Chris Vokes at Friesoythe

Vincent J. Curtis

23 Dec 24

Friesoythe is a town on the river Soeste in Lower Saxony, Germany, with a population of about 23,000. Originating in the 13^th century, modern Friesoythe is said to be influenced by several cultures: German, Anglo-Saxon, Dutch, Friesian, Swedish, and Danish.  In April, 1945, it was razed by elements of the 4^th Canadian Armoured Division on the orders of GOC MGen Chris Vokes.  Vokes further ordered that the town’s rubble be used to repair roads for the advantage of divisional armoured vehicles.

We last saw Chris Vokes December, 1943, at Ortona, Italy, where, as GOC 1st Canadian Infantry Division, he forced back two German divisions, and captured the town that was the Adriatic end of the Gustav Line. Monty took a dim view of Vokes in that, his first battle as a divisional commander, deprecating him as “a mere cook.” By 1945, Vokes was gaining the reputation as “Canada’s Fightingest General.”

Ortona was a vicious, unexpected urban battle in which the Germans sowed the town with booby-traps and mines.  What Vokes saw was a German Parachute Division willing to cause the utter destruction of a beautiful Italian sea-side town for the defence of the German Fatherland.  Friesoythe also happened to be defended by German Parachute troops who, however, seemed much more inclined to preserve, as the end of the war drew near, the Fatherland’s towns.

And the end was drawing near. Everybody knew it.  By the middle of April, 1945, only the most fanatical Germans were resisting stoutly.  Canadian KIAs were running four or five per battalion a day, and the troops were getting tired of it.

In April, 1945, Friesoythe had a population of about 4,000, most of whom had moved to the countryside as the Canadian Army approached.  The town was defended by about 200 German fallschirmjager.  First up to attack was the Lake Superior Regiment, which, on April 13, attacked the town by frontal assault, and were repulsed after taking 2 KIA and 19 WIA.

Next up were the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, under the command of LCol Frederick Wigle, DSO, OBE.  Wigle had taken command from the much beloved LCol Dave Stewart, of Hill 195 fame, and quickly endeared himself to his men.  Vokes also had a high regard for Wigle, of whom he wrote in his autobiography, “A first-rate officer of mine, for whom I had a special regard and affection, and in whom I had a particular professional interest because of his talent for command.”

“Wigle decided on a daring flank attack” to capture the town after a night march, which “[took] the enemy unawares”, after the previous attack by the Lake Superiors.

The march and attack were successful, the town being taken and secured by 1030 hrs that morning. However, the advancing companies in the dark missed two platoons’ worth of Germans, who attacked an unguarded battalion Tac HQ.  Wigle was killed by a sniper’s bullet in the back, and perhaps the sniper was a civilian.  Or so it was believed at the time.  Alerted, the advancing companies quickly returned and saved Tac HQ from being overrun.  The Argylls were outraged at Wigle’s death and began burning the town.

Vokes wrote in his autobiography, “I summoned my GSO1…. 'Mac,' I roared at him, 'I'm going to raze that goddam town.”  Vokes had many willing hands, and he ordered that flamethrowing armoured vehicles be dispatched to reduce the town with industrial thoroughness and speed.  Friesoythe’s rubble was used to repair district roads.

Vokes said in 1985 he had no remorse over the destruction of Friesoythe.

The destruction of a captured town may seem shocking to modern Canadian eyes, but in the long history of European warfare, the sacking of a town that resisted capture, and whose needless resistance had caused unnecessary deaths among the attackers, was standard operating procedure, and expected. Sacking taught the world a lesson; and was a catharsis, purging anger, stress, and tension from the attacking troops.  As Ortona, so Friesoythe?

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