CHAPTER FIVE

WORLD WAR II
1939 - 1945

On 27 May 1944 the abbreviation "RCCS" was replaced by "RCSIGS" (ALL IN CAPITALS - NO SPACES). Although "RCSIGS" had been authorized and used for some time prior to World War II this change was not popular with many wartime members of the Corps. RCCS had been worn on uniform formation badges during the war and RCCS brass shoulder titles continued to be worn as late as the mid 1950s before the new RCSIGS replacements became available.

On 28 May 1944 Canadians took Ceprano, Italy.

On 29 May 1944 Canadians began their advance up Highway 6 toward Frosinone which they captured on 31 May.

In June 1944 No. 5 Radio School Clinton was transferred from the Commonwealth Training Plan to Home War Operations Training.

On 1 June 1944 the first coded message for OPERATION OVERLORD went out (transmitted by the BBC) to the resistance in occupied France.

On 3 June 1944 Canadians captured Anagni, Italy.

On 6 June 1944, OPERATION OVERLORD - D Day - the invasion of France took place. The Allies came ashore on five beaches in Normandy, two American, two British and one by Canadians. 3rd Canadian Division, supported by 2nd Canadian Army Tank Brigade, assaulted Juno Beach, the leading element of what was to become 1st Canadian Army. The Canadian assault was among the most successful. By day's end 15,000 Canadians were ashore. To resolve the many transportation and logistics problems communications were essential so Signals mounted a radio relay link (Wireless Set No 10) across the English Channel until cross-channel cable terminations were captured and could be put into service.

Often overlooked within Canadian military history is the contribution of Number 1 Canadian Lines of Communications Signals which provided dispatch rider, telegraph and telephone communications between SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force) and armies in the field. Divested of their duties in England components began deploying in June 1944 and by July 1944 most were in France where they provided in-theatre communications within 21 Army Group and even had a cipher and high powered wireless section attached to General Patton's 3rd United States Army.

An advance party of Lieutenant Colonel C.A. Manson, RCA, and Major H.P. Cadario, RCEME, departed for Australia on 15 June 1944 for liaison and planning duties for the employment of Canadian soldiers on radar duties in support of Australian forces as agreed to by the Canadian Government in April 1943.

On 17 June 1944 the Canadian Radar Detachment on Loan to Australian Military Forces was formed at Lansdowne Park Barracks, Ottawa. The unit consisted of four officers and 28 other ranks of the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, five officers and 35 other ranks from the Royal Canadian Artillery and one Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps NCO. On 4 July 1944 the detachment left Ottawa for Australia. The first draft arrived at Sydney aboard the SS Fort Dennison on 19 August 1944. The second draft, aboard the SS William I Chamberlain arrived at Melbourne 6 September 1944. Personnel were sent to a number of units and locations and were employed, not only as instructors and maintainers, but also deployed operationally in Australia, New Guinea, Borneo, Philippines, Morotai and Cocos Island. Some operated as part of the Allied Intelligence Bureau as operators and mechanics. Several of these participated in the Allied reoccupation of Java in August 1945 and were caught in native uprisings against the Netherlands East Indies Forces following the war. The Java contingent was replaced by British Signals personnel and, two weeks later, departed Batavia on 26 January 1946. The main body returned to Canada arriving in Vancouver on 14 February 1946 aboard the SS Kootenay Park and 27 February 1946 aboard the SS Socotra. The last original, Lieutenant I.A. (Don) Mayson, RCA, of the contingent departed Australia for Canada on 12 April 1946.

In July 1944 4th Canadian Armoured Division Signals arrived in France.

On 8 July 1944 in OPERATION CHARNWOOD 3rd Canadian Division attacked Caen, France.

Caen and Carpiquet Airport were captured by 3rd Canadian Division on 9 July 1944.

On 18 July 1944 OPERATION GOODWOOD - a Canadian - British push from east of Orne southward to high ground beyond Caen. The Canadian operations involving 2nd Canadian Corps (2nd Canadian Division, 3rd Canadian Division, 2nd Armoured Brigade) were designated OPERATION ATLANTIC. More than 7000 tons of bombs were dropped in support of the operation. 3rd Canadian Division made its crossing of the Orne River during this operation. On 19 July Canadians took Vaucelles, Louvigny and Fleury-Sur-Orne. During this operation the road from Verson to Caen, known as "Mortar Alley", was marked with the following ominous sign"

On 1 August 1944 1 Canadian Army became part of the newly formed 21 Army Group under Montgomery.

