Merksplas
A day after crossing the Dessel-Turnhout-Schoten Canal on 28 September 1944, the 1st Polish Armoured Division of Major General Stanisław Maczek prepared to take Merksplas, in the province of Antwerp. However, to do so they had to overcome a formidable obstacle, something which quickly became clear to them that next morning.

A fortress
The attack began at 10:30 and 10 PSK, the Polish reconnaissance section, soon reached the road to Merksplas, the next village along. However, before arriving in Merksplas they bombarded the enemy, who were entrenched in the Dépot de Mendicite with infantry and anti-tank guns. The Polish troops lost one tank, and the tank attack soon came to a standstill. The Dépot was, and still is, a combined prison and psychiatric institution. It not only looks like a fortress, but is also as strong as a fortress: a huge complex with several buildings surrounded by open terrain. A deep ditch also surrounds the entire area. The defenders had cover from bushes and undergrowth, while the attackers could only approach the positions over open terrain. Unfortunately for the attackers, there was no way around it, because the road to Merksplas runs right through the Dépot de Mendicite. IThe attacke was unsuitable for tanks, so two British infantry battalions of the 49th (West Riding) Division were ordered to attack the mini-fort.

A heroic act
The German garrison of about 2,000 men put up fierce resistance and it took British troops all day to obtain the challenging Dépot de Mendicite. The tenacity of the battle is clear from the fact that one company (about 100 men) of the 1st Leicesters was almost wiped out. It was also during this battle for the Dépot that Corporal J.W. Harper of the Hallams receiveed his Victoria Cross, the highest British award for bravery, which is only rarely awarded and unfortunately, usually posthumously, as in this case. Harper lead his platoon over the wall of the fort, covering his men with his own hands. He captured four German soldiers and, although already wounded, returned to do reconnaissance on the dike. He found a ford under heavy German machine gun fire and was killed while leading his battalion commander to it.

Success
At the end of the day, the fort was finally taken. The British losses were terrible, the three battalions involved having lost a total of 117 men. In return, they took 157 prisoners and killed 49, mainly from Grenadier-Regiment 743. Immediately after the capture of the complex, Maczek's men resumed their advance towards Merksplas, which was liberated the following day.