On July 3, 1944 the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada were on the

move. The vehicle party moved to Tilbury Docks on the Thames. The rifle

companies moved to embark at Sutton Hall, Sussex. Loading the equipment on

the ships was a slow process. The use of drivers helped the ship’s crew position

the carriers in the holds of the ship. This speeded things up a bit.

Dover. The Channel was calm. There was a similar calmness in the behavior of the soldiers.

There was no fooling around, no jesting, no playing cards. Every person was, it seems,

occupied with his own thoughts. It was an uneventful crossing for us, but in the minds of the

men, including me, it was a period of great uncertainty – not knowing what to expect. "Were

the men who landed in Dieppe occupied with similar thoughts?" I wondered.

As we neared the coast of France the ship stopped and started to unload cargo into the

landing craft using the ships cranes. Two vehicles and crew were put into each landing craft,

and then off to the beach that craft sailed. The objective was to get as near as possible to the

beach.

When it was our turn, two carriers were loaded, along with the men who crawled

down over the side of the ship, using rope ladders. When we hit the beach, my carrier tracks

hardly got wet when we cleared the landing craft ramp. We then moved off the beach,

inland, quickly. The guns were unloaded later and brought to the shore.

On this day Caen was bombed

with at least 1000 bombers.

Battleship guns bombarded land

positions, fighter aircraft, both ours

and the enemies’, were around and

did their own fighting.

We moved next to a

concentration area and set about to

remove the water proofing material

from the vehicles. We spent the

following day as well in this area,

sleeping the night in slit trenches.

There were some drivers who dug a very shallow trench along a hedge, and then drove a

carrier astride the trench, then entered the trench under the carrier. This practice was later

disallowed (because German gunners would target the vehicles).

Our general made a speech to encourage the troops and one thing I remember him

saying was, "Don’t be worried about aircraft, for those that you see will be ours". The area

we were in was called Gray-Sur-Mer. It was calm in our area, but around Caen it was

another matter.

Our next move was to Capriquet which was a town on the outskirts of Caen where an

airfield was located. My location was on the north end of the town facing the airfield

occupying a trench in the back yard of a garden of a home. It was July, and the vegetables in

the garden were advanced enough to be used. I don’t recall helping myself but I could have.

Charnwood". Caen was reduced to rubble with

simultaneous air, sea, and artillery bombardments coordinated

with British and Canadian infantry and

armored attacks including some 50,000 men. Caen

was captured the following day. Some 3000 civilian

lives were lost in the battle. Nevertheless, the people

of Caen greeted Canadian soldiers with a generous,

gratefulness. The Third Canadian Infantry Division

suffered 1,194 casualties, some 334 of which were

fatal.

The first morning we were in that location, I was awakened at the sound of an aircraft.

Contrary to the confident prediction of our general, it was an enemy aircraft, but it was not a

fighter – probably a reconnaissance aircraft.

The sun rose out of the east with a glow that reminded me of sunrises at home. In my

mind flowed pictures of home – of my father, and mother, and the boys. I asked myself,

"What on earth am I doing in a place like this?" That sun shines the same here as back home.

It looks so peaceful up there in the sky. I thought about others like Nick, Bill, and Harry on

their farms, enjoying the heat of the same sunshine – but in a place of peace.

As the sun rose higher, in the garden a gopher appeared from his home in the ground.

That was his shelter, just like I had mine. At this point I must have been overcome with a bit

of homesickness and gripped with loneliness.

It was a moment to find peace and rest, not in the earth, but above the earth in the

heart of God, our Savior and Lord. It was a time to completely rest in God’s promises and

care, remembering the scriptural text: "Lo, I am with you always".

This area of France was a fruit growing region. Wine making was one of their

industries. Our Canadians soon found some large wine barrels in the town – a thing that had

little attraction for me.

Carpiquet was strategically important to the capture of

Caen because of the high ground covered by this little

town. The airport itself, at this stage, was of little initial

value. The German 12 SS (Hitler Youth Division)

under Kurt Meyer therefore defended it with

desperation using well built, shrapnel resistant,

bunkers and interconnecting tunnels. The Canadian

airfield. This culminated in an attack on July 4 in which

they were able to take the village and hangers to the

north through bitter hand to hand combat, but not the

hangers to the south and control buildings . Casualties

were very high. Meyer eventually withdrew his

decimated unit on July 8. On D-Day Kurt Meyer was

in charge a Division of 20,000 men and 150 tanks. By

August 25, when the Falaise gap was closed, he had

less than 300 men left and 10 tanks. He escaped

himself, but was eventually captured and imprisoned

for allowing his men to shoot Canadian prisoners in

cold blood.