On 24 August 1944 Canadians took Elbeuf.

In September 1944 the Canadian Government assumed the costs of running the HYDRA radio station at the old Camp X site at Whitby, Ontario. At that time the station had a staff of three officers and 60 other ranks. For Security reasons the station was also renamed No 2 Military Research Centre.

On 1 September 1944 2nd Canadian Division, the same division which had staged the 1942 raid, liberated Dieppe.

On 1 September 1944 General Order 406 changed 1st Canadian Infantry Division Signal Regiment's title to 1st Canadian Divisional Signals.

On 2 September 1944 Canadians in Italy made a partial breakthrough of the German Gothic Line in Italy and advanced to the Conca River. San Giovanni was taken. By 14 September 1944 11th Canadian Infantry Brigade had captured Coriano and the Germans had decided to reinforce the Italian front. During 20-21 September 1944 the battle for San Fortunato Ridge ended and Rimini was captured by a Greek brigade serving under Canadian command.

On 8 September 1944 Canadians took Nieuport and Ostend. On 9 September they captured Bruges.

On 16 September 1944 2nd Canadian Division occupied Antwerp, the largest seaport in Europe. Although this inland port was free German forces still blocked access and it was not open to shipping until 22 November 1944.

During the Second World War, many Royal Canadian Air Force radar mechanics served in British units. Flight Sergeant Semon (Blondie) Lievense, a native of St. Boniface Manitoba, was one of these. He was in charge of one of two Light Warning radar crews (Units 6341 and 6080) that went on OPERATION MARKET GARDEN, the ill-fated 1944 airborne assault at Arnhem, Holland. Their assigned role was to provide forward fighter control for Beaufighters. On 18 September 1944 they were transported to Arnhem in four Horsa gliders which were towed in by two Stirling tow planes. After release the crews came under accurate enemy anti-aircraft fire as they glided toward the Landing Zone and severe mortar fire on landing. Conditions and casualties were so severe that the equipment was never erected and the surviving personnel fought as ground troops. Of the radar crews, five officers and 40 airmen went into Arnhem, three officers and one airman came out. Semon Lievense was killed on 22 September while fighting as an infantryman. He is buried at Oosterbeek War Cemetery in Arnhem. Arnhem was finally liberated by the Canadians on 15 April 1945.

On 22 September 1944 3rd Canadian Division captured Boulogne.

On 20 September 1944 1st Canadian Army attacked around Antwerp while Calais surrendered to 3rd Canadian Division.

On 30 September 1944 3rd Canadian Division completed the capture of Calais. The German flag which had flown from the citadel at Calais was captured by 3rd Division Signals personnel. Today, this flag is displayed in the Communications and electronics Museum in Kingston.

On 1 October 1944 General Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the decision to flood Walcheren Island by bombing the dikes. This attempt to isolate German forces on the island has often, incorrectly, been attributed to the defensive efforts of the German defenders. On 3 October 1944 dykes around Walcheren Island are breached by the RAF. The campaign to clear the approaches to the port of Antwerp, at the time the largest seaport in Europe, had begun.

On 6 October 1944 2nd Canadian Corps began attacks to eliminate German forces south of the Scheldt.

On 11 October 1944 1st Canadian Division began its October offensive in Italy. On 20 October 1944 a bridgehead was established across the Savio River and the division broke out onto the Lombard Plain. On 22 October 1944 Canadians took Cervis, Italy.

On 24 October 1944 2nd Canadian Division advanced along the Beveland Isthmus in Holland.

On 27 October 1944 1st Canadian Corps was withdrawn into reserve after two weeks of intensive fighting.

On 1 November 1944 2nd Canadian Division attacked across the causeway to Walcheren Island in Holland. Commando landings occurred at other parts of the island.

On 4 November 1944 4th Canadian Armoured Division advanced to the Maas River.

On 6 November 1944 The last Germans on Walcheren Island surrendered to 52nd British Lowland Division. along with the 104th US, 1st Polish and 49th British it was a part of 1st Canadian Army's international order of battle.

