Regimental Museum Report Strathcona Mounted Troop Report

Once Upon A Time There Was A Subaltern continuedBty Group: enemy tanks were sighted, contactreported, then the enemy over-ran theCoy-Bty HQ. The information never made itdown from Bde. Lesson learned – we beganto carry extra 510-sets and sat on coy frequenciesas a ‘back-up courtesy’.An anecdotal aside: Sgt Colby Yeomansrecalls one exercise where ‘Find “A” Sqn’(the enemy) was an all day task. “A completetank sqn should not be too difficult tofind – but we never did find it. Some saythey were in the tank hangers in MainCamp. I can recall being parked at the bottomof the hill near Jamieson Lake lookingup at those hangers. There wasn’t asmuch as a wisp of smoke or dust. Theywere there apparently – just as well I didn’tgo into the camp or Len Goebel’s and AlMinette’d have bagged me.That would have been really embarrassing.I think there was no dishonour in beingout-smarted by ‘the Great One’.Major ‘Danny’ McLeod, OC “A” Sqn’confirmed Colby’s hunch. The recordbecomes a tangle of ego however, Gen‘Chris’ Vokes with the challenge contactedDanny: “Can you move your “F” Ech andhide them in Main Camp?” (He inferredthat he wanted to steal a march on BrigWrinch who commanded the friendlyforce). Danny’s response in the affirmativeresulted in the movement of all Sqn tanksBefore the veterans of the ItalianCampaign peg out there is an incident thatoccurred to the survivors of Cobra II on23 or 24 September 1944. If the story ofthis incident is true, and I hope that it is, itprovides us with a wonderful example ofthe good things that can be done when reasonablemen reason together and, on rareoccasions, drinking together.On 23 September 1944 “C” Sqn Strathconaswas supporting the PrincessLouise Dragoon Guards (we called themthe Plugs) in a Brigade operation. 1stTroop, led by Lt W.E. Ralston was one ofthe leading troops. The Plugs were encounteringheavy MG fire and could notadvance over a line of railway tracks so LtRalston moved forward in his tank tosearch for the enemy. His tank got into ahole, or soft ground and he could not extricatethe tank. His Troop Sergeant, SgtCostello, moved over to attempt to recoverthe bogged tank. His tank was hit byanti-tank fire and Costello and anothermember of the crew were killed. Mr. Ralstonthen decided to take over the TroopCorporal’s tank, Cobra II, with the intentionof joining the other leading troop. Thetroop Corporal of Cobra 11, Cpl. Lake,stayed with the Ralston’s bogged tank.Sometime later, Ralston paused to orienthimself. His tank was either under a largeat 0330 hrs from Sqn harbours to hangersin camp. In low gear the engine and tracknoise was minimal. Trucks then obliteratedtank tracks. If any Recce did enter MainCamp, the hangers were to be marked w/“Atomic Security – No Access” signs.The following afternoon they erupted intothe rear of Brig. Wrinch’s force, and theexercise came to a halt before it had begun.Vokes had succeeded in embarrassing hisjunior. We were the pawns in the game.Lesson learned?This initiative/ingenuity was infectious inRecce as well. There was a large area southof Blue Route (extension) which wasavoided by all if possible. Map reading wasdifficult and compasses were often in error.We took a ‘slack’ day and marked this areaw/stakes to allow us an edge in exercises tocome.An aside: Sgt ‘Pat’ Searle waded/swamthe Ribstone to get ‘enemy dispositions’ inthe Border Lake area. He re-crossed andre-joined his driver, then called in a SITREPthat forced a pause in the exercise whilethe ‘enemy’ re-deployed. A feather in hiscap indeed.An aside: Sgt ‘Pat’ Patterson recalls thefinale. 2nd Troop went out on a wirelessexercise that lasted some 36 hours withoutrelief (sleep). The regimental motto wastested with success. Despite muttering (aTHE COBRA II STORYtree or close to one, when it came undermortar fire, killing Ralston and Tpr Barnettand wounding Tprs Stachera andWood N.J.1st Troop began the battle boldly but itwas quickly put out of action by a veryexperienced enemy force that had wellcoordinatedfirepower. Our losses in lifeand in tanks were swift and brutal.And this sets the scene for this story. Onthe move from Italy to North WestEurope, someone in the group I was leadingtold me about the triumphant achievementof the survivors of Cobra II.After losing Mr. Ralston and Tpr Barnett,the survivors of Cobra II started to look forshelter and they decided to check out ahouse nearby. When they reached thehouse, the entrance door opened to revealGerman soldiers manning a MachineGun. Our comrades were invited to enter.Germans, as we know, are generoushosts. Someone produced some Vino and aparty eventually happened. The two groupsspoke “soldier-Italian” to each other.Sometime in the evening a consensus developedamong the Wehrmacht side that perhapsthere was an opportunity to get out ofthe awfulness of the war by surrendering tothe Canadians. The German NCO was notpersuaded. He was sure that his duty was todeliver his prisoners to his superiors. TheGerman soldiers went to work on theirtroopers’ right) – the hours passed. (Ibelieved we ought to do this before arrivalin Europe. Capt ‘Bill’ Ward’s experiences inKorea were a major reason in such anextended test of efficiency.) With NCO’slike mine we could do it. Later we went forclose to 48 hours in BAOR exercises inGermany.The Wainwright Concentration ’57focussed a serious conundrum thatremained with us for the next two years:how was information to be accessed –‘Seek and Peek’ or ‘Push and Get’. Tacticalapproaches would be different; the formerwould force ingenuity without aggression.The questions of degrees ofassertiveness would be disputed throughoutour tour with NATO in 4C1BG. Observationof American, Belgian, and Britishequipment resulted in envy. The optionsavailable to our allies (Exercise enemies)were possible due to their equipment. Thesilence in Ottawa concerning our politicalwill to measure up to our commitment toNATO was deafening. (We were fortunatenonetheless in being the recipients of ‘salutaryneglect’ rather than the political meddlingof the past twenty-odd years.)In this manner “Recce” Sqn returned toCurrie Barracks, went on leave, and preparedfor rotation to Fort Chambly as partof 4CIBG.leader, plying him with drink until he couldno longer resist their intention.In the morning the Germans and theirprisoners formed up and marched towardsthe Canadian lines. The German NCOinsisted on escorting the Strathcona prisonersuntil they reached our lines. In duecourse a sentry challenged the group fromthe Plugs. They halted and exchangedweapons. I am told it was a very emotionalmoment. These guys were now firm buddies.After much hand shaking, and bearhugs the Cobra II survivors led their Germanprisoners into the Plug defenses.Another problem arose. Some of thePlugs had suffered from the enemy resistancethe day previous and wanted to seekrevenge. A row broke out between theStraths and the Plugs before cooler headsprevailed.If my description of this episode is generallytrue, I think it deserves to be verifiedand put into the historical records. I knowthat at Armistice and at Christmas weare often reminded of the British and Germansoldiers of World War I who entertainedeach other with Christmas carolsand eventually played soccer. When I hearthose stories, I think of the story I heardabout the survivors of Cobra II in 1st Troop,C Squadron.–continued on page 12Page 8Strathcona’s Newsletter