MLR4 Sneek attack by Jim McLeod

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT LOCATION:
The village of Sneek, Holland DATE: 16 April 1945 COMMENTARY: The war in Europe was drawing to a close. The First Canadian Army directed its efforts to cutting off the remnants of the German army still in Holland. Across flat soggy fields and along the dykes, Canadian rifle battalions were engaged in the grinding task of capturing village after village until they would eventually reach Zuider Zee. In many cases, the weary German defenders put up a token resistance before surrendering. The average Landser was well aware that the end was near. On 16 April, A Company of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada queued up to make another assault on another Dutch village. With a bit of luck the defenders of Sneek would not put up much of a fight but as the Canadian infantry began to move forward the soldiers of the 12th SS Panzer Division readied their weapons. A Company was met with heavy small arms fire as they neared the village of Sneek. The Wasp carrier supporting the attack drove along the top of the dyke as far as the bridge where it expended all its fuel in an ineffective attack on a German position. As the Wasp left the scene a carrier came roaring along the road atop the dyke but was destroyed by fire from an anti-aircraft piece. The Canadian assault was faltering when Company Sergeant Major Charlie Martin (who had fought with the regiment continuously from the D-Day landings on and had earned the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Military Medal along the way) ran up the road to get the forward platoons moving again. As he cross the bridge, CSM Martin was seriously wounded by German fire. Seeing the veteran NCO fall, the men of A Company moved forward to his aid and attacked onward into the village. After a short, sharp fight, German resistance melted away in Sneek and the remaining defenders surrendered.