The Queens Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada

relieved the Queen’s Own Rifles at the airport on July

12, and were given a holding role to acclimatize them

to shell and mortar fire. (Reference 3, page 153)

Aerial photo of Carpiquet airfield

taken on June 24. Note the heavy

bomb damage especially around the

northern hangers.

Photo from the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and

Disarmament Studies website.

Graye-Sur-Mer

7 July

Carpiquet

12 July

St. André-sur Orne

20 July

Orbec

22 August

Forêt de la Londe

30 August

Dieppe

1 September

Fontenay le Marmion

8 August

Tilbury Docks

7 July

Falaise Gap

18 August

Bray Dunes

15 September

Brasschaet

3 October

At this time some members of our unit were called to prepare for front position.

From my crew, my sergeant Brown, along with others, were to make up a gun crew, to be

taken in under cover of darkness. The front in our area was now near Caen.

Within two days some of this crew were taken out of action. Sergeant Brown was

shell shocked and brought back on a stretcher. This strong minded soldier was very brave in

England, but here he cried like a baby. He was not the only man in that condition.

There needed to be more replacements to be taken to the front. I was one of a gun

crew selected to go in with a group of others. From the front came requests for supplies –

mostly cigarettes and mail from home, or food stuffs – but how could one bring this in? We

were told to take only what was necessary: weapons, ammunition, our overcoat, and small

pack containing our meal tools.

In the dead of a dark night we

were loaded onto three Bren gun

protection. We quietly moved out

through the bombed out city of Caen.

The tracked vehicles could not help

but make a noise with their squeaky

metal tracks, so they moved very

slowly along the road towards the

place where our boys were in a holding

position in an apple orchard. We were

told when the destination was reached

that we must unload quickly and find a

trench to occupy. Others were to be loaded to go out. It was necessary that this switch be

done with the utmost speed and quietness, for the enemy would rain down a volley of mortar

shells if any sound were heard.

Well that’s exactly what happened. The Camerons had hardly stopped when the

sound of incoming mortar shells was heard. The troops leaving took off and we scrambled

for trenches in the dark. I located a trench near a 6 pounder anti tank gun only to be joined by

another frightened soldier. The trench was only deep enough to squat down below the

surface, but it had some cover on top. Every shell that dropped seemed to be coming down

right on top of us. In a few minutes the shelling stopped. We settled down to wonder, and

weep, and pray, and do that over and over during those terrible first few hours.

positions. We were previously informed that these guns would send rounds out continuously

often equipped with flame throwers, or other automatic weapons. The carrier that I operated had a crew of four

soldiers, an NCO (Non Commissioned Officer), and a driver. My carrier was equipped with tool kits and a Jerry

can of water, a Coleman two-burner stove and a tool compartment in which we carried spare rations to be used

when in a forward position, away from a field kitchen. In this compartment we had canned food, sweets,

chocolate, tea, coffee, powdered milk, and powdered eggs. We also had a frying pan and other pans to cook in.

My section was fortunate to have three men who could manage making a meal in short order.

9 See APPENDIX A for more information on Vickers machine guns.

In World War I it was called "shell shock". In World

War II it became "battle exhaustion". Some soldiers

would suffer panic attacks under the extreme

pressure of battle that they could not control. They

would be evacuated to Casualty Clearing Stations set

aside for this purpose. After 24 hours to rest and

recuperate, a psychiatrist would determine if the

soldier was fit to return to his unit, or he needed to be

posted to a less stressful job in the rear. By the

middle of July one in four non-fatal casualties was due

to battle exhaustion. Most did not return to combat.

The Germans took a much less enlightened approach

to men who suffered the same syndrome.

to protect our front and discourage a night time attack by the enemy. As long as the sound of

those reliable guns was heard, one felt a little more secure. No sound meant danger.

Fortunately each night, without fail, the Vickers guns would do their job. At daylight the

guns were silenced for the day.

On my first morning I took a survey of our position. We were in an apple orchard

where the ground had been ripped open by shells. The branches and leaves of the trees and

even much of the grass had been blown away. A few tree trunks still stood, hanging

tenaciously to the ground.

grass. To the east was a 25 pound artillery piece, right out in the open, still in working order.

A trench containing canned food was a few yards away. That was our pantry for all our

meals for the duration of our stay. A short distance away was an outdoor latrine with a

burlap enclosed area for some privacy. We settled in to wait for what may come that day, or

the next.

