Léo Major – The Sole Savior of Zwolle

It’s the night of April 13, 1945, in Zwolle in the Netherlands. Canadian soldiers from the Régiment de la Chaudière cautiously approach the city under the cover of darkness. Crouching low beside the road, the commanding officer asks for two volunteers. For those who dare to step forward, the mission will be one of stealth and courage, not force or fight, or so everyone thinks. Despite reports of significant enemy forces in the area, they’ll need to enter the city undetected, scout targets and relay the information back to artillery batteries gearing up for the impending barrage, and if possible, make contact with Dutch partisans. In the quiet still of the night 24-year-old bad-tempered French-Canadian Private Leo Major and his friend, Corporal Willy Arsenault share a quick glance. Then nodding, the two men accept the challenge and throw themselves to their fate.

Major, who from previous battles had already suffered many injuries including a broken back, the loss of one eye, broken ribs and he’d broken both ankles. Unwilling to be sent home though, he argued that if he had just one eye to look into the scope he was still capable of serving his country. “I was a sniper. I still had one good eye and I could still shoot”, he later said.

Now way down with Sten guns and grenades, the pair scurries into the shadows towards the central square. It’s a beautiful old city, and oddly considering the circumstances, Major regrets that in just a few hours it and many of its citizens will be reduced to rubble and ash. Arsenault agrees, and the daring Canadians hatch an amazing plan that may just save this historic city and its residents.

The “Army of 2” will capture it single-handedly. Making their way through the city, they occasionally see German soldiers and officers, but they’re harried and preoccupied, and some stumble like they’re drunk. The two men remain undetected. But as midnight approaches Arsenault makes a fatal blunder giving away their position, and pays for it dearly when Germans nearby open fire.

The two men take cover from the incoming fire and muzzle flashes, Major turns to his friend to figure out the way out of this mess. But with horror, he realizes that Arsenault’s body is limp and that he’s been fatally hit. That horror soon turns to sadness and then rage.

Leo, mad with anger at the loss, struggles to restrain his infamous temper. What happens next is extraordinary. Instead of beating a retreat, he decides to continue the plan alone. He continues to the center of Zwolle arriving at about 1 o’clock in the morning.

The city streets are deserted, but spotting a German machine-gun nest, he goes on the attack once more, storming it and eliminating the gun crew. Continuing on his rampage through the streets, he shoots at every target he can until he sees the HQ of the SS. It’s a juicy target and bursting through the door he’s confronted by eight elite soldiers. Major later said: “They pulled a gun on me, but you know, with one eye, I can see better than most people at night. I killed four of them; the other four ran away.”

Walking on he loses track of time and finds himself on the outskirts, when just a few yards away he sees a young soldier behind the wheel of a German staff car parked outside of a tavern. Major jumps the young man and takes him captive without firing a shot. Shoving the young soldier through the tavern door he calmly disarms a tipsy officer drinking alone at the bar. Major assures him that the war will soon be over, and that all of hell is coming and that Major is a part of a large Allied force advancing on Zwolle.

Cleverly leaving out the part about being alone, he adds that the lovely city is about to be subjected to an epic bombardment. Not particularly keen on losing his life for a lost cause, the officer finishes his drink and says he’s leaving and takes his men with him, The larger force is already long gone.

Out of respect, Major returns the man’s sidearm and the two-part company. To confirm the officer’s claims, Leo Major orders his young captive to drive him through the streets while he shoots wildly and tosses grenades at targets of opportunity. Though his rampage does little damage, he’s hell-bent on making a memorable commotion.

Then unable to find any more targets, he sets his captive free, and with his rage finally spent, the man walks dazed through the deserted streets for hours. Then near collapse, he meets a wary Dutch farmer, who takes him to the head of local resistance.

Major and the rest of the resistance men return to the square to alert residents that the city has been liberated. With just one thing left to do, Major and his new companions commandeer a car and return to collect the body of Arsenault.

Sure that the killing and chaos are finally behind them, as the sun rises they carelessly drive towards the Canadian Chaudières, who fire on them suspecting they’re Germans. Furious and exasperated, Major climbs on top of the car, and when his bewildered compatriots recognize him they lay down their arms.

Leo Major reports that the city is nearly free of Germans. With that good news, the artillery bombardment is called off, and the city and its citizens are spared down to Leo Major’s actions.

For his heroic, if unsanctioned deeds, Major receives the Distinguished Conduct Medal, but ever the rebel, he declines the decoration because he considers General Bernard Montgomery incompetent, and in no way worthy of bestowing it upon him. Although many of Major’s exploits that night may have been embellished, it seems he killed more than a dozen Germans in multiple engagements.