MURRAY, Donald McLennan

NAME MURRAY Donald McLennan
RANK Private Canadian Army
REGIMENT Royal Hamilton Light Infantry -1st Battalion
“always ready”
Royal Canadian Infantry Corp
1st Canadian Army - 2nd Canadian Division
4th Infantry Brigade
AGE 20 October 17, 1944 A 108467
CEMETERY Bergen-Op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery
Netherlands
4 E 1
WIFE Annie Elizabeth Murray - Woodstock
PARENTS Kate Murray - Woodstock
• Donald was born on April 25, 1924 in Seaforth. He as a man who loved his family and was very devoted to
them. His employment before his enlistment was a welder.
• On October 8, 1943 he went to London and enlisted into the Canadian Army. After his training he was sent
overseas and he left Canada on July 12, 1944 and arrived in the UK on July 19, 1944.
• The Royal Hamiltons landed on the Normandy beaches on July 5th, however, Private Murray did not arrive
in France until September 1, 1944. By the end of the war their reputation was that they never failed to
achieve their objective and once occupied they never gave up those positions.
• The engagement that took place on this day was during the Battle of the Scheldt.
• The infantry lacked trained men and the Royal Hamiltons did not have enough bodies to prevent the
Germans from infiltrating the Allied lines.
• On October 16th at the village of Woensdrecht, the Royal Hamiltons advanced behind a heavy barrage from
the Canadian armour and artillery and fought their way into the town and then onto a low ridge above the
town. Once they had their objective they fought and continued to fight and refused to move from their
positions even after the Germans had thrown everything available to them at the Hamiltons. One company
was overrun but with the help of the armour they were able to hold.
• The Royal Hamiltons lost their advantage through the course of the night that included attack after attack
from the Germans, they had difficulty locating their objectives and preparing their defences. By this time
one company had been overrun and a second company was hanging on by a thread.
• Private Murray was last seen by another member of his platoon at 10:00 hours of October 16th from about
50 yards distance. At the time he was defending his platoon position against any possible Germans counter
attacks. Then at 19:00 hours the enemy did attack with infantry and self - propelled guns. #9 platoon was
overrun and cut off from the other platoons of the company. He was holding on against mortar fire,
grenades and self propelled guns and was in danger of being captured.
• Low cloud cover was preventing the Typhoons from coming in and then by mid - morning the German
counter attack was within 100 yards of their positions. They immediately called for artillery fire which was
directly on the mark and as a result the German losses were 90%.
• The Royal Hamiltons during October 16 / 17 had been under continuous enemy artillery and mortar fire and
as a result they suffered 21 men killed and 140 wounded.