Later, I was moved closer to the 25 pound gun, to be in a position to man it should

action be necessary. I gathered some canned food for the meals. Also, a Coleman one-burner

stove was available for meals at this location.

No movement was permitted during the day. Well, what happens when one must use

the toilet? I soon found out when the urge was too strong to delay. Running to the cover of

some shrubs I prepared for quick relief – but that was not to be. The enemy saw me and fired

mortars. Knowing that I could not reach my trench before the mortar shells exploded on the

The gun was hit, my rifle ripped by shrapnel, and the Coleman stove was destroyed. I ran

back to my trench, unrelieved, but safe. To say that I was shook up would be an

understatement. I was reprimanded by the others who huddled safely in their trenches. I had

to wait for darkness to venture out again.

At least nine days were spent like this. One day, as a soldier decided to pay a friend a

visit in another trench, Jerry saw him out of the ground and sent some mortar shells our way.

One fell directly on his trench and destroyed all of this stuff. He was safe in this friend’s

trench, but when he returned to his own trench all he found was a crater. This was too much

for him. His nerves snapped, and others had to restrain and comfort him as best they could

until the Red Cross arrived that night to take him away.

A couple of Canadian Sherman tanks kept guard over our position just below the rise

of a hill, but did not answer the mortar fire.

Because the 25 pounder gun was destroyed by mortars, I moved back to the 6 pounder

anti-tank gun position. On the ninth morning on this assignment, two German Leopard tanks

emerged, moving slowly from a clump of trees to the west. We were called to action. Our

two tanks fired a couple of rounds, then backed down the hill. Then, suddenly two of our

10 See APPENDIX A for more information on 6 pounder anti-tank guns

muzzle velocities at high angle. The Germans used mortars that we called Moaning Minnies. When fired in

groups of sometimes 10 – 15 they made a terrible noise like a groan, howl, whine, or like the baying of hounds.

The sound grew louder and louder until they finally burst on the ground with a terrific blast. Very quickly we

became used to the sound, and could determine if they would fall close, or some distance away. The sound of

this weapon to the troops was very demoralizing. See Appendix A for more information on mortars.

own fighter aircraft appeared, selected their targets, and dived on the Leopards releasing

armor piercing rockets. The tanks were stopped with direct hits, and we were saved by the

timely response of our aircraft.

During the night we were picked up and transported back to our units. For nine days

we had gone without a wash, or shave, and were dirty, hungry, and very tired. It was a relief

to be safe behind the lines. These few days in the front lines taught us each some valuable

lessons that we would put into practice in the coming days.

It was in this period that communion with the Lord was very real to me. With a

redirected life, I asked the Lord simply for two things. First, I asked that I not be found in a

situation where I would take the life of another human being. Second, that I would not be

found in a place where I would witness one of our own men fall in battle. When possible I

would read my Bible, which I always carried with me in my left tunic pocket. While some

men prayed with a rosary, I read my Bible and communed in prayer with the Lord.

The Camerons were given the job of capturing St. Andre-Sur-Orne on July 20, 1944.

The move began before daybreak on a very foggy morning. To direct our advance through

the fog, tracer shells were fired by anti-aircraft gun crews. The fog was so heavy it touched

the ground. Foot soldiers walked on the side of the road toward the town, while the vehicles

crept along slowly, in close formation, with no lights on.

The road on the final approaches to the town had high banks on each side. We

initially encountered no resistance, because the fog gave us cover. The equipment moved

into position and took cover in a wooded area on the outskirts of town.

To hold the town, trenches were needed, so I went about doing this before the fog

began to lift. At mid-morning the fog slowly evaporated and some enemy, now surrounded,

began to appear in their trenches. Some were surprised in their sleep and were taken

prisoner. One fellow appeared south of my location, combed his hair, and was then surprised

by what he saw. He took aim and fired at me, but missed – too high. The next shot hit the

sand bag at the edge of my shallow trench. Just at this time, my name was called, but I was

pinned down in my trench. With a

quick move I jumped up, and ran into

the bush to report to my sergeant.

There was a second German crew that

saw me, but did not open fire. On the

north east, the enemy troops were

retreating using every battle maneuver

they could to avoid being hit by our

small arms fire.

A panorama of the village of St.

Andre-sur-Orne taken on August 10,

1944. The ridge line in the distance

was strongly held by the Germans in

July during the initial attack on the

village.

