To drive the enemy out of North Brabant for good in mid-October, British Field Marshal Montgomery devises a combined plan. The Canadian army will advance north to the Westhoek, the British west from ‘s-Hertogenbosch to Moerdijk. The Canadian attack is called Operation Suitcase, the British Operation Pheasant. The Canadians launch their attack on 20 October 1944; the British follow two days. The next day, the 51st Highland Division, of Major General Tom Rennie begins their attack. Their sub-operation is called Colin and begins between Eerde and Liempde. In Operation Colin, the German opponent, the 59. Infanterie Division of Lieutenant General Poppe, despite a numerical minority, has one advantage: the many streams and canals, such as the Dommel, the Afwateringskanaal near Boxtel and the Essche stroom.

Operation Colin has two main axes. In the first, the 153rd Brigade will move from Eerde to Wijbosch and from there to the south-eastern part of Schijndel. At the same time, the 152nd Brigade will attack west towards De Dommel across a wide front, from Schijndel to Olland. Behind the first two brigades, the third, the 154th, is lined up on the Schijndel Heath in Kangaroos and Carriers. Kangaroos are Canadian RAM tanks, but without turrets, allowing the infantry to keep pace with the attacking tanks. This brigade is intended for the second phase. From Schijndel, it will advance to Sint-Michielsgestel. Additional support is provided by the Sherman tanks of the British 33rd Armoured Brigade.

The attack begins on 23 October, an important date for the Highlanders. For it is the second commemoration of El Alamein, one of the turning points of World War II, and they see this as an auspicious omen. Indeed, the attack proceeds fairly well. The German troops are overrun and by evening the division has reached or even crossed the Dommel across a wide front. The monument in Wijbosch was unveiled in October 2024 in honour of the village's liberators. Here, the 5/7th Battalion Gordon Highlanders lost two men, the 5th Queens Own Cameron Highlanders fifteen and the 5th Black Watch a total of three.