It seems that this day was a day as same as any. The Regiment was near the end of it’s journey. The war would be over within a short month. There was an upbeat mood around the Regiment, many of the men were sure they would be home soon.
As any war story often does, this one also ends in tragedy. No one is sure of what occurred on the 10th of April 1945. These recollections are lost. Clouded by time, bad memories, and certainly, a respect for fallen comrades.
This is an account of the day which ended Loren Nelson’s life.
“I can remember the morning well. We came up the road…in trucks so far and then we got off and marched…It was pea-soup fog. It was thick and we were marching up and started to cross a ploughed field. And we hadn’t got very far… when suddenly, it was almost as if somebody had pushed a button and the curtain went up. The fog lifted and the sun came out, just burned it off… Here we are in the middle of a ploughed field going towards a bush. We got so far out and someone opened up from the bush with a machine gun and we hit the ground…”
Rod McIntosh, as quoted from the Lincoln and Welland WWII Regimental History “The Lincs”.
Private Loren Nelson is buried in Holten Canadian Military Cemetery, Holed Holland Grave 8 Row F Plot 8.
May the memories of Loren be of his life and accomplishments, not of his death.
