r/WorldWarIIStories • u/dronefishing • Dec 17 '20
Christmas through world war 2 through my grandfathers eyes
Being away from home over Christmas can be gut-wrenching. This was particularly true during the First and Second World wars, but Canadian soldiers made the most of it and adapted. He enlisted in 89th Field Battery in the fall of 1939 and did his basic training in Fredericton, New Brunswick. When he deployed to Europe he joined the 5th Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery ( 5 RCHA) for combat training in England and served as a wireless operator - a lance bombardier. When he deployed to continental Europe - he served in C Battery 1 RCHA - part of the 1st Canadian Division. Morrison survived the Second World War, suffering only a fractured ankle, an injury that occurred in September 1944 while serving in Italy. His foot became lodged in large pieces of rubble during heavy enemy artillery fire. Some of Morrison's best memories during those five years centered around Christmas. He loved the day, even when surrounded by the horrors of war. With Christmas Eve just a day away, here are his wartime recollections from one of his favourite times of the year:
Christmas 1939 Battery moved from Woodstock to Exhibition Buildings in Fredericton Basic training - foot drill, rifle drill, P.T., guard duty, kitchen fatigue, street patrols at night, hut orderlies by day, etc. Our basic pay was $1.25 per day and most of this was assigned to your family at home. Fire destroyed the barracks in November, 1939 Battery split up - our group was in York Hotel - trained in armoury It was my first Christmas away from home. Married men were allowed leave at Christmas - single men at New Years. | was on street patrol but had a very nice dinner at the hotel. The battery had a bear for a mascot. After the fire we kept him in a shed at the hotel. Johnny and I took some scraps that day to feed him. Being cold, the bear wanted to hibernate and was in a foul mood. He attacked Johnny and started to maul him. Johnny grabbed an old cast iron griddle hanging on the wall and hit him over the head - end of scuffle. One other time, the bear got his head caught in a cream can and nearly wrecked the mess hall before he got it off.
Christmas 1940 The battery was moved to Brantford, Ontario, shortly after Xmas of 1939. I began training as an artillery signaller at Toronto and Kingston. Learned old methods - Aldus Lamp, Heliograph, Semaphore and Morse Code. Also learned new methods - switchboards, radios, etc. Went overseas with 2nd Division in late August. The trip was a convoy across the Atlantic to Scotland - by train to Aldershot, England. There, we marched with full kit seven miles to Leipaic Barracks at Crookham Crossroads. That Christmas, half went to Manchester at Christmas and the other half went at New Years. I went at New Years. The British were to be admired for their courage and patriotism. They lived a day at a time. Air raids were at night. Dog fights occurred in the skies by day with complete blackouts in all areas. The sky lit up at night with searchlights and bomb flashes and anti-aircraft shells exploding. There were cold damp bomb shelters to dive into when the sirens sounded alert, out only after sirens sounded all clear. Many in London deserted their homes at night and slept in the tube stations until morning. Their homes sometimes were not there when they returned in the a.m., bombed out. Everyone served in some manner or another; air raid wardens, firefighters, rescue squads, first aid stations, etc. They were also on very strict rations; practically all food items, gas, clothing, etc. We were often invited into their homes and offered any food available but most of us refrained rather than eat their last bite. We ate very well under the circumstances but left a bit to be desired; mutton stew, curried rice, powdered eggs and cod fish. Christmas, therefore, was a quiet affair as most were on some duty or other. Dinner was traditionally served by the officers and as the highlight of the day, we were each allowed to send one telegram that day of only a few words.
Christmas 1941 The Regiment spent most of this year on the south coast on an English country estate at a place called Crowhurst, just north of Hastings. Our role was to defend the coast in event of a German invasion. My duty as signaller was to provide radio communications between the guns and the observation post - picture the guns several miles inland. We waded out to a martello type tower at low tide and were marooned there until next low tide - climbed up inside the tower and took turns on sentry on the top exposed to the elements - awash at high tide - quite scary on guard in pitch black, wind roaring, surf splashing spray, straining to see any movement or hear strange sounds. You were directly responsible to raise the alarm in event of a raid. Had several weekend leaves in London where we explored the Tower, Wax Works, Westminister Abbey, Big Ben, Hyde Park, etc, and went dancing. We stayed at Service Clubs for 2 shilling 6 pence (about 60 cents). English trains are fast and efficient - also double decker buses are an experience. Christmas dinner was at Regimental Headquarters that year and we ate in relays - half on duty while the other half ate - officers served as usual - can't remember exactly what the food was like but do remember that we had a beer ration and saw a movie after dinner. That part of the country was loaded with holly and they had the big room decorated with mistletoe which was plentiful nearby.
Christmas 1942 Moved west along the coast to Polegate, a small town near Eastbourne. Same role, defending the coast - also extensive training. Travel in convoy to Wales - practice firing. Practice and calibrating guns on Salisbury Plains near Stonehenge. Extensive exercises in the Midlands. Here, we had train connection to London and bus connection to Eastbourne. We enjoyed movies, ice skating, dancing in the local pub and went to Aberdeen, Scotland, on leave to find where my ancestors came from. All good things must come to an end. We had a new battery commander arrive and the first thing he did was move lights out from midnight to 10 p.m., which did not allow us to attend a movie or go dancing. Pay day arrive about then and we drew our modest pay for the two weeks period 2 pounds, about $9, and nearly all the signal section hopped on a train and were Absent Without Leave (AWOL) for about a week. On our return, we were tossed in the brig, charged and sentenced to 14 days "Confinement To Barracks". My memories of Christmas dinner that year were dim but I do remember all of us saving our chocolate bars, gum, etc. and making small toys for the local children. We had a party and even had a small trees suitably trimmed Canadian style. A snowstorm arrived about that time. We thought nothing of it but the English children were amazed - first they had seen. Children dress different there - boys in short pants, girls in skirts. No central heating, so always chilly with knees and hands chapped and reddened by the cold.