On 9 November 1944 2nd Canadian Corps occupied the Nijmegen bridgehead to begin a winter of aggressive patrolling.

On 22 November 1944 Prime Minister MacKenzie King agreed that conscripts, originally conscripted for the defence of Canada only, would have to be sent overseas.

On 28 November 1944 a Canadian merchant ship was the first to enter Antwerp. Europe's largest port was now available for the allies and Canadian supply lines were considerably shortened.

On 5 December 1944 Canadians took Ravenna, Italy.

On 7 December 1944 OPERATION MICKEY FINN provided the first test for the 2nd Canadian Division's new counter-mortar organization. This included experiments with the army's newest unit, 1st Canadian Radar Battery.

In late 1944-45 EXERCISE ESKIMO was held in Saskatchewan, a major winter exercise involving operational deployment of Canadian soldiers in an Arctic tactical setting. For the first time the difficulties of cross country vehicular movement and arctic survival techniques were closely studied. It led the way for the post war EXERCISE MUSKOX experiments.

On 13 January 1945 No 1 Special Wireless Group, RCCS departed Victoria B.C. enroute to Australia, arriving in Brisbane, Australia on 16 February. At that time the Australians were the recognised Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) experts in the South West Pacific Area with over 5,000 personnel involved in SIGINT duties. The Royal Australian Air Force, alone, had six mobile wireless units (WU) and considerable fixed plant. General Douglas MacArthur, area Supreme Commander and his Chief Signal Officer, Major General Akin (both Americans) preferred Australian WUs over more lavishly equipped American Special Radio Intelligence Companies, of which there were eight in theatre. At the time Canada had begun to refocus its military effort which was concentrated on the number one Allied priority, defeat of Germany. With Germany defeated massive pressure would then be brought on Japan. Canada's assigned army contribution was 6 Canadian Division however hostilities ended before the division could be committed. In view of massive differences between the two theatres of war and the lead time necessary for it to be come proficient this SIGINT group was formed and deployed to gain the vital experience necessary. Working with the Australians provided an excellent opportunity for this Canadian group to come up to speed in this very different Pacific war. After initial training with No 1 Australian Special Wireless Group the 13 officers and 277 men of the Canadian electronic warfare unit commenced operational duties against the Japanese from Darwin on 13 April. They were in continuous operation until war's end. On 5 February 1946 they departed Australia arriving back in Canada on 26 February 1946.

On 8 February 1945 OPERATION VERITABLE began as 1st Canadian Army rolled into the Reichswald. On 9 February they reached the Rhine River.

On 11 February 1945 Canadians took Cleves.

On 28 February 1945 No. 5 Radio School, Clinton had a staff of 478 all ranks with 627 trainees.

In February and March 1945 1st Canadian Corps was withdrawn from Italy and sent to North-West Europe for service as part of 1 Canadian Army, itself a truly multi-national force.

On 3 March 1945 Lieutenant Bernard Lafleur, Signal Officer of the Fusiliers Mont Royal, won the Military Cross for his actions in restoring communications to the battalion's forward company which had had its communications destroyed during an attack in the Hochwald Forest. Interestingly enough, of the five officers who recommended the award, four became Chief of the Defence Staff or equivalent (Lt-Col J.A. Dextraze, Brig J.V. Allard, Lt-Gen G.G. Simonds and Gen H.D.C. Crerar).

In early 1945 Canadian casualties since D Day and the lack of volunteer reinforcements brought the question of Canadian reinforcements to a head. The Canadian Government had finally decided to commit conscripted home defence troops to action in Europe. Out of 158,043 home defence conscripts 16,000 were slated for overseas service but only 3,500 were eventually sent, some arriving after the German surrender. The Hochwald Forest battles saw Canadian conscript "zombies" in action for the first time in numbers. They fought well but did little to change the composition of the Canadian Army overseas which retained its volunteer status for all intents and purposes.

On 24 March 1945 Canadians crossed the Rhine at Speldrop as part of OPERATION PLUNDER.

In 1945 the RCN took over a radio site at Gander, Newfoundland which became Naval Radio Station Gander, a high frequency direction finding (HFDF) station. Newfoundland, a British Colony, did not become part of Canada until 1949.

On 15 April 1945 Canadians took Arnhem.

