Article re Combined Ops, "Canadian Soldiers Showed Up Everyone"

Leading Seaman A. Kirby Commanded Invasion Barge

During Italian Invasion

Al Kirby at Roseneath, Scotland 1942

Photo credit - The Memory Project

Not Yet 20, (Kirby) Has Three Years' Service and a Scotch Bride -- Home for Christmas Leave

Although he has not yet reached his 20th birthday, Leading Seaman Albert Kirby has had three years' service with the forces and has been in charge of an invasion barge at Dieppe, North Africa, Sicily and Italy. The young sailor, who just arrived here yesterday to spend Christmas with his mother and family at 73 Maud Street, brought back his other trophies, a photograph of his bride of last November who is a stenographer in Glasgow. Albert Kirby was employed by Hay and Company before he enlisted in the RCNVR in March 1941.

The Woodstock seaman trained at Esquimalt, B.C., and then went to Halifax. He qualified as a seaman-torpedoman. After some training with the Navy, Seaman Kirby volunteered for combined operations and went overseas in January, 1942. 

In the Dieppe raid of August, 1942, Kirby commanded one of the invasion barges that took Canadian infantrymen to the beachhead. The leading seaman says after the men were landed, he and his crew had to lay off shore all morning and most of the afternoon, just waiting. He states that the Germans were training everything on them, including artillery fire and planes but the sailors on the barges could do nothing about it.

Ordered Back

Kirby says that he did attempt to reach the beach with his barge about noon to get the infantrymen back as previously instructed, but there were none there and he was ordered to turn back to England. 

From Britain, Kirby sailed with the great invasion force to North Africa in November, 1942. There, again in charge of a landing barge, he took part in landing American Rangers on the beachheads. The North African job was completed in time for the Woodstock sailor to get back to England for Christmas. He then went to Scotland for New Year's. 

When the famous Eighth Army reinforcements sailed from Britain this year (1943), Kirby was again among the passengers going into the Mediterranean. Although Kirby is a leading seaman with the combined operations, he has no duties while being transported by the Navy.

Swimming inside the landing craft on the deck of the SS Glenartney, enroute

from Liverpool to Capetown, South Africa. 1943. (Albert Kirby is second from right).

Photo credit - The Memory Project

The landing barge commanded by the Woodstock seaman last fall was one of the first to reach the beach in the invasion of Sicily. Seaman Kirby's crew transported invasion troops of General Montgomery's Eighth Army to the Italian island. The sailor reports that the first landing was a simple matter but added it wasn't long before the Germans were over them with bombers. When the invasion of the Italian mainland was opened up in September, Seaman Kirby's barge was again one of the first to get soldiers on the beach. Here again, there was no force of Italians or Germans to meet the first landing of the Allies.

Canadians Good

When asked what he enjoyed most about being in Italy, the sailor with patriotic pride replied that "it was the way the Canadian soldiers showed up everyone else." While the invasion of Italy was continuing, the sailors and the barges lived ashore on Sicily. Most of the Sicilians had crossed over to the mainland and left their houses empty. The sailors occupied these houses. Seaman Kirby told of a Canadian war correspondent, Lt.-Commander E.H. Bartlett who, after interviewing some of the invasion troops, continued on up to the front lines. He apparently didn't know where he was going, reports Kirby, and the next thing he knew he was interviewing German soldiers. The Germans invited him to stay and now he's a prisoner of war. Lt.-Commander Bartlett, in one of his cables before his capture, told of the exploits of Leading Seaman Kirby.

While in Italy, Kirby picked up some souvenirs which he has brought back with him. One of these is a huge Italian ceremonial sword. This was brought home hidden in a hammock. Other trophies include an Italian policeman's revolver and two Italian hand grenades. These hand grenades are made of tin and are painted bright red. The idea of making them of tin, explained the seaman, is that several men could be wounded when the grenade exploded. This would necessitate two men to carry each wounded one back thus taking three men out of action instead of three killed.

"Booby Traps"

Another trick of the Italians was to set the grenades on the ground in such a way that they would explode if picked up or moved. This too caused many casualties among the Allies.

After several weeks of active duties during the initial invasion of Italy, Kirby again went back to Britain. It was then that he married in Glasgow. Mrs. Albert Kirby's maiden name is Jean Smith. The leading seaman arrived in Woodstock yesterday morning for his first home leave in two years. He will be here for Christmas and to celebrate his 20th birthday next month.

Doug Harrison (left) and Al Kirby in Roseneath, Scotland 1942

Stopping here for a day with him is Able Seaman Jack Thompson of Moosejaw, Sask. The two sailors have been together for two years. Other Oxford county sailors of the combined operations who also have come home for a Christmas leave are Doug Harrison and Buryl McIntyre of Norwich and Bruce Hawkins of Tillsonburg.

The newspaper article is from the Woodstock Sentinel Review, November, 1943

Please link to Article re Combined Ops, "We Chattered All the Way Home"

Photos GH