Citation:   Epic Artillery Action By Canadians Breaks German Attack at Otterloo.  (1945 05 07).  Lethbridge Herald.  Lethbridge, Alberta:.  p. 18.
Editor's Note:   The article below repro­duces the ex­act word­ing of the ori­ginal in the Leth­bridge Her­ald in­clud­ing the ellip­ses in the last sen­tence of the fourth para­graph.  This note deals with several problems in the article.  Two of the place names below did not exist and are cor­rec­ted in tool tips.  The enemy ob­jec­tive, as re­ported by a cap­tured Ger­man regi­men­tal com­mand­ing offi­cer to the divi­sional in­ter­ro­ga­tor, was the vil­lage of Ede.  Gun­ner Cur­rie's home­town was River Hebert, Nova Sco­tia.  The ori­ginal Boss type­script does not give the enemy ob­jec­tive and cor­rectly spells Cur­rie's home­town.  The second para­graph un­der “A Glor­i­ous Stand” lists five gun ser­geants but a troop con­tained only four guns and four gun ser­geants to com­mand these.  The actual gun ser­geants, known from other sour­ces, were the first four in the list.  Upon in­quir­ing of Gor­die Ban­ner­man, the troop (later bat­tery) ser­geant-​ma­jor, I learned that Bill Vele­stuk was the second-​in-​com­mand of Ser­geant Bark­well's gun.

Epic Artillery Action By Canadians Breaks German Attack at Otterloo

By WILLIAM BOSS
Canadian Press War Correspondent
 
WITH THE 1ST CANADIAN ARMY, May 7 — (CP) — At Otterloo, western Holland, about 15 miles south of the Zuider Zee, on the night of -​, gunners of the 17th Canadian Field Regiment, R.C.A., broke an enemy counter­attack in an action that will stand out in the story of Canadian artillery at war.
Bottled by twin thrusts by the 1st and 5th Canadian divisions, between 700 and 1,000 Germans started at midnight in an attempt to break out to Ejedom.  By the time Lieut. A.M. Ross of Embro, Ont., and his gun crew were frying their bacon and eggs next morning, the enemy had suffered 240 killed, 438 prisoners, uncounted wounded and lost much equipment.
Although Canadian positions were overrun and some guns and vehicles were casualties, the enemy did not take one prisoner or capture one gun from these veterans of the Italian campaign recently shifted to the western front.
Further, the gunners had broken his momentum.  When he infiltrated the area behind — head­quarters of the 5th Division — his attack had lost much of its verve and soon wilted under the terrific firepower such a head­quarters com­mands · · · which doesn't minimize the killing accomplished by Maj. Gen. B.M. Hoffmeister's staff. 

A GLORIOUS STAND

The Germans never were able to determine exactly where Ross' men were.  Even when the ammunition trailers were set afire behind them, burning all their personal kit with them, or when phosphorus shells went off near the guns, damaging them, their locality wasn't entirely given away.  It was a glorious stand.
Leaders of Ross' gun crews were Sgt. Humble, Sgt. D.R. Spencer, Kenora, Ont.; Sgt. R.H. Barkwell, Lindsay, Ont.; Sgt. R.A. Johnson, Bulyea, Sask.; and Sgt. Bill Velestuk, Broadview, Sask., who killed three of the enemy.  Battery sergeant-major is Gordon Bannerman, Neville, Sask.
Inside the building Gnr. R.V. Bennett, Vancouver, wasn't deterred from tending a dying man even when a German thrust his Schmeisser through the window and opened fire.  Miraculously the bullets missed them both.
Ross' flanks were protected by a Bren crew comprising Gnrs, Howard Currie, River Herbert, N.S., and Frank Sternat, Lockport, Man.  They held a spot 50 yards from the main position, harassing enemy manning a mortar, until their own ammunition was exhausted, then returned to the guns.
Drivers of the vehicles belonging to Ross' troop, parked 500 yards back, stood as stoutly.  The bombardier in charge, Bdr. J.D. Wells, led them in a defence which ended only at dawn, when though nine of the eleven had been wounded, all were still holding firm.