Date of birth:

February 18th, 1918 (Marchwell/Saskatchewan, Canada)

Date of death:

July 29th, 2009 (Ingleside, Marchwell/Saskatchewan, Canada)

Service number:

L154040

Nationality:

Canadian

Born on 18 February 1918 in Marchwell, Sask, Canada. His parents were Samuel Ernest Kirk and Violet Gertrude Cochran.

Second Worldwar: Canada entered World War II on 10 September 1939, after waiting a week for parliamentary approval. Canada was united in its support for Britain and France after Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. However, Canada's political leaders wanted to wait for parliament's approval to show Canada's independence.

Enlistment: Kirk enlisted in The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada on 9 July 1942.

The regiment mobilised The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, CASF for active duty on 1 September 1939. It was redeployed as the 1st Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, CASF on 7 November 1940. It embarked for Britain on 12 December 1940. The battalion took part in Operation Jubilee, the Dieppe Raid, on 19 August 1942. It returned to France on 7 July 1944 as part of the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division and continued to fight in north-western Europe until the end of the war. The overseas battalion was disbanded on 30 November 1945.

Overseas: Kirk went overseas in September 1942 and trained in England; from there he went to France. His first action was when the Allies broke through the bridgehead at Caen in Normandy. Kirk fought with the Camerons through France, Belgium, Holland and parts of Germany. He was removed from the lines for a few days with minor shrapnel wounds. Kirk fought in one of the deadliest battles in the Netherlands during the war, the Battle of the Scheldt estuary.

The operation took place in northern Belgium and south-western Netherlands between 2 October and 8 November 1944. The aim was to open the river Scheldt so that the Allies could use the port of Antwerp to supply their troops in north-western Europe.

The First Canadian Army, led by Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds, fought against nearly 90,000 German soldiers. The Allies won, opening road to the port of Antwerp and securing a vital supply line at a cost of nearly 13,000 casualties, including more than 6,300 Canadians.

The action: Kirk, a sergeant, led a 12-man section targeting a German bunker on a hill near Wonensdrecht. As supporting tanks and flamethrowers jammed, Kirk and his men advanced. His unit also ran aground, but Kirk kept going and, while wounded by shrapnel, he took the hill.

During the fighting, Kirk was able to attract the attention of a Canadian tank crew who assisted him. The tank disabled the bunker, 17 German paratroopers emerged with their hands up and a white flag. ‘I had two men take the prisoners. Halfway through, the Germans attacked them and wounded four or five because they surrendered,’ Kirk said. In one bunker, a German medic was still working on a wounded soldier. ‘His legs were completely shattered. He needed splints. There was nothing to use. In the end, we gave him German bayonets. They used that for splints."-Kirk

However, with his flank support still pinned down at the bottom of the hill, Kirk received orders to retreat. "I thought, "Oh God! Now we have to fight our way back again," Kirk said.

"We had to because we were exposed on both sides." The vulnerability of the position became evident on the retreat. "I saw the tank coming and remember hoping they remembered it's us," said Kirk. "Before the tank got out of there it was knocked out. Three made it out."-Kirk

For his part in the liberation of Holland he was awarded the highest Dutch medal, the knight of the militaire willems orde which is equivalent of the Victoria Cross. He was presented with the Militaire Willems Orde by the Netherlands, their highest military medal. Kirk was also knighted by The Netherlands Queen in 1945.

His fighting ended at the Rhine River, Germany and he was sent back to Ghent, Belgium in March 1945 as an instructor for new recruits arriving from Canada. He joined the Camerons back in Amersfoort Holland when the war was over. Kirk took command of the Regimental police, while on patrol riding a motorcycle, he ran into a shell crater and broke his collarbone, which resulted in him spending six weeks in hospital.

Post war: Kirk recovered from his injuries and returned to Canada after. He was discharged from the Canadian Army 10 January 1946. In 1948 he married Doris E. Whisten at Barrow Upon Soar RD. Leicestershire, England afterwards returning to Canada. Together they had three children, Brian, Trevor and John, tragically John passed away at age 0 in 1953.

In 1965, Kirk returned to the Wonensdrecht, Netherlands, during the visit he walked the ground again where the pillbox had been. During the 1965 visit he met a family who had been hiding in the towns church basement during the 1944 fighting, their daughter was three during the battle. He met the daughter again, who was now married with her own children. Mrs. DeJong Kuylen and Kirk would stay in contact until Kirks passing in 2009.

Legacy: The Medals that belonged to Sgt Kirk are now on display at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, ON, Canada. On the first anniversary of his death a ceremony was held at his grave in the Ingleside Cemetery southeast of Langenburg where representatives of the Kingdom of the Netherlands laid a wreath honouring Kirk.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Sergeant

Unit:

1st Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division

With Overseas Bar

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Sergeant

Unit:

1st Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Sergeant

Unit:

1st Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Sergeant

Unit:

1st Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Sergeant

Unit:

1st Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Sergeant

Unit:

1st Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division

Awarded on:

December 8th, 1945

Nomination:
‘During the battles to liberate the occupied Dutch territory, he distinguished himself by performing outstanding acts of courage, policy and loyalty. Thereby repeatedly showing extraordinary devotion to duty and great perseverance, and in all respects, by praiseworthy example, being an inspiration to all in those glorious days.’

Royal Decree No. 2 dated 8th December 1945.
Canadian Gazette of 22 December 1945

• Photo 1: Ryan Gingras
• - MAALDERINK P.G.H., De Militaire Willemsorde sedert 1940, Sijthof Pers, 1982.
  - Kirk with Princess Margriet.
  - Supplement to The London Gazette of 19th February 1946, Issue 37476, dated 21st February 1946
  - The Dutch Medals Page