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By early April 1945, the Americans, British and Canadians had moved forward by some distance. American units had already penetrated deep into Germany. The British had crossed the Weser and the 1st Canadian Army had captured the area between Meuse and Rhine after heavy fighting, after which they advanced along the IJssel to the north of the Netherlands. Coevorden was the first Drenthe city they encountered.
Rumours had been flying in Coevorden since Sunday, 1 April. The Canadians were already said to be beyond Nordhorn and the town's NSB mayor, L.J.E. Cloosterhuis was to provide 300 men for the Organisation Todt (OT) to dig so-called one-man holes to defend the town. The mayor hastily had summons cards produced at a printer friend's shop, which were distributed the same day. The next morning, fewer than 100 volunteers showed up. With this handful, the OT set off to expertly apply the 'reinforcements'.
The threat of liberation caused unrest among the Germans. Hospital staff started packing bandages and the like in the afternoon and ambulances were prepared to leave. The military arm of the NSB - the Landwacht (national guard) - also mobilised. They left Coevorden with wicker suitcases on the back of their bikes and their rifles on their shoulders. The 'Rote Kreuz' transported the first wounded persons to Ter Apel that night.
In the early afternoon of 5 April, the Germans planned to blow up the Bentheimer Bridge. It took a while, but in the afternoon at 15:30, on first contact with the enemy, the bridge was blown up. Unfortunately, some of the neighbouring houses were also damaged. Canadian reconnaissance troops from the 'Lake Superior Regiment' arrived just too late to capture the bridge in its entirety.
The tanks and other combat vehicles quietly drove over the Esschenbruggerdijk into Coevorden. Some shots were fired at them from a couple of farms, but a tank immediately returned fire. Two German soldiers, however, had dug in and when the first combat vehicle was within 20 metres of them, they fired on it. Two Canadians, Corporal Mervin Brampton and Private Montgomery Cliff, perished in the flames. Two others managed to get out in time and fired on the German soldiers.
On Friday 6 April around seven o'clock, the Canadians laid a Bailey bridge to replace the destroyed Bentheimer Bridge. The two fallen Canadian soldiers were buried amid great interest at the general cemetery in the afternoon, led by Canadian pastor J.R. Leng. In liberated Coevorden.