For the operation market garden alone :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market_Garden




Some of my own family are part of the latter category. Their farm house was torched by Germans because they thought some allied soldiers had found refuse there. They were burned inside.





Canucks didn't fight at Market-Garden as they were much further west. However, there were several other major operations in NL in that last year of war were they provided the bulk of forces. The Canucks got their medals in operations like "Battle of the Scheldt". No Americans were included there at all, Polish and Brits were and the casualties were a shy 13.000; halve of them Cannucks. This number of casualties is pretty similar in total to the ones for market-garden, so it was a major undertaking. And it resembled the Pacific campaign in a mini format with numerous amphibious landings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Scheldt


Then we had operation Aintree (Battle of Overloon), the only major tank battle to ever have fought on Dutch soil and nicknamed as the "second battle of Caen" after the similarities between that vicious D-day operation for that town and this one. Again, quite heavy loses. Especially the Brits were cooked in their tins there. The town of Overloon itself was completely destroyed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Aintree


Actually, there appear to be several of these "forgotten battles", as when the breakthrough at Remagen was achieved the Allies quickly decided to race the Russians to Berlin for bragging rights and the push East claimed much of the attention and glamour. Thus taking away from the vital important battles like the "battle of the scheldt" that secured the supply lines and the harbour of Antwerp. Also the northern part of Holland was now beside the route and left hanging. It then endured something that is called the "Hunger winter". Very harsh winter with very large shortages of food. Racking up some more civilian casualties and ending the war very late for most Dutch people; after the battle for Berlin was concluded.


Looking over the more modern battles it appears commanders or the public haven't really learned that much. Who remembers Umm Qasr ? That small deep water harbour town in south Iraq had to be reconquered 5 times in a row because the real attention was on the race to Bagdad. Or the overstretched supply lines that were distrubed frequently holding the spearhead for lack of ammo and gaz ? Like at market-garden they assumed the enemy was already demoralized and beaten when in fact they were not. Alot of time generals care more for medals and personal grandeur then about their men. Market-Garden is a prime example.

Sadly even the Dutch themselves are hard pressed to recall such battles as the "battle for the Scheldt" and "Overloon". Many don't even known about the Polish regiments fighting here or the Sovjet prisoners on Texel Island who sabotaged during the night what they had done as forced labourers during the day. Punishment for getting caught was simple, obviously.

The Dutch too are brainwashed by movies to much and are automatically attracted to the loudest guy in the room claiming credit for everything.


At market-garden many smaller units were regrouped into larger columns and I understand that the regiment identifiers were quickly a name only. For example, a group of Canadian engineers were assigned to the American corps during the river crossings with bailey bridges and rafts. After disasterous landings; all able men were grouped together in new make-shift units. Operation Market-Garden is actually a good read.

I guess the real casualties numbers will always a bit undependable, but that was not waht my post was about earlier.

My point was that the Allies were called Allies for a reason. Many nations fought together under the same banner and everybody got in a binch one time or another. We never hear Canucks, Brits, Poles, Sovjets, Free French, free Dutch and who else harping on a liberated people to show some more gratitude. We especially don't hear any grandsons of these soldiers making such claims. That is with the exception of people from one particular nation.

I think it would do well to remember to honour the others but not making it look like you guys won it all. Because in Europe you really didn't, those were actually the Sovjets. They got 20 to 25 million deaths out of 40 to 45 million of the whole WW2 to show for it. I recall the Americans ranking up 750.000 deaths AND wounded in both theators combined. The Sovjets "did" that number of deaths in Stalingrad alone.

And of course it is also wise to remember that your Grandpa is/was a wholely different man then his grandson is today.

I'm ready to be flamed.

Wouter