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24TRIDENT, NOVEMBER 1, 2004“Welcome to Canadian boys. Come spend Christmas with us”This Monthin HistoryBy Petty Officer 1st ClassPat DevenishNovember1st 1942George BeurlingAfter just five months on the islandof Malta with RAF 403 Squadronand later 242 Canadian Squadron,George ‘Buzz’ Beurling from Verdun,Quebec shoots down 29 enemyaircraft. He leaves Malta with a DistinguishedService Order to his DFCand DFM and bar, as well as a caston his leg and pieces of shrapnelfrom German and Italian fightersembedded in various parts of hisbody. He would finish the war with31 kills to his credit. Ironically, heis killed in a crash in 1948 flyingwith three former Luftwaffe pilotsto Israel to fight with the newlyformed Israeli Air Force. Just prior,he is quoted as saying, “Combat isthe only thing I can do well, the onlything I ever really liked.”1st 1943Forced to resign due to his commentsregarding the Canadian Government’sdecision to split the CanadianArmy between England andItaly, General Andy McNaughton isreplaced by General Guy Simondstaking over the Fifth CanadianArmoured Division and GeneralChris Volkes the First CanadianInfantry Division.1st 1944General Andy McNaughtonIn one of his most controversialmoves of the war, Prime MinisterMackenzie King installs GeneralAndy McNaughton in his cabinet asDefence Minister. Recalled fromEurope in late 1943 because hisBritish superiors doubted his leadershipabilities, McNaughton is notwell liked by the present DefenceMinister J. Layton Ralston.Mackenzie King, contemplatingconscription to fill the dwindlingranks in all the Infantry Divisions,believes as the soldier’s soldier,Andy McNaughton can pull thisoff. Ralston, forced to resign to giveup his cabinet seat, takes with himMcNaughton’s once popular statuswith the Canadian people. In theend, conscription passes throughParliament but to little avail. With athree-month hiatus following theBattle of the Scheldt estuary and ICanadian Corps transfer from Italyin the New Year, the reinforcementcrisis dwindles. It could be arguednow, that the whole conscriptioncrisis was unwarranted but inNovember 1944, no one could foreseethat.2nd 1942Lying at anchor off Bell Island,Newfoundland awaiting a convoy,the Canadian merchantman RoseCastle is torpedoed and sunk by U-518. Of a crew of 43, just 15 survive.3rd 1942In the evening twilight, the Canadianmerchantman Chr. J. Kampmannis torpedoed and sunk by U-160 inthe Caribbean with a loss of 19 ofher 27 crewmembers.3rd 1943The 12,000 ton U.S. freighter Volunteer,loaded with ammunitionand magnesium, wallows in BedfordBasin inland of Halifax harbourwith a rapidly spreading fireaboard. Fear of a repeat explosionof 1917 that killed 2,000 peopleheightens the efforts of thoseinvolved in extinguishing the fire.Although the fire spreads to a holdcontaining small arms ammunition,disaster is thwarted by nothing lessthan sheer bravery and courage onthe part of the naval fire party andtug crews. With fires burning andammunition exploding belowdecks, Volunteer is towed to a pointoff McNabs Island and deliberatelysunk on a sand bar averting disasteralmost 12 hours later.5th 1942As in all Canadian communities,both small and large, young menjoin to volunteer their services fortheir country. It is in one such queueat Toronto’s Exhibition Groundsthat 19-year-old Edmund Devenishenlists in the Canadian Army. Withindays, basic training in Brantford,Ontario would commence with furtheradvanced Infantry Training inBorden, Ontario. Initially assignedto the Royal Canadian Regiment hewould be transferred to the Hastingsand Prince Edward Regiment,due to their heavy losses during theSicily campaign, before arriving inNorth Africa. Tasked with mopping-upoperations in Sicily, he andthe rest of the newcomers to the 1stCanadian Division would join inthe onslaught up the Italian boot.5th 1944Lt. General Charles Faulkes takescommand of I Canadian Corps asthe battle to clear the northern Italianplain continues.6th 1940HMCS OTTAWA in consort withHMS HARVESTER, operating offIreland, sink the Italian submarineFaa di Bruno. Recent investigationsof wartime records confirm this asthe first sinking of an enemy submarineby Canadian naval forces.6th 1943I Canadian Corps Headquartersunder General Harry Crerar is sentto reinforce the First CanadianInfantry Division and Fifth CanadianArmoured Division in Italy. Onthis voyage, the troopship SantaElena is attacked by German torpedobombers just off the coast ofNorth Africa. Carrying 1,800 CanadianArmy personnel including 99nurses with No. 14 Canadian GeneralHospital, the