R. Dean/National Archives of Canada/PA190973

Map from Reference C

The last phase of "Operation Atlantic", which was intended to secure St. André-Sur-

were ordered forward, with the Camerons on the right, the South Saskatchewans in the

center and the Fusiliers Mount Royal on the left. The FMR got as far as Beauvoir and

Troteval Farms before coming under a storm of fire and could not advance further to

Matthews ordered the anti-tank guns to come forward and dig in. The guns were intercepted

in the move forward by a group of enemy tanks that suddenly appeared out of the mist and

rain. The tanks then turned their machine guns on the infantry, causing some 208

casualties. Major Matthews was among the 66 who lost their lives. Attempts to use the PIAT

were not successful and the battalion became scattered. Many soldiers sought refuge in the

tall grain and made their way back at night. The Essex Scottish who had very little sleep the

night before and no noon meal were pressed into action to support. They too encountered

the tanks, and two companies became disorganized and lost heavily, but their main body

held it’s assigned objective.

This now sets the stage for the Camerons on the right, who reached their objective,

and were now faced with enemy tank attacks on their left flank due to the hole created in the

center by the tank attack on the South Sasks, while still under artillery fire from their right

flank from enemy occupied territory on the west side of the Orne. Over the next several days

the enemy repeatedly counter attacked with tanks and infantry but they were successfully

driven off but at considerable cost. A complicating factor was the presence of mine shafts in

the area connected to a mine works on Verrières Ridge. These enabled the enemy to

appear unexpectedly and continually re-supply troops in forward areas.

The Camerons sustained 81 casualties, 29 of them fatal. Reference C

Today there is a monument in St. Andre-sur-Orne which, translated, reads:

Sgt. R. Therrien and L/Cpl. T. Notman of Les Fusiliers

Mont-Royal looking into a mine shaft used by German

troops for infiltration purposes, between St. Andre-sur-

Orne, and May- sur-Orne. Picture taken 9 August 1944.

R. Bell/National Archives of Canada/PA131353

La-Campagne) began on July 21 when it became clear that then enemy was

determined to hold the ridge and a deliberate attack would be needed to make

progress. The attack was set for early in the morning of July 25. The Camerons were

to take the balance of St. Andre and St. Martin-de-Fontenay while the Royal Highland

Regiment (The Black Watch of Canada) were to move through and take Verrières

Ridge. The Calgary Highlanders were to take May-sur-Orne. The Camerons

encountered difficulty especially in the area of the "factory" where there were extensive

underground workings. It took considerable time to clear the area because the enemy

was being constantly reinforced. This delayed the Calgaries who did fight their way to

the outskirts of May but were forced back to St. Andre.

By 9:30 the Black Watch set out for their objective but by now the Commanding

Officer had been killed and command devolved to Major F. P. Griffin. He had sent a

patrol to reconnoiter May and got the impression that it was not strongly held by the

Germans – but it was. The enemy there only attacked when met with a sizeable force

–waiting patiently for a larger target. From the moment they left the area of the

Factory, they were in open fields and came under intense and accurate fire from the

Ridge, May, and from west of the Orne. Enemy positions were well camouflaged with

tanks hiding in haystacks for instance. Survivors reported that of the four rifle

companies (about 300 men), some 60 may have reached their objective at the top of

the Ridge when they were pinned down by a very strong, hidden enemy position

supported by dug in tanks. Given the circumstances there was no prospect of further

advance or even of holding their position very long. Major Griffin ordered his men to

make their way back to Canadian lines as best they could. No more than 15 did. Major

Griffin and the rest were likely overwhelmed early in the afternoon.

The above is included to indicate the intensity and ferocity of the fighting in late

July. While Canadians suffered greatly in these engagements they had the desired

effect of holding most of the German armored forces on the eastern end of the front,

enabling the Americans to break out in the west so that the Allies could surround the

Germans in the "Falaise pocket". Reference C

Map from Reference C

The heavy losses in July did not change the need to push forward, but did fortunately alter

the thinking in how to go about it. This led to some original and creative measures on

behalf of General Simmonds, and his staff, all of which required considerable preparation.

