Genealogy Chat

Operation Switchback was the clearing of the Breskens pocket, i.e., the German troops on the south bank of the Scheldt, and was part of the Battle of the Scheldt which took place Oct-Nov 1944.(Switchback took most of October.) A fort commanding Breskens was one of the last places to be captured. I can't see the RN sending ships there before it fell. I could see them laying telephone cable after then, more likely across the Scheldt than across the harbour mouth. I could see them laying a defensive cable across the harbour mouth - one could slacken or lower this to allow access or tighten it to deny access. This would apply to surface vessels - subs would need nets hanging off the cable. West Point in NY is, possibly, the most noted fort commanding such a cable - except, in the Revolutionary War, they used a chain across the Hudson R as they couldn't make decent cable back then.

Thank you Kiwibird. I have been googling like mad since I posted this query and have found out quite a lot of information. I have now written to Portsmouth to see if I can find out a bit more about his service record. Even though he told me lots of things about his days in the navy, there are still questions I wish I could ask him now......

I f you check out Wikipedia it might give you some answers
It is a Seaport and had 2 Fortresses that made the Town a stronghold in which to defend Zeeland. From what I read on Wikipedia it would appear The Dutch Resistance
were operating out of there, so would be logical that your Father would have been there at that time.

Hope this helps.

Does the town of Breskens in the Netherlands crop up in anyone's family history? My father was a sailor in the Royal Navy during WW2 and was involved in laying cables across the harbour at Breskens. I'm not sure whether they were telegraph cables, or the sort used to detect submarines, passing ships etc.

I have a photograph of him and some of his navy pals and on the back is written "Breskens 1942". I remember dad telling me that he was billeted with a Dutch family but I am beginning to think the date must be wrong as in 1942 Holland was still heavily occupied by the Germans.

However, it is feasible that his cable laying activities took place in 1944 and that they were in preparation for the 1944 bombardment "Operation Switchback" by the Canadian army in order to clear the Scheldt Pocket.

I have a lot of information about the Battle of the Scheldt but am confused by the year stated on the back of the photograph.

Unfortunately, I am unable to obtain his naval records as I am not the first next-of-kin (although I am working on it!).

A very long shot I know!!