ship is sunk withno loss of life, but with the loss ofall of No. 14’s equipment.8th 1942Seven RCN corvettes support thelandings of Allied troops at Vichy-French Algiers, Oran and Casablanca.So begins a bitter six-month campaign,which would see the surrenderof a quarter million German andItalian troops in Tunisia and eventuallythe Axis’ final defeat in Africa.8th 1942Frederick Thornton PetersFrederick Thornton Peters, a nativeof Charlottetown, P.E.I., receivesthe Victoria Cross while servingwith the Royal Navy. Leading acharge by two cutters through boomdefences in the harbour of Oranduring the North Africa landings,his perseverance confuses the Germandefenders and causes their postureto fail. Unfortunately he wouldbe killed in a plane crash flyingback to Britain just days later.10th 1940Seven Lockheed Hudson bombersfly from an airfield in Gander, Newfoundlandand 10 hours and 17 minuteslater, the first of all seven landsat Aldergrove, near Belfast. This willto be the first flight of ferry aircraft toBritain from Canada and will continuefor the next four and a half yearsand total nearly 10,000 aircraft.SUNDAYS AT CF CHAPELSSt. Brendan’s, Stadacona0900 hrs – Messe en français - Lt(N) Gaetan Fortin1000 hrs – Protestant Divine Worship- Lt(N) Brian Wentzell1115 hrs – English R.C. Mass - Lt(N) Gaetan FortinFor information – 427-8660Shearwater Chapel, Shearwater1000 hrs – R.C. Mass – Lt(USN) Terrence Mulkerin1115 hrs – Protestant Divine Worship- Lt(N) John FinlaysonFor information – 460-1011, ext. 1441+ + + + + + + + + + + + + +Midday R.C. Mass – 1200 hrsSt. Brendan’s - Mon to WedShearwater - Mon to ThursFriday Ecumenical Worship – St. Brendan’s1200 hrs – Coffee & Sandwiches followingProtestant Communion – First Sunday of each monthBaptisms & Marriages – By appointment"It is a good thing to go to the house of the Lord."Home away from homeA five-minute walk from the ferry to Downtown Halifax,all our rooms offer kitchenette conveniences.1-888-798-5558Go Anywhere, Stay Here!Howard JohnsonHotel & SuitesDartmouth65 King St., Dartmouth, NSwww.maranovasuites.comEmail: res@maranovasuites.com30% discountsDiscounted rates starting at $62.00 plus taxesfor DND employees.Some restrictions may apply.Military LawMcInnes Cooper’s Military Law Group consists oflawyers who have military experience as well as legalexpertise. This means that we understand the realities ofmilitary life. We can advise clients who need assistance withissues relating to the Canadian Forces and the Departmentof National Defence.Our firm is one of the largest in Atlantic Canada, with over130 lawyers in six different offices. Our specialised lawyerscan advise on a full range of non-military legal issues aswell.David Demirkan, CD John MacDonald, CD Karl Seidenz, CDPH: 902 424-1388 PH: 902 424-1323 PH: 902 425-6500EMAIL: david.demirkan@mcinnescooper.comOne Region. One Firm.MCINNES COOPERBARRISTERS SOLICITORS & TRADE MARK AGENTSAVOCATS, NOTAIRES ET AGENTS DE MARQUES DE COMMERCEwww.mcinnescooper.comCHARLOTTETOWN FREDERICTON MONCTON SAINT JOHN HALIFAX ST. JOHN’S902 368-8473 506 458-8572 506 857-8970 506 643-6500 902 425-6500 709 722-8735
TRIDENT, NOVEMBER 1, 2004 2512th 1942In the icy waters off MassachusettsBay, the Canadian merchantman LillianE. Kerr is stricken and sunk in acollision. Just one crew member survives,later to succumb to exposure.14th 1943JACK H. SMITHEngineers settingup a Bailey bridge.Brigadier Graeme Gibson’s ThirdInfantry Brigade starts its movenorth from Campobasso to the SangroRiver in Central Italy. This is afeint as the three regiments; Royal22nd (Vandoos), Carleton and Yorkand West Nova Scotia pose as theentire First Canadian Division inthe hope of deceiving the Germansof General Montgomery’s intentionto lead the entire British EighthArmy across the Sangro. It is anengineering feat for Third Brigadeas the enemy’s scorched earth policyhas left countryside billets andtransportation lines in shambles.All along the route, the withdrawingGerman troops leave signs bydestroyed bridges: “Welcome toCanadian boys. Come spendChristmas with us” and “Build yourBailey bridges so we can come backand blow them up.” Somehow,through all this over the comingweeks, the Royal Canadian ArmyService Corps maintains a steadysupply of fuel, ammunition andrations to the ever-advancing front.By the 22nd, the near side of theSangro River is clear for the 8thArmy advance across the GermanWinter Line.15th 1943HMC Ships HURON, IROQUOIS andHAIDA sail from England escortingconvoy JW54A to Murmansk.Although this trip is uneventful, thereturn with convoy JW55B is punctuatedby several U-boat attacks