The liberation battles at Twello and Teuge

On the morning of April 13, 1945, the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment passed the position of the 48th Highlanders and took over the axis of advance of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division towards the Apeldoorns Canal, while the Royal Canadian Regiment continued to advance on the south side. Further south, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade advanced. During the advance, the Hasty Ps would sporadically encounter resistance from the German 953rd and 952nd Grenadier Regiments of the 361st Volksgrenadier Division.

C Company was tasked with taking the intersection with the Rijksstraatweg, codenamed 'DAVIS', from the Twello train station with flamethrower Bren carriers. Lieutenant Johnston led a patrol and was to reconnoiter the forest west of the intersection. With a section, he was able to enter the forest unnoticed and carried out a surprise attack. Ten German defenders were killed, sixteen were captured, and around fifty were dispersed. For this action, as well as his exemplary leadership during previous battles in Italy, Johnston was awarded the Military Cross.

During the advance towards Teuge, tanks fired indiscriminately at possible hidden German defensive positions. Around 11:00, the vanguard arrived in Teuge, and the next objective was to capture the bridge over the Grote Wetering. This was achieved around 13:15, but the advance stalled thereafter. The vanguard came under artillery and machine gun fire. Several casualties were incurred, and Captain B.E. Caw of the 1st Hussars was killed. The defense was fierce, as indicated by a message from the Hasty Ps to the headquarters of the 1st Brigade: "Resistance stiff. Four anti-tank guns, enemy fighting well, our attack going in at 15:15." It turned out to be a German defensive line with cannons and trenches manned by several hundred German soldiers.

After a radio conversation with the brigade commander, Renison formulated a new plan: a company, supported by artillery and a troop of tanks, would capture two intersections: LUMOND (Woudweg - Holthoevensestraat) and LIBERATOR (Rijksstraatweg - Holthoevenseweg). A platoon commander maneuvered his platoon near the LIBERATOR junction. Corporal William Ross, section number four of C Company, was tasked with taking control of an area with three houses, supported by covering fire from Sergeant Enns's tank. Enns advanced his tank but was destroyed by an 88mm gun. Corporal Ross took the initiative and continued the attack with his section under fire. He cleared the area, killing or wounding eight Germans. This allowed the rest of C Company to advance. Ross was later awarded the Bronze Cross for this action. At the assault on LUMOND and LIBERATOR, at least three, possibly more, German 88mm guns were destroyed, nearly a hundred Germans were killed, and a few hundred were captured. According to their logbook, they had instilled considerable fear in the Germans in this area: "we had put the fear of the Lord into the Hun in this area."

The plan for the evening was to continue the advance towards the Broeksbrug in North Apeldoorn.