Liberation of Holwierde

Holwierde will only be liberated on Sunday afternoon 29 April. The Red Cross and the Canadians advise the population to leave, because the village may still be shelled by German artillery. But it is not easy to get over De Heekt, because the bridge has been blown up. There is now a raft, but children and the elderly have great difficulty making the crossing. They walk past smoking ruins. Dead soldiers lie in the street. The road is covered by rubble and glass.

The refugees have not yet left Holwierde, when the German artillery starts shelling Holwierde again. One of the grenades lands in the crowd, killing a man and two children. During the battle around Delfzijl, 74 Canadian soldiers of the Perth Regiment are wounded or killed. Fifteen civilians were also killed during the battle. Many farms were destroyed and more than 150 houses in the village were slightly or severely damaged.

The so-called 'Bailey Bridge' that the Canadians later build over De Heekt will be used for years before a new bridge is built.