andhighlighted by the sinking of theGerman cruiser Scharnhorst by theRoyal Navy. Although not directlyinvolved, the crews of IROQUOIS,HURON and HAIDA are witness toone of the great naval battles of theNorth Atlantic.16th 1941Reinforcements comprising Quebec’sRoyal Rifles of Canada and theWinnipeg Grenadiers arrive in HongKong aboard the troopship Awatea.16th 1944Canadian General Crerar is promotedto full General, the first Canadianto gain this rank at the front. Afterthe war, British 8th Army GeneralBernard Montgomery would say toCrerar: “No Commander can everhave had a more loyal subordinatethan I have had in you. And underGeneral Creraryour command the Canadian Armyhas covered itself with glory. I amdeeply grateful. If ever there is anythingI can do for you or your magnificentCanadian soldiers, youknow you only have to ask.”18th 1942Lt. Gustave “Guy” Bieler of le Regimentde Maisonneuve, whileemployed with the Special OperationsExecutive (SOE), parachutesinto France northeast of Paris.Twenty-seven other Canadianswould have this same calling duringthe war and only 20 would survivethe years. Unfortunately, CommandantGuy, as he is affectionatelyknown as by his French hosts, is onewho does not make it home in celebrationat war’s end. After the war,Guy Bieler’s wife and son would bepresented with his DSO posthumouslyalong with 10 other awardsand medals including the FrenchCroix du Guerre, that country’shighest award.20th 1942The Alaskan Highway stretchingfrom Dawson Creek, British Columbiato Fairbanks, Alaska is officiallyopened. Almost 2,000 miles long,this magnificent feat of engineeringis completed in eight short monthswith an army of 10,000 soldiers and6,000 civilians. After workingaround the clock in deplorable conditions,Soldiers completed the highway,which allowed transportationof war materials to the AleutianIsland chain where there was a majorthreat of a Japanese offensive attack.20th 1943While on convoy escort duties in themid-Atlantic, HMC ships SNOW-BERRY and CALGARY, in conjunctionwith HMS NENE, sink U-536.23rd 1943The West Nova Scotia Regiment istasked with clearing the final obstaclein the drive for the Sangro Riverin central Italy. A monastery atopa rocky pinnacle overlooking Casteldi Sangro is held by fanaticaltroops with carefully laid out arcs offire to discourage anyone attemptingan assault.It is not until the 25th, after twounsuccessful attacks and heavycasualties, that the West Novas try asheer force attack. After a prolongedbombardment by Britishand Canadian guns, the West NovaRegiment with the mortars andmachine guns of the SaskatoonLight Infantry assault Point 1,009as the hill is called only to find itevacuated the night before.By the 26th, the British 5th Divisionbegins moving into the area torelieve the West Novas along withthe rest of Third Brigade so they mayteam up with the rest of the FirstCanadian Infantry Division in preparationfor one of the most famous ofall Canadian battles, Ortona.24th 1944HMCS SHAWINGAN, alone on ananti-submarine patrol between CapeBreton and Newfoundland’s southerncoast is torpedoed and sunk byU-1228 losing all 90 souls aboard.25th 1941The Canadian merchantman Proteuswith a crew of 58 is lost in the NorthAtlantic for no apparent reason.27th 1940Not by enemy forces but by mothernature’s awesome power in theform of a North Atlantic gale is theCanadian merchantman Lisieuxlost along with 12 of her 29 crew.28th 1944The first Allied vessel to transit theScheldt estuary into Antwerp, Belgiumis ironically the Canadian merchantmanFort Cataraqui. Hugebands perform Allied Nationalanthems as representatives of bothBritish General Montgomery’s andU.S. General Eisenhower’s headquartersmingle with local and Alliedport authorities. There is just oneoversight-No one has invited a representativeof the First Canadian Army,which has made all this possible.Special offerTO ALL MEMBERS OF MARLANTBuy any sleep setincluding all advertised specialsand receive an added exclusive bonus ofbed frame and pillowsValue $110.We have the largest range of Simmons sleep sets in Atlantic Canadaover 42 sets to choose fromPrices starting at $499 for queen sets.Plus “You Choose”6 Months no interest no payments*Or 12 months equal payments no interest.**$39 ADMIN FEE OACWe’re here to help you sleep betterHALIFAX Bayers Lake Park172 Chain Lake Drive (Look for the Big Simmons Sign)Mon-Fri 9:30-9:00; Sat 9:30-6:00DARTMOUTH Woodlawn Mall124 Woodlawn Road (Between Harvey’s and Wendy’s)Mon, Tues, Sat 9:30-6:00; Wed-Fri 9:30-9:00HALIFAXBayers Lake ParkDARTMOUTHWoodlawn Mall
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