Excerpts

To view a brief excerpt, click on the appropriate chapter.

• Joining Up
• Training
• D-Day and Normandy
• Return to England
• The Ardennes and Holland
• The Rhine Drop
• The Run to Wismar
• POWs
• Homecoming

Chapter 1 - Joining Up

Private Reuben Cohen
C Company, No. 8 Platoon

“I volunteered for the parachute corps mainly because I did not take kindly to being in the turret of a tank; I found it too confining. However, I had no thoughts of leaving until one very cold morning on roll call parade outside with the wind howling. They asked for volunteers for the parachute corps and told us where we would be sent if we qualified and that if we found it not to our liking we would be allowed to transfer out at any time until we qualified for our wings. The word Winnipeg made me take the one step forward to indicate that I volunteered. I was the only one to volunteer that morning and the MO, after giving me my medical said that I was a very poor specimen but they had to send me to avoid being the only base without a volunteer.”
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Chapter 2 - Training

Sergeant Harry Reid
B Company, No. 5 Platoon

“We loaded up in the aircraft and before we were properly settled it was tearing down the runway. This was my first flight as it was with most of the jumpers. The noise was much more than I had expected, but in short order we were in the air and the noise seemed to abate somewhat. On the first jump, only four jumpers would go on each pass. The four would stand to the door and as the jumpmaster slapped your backpack he would holler, “Go,” and out you would go. If you failed to go, you would be ordered to sit down and given one more chance after all the others had gone.

In keeping with the spirit of things, if you did not jump on the second chance, you were ordered to remove your jump boots, which the jumpmaster took from you. When the aircraft landed you walked back to the quarters in your sock feet. It was a great incentive to jump! I suffered the usual apprehensions that all jumpers do, although I never doubted I would jump. The altitude was about 1200 feet and the Dakota was cruising about 120 mph. As my turn came, I swung into the doorway in the prescribed manner and on the “Go!” (Which was accompanied by a solid smack on the backpack), I swung out of the door and completely forgot everything I had learned about body position and counting. I was on my back, watching the aircraft fly away from me and clearly saw the next jumper leave the aircraft. He had a much better body position than I did!”
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Chapter 3 - D-Day and Normandy

Major Richard Hilborn, MID
Company Commander, Headquarters Company

“Our trip was most pleasant across here thanks to you except for the last 5 minutes when the flak came at us and I was absolutely terrified. Especially the way the old kite rocketed and bucketed about the sky. No doubt your evasive action saved the day. I got out OK and the open shock tore the knee strap of my kit bag off. It hung away from me and I couldn’t reach the quick release so I landed with my kit bag attached. I landed in the corner of a field somewhat shaken and no end surprised. I have never come down faster. After trying to reach my kit bag I didn’t even have time to grab my left webbs but I just managed to get set for the landing. After wandering about a bit I picked up 3 others of my stick. It took us 3 hours and the assistance of a local French farmer to find where we were. Actually I landed a mile and a half northwest of the DZ. Because the country was full of hedges and orchards I didn’t have the slightest idea where the DZ was. There was farming all around so that didn’t help any.

It was the better part of the day before we got ourselves altogether. A couple of chaps in my stick had tough luck. One landed in a tree and the branch broke, following which he fell and broke an arm and a leg. Another chap was shot through the hand. He had an amazing escape. He was by himself when about 30 Gerries spotted him. They jumped him, took his equipment and when he was lying in the ditch shot at him twice from 6 foot range, one just missing him and the other hitting his hand. He lay absolutely still and they went away leaving him for dead.”
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Chapter 4 - Return to England

Private Jeff Kelly
Headquarters Company, Intelligence Section

“I don’t know who organized the hunger strike and I don’t think they ever really did pin anybody. We just decided that we weren’t going to eat for a few days. Eventually they made us draw our rations and then they would come around and ask us why we weren’t eating. They stopped doing that when they realised that they were wasting food. The British field ambulance unit that was with us immediately stopped using their Mess. We ate well though. We didn’t starve. Nicklin was trying to run us like it was peacetime. You had to be properly dressed at all times. I see what he was trying to do though. He just wanted us to be the best. It finally ended up that the Brigadier got a hold of us all with no officers or NCOs present. He told us that we had made a point and that we were going to give Canada a bad name. That’s all that was needed. Brigadier Hill handled the situation quite well. I think that things eased off a little after that.”
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Chapter 5 - The Ardennes and Holland

Sergeant Andy Anderson
B Company, No. 4 Platoon

“The Battalion has moved in the early morning hours to an embarkation port on the Channel, and we boarded a variety of ships. “B” Co. was transported on a T.C.V., which once in mid-Channel provided one of the roughest voyages on record. Many men were sick below decks, which in the closed space made things very messy and smelly. The only rations are COMPO, but most of the troops passed them up. I do not recall the landing place in France, but it was a quick dockside transfer to trucks and a fast overland trip to a town in Belgium called Rumes. The company set up in the town, we are short of information, except to be advised that we are close to the action and we must be prepared to move out at any moment.”
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Chapter 6 - The Rhine Drop

Private Ward Pycock
C Company, No. 7 Platoon

“It started out quite innocently enough. I was up at 3:00 a.m., had breakfast at 4:00 a.m., and was waiting to climb into the truck. The trooper in front of me swung his foot up and flattened my nose. I sat down in the truck and a shovel fell from above on the back of my head. Finally, we were off to the airport. As we were getting ready to board the aircraft, someone said, “I forgot to put on my Mae West.” So did everyone. The Yank pilot said, “If we get this crate off the ground you won’t need it.” It seemed like we travelled twenty miles before we became airborne.