These included:

remove the howitzers from 72 U.S. "Priest" self propelled guns and patch up the

holes with any spare armor plate they could scrounge. With a single driver, these

novel units could carry up to ten infantrymen into battle. These were a stunning

success and were used in every subsequent battle by Canadian and British

troops. By the fall of 1944 the original units were worn out and were replaced by

modified (obsolete) Ram tanks that were available in considerable numbers in

Britain. These APC’s became to be known as "Kangaroos" after the nick name of

the unit who first created them

challenge to persuade R.A.F. Bomber Command to support this effort. They were

naturally concerned about bombing our own troops. Nevertheless, special

precautions were to be taken in the identification and marking the targets prior to

bombing. Eventually Bomber Command came around to the thinking that this

could be done, with reasonable assurance of success, and was worth the risk

considering the strategic opportunity that the American breakout had afforded.

avoid confusion ourselves in the dark, units were shown the way with tracer shells

fired along the axis of the advance, searchlights directed on low clouds to provide

some "artificial moonlight", plus green marker shells fired at key hills to act as a

reference points.

success. The bombing caused no Allied casualties and the objectives were reached. The

Second Phase (August 8-10) bogged down and was marred by what U.S. air force

historians call "gross errors on the part of two plane groups". The lead bombardier of one

group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force misidentified his target and some of the group followed

suit. The lead plane of the other group was damaged by flak and dropped its load early,

with the rest of the group following. Bombs dropped behind Allied lines on roads packed

suffered 65 killed and 250 wounded.

The Cameron’s objective in Phase I of this battle was the town of Fontenay-le-

Marmion which had to be cleared house to house in bitter confused fighting. The

Germans strongly counter attacked, led by 12 Tiger Tanks, but the Camerons held. By

enemy 88’s destroyed battalion headquarters wounding or killing a number, including the

CO. The Camerons had their third C.O. in as many days, by the 9th.

Reference C

Our officers had gathered around the signal truck for an "O" group (or "orders"

meeting). Jerry fired an 88 shell and killed or wounded some. On the east side some of us

took a position in a bomb crater to guard our flank. In late afternoon, a burst of machine gun

fire from the enemy entered our area. We went down, but no one was hit. We moved to

another area and watched the retreating enemy. With all the bomb craters there was little

need for trenches. The town was secured, with everyone on alert for a possible counter

attack, but none came in our area.

Another unit moved through our position and then went north along the coast of

France.

On August 8, 1944 our objective was the town of Fontenay Le Marmion. The

airforce had been bombing targets along the road, nevertheless the enemy fought on as

advances were made. The roads in the town were filled with rubble which needed to be

bulldozed out of the way. Tanks provided support in taking the town.

We were on the move continuously it seemed. Periodially our unit would spend a day

back at B Echelon to give the men a rest and time to clean up, to get fresh clothes, to be

resupplied with ammunition and to incorporate replacements for the men we lost. Mail

would reach us right up in the front most days. There was little time to write letters home,

however.

The push was on to reach Falaise in order to trap the German army in France. On the

afternoon that we entered and occupied the town American bombers appeared to attack it. As

day turned to night, bombers kept coming to drop their loads.

It was on this day that I was placed on guard at the edge of Falaise. I didn’t remain

there however and found shelter from the bombing in a shallow well along with one other

soldier and two captains. The captains changed their minds and left because they had heard a

ticking sound like a clock under the bedding that was down there. The other fellow and I

searched and found a large school clock under the bedding. It was not a time bomb! We

thought better of staying in the well, lest a bomb fall nearby and bury us alive, so we came

out also, even though the bombing was still going on.

There appear to have been three incidents in August when bombs fell on friendly forces.

• August 8 as mentioned previously,

44 from the Royal Canadian Air Force) bombed short, and

attacked the Polish unit for the third time.

Needless to say, strong protests were made and extra training and precautions were

instituted to minimize these occurrences. To be fair however, the Allied Air Forces

provided a tremendous advantage, at considerable cost to themselves. Reports now

available from the German side indicate that air power did tremendous damage to the

enemy. It also meant that during daylight, and good weather, any vehicle that moved

was a target. The German army got very little equipment out of the Falaise pocket.

Reference C

Canadian and Polish tank units had heavy losses during the attack. We learned later

that the bombers came eight hours too late to bomb the area.

One afternoon as our Battalion moved north along a country road our advance was

halted by an enemy tank. Our vehicles were in a very precarious situation because we were

in a tight formation along the road and the tank was edging toward the crossroad ahead. He

knew that we were there, but did not enter the crossroad. Instead, he slowly backed up along

the road, from which he had come. Our units dug in for the night, because it was now dark.

At daybreak, my sergeant spotted that same tank in an elevated area on a field west of

our location. He got the gun crew together and had me drive them, towing the six pounder

anti-tank gun to a forward position to knock out the tank. I pulled the gun as far as possible

with the carrier, then the crew manually towed the gun farther, so that it was in a position

broadside of the tank, to be sure of a hit between the tracks. One round was all it took to

destroy the tank. Bren guns did the rest on the crew that were still moving. The sergeant

received a decoration for this act of bravery and personal initiative. After this encounter we

quickly moved out of the area without stopping for breakfast.

