During the liberation of the city of Groningen, which took place from April 13 to 16, 1945, 43 Canadian soldiers lost their lives. One of them was Fred Butterworth—the very first Canadian soldier to be killed during the battle for the city.
Fred was born on April 25, 1922, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He grew up in a Christian household alongside his brother Stanley and his sisters, Ruth and Doreen.
Fred had a real love for sports and staying active, and it showed—he was in great shape. At work, he was known as a strong leader and someone people naturally looked up to. He was also a people person, someone who enjoyed helping others and pitching in around the house. All of that made him well-suited for military service. When he signed up, he had one clear wish: to join either the Royal Canadian Artillery (R.C.A.) or the Canadian Armoured Corps (C.A.C.), preferably alongside his brother Stanley or a friend. He ended up being placed in the C.A.C.
Back home, he left behind his mother Doris, his father Fred Sr., and his sisters.
As the Second World War escalated, Canada made the decision to send troops to Europe. That meant Fred, Stanley, and their unit were soon on their way across the Atlantic.
Fred’s journey took him first to the United Kingdom, then to France, through the thick fighting in Germany’s Reichwald Forest, on to Arnhem in the Netherlands, and finally to Groningen. Along the way, their progress was slowed by German efforts to destroy bridges and delay the Allied advance. At several points, they had to fight hard just to keep moving forward.
Once in Groningen, the battle for the city began. On Friday, April 13, 1945, Canadian soldier Nedelec was driving a Sherman tank down the Paterswoldseweg toward the city. In the tank with him were soldier Chaulk and gunner Fred Butterworth. A German soldier aimed a Panzerfaust—an anti-tank weapon—at them. When the grenade hit, the tank exploded, veered off the road, and crashed into the buildings at Paterswoldseweg 188 and 190.
Chaulk managed to escape with severe burns. Nedelec also made it out, only to be captured shortly after by a German railway worker. Fred, however, didn’t make it out. He was killed in the blast, becoming the first Canadian to die in the fight to liberate Groningen. He was just 22 years old.
