Is it True? Were War Correspondents and PR Units Overlooked?
Canadian Film and Photographic Unit (CFPU) Were at the Front
"Is that a Canadian writer up ahead?" "Yeh, there (!!), left of the stump!"
Knowledgeable readers will spot at least one well-travelled scribe above
Below readers will find a very informative news article from a long-serving Canadian newspaper published in our nation's capital city, The Ottawa Citizen. It has been referenced on this site several times before, chiefly because The Citizen's war correspondent Dick Sanburn shared news about several members of RCNVR/Combined Operations (the main focus of this blog) during their three months of service in the Mediterranean, i.e., during the opening stage of Operation BAYTOWN beginning September 3, 1943, on the toe of the boot on Italy.
The role of the war correspondent was/is very valuable as most readers of history will surely admit and confirm, and the following article from 1998 makes a good 'stand alone' entry:
Popular war correspondent Ross Munro (left) is one of several writers and
photographers who landed with troops and rapidly informed the Canadian
public of progress on various war fronts. Source - The Canadian Press
The Ottawa Citizen, Wednesday, 23 December, 1998. Page 25
Canadian Army photographers took 1000s of pictures. Explore the link attached.
Munro is "typing a story in the battle area between Valguarnera and Leonforte,
Italy in August, 1943. Canadian Army Film Unit (CAFU), Album 62 (22816)
Below are excerpts from a rare report (33 pages of a possible 119) about the creation and work of The Maple Leaf beginning in Caen, France, 1944, a relatively short time after D-Day Normandy (June 6, 1944). Detailed information about the set up of a working press, the headlines that tell the advance of the war from a Canadian perspective, the war correspondents and photographers and film crews who - at the risk of their own lives - informed the Canadian forces and general public:
A Free Press at the Battle Front, Page 87
A Free Press at the Battle Front, Page 101
A Free Press at the Battle Front, Pages 110 - 111
(Use the following link to peruse The Maple Leaf, modern day edition.)
War Correspondents, PR Units Overlooked continues:
If readers are not familiar with Canadian photographer 'Gib' Milne, I recommend his book entitled HMCS, filled with scores of Navy photographs, including several iconic D-Day Normandy photos:
My clean, beat-up copy purchased for under $20Can @ Abebooks.com
Click here to read an article commemorating the work of Gib Milne
War Correspondents, PR Units Overlooked continues:
Troops of Edmonton Regiment advancing down a street in Ortona,
Italy, 1943. Public Archives Canada PA-116852. As found in Valour
Remembered, Canada and the Second World War, page 22
Please use the link provided to read an article posted on Dec. 25, 2023 entitled Christmas in Ortona: Remembering a legendary 1943 Canadian WWII battle, by Richard Woodbury, CBC News. The collection of high quality photographs is a special component of the news article. Two significant shots by Lt. Terry Rowe are featured below:
Christmas dinner is enjoyed at Ortona, Italy, 1943. Photo by Canadian
Lt. Terry F. Rowe, Library and Archives Canada - PA152839
As found in Legion Magazine
"First-aid personnel of the Three Rivers Regiment placing Sergeant Johnny Marchand
on a stretcher, Ortona, Italy, 21 December 1943." Courtesy of Lieut. Terry F. Rowe,
Canada. Dept. of National Defence/ Library and Archives Canada/ PA-163927
More details about Lt. T. Rowe will follow
War Correspondents, PR Units Overlooked continues:
Unfortunately, as in every operation, there are notable casualties:
As found in The Winnipeg Tribune (digitized), August 30, 1943
Please click here for more information about Lt. Terry F. Rowe
War Correspondents, PR Units Overlooked continues:
Please use the following link to view "lost Canadian footage" by Sgt. Bud Roos as found at CFPU.
RISEN FROM THE ASHES
Photo as found at The Canadian Film and Photo Unit website
War Correspondents, PR Units Overlooked concludes as follows:
For readers interested in more details related to the role of the Canadian Infantry or Canadian Artillery (gunners), links are provided to two informative essays as found at Canadian History Commons:
Beyond the Consensus: 1st Canadian Infantry Division at Agira Sicily 24 - 28 July 1943
Please click here to read more related to Canadian War Correspondents: Canadian Writers - Sicily 1943 (Parts 1 - 3c)
Unattributed Photos GH
The Guns of Sicily: The 1st Canadian Divisional Artillery in Operation Husky
Unattributed Photos GH
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