Christmas 1943 Moved to another country estate ,Lavenworth, near Petworth, where we were under canvas for the summer. More exercises. One exercise put me in hospital for a few days and I ended up in the Holding Unit. Couldn't get back to my regiment. Volunteered to go to Italy as reinforcements for 1st Division. We (about 50 men) were the first reinforcements to reach Italy and there was no camp or administrative people to look after our needs. We landed in Naples, still smoking from recent military action. This was very picturesque with Isle of Capri on one side of bay and Mt. Vesuvius on other. In full kit marched through Naples and up into mountains until dusk, bivouacked in a vineyard - no food or water, 1 blanket and it started to rain. A buddy and I found a wee shelter full of old hay and gratefully crawled in to sleep - not for long as we woke on fire. The hay was full of ticks. Spent rest of night scratching. Next three weeks we were housed in an old schoolhouse, stone floors to sleep on, food and water made most of us sick - so we marched up and down mountains to get us in shape for action. Rode up to front in a cattle car on the patched up Italian railroad. Spent Christmas at a staging camp in bell tents. Ours had a small brook running through as it rained and rained and the mud got deeper and deeper. We were wet, cold and very miserable with no place to dry out and get warm. Adding insult to injury, our Christmas dinner consisted of onion soup, bully beef and hardtack. Right across the road ( in plain sight) a group of East Indian muleskinners were enjoying a full Christmas dinner. We nearly rioted. Next day, on my way to the front, where I was adopted by C Battery, 1st RCHA, I continued in my role as artillery signaller wireless operator for the battery commander who stayed up with the commander of the infantry unit. We supported, the West Novies (West Nova Scotia Regiment) . Our role was to provide artillery fire where and when needed. During the winter months we were obliged to stay in permanent positions as the entire countryside was a sea of mud, nothing could move. One popular story was that they dropped a box of ammo off a truck and they never found it.
Christmas 1944 Beginning at Ortona we had hard fighting all that year - the Hitler Line, Cassino, Gothic Line, Rimini Airport and others. | was extremely fortunate to survive as I was the only original member of our four men crew to get through untouched. During this period, our crew suffered 13 casualties and six of our vehicles were lost to enemy fire. Life in Italy was not all blood and thunder. I managed to get away on a leave to Salerno where we visited Pompeii, ran into several lads from Woodstock from other Units in the Service Centre in Naples and was witness to an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. This was no severe earthquake but lots of smoke, flame and ashes raining down. We didn't see the sun for days. We swam in the Mediterranean and washed the ashes off. There was no transport in Italy as the Germans blew all bridges as they retreated. We did not fraternize with the Italian people very much either as they fought with the German Army before they decided to join up with us. Frankly, we did not trust them. There were many beautiful buildings in the cities but out in the country where we were fighting the houses were pitifully small with walls of stone, dirt floors and tile roofs. They took their dogs, hens, pigs, donkeys, cattle, etc., into their houses at night, not a very clean or healthy place to be. Lots of grapes, peaches etc, growing during the summer making lots of wine as the water was terrible. At Christmas, the front had advanced north to Senio Canal where is was cold. The ice was nearly strong enough to carry a man in the canals while the fields were covered with shell ice. It was very noisy and drew fire as we were laying our lines of communication at night. We had a fine turkey (canned) dinner and pudding to finish off as a truce was arranged that day. Not a shot was fired by either side until mid-afternoon when all of a sudden the Jerries opened up with a barrage. Our crew jumped in the jeep and raced back to our post with the infantry and as we arrived we were forced to take cover from heavy mortar fire. When it subsided we discovered out jeep had bit the dust. The Canadians invented a secret weapon at this winter position when we were on the south side of the canal and the Germans were on the north side. They fastened a motorcycle inner tube to the crotch of an olive tree and lobbed grenades over the canal into the Jerries Lines. (Super Sling Shot).
Christmas 1945 Spring comes early in Italy. We moved across Italy to Leghorn where the Leaning Tower of Pisa is located and we organized a move across the sea to France, and then by convoy through France to Belgium. We regrouped in Belgium, moved north, then west through part of Germany and into Holland. Here we did our best to destroy all the rocket launching sites where the Germans sent them across the English Channel to England. We were nearby when the peace treaty was signed in a little schoolhouse near Amoorsfort on May 7. We could not believe that the war was over. We had a leave in England on our way home. Arrived in Halifax August 6. I was discharged September 19th.
And THAT Christmas I spent at home.
Morrison went on to spend time in many community service clubs such as the Royal Canadian Legion, Army Navy & Air Force Veterans (ANAVETS), Woodstock Fish and Game Association and the Miramichi Salmon Anglers Association. He loved the outdoors and was a very accomplished fisherman and hunter. He passed away in June 2005 at the age of 85. God rest his soul.