Thank you Never again Clearing the air Lest we ... - Tridentnews.ca

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. 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