Photographs: The Roy Burt Collection, RCNVR and Combined Operations (1)

Dozens of Excellent Photos and a Story or Two by Roy Burt

And Wouldn't You Know It, He was a Poet!

Roy Burt, RCNVR, closest to viewer, center, with black cap and wet shorts.

Unloading Landing Craft, Mechanised (LCMs) at HOW Sector/Beach on

east coast of Sicily (perhaps near Gallina), from July 10 - August 9, 1943

Introduction:

I knew about Roy Burt because I knew first about Clayton Marks (also RCNVR, Combined Operations, WWII) of London, Ontario. Clayton wrote a book in the late 1980s or early 1990s entitled Combined Operations, my father had purchased it in May, 1993, and it was part of a collection of materials he left behind when he passed away in early 2003. The book has been an integral part of this blog since I began work on it in February, 2015. 

Clayton and Burt volunteered for Combined Operations a short time after the first draft of sailors did so (i.e., the Effingham Division) in late 1941 while completing their training at HMCS Stadacona, and a good bit of Burt's navy history will be shared as part of a series of posts featuring his collection of rare and significant photographs. 

Part 1 begins below and includes a few related maps and photos to provide some context for interested readers. Contact me at gordh7700@gmail.com with questions or comments. 

R. Burt, a member of the 81st Canadian Flotilla of Landing Craft, transported 

all materials of war for Monty's Eighth Army onto beaches at HOW Beach.

Names of ships to be unloaded appear above, e.g., O Henry, US Liberty ship

Map is found in a book of veterans' stories (RCNVR/Comb.Ops), pg. 179

80th and 81st Can. Flotillas of LCMs operated south of Syracusa, above right

Roy Burt, likely with wet shorts, appears in back row, fourth from the left.

At a Navy training camp, perhaps near Victoria, Vancouver Island

Three Canadians, raw Combined Ops recruits, at HMS Northney on

Hayling Island, early 1942. Roy Burt, centre. Clayton Marks, right

C. Marks, centre, from London ONT. Author of Combined Operations

HMS Northney was sub-divided into 4 camps, (I - IV)

Also at HMS Northney, 8 members of the first draft to Combined Ops

L - R: Al Adlington (London), Joe Spencer (Toronto), Chuck Rose (Chippewa),

Doug Harrison (Norwich), Art Bradfield (Simcoe), Don Linder (Kitchener), Joe

Watson (Simcoe), and Jake Jacobs (unknown town of origin). February, 1942

Roy B. at HMS Quebec, I believe, in spring, 1942. Stationed on Loch

Fyne at No. 1 Comb. Ops Training Camp, for training on landing craft

 

More Canadian ratings in large (Nissen?) huts, south of Inveraray

Sailors went to Glasgow while on leave, got their pictures taken

Photo found in Combined Operations by C. Marks, back row

Don Westbrook, at Camp Auchengate, just south of Irvine, Scotland.

Sailors were accommodated in huts and bell tents, Spring 1942

Canadians trained aboard LCAs on Loch Fyne, south of Inveraray

Photo Credit - Imperial War Museum (IWM)

Members of the 81st Flotilla on their way around Africa to get to

the Red Sea, then on to Sicily. Late spring - summer, 1942

Roy is back row, left side

Roy's mates C. Marks and C. Michael in front row, right side

Roy may be in the back row, centre. Prior to invasion of Sicily

Sailors may be getting tired of the grub! Roy is in middle row, left.

Clayton has had enough with the photos! Middle row, right side : (

Would Roy Burt have taken this photo while on board a supply ship?

The beach is part of HOW Sector, south of Syracusa and 80th flotilla

"Bombs dropped and guns did bark, then smoke curled up from a freighter." (Roy Burt)

I think this is a bit farther south from Roy Burt's part of HOW Beach

Photo - "They Left the Back Door Open" by L. S. Shapiro, pg 15

Lionel S. Shapiro at ease on board a transport ship, east coast of Sicily.

Mr. Shapiro was a war correspondent with The (Montreal) Gazette

See the first article listed in July 29, 1943 issue of the newspaper here

Photo - No. 21545, Album 61, Canadian Army Film Unit (CAFU)

Work continues at HOW Beach. Note: Shrubs have been flattened in two

locations so that supply trucks can travel to nearby road.

LCMs belonging to the 81st Flotilla. Two are numbered, faintly...

i.e., 81-8, 81-6. Is it Red, Amber or Green sector of How Beach?  

Landing craft, likely LCMs of the 81st Flotilla, are heading toward

The Grand Harbour, at Valetta, on the island of Malta. Aug. 9, 1943

LCMs of the 80th Flotilla, having completed the transport of all materials

of war at GEORGE Beach, just north of HOW, are heading to Malta as well.

