The Queens Own Cameron Highlanders
"Keep 'em Moving"		5th Camerons
Battle of the Bulge
January 1945

Kenny 'Porky' Hearns, Archie Fox (Canloan) George Sands Liege January 1945



Liege, New years day 1945.

Standing L to R.

Sgt.Kenny(Porky) Hearns,
Lt. Archie Fox(Canadian)
Sgt. George Sands


front;
Cpl. Thomson? Leslie? or Hughes?
5 Queens Own Cameron Highlanders, Chaudfontaine January 1945 Belgium, signed on bak by Walter, Marguritte, Nicolas Georgette & little Pol

Liege, January 3rd 1945

Chaudfontaine area, billeted with a family whose names were; Walter, Marguritte, Nicolas, Georgette & little Pol

Avenue William et Philippe Grisard, 4050 Chaudfontaine 2008
May 2008.
Avenue William et Phiippe Grisard, 4050 Chaudfontaine, The street ( looking toward the Casino square) where my Father was billetted in January 1945
Nicolas and Georgette, Chaudfontaine 2008
Nicolas (88) and Georgette (86)
I had the great pleasure in finding and meeting Nicolas and Georgette at their home in Chaudfontaine, May 2008. Full of life they had some great reminiscences of my Father and his comrades in their short stay at their home, January 1945. With a twinkle in her eye, Georgette took great delight in telling of the officer inspecting the troops on parade, in front of the nearby Casino, with the aid of a mirror on a stick, the mirror pointing up from ground level !!!

Lieutenant William 'Bill' Bowen, 5th Camerons wounded and evacuated 10th January 1945 Ardennes

right; Lt. William (Bill) Bowen.

 On 10th January 1945, 5th Camerons attacked across the main Laroche - Marche road, through Rendeux,  Hodister and Genes. Between Hodister and Genes they came under shell-fire. The lead truck was hit by a shell from  a German 88mm gun, the only vehicle to be hit. Lt. Bowen was sitting between Sgt. Sands and the driver. Sgt. Sands  was blown clear, dazed but un-injured. He managed to pull Lt. Bowen out of the wrecked cab. The driver and 3  others were killed with 10 more wounded. Lt. Bowen received a face wound and was evacuated, that was the last  time he and Sgt. Sands saw each other. It is believed that Lt. W. Bowen came from the Northampton area of  England, his family owning a shoe shop or company.

5th Camerons meet Yanks at Nois Bras, January 1945, Battle of the Bulge, Ardennes

  

Ardennes, Camerons meet Yanks

In Nois Bras a patrol of Cameron Highlanders met up with elements of the American 347th Infantry, company 1. Among the Camerons were; Sgt. R. Hayworth, Sgt. L Toogood, Cpl. T. Goodall, Pte. J. Lavery, Pte. R. French, and Pte. R. Moore.among the Americans were; Lt. R. E. Miles of Richmond, Virginia and Sgt. E. S. Dudley from Norfolk, Virginia.
By the end of January 1945, 5th Camerons were back in Vught, preparing for the advance through the Siegfried defences of the southern part of what would always be known as "that Bloody Reichswald", where some of the bloodiest hand to hand fighting of the war took place. In a message to 51st Highland Division commander, Major-General Tom Rennie, 30th Corps commander, Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks said; "I have seen the 51st fight many battles since I first met them just before Alamein, but I am certain that the Division has never fought better than in the recent offensive into Germany". "You breached the enemy's defences in the initial attack, fought your way through the southern part of the Reichswald, cleared several strong-points, such as Hekkens etc. and cleared the southern half of Goch. You have accomplished everything asked of you despite the number of additional German reserves which have been thrown in on your front".

51st Highland Division fought continuously for 19 days.

Highland Division Memorial, La Roche BelgiumHD Memorial La Roche Belgium.

The memorial to the fallen of the Highland Division for their part in the La Roche offensive, Ardennes 1945

by kind permission of Richard Massey ex 5th Cameron (anti-tank)


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