Quotes re Combined Ops

"Norwich Sailor Sees Action"

Staff photo from The Brantford Expositor, Dec. 1943

In a newspaper interview which appeared in The Brantford Expositor in December 1943 or January, 1944, LS Doug Harrison (RCNVR and Combined Operations, 1941 - '45) made a few statements about his WW2 experiences.

About his duties in Combined Ops:

Both in training and in subsequent operations, his duties have been to see that invasion barges “get the goods to the soldiers at the right time, on the right beach.” His reference to “goods,” he explained, meant food, ammunition, trucks, and every other variety of war supplies.

About the people of Sicily:

We found the people of Sicily in bad condition, nearly starving. We practically kept them, with our own food.

About the Italian campaign:

There was nothing to it. It was just a matter of walking in and taking over...

About the Canadian Army:

In my estimation the Canadian Army is the best in the world.

About getting mail from home:

“The Canadian boys like to get mail. It’s as welcome as pay day - in fact, in Italy it’s even more welcome because they can’t spend money there.”

About Canadians in Combined Ops:

“They’re a good-looking bunch of lads, husky boys, and all tanned up."

About the length of the war, and the enemy:

He said he would not commit himself by making any prediction as to the length of the war, as the enemy was “a pretty tough customer, and will take a lot of beating.”

Please link to another Quote re Combined Ops

Quotes re Combined Ops

'Trite but sound'

 Some of the raids and invasions involving Combined Ops*

The following three quotes concerning Combined Operations are taken from The Watery Maze by Bernard Fergusson, page 15, copyright 1961, and the first two are described as 'bromides, trite but sound': 

      Combined Operations are not a Black Art.

      The object of Combined Operations is to put the army ashore

      at the right place at the right time.

The third is described as 'more ribald and less justified' and attributed to Lord Louis Mountbatten, Chief of Combined Operations:

      C.O.H.Q. is the only lunatic asylum in the world run by its own inmates.

Mountbatten*

Link to Books re Combined Operations

*Photo Credits to A Watery Maze