On 24 April 1945 25th German Army in the Netherlands contacted 3rd Canadian Brigade radio operators requesting a conference with Allied Supreme Headquarters regarding the provision of food supplies for starving civilians behind German lines. This conference occurred on 28 April with subsequent relief operations mounted and, most importantly, a parlay for the surrender of German Forces in the area.

As Canadians drove into Germany they were often saddled with many unanticipated problems in the newly conquered areas. In late April 1945, for example, 2nd Canadian Division found itself suddenly responsible for medical support for inmates of 36 large displaced persons and concentration camps and for 500,000 German soldiers as well as for its own troops.

On 25 April 1945 patrols of the American 1st Army linked up with Russian patrols of Marshall Konev's 1st White Russian Army west of the town of Torgau on the Elbe River.

On 28 April 1945 Adolf Hitler committed suicide in a surrounded Berlin. Admiral Doenitz was declared the new Fuehrer of the disintegrating German Reich.

On 29 April 1945 German forces in Northern Italy and southern Austria surrendered unconditionally.

On 30 April 1945 British 2nd Army cut Denmark off from Germany, isolating the German forces there.

On 2 May 1945 the last defenders of Berlin surrendered.

On 2 May 1945 a telephone link between opposing Canadian and German forces was established to coordinate relief and surrender activities in Holland. Earlier, German forces had threatened to blow up the Dutch dykes and flood the country if attacked, effectively halting Canadian advances. When surrender was eminent fighting virtually ended and Canadian and German forces worked together to ward off mass starvation among Dutch civilians. Canadian military food convoys found themselves driving through German defence to deliver humanitarian aid behind the lines while aircraft dropped supplies and ships headed for Dutch ports to discharge their cargoes. This collaboration paved the way for German-Canadian cooperation for the, soon to occur, surrender of Denmark, Holland and northern Germany and the subsequent demobilization of the defeated German forces.

On 3 May 1945 the allies captured Hamburg and Oldenburg effectively ending any hopes the Germans may have had of retiring into Denmark or Norway. On this date Germany then sent a mission to Field Marshall Montgomery, headed by Admiral von Friedeberg, commander of the German Navy. The admiral requested Montgomery to accept the surrender of three German armies retreating before the Russians. Montgomery replied, "No, certainly not. Those armies are fighting the Russians ... I have nothing to do with happenings in the Eastern front. You must surrender to the Soviet commander ...". Montgomery then asked them if they were prepared to surrender their forces in the northwest including Denmark and Holland. After an extensive situation briefing by Montgomery this was agreed to.

At 0800 hours 5 May 1945 German forces in the Netherlands, Denmark and North-West Germany surrendered to 1 Canadian Corps. That afternoon, at Wageninggen, Holland, Colonel General Von Blaskowitz formally surrendered his 120,000 men to General Charles Foulkes, Commander 1st Canadian Corps. An interesting aspect was the rapid conversion of the "surrender" into a "capitulation", a unique Canadian solution to a massive command and control problem. The technical difference is that surrendered troops become prisoners of war while, with a capitulation, they are merely defeated soldiers. The German hierarchy remained in place and answerable to the allied forces and was then used to control, discipline, supervise, demobilize and return the defeated German troops home. This arrangement was in violation of the Geneva Accords for the handling of prisoners as the Germans had surrendered first. Further problems occurred when the Canadians initially overlooked continued German use of its military law rather than conquering power's military law as required. One month after war's end a German military court tried two sailors in Holland, found them guilty of desertion and sentenced them to death by firing squad. The court utilised procedures and guidelines for the Nazi military legal system which was, with the fall of Germany, no longer lawful. Guilt was assumed and little defence possible. Sentences were in accordance with severe German policies put in place prior to the surrender while the Canadian military law requirement for a delay of at least thirty days before executing the sentence was completely ignored. Canadian military deferred to German authorities for approval of sentencing and the victims were promptly shot by German troops using Canadian supplied rifles and ammunition. As late as 1966 these illegal executions were the subject of law suits initiated by the victims' families in West Germany and of discussion in Canada's House of Commons where the Canadian Minister of National Defence, Paul Hellyer, initially denied any Canadian wrong doing. Despite the questionable legal situation a generally efficient demobilization and hand over took place, in many instances due to the highly efficient German staff work and close cooperation between German and Canadian military authorities. In many cases German troops remained armed and, under 21 Army Group Civil Affairs Administration direction, assisted in maintaining essential services, law and order within the newly liberated areas until such time as allied or civilian infrastructures could be set up to assume these responsibilities. Without this German "help" 21 Army Group, including 1st Canadian Army, would have been totally incapable of coping with the administration of the surrendered areas let alone handling the large numbers of prisoners of war.