Through the month of August the front moved forward daily. Our unit would be

right at the front for a period of time, then would be replaced by another who would make

further advances.

When we were relieved this would give the Camerons an opportunity to fall back to A

Echelon to resupply. There we got much needed rest, a shower, and clean clothes. Parcels

were always very welcome.

The roads that we traveled on were strewn with death and destruction. There was

destroyed equipment, dead animals, buried dead soldiers – both ours and theirs. The airforce

had done their job of destroying enemy positions and equipment.

The following are some incidents that happened to my gun crew and to me personally.

One day the Camerons took a position in an open field. Anti-tank guns were

deployed and the crew with ammunition was left in place. The carriers were sent back into a

protected area, away from the front. The road back was constantly shelled with mortars. I

ran into the back of a carrier that I was following due to the dust and poor visibility, causing

my carrier to sustain some damage, but not enough to stop it. Repairs were easily made when

we reached our destination.

We took shelter around a warehouse in our occupied territory. The drivers entered the

building to have a game of cards or dice. I went about with carrier repairs, which I quickly

did. Then I went about rearranging equipment in the carrier. The Sten gun was loaded with

its safety on. On picking it up, it discharged into the cement block wall of the warehouse.

Horrified, and thinking that the rounds may have penetrated the wall. I quickly looked inside

to see what may have happened. To my relief, nothing happened, no harm was done. The

Forêt de la Londe is a wooded area on the west side of the Seine, opposite Rouen. The

Germans were fighting a desperate and skillful rearguard action here to allow as much

of the escaping remnant of the German army in Normandy to escape east. Poor

weather nullified our airpower, and our maps of the region were not correct, so artillery

fire could not be accurately co-ordinated. The Camerons experienced 99 casualties in

this engagement. By now the Camerons, as well as other Canadian units, were

seriously under strength. Reference C

rounds did not go all the way through the wall. I told no one what had taken place!

North of Orbec, our unit entered a forest (Forêt de la Londe). There the enemy

shelled us with their mortars. The mortar rounds would explode when striking the trees

above us, raining shrapnel down upon us. Some of us took shelter under our vehicles. Soon

I heard something leaking. Was it a can of water or gasoline that was hit? No, it was the

radiator of the carrier. A little radiator sealant came in handy. This patched the hole until

major repairs could be done.

After a day in the forest we were on the move to cross the Seine river on the way to

Rouen. The city was located in a valley. The Germans could not hold the town and many

prisoners were taken there by the time our unit moved through. The civilian population

cheered as we slowly moved through the city, like the victors we really were. This was now

the end of August, and Rouen was a pleasant change from the deserted and bombed out

French towns and cities we had seen before.

With flowers, and a very proud officer, in our carrier we moved through and out of

Crowd greeting Canadian soldiers in Rouen on 31 August 1944. Note the flowers

on the carrier. The centre of attention certainly appears to be the two French girls.

R. Grant/National Archives of Canada/PA173416

On the outskirts of Rouen, the

highway forked, left to Harve, right

to Dieppe. A crowd watched as the

Canadians wheeled to the right. The

With few encounters with

retreating German units the Second

Canadian Division entered Dieppe

Germans had left town. Instead of

fighting the enemy, we were given

flowers and wine by the happy

people. Some men who fought in

Dieppe in 1942 were back to

familiar ground. Some relived their

grief at the loss of comrades.

Two days later, a Victory

Parade took place, with a march past

in front of generals, French

underground members, and civilian

officials, watched by crowds of

liberated French men, women, and

Convoy of passing Canadian

trucks with waving people.

Also note the Rouen cathedral

in the background with a

French tricolor flag waving from

the spire.

R. Bell/National Archives of Canada/PA141716

into Dieppe, 3 September 1944.

R. Dean/National Archives of Canada/PA131233

children. There is nothing on earth like a

victory parade – to give freedom back to a

nation.

Several days of much needed rest

was granted to the Second Division as

well as accompanying units.

On leaving Dieppe, as we moved

north, I was stopped by a "flat tire" on my

carrier. The rubber had pulled out of the

steel wheel that runs in the track. With

our mechanics help and a spare wheel, we

made repairs and were on the road again

trying to catch up to our unit who had

continued to move on. It was now

afternoon, and we saw our unit nowhere.

Thinking we had gotten very far behind, my mechanic in his carrier, and I in mine with our

crews, traveled faster and faster.

