Memoirs re Combined Ops, "Answers to a Questionnaire"

What I Got From Combined Ops

By Doug Harrison, RCNVR and Combined Operations, 1941 - 1945

"I will never forget them": Doug Harrison, far right

Responses to Canadian Combined Ops Questionnaire, March 21, 1993-96

[The following was first published in St. Nazaire to Singapore: The Canadian Amphibious War, circa 1995. The exact questions are not provided.]

Combined Operations (CO) did not affect me religiously. I had a good grounding in religion as a child and youth. Yes I prayed, and still do.

I haven’t a single misconduct in my service and I wonder why because I didn’t conform well in the service and I still don’t. I question just about everything and not just because it keeps my mind active. Looking back I feel I was as good as any Seaman in my flotilla and I retained a sense of humour. I wasn’t a loner then and I’m still not a loner. I say “Hello” to everyone, strangers and all and I said “Hello” in the Service (not much to Officers!). Friends are a very important part of my life as they were in CO too. I know that when I say “Hello” to some folks they wonder openly, “Who is that grey haired old geek?” but people are so tied up in their problems today, taxes, etc., that they are all becoming psychologically affected... a good sense of humour comes in handy here.

I questioned Dieppe then and still do. Some of the high ranking officers and, or, their families swam and frolicked on those very beaches. (After all, those beaches have been there a longtime. They took revenge by calling it, “The Poor Man’s Monte Carlo.”) Those planners knew those beaches so they must have had a good reason other than any that have been written about. Perhaps one objective was to quiet the Canadian Army which was restless and having discipline problems - spill blood - it will quiet things down and sober them up.

I liked the family aspect of CO (Canadian). I believe strongly in the family unit today (backbone of the Nation). So you and I wonder what’s wrong? It’s right before our eyes. Independent, greedy, surly, almost to the point of being ungovernable. But we shared in CO and although we were alone much of the time there was discipline and there was a feeling shared by most. “Together we stick, parted we’re stuck.”

I was fond of Mr. Koyl who said, “Don’t bother me with the petty stuff Mr. Wedd. Let’s get the job done and go home.” I asked him one day, “Sir, do you mind us calling you Uncle Jake?” “No Harrison, I don’t. On the contrary, I’m honoured.”

For the most part, many of us grew up while overseas and were different in several ways than when we went over to England in 1942 and upon our return in 1943. Every CO Rating I have met since the war, there is the odd exception, became a responsible citizen of Canada and made a valuable contribution the same as in war time. We took chances during the war and in peace time - call them risks if you like. They were a special group and still are in my eyes. I learned to depend on my comrades in arms of CO and I still do. They would never let you down and the reverse is true. Joe Spencer*, Chuck Rose* and families and our family played together while the children were young. “Hey, there is a storm around and they’ve darkened Ship.” I miss those guys that for one reason or another I do not or cannot see any more. The bonds forged in war are forever forged.

"They would never let you down": Navy No. 1 ball team, Comox, BC

Front: (L - R) V. Mauro, C. Rose, D. Harrison, B. Kidd, J. Spencer 

Back: J. Ivison, J. Malone, W. Grycan, G. Hobson, D. Arney, D. Zink

(Navy boys played ball at Combined Ops training camp in 1944 - 45)

I learned in Combined Ops to think for myself. I suppose that strengthened my nonconformity. All of us, Officers and all, were as green as grass when we went overseas. I’m as green as grass about some things today but at least I can Think and Question. CO didn’t take a thing from me. I have no regrets of my time in the Service. It taught me and gave me loyal friends. We don’t hear the word loyal today too much. It gave me experience in many ways. It was “family” and as I’ve said before, I still believe in family.

I would be remiss if I didn’t speak highly of my wife and the other CO wives that I have had the pleasure to meet. It seems CO was a sound choice and we carried that on over here and chose very good partners (again for the most part). It seems that they like family too. I am favoured to be in contact with many CO Ratings and know a few of their children, good children too.

I don’t think volunteering for CO was different from General Services. It gave ratings a variety of things to do and even today, variety is the spice of life. I like challenges. I enjoy giving them a whirl. They are learning experiences. No need to be afraid, try, try again. We helped each other in so many different ways in CO and we were all different. I like the concept of helping one another, and I repeat, I saw a great deal of that in CO. Honesty as well. The old basic ways would help Canada out of many of her problems today, CO ways too. Yes, all for one and one for all. I would rather volunteer to give money to government than have it taken. We Ratings at times with no Officers around, governed ourselves and we did well too. We weren’t being ruled. The Canadian Ratings were a responsible group. I respect authority but I don’t have to like it. I feel I can conduct myself properly and in the face of it all CO Ratings did conduct themselves well in a world they knew damn little about for a long while.

Tides, winds, currents, ropes, motors, oil, cold dark cramped quarters. We learnt in a hurry in CO and it stood us all in good stead for after the war. A strange foreign world and we made it work. The officers, like ourselves, must have seen the ratings growing as they gained experience. As Montgomery said about the Canadian soldiers, “It wasn’t a matter of how, just when.”

I remember in Sicily being under fed, working long hours but we just kept plugging. Golly, some of us had lovely rib cages!. I would forget we were scared. Frank Herring’s constipation became less a problem as the days and nights wore on. I stole a shipment of rum consigned for the officers’ mess in the stoke hole of our American LCM. Some can sleep on an empty stomach but sleep with rum is automatic. We would wake up in the morning with our blankets covered with shrapnel. But the Cave was found and oh, the rum was soon gone. Next shipment please.

In Sicily the 80th Flotilla was like a bunch of barn banties. We scrounged for our lives - well no, we didn’t eat worms although I suspect some had them, and if they did, I don’t know how the hell worms survived on our rations. Things got better. We made Kuntz our cook. Pomadori and bully beef, bully beef and pomadori. I sure missed Norwich water to drink but I missed my Mother more.

The war, not Combined Ops, took away my simple pleasures which I missed horribly - my poultry, sports, car, flowers, garden. Would you call my girl friend a simple pleasure? But I got them all back in due course - even the poultry.

I never did and I never will like good-byes but I had to say good-bye to a lot of Combined Ops guys one way or another. But I will never forget them.

More responses to the CO questionnaire can be read by linking to St. Nazaire to Singapore, Volume 2, pages 388 - 391, i.e., by L. Norris, W. Moore, D. Walsh, W. Grycan*, A. Kirby... and more.

*The three men can be seen in the baseball team photo with Doug Harrison

Please link to Memoirs re Combined Ops, "John Keys - A Letter"