It was named after the town of Breskens, which was later freed from German occupation during Operation Switchback.

The Germans had been well supported by numerous heavy guns of the Atlantic Wall and the terrain had been atrocious.

Canadian official history noted, Belgian military manuals described the local polder as "generalement impropre aux operations militaires".

[1] When Operation Switchback ended, British general Bernard Montgomery bestowed the nickname "Water Rats" on the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, a play on the Desert Rats title the 7th Armoured Division had earned during the Western Desert Campaign.

Canadian General Harry Crerar reportedly hated the term, though it was meant as a tribute to their success in amphibious operations in Normandy and the Scheldt.