June 29, 2023. In 2017, Pieter and I visited the village of Posterenk in The Netherlands with Edwin van der Wolf, one of the research volunteers at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten.
….The Island connection to Posterenk…..
Edwin wanted us to visit the village because it had an Island connection. Frank GALLANT, son of Anthony and Eleanor Gallant of Mount Carmel, Prince Edward Island, who was with the Carleton & York Regiment, died during there on April 13, 1945 at the age of 32.
The village had a list of 6 soldiers to commemorate from the Carleton & York Regiment, who had all been buried in the area. In addition to Frank Gallant, the list named another Islander, James ‘Frank’ MOSSEY, of Souris.
Unfortunately, not all soldiers who died are included on this list, but Edwin worked towards including two more, who were not buried near Posterenk, but “…were temporarily buried in Lochem because they had previously died in a Canadian hospital there….”
These two additional soldiers were: Goldwin Marven POLLICK of Minto, New Brunswick, and Daniel Peter MACKENZIE of Victoria Cross, Prince Edward Island.
Born March 22, 1918 in Victoria Cross, Daniel ‘Dan’ Peter MACKENZIE was the son of John and Rachael MacKenzie. His niece, Carol Burke, provided more information on his life when she contacted Pieter in 2015: “…Dan MacKenzie grew up on a farm in Victoria Cross, Prince Edward Island, and attended Victoria Cross school. He had 3 brothers Johnny, Billy, and Angus, all deceased, and 3 sisters: Florence Rodgerson, Mabel MacNeill, and Edna Campbell, all living in Prince Edward Island. Dan enjoyed playing hockey and ball with his siblings and working on the farm with his father…”
….Dan MacKenzie enlisted in 1940…..
Before enlisting with the PEI Highlanders in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on May 15, 1940, Dan had served in the militia with the PEI Light Horse Regiment (17th Reserve Armoured Regiment) since 1937. He had been working as a farm labourer for Gavin Read of Montague, Prince Edward Island, and hoped to have a dairy farm of his own.
He went to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia for basic training, and remained there until June 3, 1941, when he was sent to Valcartier, Quebec in preparation for guard duty in Newfoundland.
… Dan was sent to Newfoundland….
After France was occupied by the Germans in 1940, Newfoundland’s defensive position became more precarious. That same year, Canada assumed responsibility for the defence of Newfoundland with the establishment of ‘W Force’, a Canadian garrison force responsible for defending Newfoundland against enemy incursions and providing security for existing and proposed defence facilities during WWII. It included infantry, artillery, and anti-aircraft units. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Newfoundland_during_World_War_II)
On July 23, 1941, as part of ‘W Force’, Dan was sent to Botwood, Newfoundland. In addition to the PEI Highlanders, troops from the Black Watch of Canada, Royal Rifles of Canada, The Algonguin Regiment, Queens Own Rifles, also served at various times. While an RCAF base in Botwood had aircraft patrolling the east coast of the Atlantic, Canadian Army personnel based at Botwood were charged with protection of military facilities that had been installed there, as well as in Gander. (See https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/politics/botwood-base.php)
…..Three other soldiers were in Botwood…..
Dan was in Botwood at the same time as three other soldiers whose stories have been told on this blog:
- Albert Joseph COTE: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/07/27/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-stretcher-bearer-whose-compassion-cost-him-his-life/
- Carman Edward GILLCASH: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/10/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-glenwood-killed-during-the-battle-of-the-delfzijl-pocket/
- James ‘Frank’ MOSSEY: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/08/09/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-souris-killed-during-the-liberation-of-posterenk/
Dan remained in Newfoundland until March 20, 1943, when he was sent to Sussex, New Brunswick. On June 2, 1943, Dan was transferred to the No. 1 Transit Camp in Debert, Nova Scotia, for final preparation and training before being sent overseas.
…Dan was in the Italian Campaign….
He left Canada on June 10, 1943, arriving in the United Kingdom on June 18, 1943 and posted to No. 7 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU). On October 25, 1943 he participated in Hot Dog, an exercise to prepare troops who would be part of the Central Mediterranean Force (CMF) and travelled on to mainland Europe with the CMF and the Allied Army in Italy (AAI). Not long afterwards, he was transferred to the Carleton & York Regiment on December 23, 1943, fighting in the Italian Campaign. (See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_campaign_(World_War_II))
Carol Burke had noted that Dan’s “… regiment fought just north of Ortona, Italy…. and was in the forefront of the assaulting Infantry that bitterly fought Gustav, Hitler and Gothic Line battles....”
On December 31, 1944 Dan was attached to Allied Forces Headquarters (AFHQ), which controlled all Allied operational forces in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations until the end of the war. AFHQ was based in Caserta, Italy after the capture of Sicily and invasion of Italy.
On March 19, 1945 he left Italy as part of Operation Goldflake, arriving in Marseilles, France two days later. Operation Goldflake was the codename for moving troops from Italy to North-West Europe. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Goldflake)
The Carleton & York Regiment was now part of the 21st Army Group. From France, troops were moved up to the Belgian front, into The Netherlands, through the Reichswald Forest in Germany, and then back into The Netherlands.
…The Liberation of Posterenk…
On April 12, 1945 the Regiment was part of Operation Cannonshot, which led to the crossing of the IJssel River between the villages of Gorssel and Wilp in the eastern part of The Netherlands. (See https://www.liberationroute.com/stories/190/operation-cannonshot)
According to the April 12, 1945 war diary entry of the Carleton & York Regiment, they “…moved across the Ijssel River at 14:30 hours….” to relieve the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada.
On April 13, 1945, the war diary entry noted that “…‘D’ Company’s objective is Posterenk…” The Regiment didn’t expect much opposition, but they “… met with stiff resistance just after starting at 11:25 hrs…”
With the help of a tank troop, they were able to move forward. According to the war diary entry, “…at 13:37 hrs ‘D’ Company reported that POSTERENK was clear of the enemy, having had one officer killed (Lt. R.B. Savage) and two other ranks wounded but a total of 50 POWs. ‘D’ Company were ordered to push on up the road which they did at once and came under enemy fire…”
Dan was one of those wounded. The medical file stated he received gunshot wounds to his abdomen and left hip. He was taken to a Canadian hospital in Lochem, where he died at 7:30 pm, despite heroic efforts to save him. He was 26 years old.
…Dan is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten…
Dan was initially buried in the Lochem Civil Cemetery, before being reburied on February 1, 1946 in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten.
We visited his grave in 2017 and 2019. See: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2018/01/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-at-holten-canadian-war-cemetery/
Thank you to Carol Burke for sharing a photo and information. “…The fact that Cpl MacKenzie’s death came so close to the end of the war and after such a long period of action only added to the sorrow of his loved ones…” she wrote.
If you have a story to tell, Pieter encourages you to email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.
© Daria Valkenburg
…Previous stories about soldiers commemorated in Posterenk….
- James ‘Frank’ MOSSEY: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/08/09/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-souris-killed-during-the-liberation-of-posterenk/
- Goldwin Marven POLLICK: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-1/
- Samuel Glazier PORTER: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/11/28/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-11/
- Harold Gordon SABEAN: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/10/08/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-port-lorne-who-lost-his-life-during-the-advance-to-the-apeldoorn-canal/
- Frederick Joseph TAIT: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/03/16/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-8/
- 8 soldiers were commemorated in Posterenk in April 2022: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/04/17/on-the-war-memorial-trail-posterenk-commemorates-its-liberation-by-the-carleton-and-york-regiment/
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