contact you.

regards,

Alex van de Wetering

[Robert Jan Leerink]

61 years later, (Lt. W.K. Wardroper position near the - now former - policestation)

[Robert Jan Leerink]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PFcpNHUTQM0

[Robert Jan Leerink]

About 70 years later

[Robert Jan Leerink]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C9Ly8EnUGJI