Several Canadians in Combined Ops are Highlighted Here!
News Clippings, and One Good Mention from Nov. 25 - 27
A13688. Heading - SCENES IN ORAN HARBOUR AND MERS-EL-KEBIR, 22
AND 23 NOVEMBER 1942. Caption - Ships scuttled by the French before the
landing parties arrived, lying on the bottom of Oran Harbour.
Photo Credit - Lt. C.H. Parnall, Imperial War Museum IWM
Introduction:
Scanning old newspapers for stories about Canadians in Combined Ops is a bit like fishing for rainbow trout. A fisherman will get a lot of nibbles and other fish on the line before a nice rainbow trout comes along. So, patience is needed, and a bit of luck. And recently my patience was rewarded, so I can claim 'good fishing'.
While searching the pages of The Winnipeg Tribune (digitized), issues from November 1943 that were published when Canadians in RCNVR and the C.O. organization were finished their tasks in North Africa and were sailing toward the U.K. (or already there), I found a very good story that listed their responsibilities, names and some of their own eye-witness accounts. In my experience, the fishing doesn't get much better than that.
News articles follow, along with more photographs found at the Imperial War Museum that relate to the times and that were taken by the same photographer as the very top picture.
* * * * *
Before we continue reading Page 12 and the names of Canadians listed, allow me to spotlight two items from the opening section of the story.
First, in the third paragraph we read:
The number 300 is significant. Canada was going to allow more than 300 naval personnel to voluntarily take on duties with the Combined Operations organization (under Cdr. Lord Louis Mountbatten during Nov. 1942).
Example, Lt. Cdr. J.E. Koyl (D.S.C., RCNVR; photos of Koyl will follow) states in memoirs:
"In the latter part of 1941, the Canadian Navy committed itself to send on loan to the Royal Navy, 50 officers and 500 Ratings, to form Canadian Flotillas."
Though Canada would eventually offer 950 - 1,000 ratings and more than the mentioned 50 officers to the Combined Ops organization, I mention the above to inform readers that the Canadian Navy contingent in North Africa was small compared to UK and US forces, but still significant, and it would grow as the next operations approached, i.e., the invasions of Sicily and Italy. As well, I was under the impression from earlier reading (perhaps my father's memoirs) that about 200 Canadians were involved in Operation Torch, so 300 is a new number for me. Perhaps officers were included in the 300. I will try to check it out and clarify if needed.
Secondly, my eye was drawn to this paragraph as well:
My father Doug Harrison landed American troops and their abundant supplies at Arzew and returned to the UK aboard the Reina del Pacifico, as mentioned in earlier posts. He and his flotilla were reportedly involved at Arzew for 11 - 12 days, so his return to the UK would have started on or near the 20th of November, as far as I can tell. I have learned that the date of actual events and the time of newspaper reports about the events can vary greatly because - using available telephones, cable lines, etc., the news did not travel as fast as it does today. So, I found it rewarding to keep scanning old newspapers well beyond the date of the wrap up of Operation Torch.
We now turn to Page 12 and a short list of some Canadian officers and ratings (some familiar to me thanks to a few significant sources) involved in handling landing crafts during the invasion of North Africa:
Canadian officers, "each in charge of two landing craft", are listed as Sub. Lts. Walter E. Charron, Robert Crothers and Ian A. Barclay.
Other material has been found relating to each of them, some provided below:
Robert Crothers also contributed a one-and-a-half page report below to St. Nazaire to Singapore, Volume 2. Two paragraphs from that rare text follow:
A few items related to Ian Barclay are also found in St. Nazaire to Singapore, Volume 2:
[Editor: Another line of enquiry presents itself to those interested, re 1944 Grey Cup Champs.]
Jerry Mulvey is one of the 'Winnipeg Tars' mentioned in The Winnipeg Tribune article and his photo below accompanied the piece. My father's notes indicate that members of his own LCM crew worked four days straight during the invasion of North Africa (at Arzew) before getting much of a break. The note under Mr. Mulvey's picture indicates a lengthy shift as well:
The first leading Seaman mentioned in the aforementioned news clip (i.e., 4. Winnipeg Tars) is Lysle Sweeting from Saskatchewan. An informative interview took place with the author of the news article and is provided below. As well, I have supplied readers with a photo and link to an audio file found at The Memory Project:
Lysle Sweeting appears in the photo below, as found in St. Nazaire to Singapore, Volume 1:
Please link to a very informative audio file with accompanying photographs, offered by Mr. Sweeting, at The Memory Project.
Stoker E. J. Corbett is also mentioned in the Tribune article and a few items related to Mr. Corbett are offered below, the first being a well-decorated navy hammock (initially belonging to Stoker Katanna until given to Sub. Lt. D. Rodgers during a trip around Africa in 1943, as some Canadians in Combined Ops - including my father Doug Harrison - made their way to the invasion of Sicily). The Navy hammock is stored at the Navy Museum in Esquimalt, B.C., and smells to this day of diesel fuel:
Below are several related photographs as found at the Imperial War Museum, UK. Though captions tell us the photos are of British sailors, several Canadians are sprinkled amongst the crews. Happy hunting:
Though Canada would eventually offer 950 - 1,000 ratings and more than the mentioned 50 officers to the Combined Ops organization, I mention the above to inform readers that the Canadian Navy contingent in North Africa was small compared to UK and US forces, but still significant, and it would grow as the next operations approached, i.e., the invasions of Sicily and Italy. As well, I was under the impression from earlier reading (perhaps my father's memoirs) that about 200 Canadians were involved in Operation Torch, so 300 is a new number for me. Perhaps officers were included in the 300. I will try to check it out and clarify if needed.
