"Canadian" Diersfordter Wald, March 24th, 1945

[Crewman]

The thread about small Canadian episode of the Operation Varsity. As you certainly know the mission assigned to the British 3rd Parachute Brigade, to which the Canadian 1st CanPara belonged, was to clear the northern part of the Diersfordter Wald. It became the place of death of the 1st CanPara CO Lt.-Col. Jeff Nicklin.

In my opinion after various battlefield experiences B. L. Montgomery had slight obsession of such earlier places as hellish Quesnay Wood or Kapelsche Veer -- the places impossible to capture on time, the places heavily defended by the Germans and poorly recognized by the Allies, the places with impossible to foresee reaction of the Germans and their power, and the places to by-pass them if needed (Quesnay) before capturing. Theoretically such a hellish place was also Diersfordter Wald according to Montgomery's expectations that it will be the Rhine counterpart of the Falaise Gap Quesnay Wood.

How do you think, why the place that might be the greatest hell of the Operation Varsity was selected to capture by the Canadian paras? Was it a coincidence in your opinion?


Best regards

C.