#OTD in 1944 an accidental explosion on a farm near Ijzendijke in the Breskens Pocket (Netherlands) killed 41 British and Canadian soldiers and injured a further 50 men, some seriously. Here is the story:

On the night of 19 October 1944, Churchill AVREs from 284 Armoured Assault Squadron, Royal Engineers, part of 79th Armoured Division, made camp at a farm near Ijzendijke, in the Netherlands. The next morning the men prepared for an assault that would take place the next day.

Just before noon a convoy of Canadian trucks arrived from the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade Company, Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, with provisions for the tank unit.

In addition to the regular rations, supplies, petrol and ammunition, one lorry carried three tons of liquid nitroglycerine. This highly unstable explosive was for the “Conger,” a Bren carrier adapted to launch a flexible hose across a minefield.
Churchill AVRE towing Conger

The liquid explosive was then pumped into the hose and detonated to breach the minefield. At approximately 1300 hours a huge explosion rocked the field.

George Herbert, 11th Med Regt:
"a massive explosion...was devastating. We all instinctively hit the deck and lay there until the debris had stopped falling....the tanks were badly damaged and burning, and other vehicles were also on fire and exploding - the carnage was terrible.

A total of 41 men, British and Canadian, were killed and over 50 others wounded, many seriously. Ten armoured vehicles were destroyed and it would be over a month before the squadron was again committed to operations.

A court of inquiry was held to investigate the accident. The explosion was attributed to the liquid nitroglycerine, but a cause could not be determined.

Fifty years after the tragedy, Martin Reagan, a Churchill AVRE tank commander who survived the explosion, returned to the site for the first time since the war. His visit set in motion a series of events which culminated with the dedication of a memorial on 20 October 1997.

Here are some photos I took of the site taken last Autumn.

"Their Name Liveth for Evermore":

284 Armoured Assault Squadron, RE

L/Sgt R Barton
L/Sgt E Brock
Spr AR Cann (DOW 21 Oct)*
Spr E Carr
Spr W Creech
Drv PE Hammond
Drv WJ King
Spr J Lawson
Spr HG Lewis (DOW 21 Oct)
Drv W Malcolm (DOW 21 Oct)

*died of wounds

Spr J Martin
Spr JA Maybee
Drv H Miers (DOW 25 Oct)
Drv PS Nisbet
L/Sgt A Redrup
Spr DW Rennie
Spr H Shepherd-Singleton
Spr A Smith
Spr H Smith
Spr C Thompson
Spr E Tuft
Spr W Waiby
L/Sgt Weston
Spr CJ Wilson
Spr J Wilson
Spr JV Wittington
Spr WE Young

RCASC, 7th CIB

Pte AJ Bateman
Pte V Barbour
Pte E Biggin
Pte LJ Boatman
Pte CE Carlson
Cpl EE Larkin
Pte BJ O'Connor
Pte LE Roulston
Pte WJ Sandison
Pte FH Wall

11th (Essex) Med Regt RA

Gnr EBG Everett
Gnr W Rider
L/Bdr KL Sutherill

REME

CfmW Cameron

1944 photos of site and court of inquiry image: https://www.arnhem1944themissingones.com/missing-soldiers-in-the-netherlands-1940-1945-allied-german-and-axis/missing-allied-ground-forces/royal-engineers/
AVRE with Conger: https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2-gb-churchill-avre/
Cdn lorry in Ijzendijke LAC PA 142106
Map drawn by Mike Bechthold