Canadian tanks towards Zuid-Beveland 

Bailey ponton bridge next to the Vlakebridge.

Support Company of the Royal Hamilton Infantry with Bren Gun carriers and Six-pounder anti-tank guns.

Royal Hamilton Infantry in their armoured vehicles. 

First, the engineers, the army's road and bridge builders, used a bulldozer to dig a large hole in the dyke on the eastern bank of the canal, allowing trucks carrying bridge components to reach the water's edge. A total of twelve pontoons were placed in the water, which would need to be connected with a bridge deck to form a structure suitable for pedestrians and light vehicles.In the middle of the night on Saturday, 28 October 1944, the first pontoon was launched. An hour later, work was halted due to German anti-aircraft fire. Half an hour after that, the fearless engineers resumed their work, only to be interrupted by shellfire, again. Three engineers were evacuated with injuries. Despite the danger, they resumed work at 3:00 a.m. By 4:00 a.m., the work was stopped once more as the enemy again opened fire on the engineers. This time, six engineers were wounded, one of them fatally. The commanding officer, Major Barrett, decided to suspend the operation.Barrett contacted headquarters, and it was decided that despite the risk of renewed shelling, two teams would remain on standby to continue the work. At the same time, efforts were made to find a safer location for the bridge. With this mission, Lieutenant Harder left for Kruiningen. Meanwhile, Barrett spoke with an artillery officer, requesting that the German guns targeting the defenceless engineers be silenced.Growing impatient, Major Barrett ordered work on the bridge to resume. An hour later, word arrived that Lieutenant Harder’s vehicle had hit a mine. His driver had been killed, and Harder was evacuated with injuries. The plan to find a new location for the bridge had fallen apart. Meanwhile, German artillery opened fire once again on the bridge under construction. It wasn't until 1:03 p.m. that the situation finally calmed down enough for the engineers to resume their work.By this time, soldiers of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry had arrived on the eastern bank. To their surprise, there was no bridge, and in the absence of better options, they paddled across in rowing boats. Although their vehicles had been left behind at the canal, they managed to push the Germans back to Biezelinge a few hours later.At 3:00 p.m., the bridge over the Canal through South Beveland was finally completed. A steady stream of military vehicles crossed the bridge as the weary engineers looked on with satisfaction. At that moment, the enemy opened fire once again in an attempt to render the strategic bridge unusable. Miraculously, despite numerous shells exploding around the bridge, the structure remained intact. The engineers breathed a sigh of relief. The bridge had been completed despite enormous obstacles.

Budowa mostu pod ostrzałem

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