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Sketches of the Restigouche

The Graphic

        THE NORTH SHORE IN CANADA
THE NORTH SHORE'S STORY (Part One)

        This account of the North Shore's battle history is but an outline - or background picture - against which each battle and campaign should be viewed. The reconstruction of these battles -in retrospect -does not really do justice to the spirit, the bravery and the great sacrifices made by all ranks of the battalion. Many, who fell in the heat of the battle, have only a white cross to show for their contribution to the North Shore's reputation in action. Others, who did fine and splendid things under fire, have no chronicler to tell their story now. Those with them then have also given all.

        The regiment which arrived in England in July, 1941, when the tide of Allied Fortune was at a very low ebb, brought with them a fighting spirit, good heart, and a sense of high responsibility. For nearly three years this force concentrated its resources into the wilding of a highly trained fighting team. There was much to learn. New tactics, new weapons to master, new machines -with their maintenance and handling -and finally developing into perfection the most difficult battle technique of all - the assault landing against Hitler's Atlantic wall.

        In May and April of the eventful year the Regiment took part in Exercise after Exercise. Time and again the men dashed from assault boats up the beaches of Studland Bay, Bournemouth, practicing the grim role they were later to play. The experience gained from Combined Operation rehearsals at Inverary, Scotland, was reviewed, for when the chips were down this amphibious force must succeed in its part of the invasion.

        "THIS IS IT"

        Finally all was ready. The regiment went into a concentration camp near Southampton. There behind a will-guarded barbed wire enclosure the "briefing" began. Company after Company, Platoon and Section, filed -in their turn to Briefing Room. There, from a huge model, from maps and aerial photographs, the men studied their tasks. Then all was ready. Armed and equipped with the best that the total resources of the Democracies could provide the men began the journey to the boats. Science, training, every sort of supporting weapon, tremendous air power, mastery of the Channel waters, -all these were on the side of the North Shore men. Now it was up to them. Because the fate of this tremendous enterprise lay in the lands of small sub-units, sections, even single individuals. The sum total of their efforts would add up to disaster… or the foundation for victory.

        ALLIED LINE-UP

        Exercise, "Overford", as this immense enterprise was called, envisaged a landing on a Corps Front, i.e., the part of the operation for which the British were responsible. Accordingly, First Corps was to assault with the 3rd Canadian Division on the Right, and the 3rd. British Division on the Left, the 51st Highland Division being the follow-up Division. In the First Corps also were the famous 6th Airborne Division and 1stSpecial Service Brigade.

        St. Aubin-Sur-Mer was the area of the French Coast given to the Battalion - the section of beach to be assaulted being referred to by the code name of "MAW RED" beach. The assault was to be made on two waves with two companies in each. Accordingly Able Company was alloted the right sector, Baker the left. Following closely behind them Charlie Company and Dog Company pass through and exploit inland.

        In the early hours of the morning of 6th June the men of Able and Baker Companies filed silently into the assault craft which swung from the davits of the ships. Standing by, off shore, under the thunderous bombardment going on, were the HMS St. HELIER, brigadier and the S.S. Clan Lamount. All these carried small assault craft. Finally the tiny boats were loaded and lowered into the sea. Then began the most critical phase of operation. Running the gauntlet to the beaches these small craft came under fire but so well had the heavy supporting weapons done their work that the craft were able to beach - at the exact time and place - five minutes after eight on Nan Red beach. As the men felt the jar as the craft touched down the ramp was released. The dash up the bullet-swept beach began. Through the exploding mortar bombs - under the hail of 88 mm air burst Able and Baker reached the sea wall and fanned out through the breach to their tasks.

        Able Company's task was to reduce a series of enemy positions in the houses along the coast. A few casualties were sustained getting across the beach itself. Later, when the house-to-house fighting began, Lieutenant Keith and several of his Platoon were seriously wounded. Bu a quarter to ten Able had secured its section of the beachhead, but only after great difficulty. The enemy-held houses were protected by 'S' mines wire, with defenses so sited that each house could support its neighbor. In addition the buildings in the town gave snipers excellent vantage points from which to pick off the invaders. Nine men including tow Platoon Sergeants, Sergeant Ned Rigley and Sergeant Hugh McCormack, were killed. Twenty others - including CSM Hugh Poley were wounded.

        To Baker Company fell the task of reducing a string point which dominated the beach. It had hoped that the heavy preliminary air and naval bombardment would silence this small fortress. But it had somehow escaped destruction - must be taken out the hard way. Long and bitter it was, bit, finally, with the help of AVRES - armored vehicles Royal Engineers, mounting a special Petard- the garrison fell. One Officer, Lieutenant G. Moran was seriously wounded with three men of his platoon, the other two platoons losing eight men wounded. While Baker Company were thus engaged all during the day until five o'clock in the evening, the second wave troops had passed successfully through them. From this troublesome blockhouse 48 prisoners were taken. A search revealed that approximately the same number of enemy had been killed.

        To be continued.... (CHARLIE COMPANY'S LANDING)

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