​​The attack on the German town Loga

​On 30 April 1945, the 1st Battalion, The Canadian Scottish Regiment, began their attack on Loga, a village near Leer in northern Germany. One company advanced along the high road (Kleine Allee), while another company took the lower road (Evenburgallee), followed by the rest of the companies. Despite the village having been heavily shelled, the German resistance was weak, allowing the Canadian forces to progress with little opposition.

​Meanwhile, units from the Royal Winnipeg Rifles were positioned north of Loga and captured 35 German soldiers, including troops from an artillery unit. This allowed the Regina Rifles to advance south of the river and clear more areas. The Reginas’ task was to secure key roads for the Polish 1st Armoured Division, which would use them to expand the bridgehead.

​Clearing the area south of Loga

​The Regina Rifles moved south with two companies leading the way. ‘D’ Company, spearheaded by Major Dick Roberts, encountered some resistance but ultimately had little trouble clearing the area. ‘A’ Company completed a mop-up operation southeast of Loga. At a German barracks, the Canadian forces used flamethrowers to push back the defenders, and the remaining German troops surrendered. More than 250 German soldiers were captured, although 19 Canadian soldiers were injured during the operation. The success was a turning point in the operation, demonstrating effective coordination and the Canadian forces’ ability to quickly neutralise pockets of resistance.

​By 1 May 1945, the Canadians had successfully completed the operation, clearing the area from the railway line to Loga. This achievement secured important territory and paved the way for further advances. The Canadian troops began advancing towards Aurich and Emden, though fighting would cease before they reached these objectives.

​At 17:00 hours on 3 May 1945, a message was received instructing that no offensive action should be taken that could cause casualties. At 21:00 hours, the BBC reported that all German forces on the 21st Army Group front had surrendered unconditionally, effective 5 May 1945, at 08:00.

​The morning of 5 May brought an odd encounter for the North Nova Scotia Highlanders. As a company awoke to find a German company marching past, the cooks and officers watched helplessly as the German troops marched by without resistance, signalling the end of major hostilities in the region.