Liberation Route Marker 136: The hardest battle

The hardest battle
In October 1944, Canadian private Patrick Wright is involved in fierce fighting in the vicinity of Huijbergen. He is only nineteen. Yet he has seen many battles. But the days of fighting here make an indelible impression on him.

Private Patrick Wright was part of the South Saskachewan Regiment of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. It was the task of the 1st Canadian Army, to which this division belonged, to capture the banks of the Scheldt. The access roads had to be secured as well. Only then could the port of Antwerp be brought back into use. This was the priority of the Allied Command from mid-October.

From the 12th to the 24rd of October, fierce fighting took place around Huijbergen during this Battle of the Scheldt. For the Germans, it was important the Allies did not succeed.

As a 19-year-old private, Patrick Wright had already experienced many tough battles. But, as he recalls, this battle was the hardest of them all.

Audiospot - The hardest battle

Liberation Route Europe is a certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. With hundreds of sites and stories in nine European countries, the route links the main regions along the advance of the Allied Forces in 1943-1945.
The entire route consists of themed routes that can be travelled by by hiking, walking, cycling and car. These routes pass numerous historical and interesting sites and tell stories from a multitude of perspectives that were important in the final phase of World War II.
Many routes feature listening spots, offering the opportunity to listen to a historical story at a location. In addition, many ‘Vectors of Memory’ have been placed, indicating that the passer-by is on one of the Liberation Routes.
The routes can be found on the Liberation Route Europe website or in the app through which many stories can also be listened to.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar & Liberation Route Europe
• Photos: Dick de Bruijne (1, 4, 5), Arjan Vrieze (2, 3)