In April 1945, the 48th Highlanders of Canada played a key role in the daring Operation CANNONSHOT, crossing the IJssel River under enemy fire. This decisive breakthrough paved the way for the final liberation of the Netherlands by Canadian forces.
The 48th Highlanders were among the first Canadian units to see battle during the Second World War. They landed in Sicily in July 1943 as part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. They engaged in nearly continuous fighting until their last major battle of the Italian campaign: the crossing of the Lamone River in December 1944. They would move to the Ravenna marshes area in February 1945, and then travel through France in March to link up with the Canadian soldiers who had landed in Normandy and fought their way through the Channel ports and the Scheldt Estuary. By mid-April, Canada’s two Corps were together and poised to liberate the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The 48th Highlanders were part of Operation CANNONSHOT, the operation to cross the Ijssel River and free the city of Apeldoorn. In broad strokes, the 2nd Canadian Corps would advance first. They proceeded north and east, with the Ijssel River on its western flank. With the eastern side of the Ijssel River secured, the 1st Canadian Infantry Division would cross the river and advance towards Apeldoorn. Next, the 1st Canadian Corps would attack north and west, first seizing the city of Arnhem in Operation ANGER and then driving northwards rapidly as part of Operation CLEANSER. The German defenders in Apeldoorn would find themselves in a closing trap.
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Article written by Kris Tozer for Honouring Bravery.