THE FORTYNINER - Alberta Genealogy Research "The Recents"

The Forty-Niner
D COMPANY ENTERS ORTONA
(This is taken from a report written by the
grandson of Private Lorne McQuade and
recounts several incidents during the fight for
Ortona. Editor Hans Brink)
alongside it. The blast came from 200 tons of TNT
buried under the road and set off by a remote
detonator by Germans in a house up the road.
The advance reaches the outskirts of the town of
Ortona by 1430hrs that afternoon after losing 5
tanks and several men along the way.
The auther Chris Fitzpatrick presenting the Battle of Ortona to
other members of the tour. Photo Chris Fitzpatrick
Written by Christopher Fitzpatrick
The Loyal Edmonton Regiment under the command
of Lt. Col. Jim Jefferson.
Officer Commanding D Company, Major Jim Stone
and includes Pte G47284 Lorne McQuade.
Dec. 20, 1943 1200hrs
D and C companies of The Loyal Edmonton
Regiment (LER) advance along the north side of the
Ortona-Orsogna lateral highway with a squadron of
tanks from the Three Rivers Tank Regiment (TRT).
The advance is moving 75 metres behind a creeping
barrage in order to be on top of the enemy as soon
as they come up from their cover.
Visibility is low and most of the enemy is found
by practically stepping on them in their trenches.
Not long into the advance there is a huge explosion
that sends the lead tank flying 20ft into the air,
killing the crew and the several men taking cover
13
Dec. 20, 1943 late night
Major Jim Stone and an officer from the Royal
Canadian Engineers enter Ortona for some
reconnaissance. They make it 90 yards down
the main street of the town, the Corso Vittorio
Emanuelle (CVE), without seeing any sign of the
enemy.
The plan is set for the attack into the town the next
day. B Company of the LER will advance along the
right side of the CVE and D Company of the LER will
advance along the left side to provide cover for the
Three Rivers Tanks advancing up the street itself.
Dec. 21, 1943, Dawn
B Company advances to the edge of Ortona through
a vineyard meeting little resistance, they enter the
town and begin to clear the right side of the street.
D Company on the left is faced with advancing
through an open field. They begin their cautious
advance through the field. Pte McQuade
remembers looking forward to a line of
suspiciously quiet apartment buildings.
Just after entering the field D Company came
under heavy machine gun and sniper fire. They are
immediately ordered to retreat to the edge of the
field; only to be ordered to give it another try. This
second attempt also failed and when the company
made it back to the cover at the edge of the field
and only 17 riflemen (including Pte McQuade) and
2 officers (Maj. Jim Stone and Lt. John Dougan)
remained of a company that started out at almost
90 men. D company had been slaughtered.