Late in the evening on 7 May 1945, at General Eisenhower's tactical headquarters in Rheims, France, General Jodl signed the document which committed Germany to unconditional surrender effective 2301 hours 8 May 1995 (Central European time). The German radio message requesting this surrender meeting had been received by a Canadian wireless operator in Montgomery's headquarters. The German operator had joined the allied radio net and asked the operator in English to take down the message which was then transmitted in German. The original pencil copy is on display in the Communications and Electronics Museum.

8 and 9 May 1945 were formally declared VE Day (Victory in Europe) by Winston Churchill in recognition of the unconditional surrender of Germany. The surrender ceremony with the allies, except for Russia, took place late on 7 May 1945 and was effective the following day and the treaty was then ratified in a separate ceremony held in Berlin the next day for Russia's signature. Thus VE Day is actually both 8 and 9 May 1945.

On 21 June 1945 the Royal Canadian Signals Dutch Signal Company was disbanded. This unit was raised from among Dutch government telephone workers some three months earlier to assist Signals in restoring line communications in the newly liberated Holland and had a strength of three officers and 40 men.

In mid 1945 the Canadian Government had second thoughts regarding the wisdom of allowing the United States to have control of the Alaska Highway and its accompanying communications. As a result of negotiations between the two countries the RCAF took over the Northwest Communication System (paralleling the Alaska Highway) from the United States Signal Corps. This 2,400 kilometre long system had been originally built by the United States Signal Corps in 1942 to link Alaska with the continental United States in view of the potential threat against their west coast and submarine cable communications. The system was completed on 1 May 1943. Construction involved some 95,000 poles and 23 repeater stations built at 160 kilometre intervals. On 1 April 1947 Canadian National Telegraph officially replaced the RCAF.

On 26 July 1945 Major-General E.G. Weeks unveiled a cairn at No. 1 Canadian Signal Replacement Unit at Southwood Camp in Cove, Farnborough, Hampshire. The cairn contained the complete nominal role of the camp from inception in June 1940, some 12,000 names. 1 CSRU had been the first English home for reinforcements arriving from Canada, a manning depot, a training and testing establishment and a mobilization centre, indeed, the European equivalent of Vimy Barracks. On 18 June 1976 the RCSIGS Cairn was rededicated at the Royal School of Signals, Blandford.

On 15 August 1945 following the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima (6 August) and Nagasaki (8 August) Japan surrendered unconditionally. the surrender was signed on 2 September 1945.

In September 1945 the United Nations Refugee Relief Agency (UNRRA) began arriving in North West Europe to assist with civilian relief. Until this time 21st Army Group and its Civil Affairs Administration had handled much of the civilian relief and the critical food shortages had been resolved. The initial performance of UNRRA provided an early black mark for the newly formed United Nations. Many civilian UNRRA representatives lived an easy life and openly indulged in private business transactions or diverted relief supplies to the black market. General Morgan, in charge of UNRRA, abruptly released some 600 persons from the organization and with the resulting changes "UNRRA finally got down to business clouded with as bad a name as any organization ever started with". The troops could now start heading home.

On 9 September 1945, at war's end, RCSIGS counted 24 officers and 359 men among its ranks who had given their lives for their country. Total Canadian casualties were 102,954, of which 37,905 were dead.

On 9 September 1945 General Orders 46 & 52 authorized disbandment of 1st Canadian Divisional Signal Regiment at Hilversum Holland.

In the spring of 1946 3rd Canadian Division (Canadian Army of Occupation) returned to Canada, the last troops to return home.

The RCAF Women's Division was disbanded in 1946 as the Canadian military was drastically reduced.

During World War II members of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals earned the following honors and awards:

CB - 2, CBE - 10, DSO - 7, OBE - 24, MBE - 51, MC - 15, DCM - 1, MM - 50, BEM - 54, MID - 390 and 74 foreign awards.