After The Battle #172 – The Battle for The Hochwald Gap

OPERATION ‘BLOCKBUSTER’ Ñ Colonel Charles P. Stacey tells us how on February 26, 1945, having fought its way through the dreaded Reichswald forest, the First Canadian Army launched Operation ‘Blockbuster’, a continuation of the massed offensive aimed at securing the Rhineland as far south as Xanten and linking up with the Americans coming up from the south. Major FRed Tilston, VC Ñ On Thursday, March 1, 1945, at the height of the battle for the Hochwald Gap, Major FRed Tilston of the Canadian Essex Scottish launched his under – strength C Company into an attack on the enemy – held Hochwald forest. Showing extreme courage, Tilston led his men across 400 metres of fire – swept open ground and into the German positions. Despite being wounded twice, he personally knocked out an enemy machine – gun nest. Having survived this and further actions, he was awarded the VC. The story is told by W. Denis Whitaker and Shelagh Whitaker. Prisoner of War at Brest Ñ Lt. Paul R. Stevenson tells his remarkable story. Having been captuRed by German FallschirmjŠger just north of the city, he was taken inside encircled Brest, spending 20 days in a small prisoner of war camp before making a daring escape with three other Americans across the water back to American lines.

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