After some time we ran into a scout car that was placing Second Division road signs

Surprised, we gathered that the Camerons had pulled off the road without leaving a

sign to indicate their position. So we pulled off the road and settled in to wait until midnight.

We prepared a meal from rations on hand and bedded down under a tarp. At nightfall, it

started to rain. It continued to rain very hard. All of us huddled under the tarp in an attempt

to keep dry, with no thought of getting any sleep now. Around midnight our unit began to

arrive, but in total darkness, with no lights, and in driving rain some units left the road. It

was a couple of days and some time before everyone found the companies they belonged to.

I remember one day, in the midst of this rain, eating my noonday meal in the shelter of a pig

pen or barn.

It had been expected that the enemy would

fight for Dieppe so detailed plans to take it had

been drawn up. However it was not until

ports that had been strengthened and designated

"fortresses" be held at all costs. Retreating

German armies were required to leave ammunition

and supplies for the garrisons so that the fortresses

could be defended vigorously even if isolated.

Other ports would not be so easy to occupy as

Dieppe. Furthermore the Germans had not

completely destroyed the port facilities in Dieppe

and engineers got them in service again in a week.

The return to Dieppe was of major

defeat there on 19 August 1942. General Crerar

was summoned for a meeting by the Commanderin-

Chief (Montgomery) on the very day that

ceremonial observances were to be held at Dieppe

salute beside Major General Foulkes. Crerar

responded that he would be late for the meeting.

Montgomery hauled Crerar on the carpet when he

arrived, for not attending, as ordered (although

there was little content in the meeting that really

required his attendance). Crerar responded that

there were 800 Canadian reasons lying in the

Dieppe cemetery that required his attendance

there. The matter was eventually dropped.

At Dieppe a pause was needed also for the

reinforcements, which arrived at that time.

Photo by R. Bell/National Archives of Canada/PA167562

It was during this rainy part of September that we saw aircraft towing gliders flying

north. We wondered what on earth

was going on. Later we learned that

we were seeing Operation Market

Garden, which was a British Airborne

Divisions attempt to seize and hold

bridges across vital rivers in Holland.

Well, the operation was a failure,

because of large German armored

divisions in the area. Nevertheless, the

three bridges were saved intact because

some two thousand of the air dropped men were able to break out with the help of incoming

troops.

We met pockets of resistance as we continued to advance. To clear the enemy from

buildings along the way,

including farm buildings,

the motor units kept

close to the infantry.

One time we entered a

farm yard with ease, but

when our men went into

the house they noticed

four beer glasses on the

table. Only Mom and

Dad were in the house,

so who else was drinking

the beer? Our men asked

the owners where the

others were. They

pointed to a chicken barn

where two enemy,

frightened to death, were

found. Although they

could have caused us

some problems, we could

see that they were

relieved to be taken

prisoner.

In another farm

yard a woman was busy

preparing supper because

it was getting dark. On

searching the farmhouse

our men found a good

supply of food stuffs.

"Market Garden" began on September 17. Two

Airborne Division seized and attempted to hold

bridges at Eindoven, Arnhem, and Nijmegan.

Canadian engineers used boats to help rescue the

survivors, who had been asked to secure "A

Bridge Too Far".

This picture of a Cameron patrol entering a house was

taken on the south bank of the Rhine later in the war on

18 March 1945.

R. Bell/National Archives of Canada/PA145730

This was very unusual for most homes. We gathered that these folks were likely friendly

with the enemy and were not be trusted. By now darkness had fallen, so the plan was to hold

up in the farm yard. The woman was asked to put some more potatoes in the frying pan to

feed some very hungry men. She kindly obliged and provided us what we asked for.

Since we could not trust these folks, we ordered them into the cellar for the night,

while our men slept upstairs. At least some of us had a good nights sleep out of the rain that

night.

In September, the Canadian Army offered a training program in troop carrying

amphibious Buffaloes. To carry soldiers in these things was one thing, but to load

equipment, trucks, and carriers, was another, both for the operators and the drivers of the

motor units. Large areas of Belgium and Holland became flooded during the war due to our

actions and the enemy’s actions. These vehicles would be needed to attack areas that were

surrounded by water. I never actually had to use this training. Other units in the Canadian

Third Infantry Division did use them to mount attacks on the Breskens pocket on the south

side of the West Scheldt estuary.

Eventually it was the turn of the Cameron support company to undergo the training.

