Let Us Remember Them Together
"We Remember One, We Remember All"
Doug Harrison, from Norwich ONT, served in RCNVR and
Combined Operations from June 1941 - September 1945. RIP
Introduction:
I remember my father often, and well. His hand-written navy memoirs are still an inspiration to me as this small online site slowly grows over the years.
Remembrance Day 2020 is a time to reflect on his personal sacrifices during World War II, and that his efforts were just those of one man among tens, hundreds of thousands throughout the world at that time. Today I will attempt to remember the experiences of one man, as well as the thousands, and reflect upon how world wars affect us to this very day.
I present below a few items - the first, from my mother - that will prompt many of my thoughts and recollections today.
Doug Harrison remembered his mates in his memoirs:
One Officer Died at 0347 Hours, August 19th
For about fifty-five officers and ratings
TOGETHER
They went to war together
so our country would be free.
They fought together
on land, in air, on sea.
They died together
in muddy fields
in blazing skies
in deep, cold seas.
Let us remember them,
together.
(By Edith J. Harrison, Norwich Ontario)
One Officer Died at 0347 Hours, August 19th
For about fifty-five officers and ratings
the moment of truth drew near when they would be
put to the test, untried, but with a high esprit de corps
and ready to live or die by Canadian Navy traditions,
and die some did.
Seventy-one men of CO (Combined Operations),
RCNVR took part in the Dieppe raid, 19 August, 1942.
One officer died at 0347 hours, August 19th in the Channel,
killed in a fiery exchange with a small German convoy.
During the long, suffering day two Canadian seamen
were killed and one severely wounded.
The commanding officer of the flotilla and a wounded stoker were captured.
The stoker was repatriated in an exchange of prisoners but
the officer remained captive for the duration.
At least two Canadian officers and the wounded stoker were awarded medals.
A Canadian seaman and officers were mentioned in Dispatches for the Dieppe raid.
"Dad, Well Done" page 73
A poet from Sicily remembers the Canadian troops who past through her town:
1989 Reunion of two shipmates at Dieppe, i.e., Stoker R.W. Brown (“severely
wounded”, left) and Lt. McRae (“remained captive," back right), with D. Harrison
(middle, with cap) and Art Bailey (right). Photo - St. Nazaire to Singapore, Vol. 1
A poet from Sicily remembers the Canadian troops who past through her town:
Boys of freedom
Snow came suddenly
Covering fields in white in the twinkling of an eye,
it woke up the boys of freedom, those coming from afar,
who left their lives at twenty or little more,
who left their lives in a moment
staring at a sunset which was burning by that time.
Air is sparkling in silver.
Wind gathered crumbs of light,
thousands of snow butterflies smile remembering
the colour of a flower and the enchantment of a balcony.
Like shadows in the snow dance
the boys of freedom came back
to play on the white field,
to run, to snowball,
as they used to do at home
before the war came.
Air is darkening,
it's getting cold, wind is icy,
and the boys of freedom disappear among the white butterflies;
they go back to their underground sleep,
rocked by the memory of their country
far away, where they never went back.
By Rosalia Fantoni, Villanova, February 2012
Photo Credit - As posted by Mufasa Quinto on Facebook October 2020
A poem follows by Eric Curwain, a.k.a. Bill Simpson, written June 6, 1979, "thirty-five years to the day after D-Day. Eric was the brains behind the recruitment of most of the Staff and the agents who would be trained at Camp-X (Oshawa-Whitby area) and go on to their most dangerous missions behind enemy lines."
Canada on D-Day
A WWII navy hammock stored at ECFB Esquimalt Naval Military Museum.
The older sons of Canada
look down on Juno Beach:
They see the grieving men in prayer
and read the heart of each.
On Juno Beach they see the men
who landed at their side,
but were not called upon to sink
in sand or sullen tide.
And to the east there stands the stone
that marks the Vimy field,
where men had fought a thousand days
and never thought to yield.
Those Vimy heroes see their sons
in Normandy today
and all three bands - pere, fils et frere -
have common cause to pray.
have common cause to pray.
For they can sense a mood of change,
of purpose unfulfilled:
they wonder if the future holds
what they had fought to build.
The men and wives from many lands
did weave our Tapestry -
let none contrive to make of it
a faded travesty.
O Canada! O Canada!
Thy patriot sons are we,
enfants de la Patrie.
Poem as found in Inside Camp-X, page 259 by L. P. Hodgson
Our bold Canadian flag is adorned with a red maple leaf. As a symbol it is directly linked to the efforts and sacrifices of a body of men and women who are remembered often, and deeply each year in November. Surely, the original red maple leaf started out as a green one.
Poem as found in Inside Camp-X, page 259 by L. P. Hodgson
Our bold Canadian flag is adorned with a red maple leaf. As a symbol it is directly linked to the efforts and sacrifices of a body of men and women who are remembered often, and deeply each year in November. Surely, the original red maple leaf started out as a green one.
My father's landing craft flotilla displayed green maple leaves prominently.
My father (his name appears on the Sicily-bound hammock) writes that the maple leaf was painted on the side of landing crafts destined for the invasion of Sicily - but I haven't seen any photographs to confirm his sightings, as of yet. But I found the following picture a few years ago:
Photo Credit - Canada At War, Reader's Digest
Let Us Remember Them, Together
Doug Harrison (right) carries an anchor-shaped wreath.
Date and location not known. Photo - Doug Harrison
Addendum -
The Maple Leaf continues to be a proud, iconic Canadian symbol.
And about a week after Remembrance Day 2020, while enjoying my daily walk - which almost always carries me past HMCS Prevost near 'The Fork of the Thames' River in downtown London - a young pup crossed my path (on a leash) and rolled over on the ground at my feet. How could I refuse to say hello!?
The pup's 'Master of the Day' (compare with Officer of the Day) and I chatted and I learned the pup's name was Maple.
Bold, very Canadian, I thought. And Maple is 55.555% of Maple Leaf.
I recalled the above Remembrance Day entry, wanted a cheery photo, but had no camera in my pocket.
Between then and yesterday (Jan. 4, 2021) I have spotted 'Master of the Day' and Maple a few times but I was either without a camera or the time wasn't right to impose for a photograph (e.g., we were all quickly going in different directions or we were too far away from one another for a quick snap...).
But yesterday, Maple, 'Master of the Day' and I crossed paths beside HMCS Prevost at an opportune time:
I asked for a photo, Maple settled right down, and was still for two seconds!
HMCS Prevost is home to a WWII mounted gun compartment, one that has recently been repainted. It is from HMCS Fraser, has appeared on this site earlier, with another (original?) paint job, and has its own interesting WWII history.
Photo of earlier paint job re HMCS Fraser - It Strikes Me Funny by G. Harrison
A video reveals the gun finding its place at HMCS Prevost in London, ONT.
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