Articles: Italy, Oct. 12-13, 1943 - Pt. 13

Allies Advance in Italy, and Tirpitz is Hit.

Photo: Germany's largest battleship Tirpitz is hit while hiding in Norway.

Photo Credit - The Canadian Press, as found in the Winnipeg Tribune

Introduction -

The following news clippings and photographs are credited to the October 12 - 13, 1943 issues of The Winnipeg Tribune unless attributed otherwise.

As far as I know, the Canadian members of Combined Ops who manned landing craft for several weeks (Sept. - Oct.) during the invasion of Italy, are now on their way back to England. Next stop for many - Canada.

Please link to the digitized Winnipeg Tribune for more information about World War activities and Canadian news.

The location of the strike upon the Tirpitz - Alten Fjord - is seen in the small map below:

Canadians in Combined Operations (C.O.) manned landing crafts during training exercises (prior to the invasions of Sicily and Italy) at various sites in the U.K. In the photograph below, three such Canadians are seen aboard a landing craft while transporting a machine gun or two and beach traction mats.

Left to right: Chuck Rose (from Chippawa, ONT), Al Kirby (Woodstock, ONT)

Don Westbrook (Hamilton, ONT). Photo Credit - Lloyd Evans, RCNVR, C.O.

Canadians in Combined Ops, when in Italy, visited an AMGOT depot and tried to tip the scales in their favour. Says my father:

We had some days off and we travelled, did some sight seeing, e.g., visiting German graves. We met Sicilian prisoners walking home disconsolately, stopped them, and took sidearms from any officer. We saw oxen still being used as draft animals when we were there.

Sometimes we went to Italy and to Allied Military Government of Occupied Territory depot (AMGOT). (They later changed that name because in Italian it meant shi-!) While a couple of ratings kept the man in charge of all the revolvers busy, we picked out a lot of dandies. If he caught us we were ready. We had chits made out, i.e., “Please supply this rating with sidearms,” signed Captain P.T. Gear or Captain B.M. Lever, after the Breech Mechanism Lever on a large gun. (Page 36, "Dad Well Done")

Combatants from both sides of the armed conflict (WW2) that spanned six years suffered in many ways, one of which was homesickness. Big tough boys would speak of their mothers, girlfriends, hometowns and humble homes - and would at times cry unashamedly for any and all things 'home'.

My father mentions the following while on his way to The Solent, the channel separating Isle of Wight from the UK mainland, on his way to take part in his first call to action (Operation Rutter, a cancelled raid on Dieppe):

On June 22, 1942, my mother’s birthday, O/D Seaman Jack Rimmer of Montreal and I were reminiscing on deck. We must remember there was daylight saving time and war time, and to go by the sun setting one never knew what time it was. Jack and I were feeling just a little homesick - not like at first - and it was a terribly hard feeling to describe then. (Navy memoirs)

One year later he and his mates spent a long time travelling aboard SS Silver Walnut as they circled Africa on their way to Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. My father mentions the following in memoirs:

The conversation among the Canadian sailors would invariably be of home. We spoke most often of our mothers, rather than our girlfriends. Some of us, including a young, apple-cheeked Mr. Rodgers, shed unhidden and un-ashamed tears as we talked of our mothers and the mutual concerns we shared for one another.

Usually when we sang navy ditties on decks, with our backs against the bulwark, Mr. Rodgers would emerge from his cabin and say, “Keep it down to a dull roar, boys.” He thought, possibly, that we might attract a U-boat. After a while, with my tutoring, we learned to sing a song about our mothers. Although the officer didn’t join in, he was nearby with his foot on the lower rail, looking off into the distance with his arms folded across his chest. He appeared to be deep in thought; after all, officers have mothers too.

This is the song that my mother had taught me a few years before - a poignant reminder of happier times:

M is for the million things she gave me
O is that she now is growing old
T is for the tears she shed to save me
H is for the heart of purest gold
E is for her eyes with love light shining
R is right and right she’ll always be.

Put them all together they all spell MOTHER
A word that means the world to me.

Page 98, "Dad, Well Done"

An excerpt from another separate article follows:

"William, wait until you're a little older!"

"No way, Ma!"

Any photograph or drawing with landing crafts catches my eye : )

"Hey, Quinn. Play us a song from Winnipeg, eh."

Some Canadians in Combined Ops who returned to Canada in December, 1943 were very soon on their way to Canada's Combined Operations training camp (Givenchy III) on Vancouver Island. They remained there - as trainers, not trainees - until discharge in September, 1945. Bill Fisher, mentioned below, stayed at the same camp for awhile, and went on a tour for a period of time to promote war bonds. When asked if he'd like to return to sea he said he would rather "go to cells (jail)."

More information about the hit on Tirpitz, Germany's largest battleship:

What's a bo'sun? What's a rating?

A boatswain, bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a Petty Officer or a qualified member of the deck department, is the senior-most rate of the deck department and is responsible for the components of a ship's hull. The boatswain supervises the other members of the ship's deck department, and typically is not a watch-stander, except on vessels with small crews. Additional duties vary depending upon ship, crew, and circumstances. (Wikipedia)

A naval rating is an enlisted member of a country's navy, subordinate to warrant officers and officers, and hence not conferred by commission or warrant. The naval term comes from the general nautical usage of rating – a seaman's class or grade as recorded in the ship's books,[1] whilst in the United States it is currently used to denote a sailor's occupational specialty.[2]

The system of conferring authority on sailors in the Royal Navy and elsewhere evolved through the recognition of competence; Landsman, Ordinary seaman or Able seaman and through the appointment of authority as a petty officer.

Historically the term rate also applied to ships, denoting their combat strength by the number, and type, of guns. (Wikipedia)

Please link to Articles: Italy, Oct. 7-11, 1943 - Pt 12.

Unattributed Photos GH