What was the Battle of Leopold Canal?

Article written by Amynte Eygun, MA.

Westmount, Quebec – 06 October 2024: The Canadian Army had every disadvantage during the Battle of Leopold Canal, yet they managed to defeat the Germans and trigger the liberation of North-West Europe. The battle centered around the Leopold Canal, a nearly 50 km canal stretching from eastern Belgium into the North Sea. The entry point of attack for the Canadians was situated near the Belgian/Holland border, and this landscape was flat and near sea level – there is a reason why this region of Europe is known as the ‘low countries.’ Knowing the landscape, the Germans would purposefully flood the terrain making it difficult for the Allies to use their weapons and drive vehicles. The men were constantly wet, cold and uncomfortable. The reconnaissance done beforehand for this battle was also an important factor to the difficulty of the battle for the Canadians. Not only did the Allied Intelligence underestimate the number of Germans from the 64th Infantry Division, but they underestimated the tenacity of the enemy, who were ordered to “fight to the death” to keep Canadians from accessing the Scheldt. The Germans were well aware that capturing the Scheldt waterways would lead to Allied victory, so they gave their all to keep them out. The original plan for the battle was the following:

“In a series of reports attached to the War Diary, the plan for the attack is described. The purpose was to seize a bridgehead on the north bank to enable the Engineers to throw a bridge across, heavy enough to carry the armour required to give momentum to the Canadian drive beyond. This would be no simple task, for the enemy positions on the north bank of the Canal were dug in on the reverse slope of the Canal dyke and clearly would be difficult to neutralize with high explosives and small arms fire. Flame-throwers were accordingly added to the plan, to be used as a prelude to the actual assault, but, even with this help, the venture would be most hazardous.”

The Battle of Leopold Canal was not supposed to involve the Royal Montreal Regiment, so why were they there? Originally, the battle was going to involve the 3rd Canadian Division, which included the 7th, 8th and 9th infantry brigades. The 3rd Canadian Division grouped regiments from Western Canada, more specifically the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. How does the RMR fit into this Division? The RMR is normally in the 2nd Canadian Division, along with other Regiments from Quebec and Ontario. However, by September-October 1944, the men of the RMR had barely seen any action and wanted to go fight, as they had spent the past few years of the war training in the UK. Luckily (or unluckily) for them, there was the opportunity to swap places with a company of the Regina Rifle Regiment, a company that had seen action and was in much need of a rest. The swap allowed for a RMR company to become attached to the Regina Rifles for the duration of the battle. With this swap, the structure of the Battle of Leopold Canal was the following: 

• 3rd Canadian Infantry Division

• 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• • • 1. Royal Winnipeg Rifles
    • 2. Regina Rifle Regiment
      • Company A: Regina Rifles 
      • Company B: Royal Montreal Regiment: commanded by Captain Robert Schwob
        • Platoon 1: led by Sergeant Harry Thomas Murray
        • Platoon 2: led by Lieutenant William Noel Barclay (Sergeant Hayward)
        • Platoon 3: led by Sergeant William Craddock 
      • Company C: Regina Rifles 
      • Company D: Regina Rifles 
    • 3. Canadian Scottish Regiment
    • 4. Lorne Scots

The RMR fought alongside men from the Regina Rifle Regiment, and those who lost their lives in battle are buried alongside each other, forever commemorating their partnership on October 6th, 1944. 

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Leopold Canal and in remembrance of the role the RMR had in this battle, the RMR museum will be presenting a temporary exhibit titled: A Regiment’s Sacrifice: Defeating Hitler’s Army, opening on November 1st until November 10th. Throughout the month of October – the month of the battle – we will be releasing a series of stories like this one as a lead-up to the exhibit opening.