In retrospect

By early October 1944, the Allies controlled the harbours north of the Seine. This, however, had not yet solved the supply issue. The R.E. had opened Dieppe, Le Tréport and Ostende but could not handle the high volumes that Allied troops in Europe required. Le Havre, Boulogne and Calais were not serviceable having suffered major destructions. Farther north, the Allies had liberated Antwerp on September 3rd, but the city was located on the Scheldt River, some 80 kilometres from the open sea and the river's mouth was still under German control. The only way to make sure that the supplies required by the campaign in Europe could enter the continent was to capture the Scheldt. This was to be the mission of the First Canadian Army.

Monday, 2nd October 1944

It seems, therefore, that we will be going back to the left flank, to support the Canadians. If Bundy had known what had happened to their General, he would have been very sympathetic. The same infection had struck him and Capt. Makin, and hundreds of others, during the break out from Normandy. Meanwhile, the whole unit is anxious to get back into action, if only to help clear the Scheldt Estuary and have their cigarette ration restored.

A day or two later

The last time we saw a working railway we were in England, the country that invented the railway and where they still run by the same form of power - steam. Diesel engine technology is still in the future, and electric railways are only for short urban routes, use a third rail and generally have underground sections.

Now we make our way across a network of railway lines with overhead electric wires - like those of tramways but with catenoid suspension and state-of-the-art insulators, such as we have never seen before. A mile or two further on, we turn left towards Tilburg, which should have been our first objective in the Netherlands. Perhaps we are attempting to return to Plan A, by the back door?

Further, along this road we pass fields in which are a number of wrecked gliders, not just badly landed but with actual damage. We have heard that 101 Airborne had suffered heavy damage and casualties, but if it was put out of action, who then gained control of these locations? This is no time to worry about such past matters, so on we go to our new concentration area, have a meal and bed down.

Yet Another vague date in October 1944

Now we are on the way back to Gemert – don’t ask when, or by what route or what we do on the way. We relieve the tedium and tension of each journey by community singing. The only songs we know are at least six months old, as most of us have had no contact with British civilians since well before D-day. While all the last minute hitches are sorted out, we sit on the blankets over the medical panniers and food crates, trying to work out where we are likely to be going, but as soon as the trucks move we break into “WE’RE OFF to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz.” Our harmony is a little rusty but we do have near perfect pitch, thanks to the harmonica.

Nothing newsworthy seems to happen in mid October. It is the renowned "silly season" when the London season is over and the hustings have not begun, so polititians start accusing other politicians of stealing the ideas they in turn have stolen from yet another party.
It is the same on the battle field. If one army fails to steal a march on the other, they both sit down and plan their own separate winter campaigns or wait for the other army to make a silly mistake.