Photo from the collection of Joe Spencer, used with permission

The Grand Harbour, at Valetta, on the island of Malta, August, 1943

I believe this is Anthony Bouchard, RCNVR/Combined Ops who was

a member of the 80th Flotilla. Sipping tea in the Grand Harbour?

More photos from the Roy Burt 'foto files' will soon follow.

And for those who didn't know, including myself until recently, Roy Burt was a poet and I didn't even know it:

BON VOYAGE

We set sail from Scotland,

Never knowing where we were bound,

Never knowing that within a year

We would travel the world round.

We never imagined the things we'd see

Or that twice we would cross the line. (equator)

See a place where rations were not known,

And see the southern stars that shine.

We saw albatross and flying fish,

Sharks and porpoi too.

But the grub we had was awful,

And we were glad when the trip was through.

They landed us in Egypt.

Where we had tents upon the sand,

And we all thought that we'd be glad -

To see the sight of land!

We stayed there a couple of weeks,

Beating off bugs and flies.

When we read of lovely Egypt now,

We know how the author lies!

We spent some leave in Cairo,

In Alex and Port Said,

And in all the stories that we've heard,

Who says the Red Sea's red?

Then came talk of invasion.

Arguments as to where it would be,

But none of us ever imagined

We'd end up in Sicily.

They put us on a transport

And we started on our way,

But then we did not know to where,

Nor did we know the day.

We stopped three days in Alex., (Alexandria)

All the leaders they did meet,

Then away again into the west

With most of the "Med" fleet.

Five days we spent in going there,

But on the first, we heard,

Sicily was to be the place,

But do not breathe a word!

Two days from our destination

Disaster struck us blind.

A German sub was lurking,

And one ship was left behind.

The tenth of July was the day,

At two-four-five A.M.

The assault craft, they had landed.

Good luck to all of them.

At three o'clock they piped for us.

They told us to prepare.

Everyone was up and ready.

We knew we were next in there.

At four-three-five we manned our boats.

The ones left behind were sighing.

As we looked ahead through the darkness

We could see red tracer flying.

At five-two-five o'er the side we went,

And all the boys were wondering

If the guns we could hear in the distance

Were ours that were a-thundering.

Our boats went roaring through the dawn,

To the beaches we were bound,

There to let our boats all go

And come back for another round.

We worked away the morning

And it was drawing nigh to noon,

When a sudden shadow crossed the sun

And boy, it wasn't the moon!

The first one was a nightmare.

Bombs dropped and guns did bark,

Then smoke curled up from a freighter.

A bomb had found its mark.

The smoke came pouring out of her.

Ammunition burst in the sky,

But there was no time to save it.

Jerry was back for another try!

The raids at first, came thick and fast,

But our losses were not tall.

Of all the raids, and stuff they dropped

Three ships they got, is all.

For weeks we went without a rest.

We worked by night and day,

And waited for the slightest news:

How goes it? Are we making any way?

The slightest change in news was good,

It kept our spirits flying,

And we needed a lot of bucking up

To keep us really trying.

One day the buzzes came to rest,

At last we were returning,

But no one told us where it was,

And our curiosity kept us burning.

Then on the morning of the ninth, (August, '43)

Our boats up to their best,

We headed down the coastline,

And at dark dropped the hook to rest.

The next day, before daylight,

We headed out to sea.

All the boats in line ahead,

And fifth in line was me.

And so across to Malta.

From there no one knew where,

But all of us were hoping

That we wouldn't linger there.

They put us up in a rest camp,

Our own pleasure for to seek,

But now the days got longer

And slowly grew to weeks.

We're still here now, and do not know

If ever we'll be leaving,

But we still have our thoughts of loved ones

With whom we can spend the evening.

And so, dear Jean, I leave you now,

And my love for you grows stronger,

Just as the days grow into weeks.

But the time can't be much longer.

* This was written to Jean* while we were sitting in Malta waiting to see what happened next.

Roy Burt.

*Jean. Roy and Jean married after the war and were together for 77 years. More details in a future post.

And what happened next? The 81st Canadian Flotilla of Landing Craft returned to England via Gibraltar. The 80th Flotilla were sent north from Malta to participate in the invasion of Italy, Operation Baytown, beginning September 3, 1943.

Roy made it home from the war in Europe and enjoyed different occupations,

at home on the West Coast of Canada

More photographs - maybe even another poem! - from the Roy Burt collection, as given me by his daughter Laurel Pinske, will follow.

Please click here to view Photographs: Coming Back from Dieppe, Sicily (Joe Spencer Collection)