10th Canadian Infantry Brigade - Battle of Moerbrugge

Battle of Moerbrugge

The 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade was tasked to cross the Ghent Canal about five kilometers south of Bruges at a small village called Oostkamp in early September 1944. Directly across the canal from Oostkamp was another small village named Moerbrugge. The canal is about 20 metres wide and very deep. Opposition was not expected so only one battalion was chosen for the crossing: The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's), the Argylls.

Two batteries of the 15th Field Regiment, RCA were placed in support and The South Alberta Regiment (SARs) would place its tanks on the friendly side of the canal at either side of the crossing point and hold the flanks of the crossing with their fire along with the Vickers machine guns of The New Brunswick Rangers. The 3-inch (76 mm) mortars of the Argylls and the 4.2-inch (110 mm) mortars of the Rangers were in support. A first-hand account of the battle written by a member of "C" Company of the Argylls is available at http://www.ashofc.ca/ASHbridgeMoer.htm.