It’s 10:00 a.m. and there is beautiful blue sky as we crossed the Rhine. We went out of the aircraft supposedly at four hundred feet, not much time left so I released the rope on the rifle valise and shovel. It snapped and I watched as both spiralled rapidly downward. I am still up about two hundred feet. I landed on the ground and picked up the rifle of a fallen trooper. The rifle fired by itself. The breech had been bored out and hundreds of steel slivers resembling pepper covered my thumbs and fingers.

I finally reached the rendezvous; had K rations at lunch at noon. At 2:00 p.m. a glider discharged a Bren gun carrier right into our midst. A shell hit the carrier, which went up in a cloud of black smoke. A Jerry zeroed in on the hit; suddenly it felt like someone had hit me on the back with a three-inch plank.”
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Chapter 7 - The Run to Wismar

Private Tom Gavinski
A Company, No. 1 Platoon

“As we neared the railway crossing, we heard German voices on a side street on the left so we went down the street a little way and stopped. The Lt. said to cover him and he and Sgt. Pym moved to the group of Germans. There was a German officer with a flashlight and a pistol in his hand. He had just arrived home on leave. He was talking to a number of elderly civilians. The officer was relieved of his flashlight, pistol and possibly his life by the Lt. and Sgt. Pym. Sgt. Pym shone the flashlight on his own face and all the civilians ran for their lives. Lt. Fisher acquired the P38 pistol.

They moved back to where Johnny and I were waiting. Then back to the main road, turn left, crossed the tracks, were challenged and identified. The Lt. was told No. 1 Platoon was leading across the bridge and Coy HQ was in the first building across the bridge on the left. The Lt. told the rear group that the Battalion was following us on the double and would be there very soon.

So we moved out at a trot, down a bit of a grade from the crossing. There were buildings on both sides. A loud whisper says, “Jerries marching, hurry.” We hear them and run hard. Sgt. Pym says he’ll go to No. 1 Platoon. We have just cleared the far side of the bridge and the three of us veer to our left. There was a yard there beside the building. All hell broke loose just up the street and much lead came our way. No. 1 Platoon had ambushed a large group of Volksturm and Hitler Youth, many armed with panzerfausts. I heard later that there were about sixty of them. Johnny Stout was hit and knocked off his feet as the three of us moved off the road. He got up and joined the Lt. and I in the shelter of the west side of the first building. He told the Lt. that he was hit in the right chest but he didn’t think he was bleeding.”
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Chapter 8 - POWs

Captain Colin Brebner
Headquarters Company, Medical Officer

“I woke up as the Germans were collecting all weapons, dropping them into a sack. The seriously wounded were left. They wanted to leave me as well, but Capt Nelson’s men decided to carry me. No stretchers were available; any they had were left supporting the wounded left behind. They used the garden trellis to carry me. It was flat and difficult for me to stay on it as I could only steady myself with one hand. My helmet fell off. We passed the gatehouse of the Chateau de Varaville and Capt Nelson, away while we were captured, had been doing a recce of it as a suitable RAP, was just coming out the door as we were passing. One of the Germans turned an automatic on him and I believe suddenly realised he had a Red Cross badge and lifted the gun as he pulled the trigger so the bullets hit above the doorway. Capt Nelson stood then with bits and pieces of the doorway dropping over his shoulders. He had the palest face I’ve ever seen. He joined our group.
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Chapter 9 - Homecoming

Private Harold Croft
C Company, No. 7 Platoon

“I was glad, of course, when the war ended. It was hard to believe at first; it had been such a long war. So many things had happened that I was not sure what things would be like in Civvy life. I found out that it did take a lot of adjusting to get used to it; after all, I had been in the army for five and a half years.

I think the men of the Battalion were a fine lot. They came from all over Canada and we felt that we were the best. I think that the officers and NCOs were a fine lot, at least the ones that I knew. Our Company Commander, Major McLeod, was the best officer in the Battalion. I also think that Major Hanson did a fine job when he took over for Major McLeod. Brigadier Hill was one of a kind; I think he was an outstanding commander and a real gentleman. One could go on and on about him.

I was seasick part of the way home, however, when we landed I forgot all about that. Most of my family was living in Halifax so it was a real treat for me to be there. Finally seeing them again was a very happy occasion. I could hardly believe that I was home.
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