Operation Mallard in Leveroy

Since the end of September 1944, Leveroy had been within the reach of the Allied artillery that had been lined up to the south-west of the Wessem-Nederweert Canal. The canal also was the front line, which did not move for almost two months. Until the liberation on 15 November 1944, the Germans made the village unsafe. For example, during the notorious Church Raid of Sunday 8 October, they rounded up 18 men and boys who were deported to Germany. They had to perform forced labour under abominable circumstances there.

In the afternoon of Tuesday 14 November, the British started the long-awaited attack with heavy artillery firing from the canal. Within an hour and a half, some 1500 grenades per minute were fired. Before finally evacuating the village, a demolition squad blew up the church. Nothing was left of it. Not much later, the vanguard of the Scottish 5th battalion Black Watch regiment entered Leveroy. East of the village, they took new positions to push on to Heyhuysen the next day.

The canal crossing was part of the more extensive Operation Mallard that, in combination with Operation Nutcracker, aimed at expelling the Germans from their bridgehead on the west bank of the river Meuse in North and Central Limburg.