The South Beveland Campaign (Page 3/ 10)
The next phase of the operation was the capture of Ellewoutsdijk by the 7th Cameronians. This coastal village had a fort near the harbour and its early capture was important for supply purposes.
The 7th Cameronians, passing through the 6th Cameronians, commenced their advance on 27th October. The advance was almost due west with their left flank some 300-400 yards fro the coast.
The Battalion advanced on a three company front:
A Coy: Right
B Coy: Centre
C Coy: Left
D Coy: in reserve.
My father was in ‘B’ Company.
At first all went well until ‘B’ and ‘C’ Companies came under heavy mortar and machine-gun fire from a windmill slightly to the right of the line of advance. With the assistance of tanks, this obstacle was overcome.
Strong opposition from the outskirts of Ellewoutsdijk was then encountered. By this time it was dark and it was decided to consolidate the ground gained and make preparations for an attack on the village early the next morning.
The Battalion was shelled and heavily mortared that night and some casualties suffered.
Early on the morning of the 28th, ‘D’ Company, supported by all available artillery, captured and cleared the town. The road and other approaches to the harbour were heavily mined but these were quickly removed.
On 29th October the 7th Cameronians extended their front north and, after a brisk fight, captured Ovezande.
This ended the active part played by the Battalion on South Beveland. Their casualties had not been heavy, but among the wounded was Major M.V. Gray, Commanding “B” Company.
On the capture of of Ellewoutsdijk it had been planned that the 6th Cameronians should immediately continue the advance west and capture a known enemy position about two miles along the coast, west of Hof Everinghe.
The Battalion commenced its forward move on the afternoon of 29th October with ‘B’ Company leading. They got to within 350 yards of the enemy position and then encountered heavy flooding. This forced the Company to bunch on the available dry places, and it was then the enemy opened fire. Within a short space of time 10 men had been killed and 30 wounded. A considerable portion of the rest of the Battalion was still holding the original bridgehead and was not available to support the forward Company.
Accordingly, a carefully planned attack, supported by all available fire, was staged for the next day. When put into execution it was found that the enemy had withdrawn. The position was found to be a very strong one, consisting of a number of well-concealed pill-boxes, protected by mines, wire and inundations.
This ended the South Beveland campaign of the 6th Cameronians.
By 31 October South Beveland had been cleared of the enemy and the 6th and 7th Cameronians were moved forward to Nieuwdorp about three miles south of the Causeway. It was not until November 2nd that the Cameronians were called upon for a further effort.
While the above operations were taking place the Canadians had debouched from the isthmus and were fighting their way westwards across South Beveland to the Causeway across the Sloe Channel. While the 156th Brigade was still engaged to the south (as described above), the 157th Brigade began passing through it, and by 30th October had joined up with the Canadian forces some two miles from the causeway leading to Walcheren. The Canadian 4th Brigade then put in a night attack, clearing the Causeway’s eastern end. The 157th Brigade came up on the Canadians left and by the morning of October 31 the enemy hold on South Beveland was ended.