Secondly, my eye was drawn to this paragraph as well:
My father Doug Harrison landed American troops and their abundant supplies at Arzew and returned to the UK aboard the Reina del Pacifico, as mentioned in earlier posts. He and his flotilla were reportedly involved at Arzew for 11 - 12 days, so his return to the UK would have started on or near the 20th of November, as far as I can tell. I have learned that the date of actual events and the time of newspaper reports about the events can vary greatly because - using available telephones, cable lines, etc., the news did not travel as fast as it does today. So, I found it rewarding to keep scanning old newspapers well beyond the date of the wrap up of Operation Torch.
We now turn to Page 12 and a short list of some Canadian officers and ratings (some familiar to me thanks to a few significant sources) involved in handling landing crafts during the invasion of North Africa:
Other material has been found relating to each of them, some provided below:
Robert Crothers, Kingston is standing, far right.
Photo - Lloyd Evans (RCNVR, Comb. Ops.)
Full caption for above photograph, as found in
St. Nazaire to Singapore, Volume 1, page 146
Photo of some RCNVR officers. Bob Crothers may be standing, on left.
Ian Barclay may be in this photo as well. Credit - Combined Operations,
by Londoner Clayton Marks, page 8
Sub. LT. Robert Crothers is back row, second left. Credit - R. Crothers
Full caption for above photograph by R. Crothers, as found in
St. Nazaire to Singapore, Volume 1, page 176
Robert Crothers also contributed a one-and-a-half page report below to St. Nazaire to Singapore, Volume 2. Two paragraphs from that rare text follow:
[Editor: I have been unable to locate an audio file re Mr. Crothers]
[Editor: Another line of enquiry presents itself to those interested, re 1944 Grey Cup Champs.]
Jerry Mulvey is one of the 'Winnipeg Tars' mentioned in The Winnipeg Tribune article and his photo below accompanied the piece. My father's notes indicate that members of his own LCM crew worked four days straight during the invasion of North Africa (at Arzew) before getting much of a break. The note under Mr. Mulvey's picture indicates a lengthy shift as well:
The first leading Seaman mentioned in the aforementioned news clip (i.e., 4. Winnipeg Tars) is Lysle Sweeting from Saskatchewan. An informative interview took place with the author of the news article and is provided below. As well, I have supplied readers with a photo and link to an audio file found at The Memory Project:
Lysle Sweeting appears in the photo below, as found in St. Nazaire to Singapore, Volume 1:
Please link to a very informative audio file with accompanying photographs, offered by Mr. Sweeting, at The Memory Project.
Stoker E. J. Corbett is also mentioned in the Tribune article and a few items related to Mr. Corbett are offered below, the first being a well-decorated navy hammock (initially belonging to Stoker Katanna until given to Sub. Lt. D. Rodgers during a trip around Africa in 1943, as some Canadians in Combined Ops - including my father Doug Harrison - made their way to the invasion of Sicily). The Navy hammock is stored at the Navy Museum in Esquimalt, B.C., and smells to this day of diesel fuel:
Photos from Navy Museum, Esquimalt
Photos from St. Nazaire to Singapore Volume 1
L - R: E. J. Corbett, George Allin, Clayton Marks, NA, Officer Jake Koyl
Photos from Combined Operations by Clayton Marks
* * * * *
Some of the old newsreels can be found online
Below are several related photographs as found at the Imperial War Museum, UK. Though captions tell us the photos are of British sailors, several Canadians are sprinkled amongst the crews. Happy hunting:
A13689. Heading - BRITISH SAILORS AND FRENCH DOCKERS WORK TOGETHER
NEAR ORAN. 22 AND 23 NOVEMBER 1942, ORAN AND MERS EL KEBIR. Caption -
British naval ratings and French dockyard workers work together after the cease fire at
Mers-el-Kebir, north west of Oran. Photo - Lt. C.H. Parnall, IWM.
A13690. Heading - SIGN LANGUAGE HELPS BRITISH SAILORS AND FRENCH
DOCKERS TO GET TOGETHER IN NORTH AFRICA. 22 AND 23 NOVEMBER,
ORAN AND MERS-EL-KEBIR. In Mers-el-Kebir, north west of Oran, a seaman ekes
out his French with sign language. After landing at Mers-el-kebir, naval ratings helped
French dock workers in the landing of supplies etc. Lt. C.H. Parnall, IWM.
A13691. Heading and caption as above. Photo Credit - Lt. C.H. Parnall, IWM.
A13692. Heading and caption as above. RN Navy Photographer Lt. C.H. Parnall, IWM.
A13694. Photo - Lt. C.H. Parnall, IWM
* * * * *
FYI - The first officer mentioned above to receive the DSC, i.e., Lt. Cmdr. Guy Stanley Windeyer, later became commanding officer of the Combined Operations Training Camp at Comox, Vancouver Island, 1944 - 1945. Many Canadians in Combined Ops, including my father, served on the island under his command during that time period.
I tip my hat to the following writer, N. B. Zimmerman, who draws attention to 'Canadian tars who sweated non-stop for days in ferrying troops, guns and ammunition ashore' during Operation Torch.
I say, "Well done, Canada!"
More to follow from The Winnipeg Tribune for more context related to the adventures of the Canadians in Combined Operations.
Please link toArticles: Operation TORCH, N. Africa, 1942 (Pt. 9)
Unattributed Photos GH
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