Operation Cannonshot Memorial Tour 2018: After the failure of the Arnhem part of Operation Market Garden in September 1944, known as the Battle of Arnhem, the northern part of the Netherlands remained occupied by nazi-Germany. In the spring of 1945, the Western Allies launched several military operations to liberate the northern part of the Netherlands, two of them were Operation Cannonshot and Operation Quick Anger. To liberate the Dutch cities of Apeldoorn and Deventer, and the Veluwe, the high ground between these cities and Arnhem, Operation Cannonshot was launched on 11 April 1945. The 48th Highlanders of Canada crossed the IJssel from the east, a branch of the Rhine, between the villages of Voorst and Wilp. Wilp was the first village entered by the 1rst Battalion of the 48th Highlanders of Canada. During the liberation of Wilp, 19 Canadian soldiers were killed, including the commanding officer.
In April 2018, we took part in the Operation Cannonshot Memorial Tour. In our own Ford Jeep, together with other WWII vehicles, we partly followed the route the Canadian liberators took in april 1945, on route we visited several WWII memorials, such as the memorial at the hamlet Woeste Hoeve and the Dutch Field of Honour Loenen. We attended the memorial ceremony at the IJssel Crossing Memorial on the bank of the IJssel between Voorst and Wilp and the wreath-laying ceremony at the church of Wilp. The Highland Regiment Pipes and Drums performed at both of the ceremonies. The memorial tour ended at the village church of Wilp. The memorial tour and memorial ceremony were organised by the Groene Soos and the Interest Group Wilp.
Operation Cannonshot Memorial Tour: In April 2018, together with our own Ford GPW Jeep, we participated in the Operation Cannonshot Memorial Tour. Operation Cannonshot was launched by the Western Allied forces on 11 April 1945 to liberate the Dutch cities of Apeldoorn, Deventer and the high ground between these two cities and Arnhem.