It took a week or so for the training, and we were free on the weekend to do other things. My

sergeant had an idea. He had me load all the Jerry cans of petrol that I could put into my

carrier for a trip to Brussels. He didn’t tell me what the extra petrol was for, but neither did I

ask, even though I had an idea. I just followed orders and drove the carrier.

On September 27, 1944, I wrote the following in a letter.

By October 1944, the Canadian Army had reached parts of Holland. At this time the

Canadian government had a Victory Loan drive on for the Canadians overseas. I purchased

two $50.00 bonds, one of them on monthly payments. We were still getting pay entered into

our pay books and had very few places to spend the accumulated pay.

To encourage the men to purchase bonds, signs were placed along the road as

reminders. The signs said things like: "Buy Bonds", "Some like blondes, some like Bonds",

"Be wise, save your dough". This was the Canadian way.

were withdrawing back to Walcheran Island and resistance had ceased on Beveland. It is probable then that a

period of calm prevailed on the 28th. While no town is shown on maps available exactly where the Camerons

were, it is likely that there is an urban area at the north end of the canal.

On November 19, 1944, a Dutch family invited some Canadians to their home for the

evening meal. The lady of the home spoke fluent English. Not having enough chairs to sit

on, we each found a block of wood for a seat. The meal was simple with generous helpings

of pancakes. It was a treat to be indoors out of the cold.

At this time of the year parcels from home were most welcomed. One from Annie in

Lethbridge and one from Alice and another from my sister Margaret had arrived. These

tokens of love from home were much appreciated. In the parcel from Alice there was some

chocolate bars with other things. The parcel from Margaret contained a jar of strawberry jam,

but no crackers. The crackers had arrived the month before.

When parcels to members of our section were received it was wise to share a portion

of the goodies with fellow soldiers in your section. This happened without fail and was much

appreciated.

In the parcel from Alice, I found no letter. I searched everywhere in the package. I

gave three bars to my friends. As we sat at supper in the Dutch home my sergeant opened the

wrapper on his chocolate bar to find a letter contained therein. Recognizing what had

happened I made a grab for the paper, but to no avail. The letter was handed to a sergeant

across the table to read the letter to all present – in every detail. I think the letter made

everyone happy and some perhaps a bit homesick.

From November 9, 1944 to February 1945 the Camerons were in the holding position

in the Dutch town of Mook. This was the area in which the paratroop drops had taken place

earlier. The front positions were held by occupying trenches in treed areas facing a hay field,

into which our gliders had landed. The gliders could still be seen in the field.

The "Walsh"bridge at

Mook. Picture taken on

26 February 1945

R. Gloster/National Archives of

Canada/PA159566

By November 9 the Battle for the Scheldt was concluded, opening up the port of

Antwerp for Allied shipping, but is was expected to take several weeks to clear the

mines and get the port operational. This would enable supplies to be delivered to the

front which had moved faster than the Allies’ ability to support it. Furthermore, all of the

Canadian units were thoroughly exhausted by then and it was therefore fortunate that a

rest period of some 3 months intervened. It was not intended to be that long, but was

extended when the Germans mounted their last major offensive in the Ardennes region

(known to Americans as the Battle of the Bulge). Plans to attack Germany in January

were put on hold until the front in the Ardennes could be stabilized and the full German

plan revealed.

The Canadian role during this period was to aggressively patrol and probe the enemy

territory opposite them, and to prepare for the final phase of the War. Patrols fell into

four categories:

• reconnaissance patrols were to obtain information by stealth,

• fighting patrols would obtain information or prisoners by force if necessary,

• contact patrols established communication with flanking units, and

early warnings of impending attacks. Such patrols were expected to fight but not

stand their ground at all costs. Reference C

A rotation system was worked out so that men remained in condition for action. It

was my lot to be part of this operation.

The main body of the Battalion was billeted around the village of Mook. Our two

anti-tank sections occupied a vacant house with upstairs rooms used as bedrooms. There was

a kitchen with a wood burning stove for cooking meals and for heat. We usually made our

meals in the house from rations supplied from company stores.

When off duty, the men busied themselves with playing cards or dice. This would go

on day after day, while those back from forward positions would rest.

It was my lot to transport changes of shift to the front and bring others back to their

units. This was winter time in Holland and snow had fallen early in our stay.

There were some men in our unit who could slap a meal together without effort. We

lacked fresh ingredients, however. For a change of menu we tried our skill at fishing in the

Waal river. With an improvised net on a long pole we were successful in getting a few fish.

One fellow decided to speed the fishing process up a bit by throwing a hand grenade into the

river upstream. The stunned fish floated belly up downstream where they could be easily

netted. This was done on occasion.