The period of relative calm, forced by the weather, came to end in early May 1944. The push to liberate Rome was restarted. The month of May began the period of most intense combat in the entire war for the Ontario Regiment and continued until the autumn. Each of these combat operations will only be covered in a brief manner in the next series of articles.
The key to taking Rome was the Liri Valley and its major road, Highway 6. The entrance to the Liri Valley was guarded by a German defensive line known as the Gustav Line. In the north this line started in the mountains near the town of Cassino and it then ran along the Gari (also known as the Rapido) and Garigliano rivers, ending at the coast. About eight miles behind the Gustav Line was another, not fully completed, defensive line known as the Adolf Hitler Line. Other obstacles on the road to Rome were a deep gully called the Forme d’Aquino, the San Martino River and the Melfa River.
The action got underway on 12 May with the crossing of the Gari River. Bailey bridges were constructed for the crossing, with the Ontarios assigned to bridges codenamed “Oxford” and “Cardiff”. Oxford bridge was ready by 08:30 and the Ontarios had two tank troops from “B” Squadron across in a few minutes. Cardiff bridge was not completed on time due to heavy German fire, necessitating “C” Squadron to cross at Oxford instead.
The Ontarios spent 12 May working their way across the Gari River under fire and attempting to meet up with the infantry to take the town of Sant’Angelo. Their progress was hampered by the soft ground which resulted in several bogged-down tanks once they were on the other side of the river. Troops of the 59th Light Aid Detachment worked heroically to recover the tanks and get them mobile again. This recovery work took place under German sniper fire. One of the snipers killed Lieutenant Dickson.
Lieutenant Chester Stuart Dickson was born 23 December 1917 in Carnduff, Saskatchewan, but lived most of his life in Winnipeg. He joined the Reserve of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps in August 1940. In May 1941 he signed on for active service as a private. At the time he was working as a salesman for Rumford Laundry Limited in Winnipeg. Dickson was accepted for officer training in early 1942 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in May 1942 and was now part of the Canadian Armoured Corps. Upon completion of his training as an armoured officer he was promoted to Lieutenant. Lieutenant Dickson was assigned to the Ontario Regiment in December 1943. At the time of his death he was a troop leader in “C” Squadron.
Trooper Ralph Howard Pollard was also killed during the fighting on 12 May. Trooper Pollard was living in Belhaven, ON and working as a farm labourer when he joined the Canadian Active Service Force in October 1941. He was assigned to the Ontario Regiment. Pollard was born on 4 May 1918 in Ravenshoe, ON. He had been a member of the Reserve Battalion of the Queen’s York Rangers for a few months before going active. After taking courses in Canada he arrived in the United Kingdom in April 1942 as an armoured reinforcement. He arrived at the Ontario Regiment in August 1943. Trooper Pollard died of wounds received.
The Regiment was more successful on 13 May as they supported the infantry in clearing German forces out of the town of Sant’ Angelo. The fighting moved past Sant’ Angelo on 14 May, with the Onatarios engaging in tank-to-tank combat with the enemy. Two Ontarios were killed on 14 May: Sergeant Brown and Trooper Hemming.
Sergeant Harold Francis Brown, nicknamed “Buster”, was born in Toronto on 22 June 1921. He joined the Governor General’s Horse Guards in 1937 and was serving in that regiment at the outbreak of the war. Brown signed on for active service in November 1939 and transferred to the Ontario Regiment in March 1941. Brown was wounded in August 1943, during the Sicilian Campaign, spent eight months in hospital, and returned to the Ontario Regiment in early April 1944. He was the crew commander of a tank struck by a German anti-tank gun.
Trooper William Richard Hemming was born on 21 February 1920 in Woodstock, ON. He signed up for active service in June 1940 with the Elgin Regiment. Hemming was taken on strength of the Ontario Regiment in April 1944. He was a gunner in a tank that was hit by enemy fire. It would appear that he was killed instantly.
The Ontarios suffered another death on 15 May in the continued combat. Captain Angus Teasdall McNabb was born on 13 February 1909 in Barrie, ON. He joined the Simcoe Foresters in 1926 and was serving in the regiment at the outbreak of the war. McNabb continued in the Foresters until June 1940 when he signed on for active service as a Lieutenant. He was working as an accountant at this time. Captain McNabb was in command of two tank troops on 15 May. One phase of the operation had just completed and he dismounted to meet with infantry commanders in a house in the village of Collelena. The house received direct hits from heavy shellfire, causing several casualties. Captain McNabb was originally reported as missing in action, but it was later presumed killed as his body was ever found.
Mopping up operations took place on 16 May and the Ontarios were ordered to a rest area to conduct vehicle maintenance. This brief rest ended late in the evening of 18 May as the Regiment was ordered to prepare to support the infantry in assaulting the town of Aquino.
The axis of advance was the road into the Aquino airfield. “A” Squadron was assigned to the airfield while “B” Squadron fought the Germans in an adjacent cemetery. “C” Squadron was in reserve. The operation moved slowly in the early morning hours due a heavy fog. The tanks crossing the airfield were caught in the open when the sun burned off the fog quite quickly. They were now under direct fire from several well concealed panzerturns, a Panther tank turret with a long-barrelled, high-velocity 75mm gun mounted in a concrete pillbox. Low ground was used to provide protection to the tanks until they could withdraw under the cover of falling darkness and a large barrage of smoke shells.
It was a day of intense action in several locations around Aquino. The day’s final tally indicated that 13 of the Ontario’s tanks were destroyed with most others taking damage of some kind. Despite the carnage inflicted on the Regiment’s tanks, the Ontarios lost only Trooper Phillips killed.
Trooper John Thomas Phillips was born in Toronto on 17 August 1923. He was living in Toronto and working as a shipper when he joined up for active service in January 1942 and was assigned to the Ontario Regiment. After completing training in Canada he sailed for the United Kingdom and arrived with the Regiment in November 1942. Philips was previously wounded on 9 December during the fighting south of Ortona and was medically evacuated. He returned to his duties with the Ontarios in early April 1944. Trooper Phillips was the loader / operator in a tank commanded by Sergeant Cecil Keyes on 19 May. During the fighting west of Aquino their tank was hit on the left side of the turret by a German anti-tank gun. A second round impacted the tank which then caught fire. The crew bailed out and ran for safety. Phillips was not with the rest of the crew. He was originally listed as missing in action, but it was later determined that he was killed by the initial hit to the turret.
After Aquino, the Ontarios were given a brief break from the action in which much-needed vehicle maintenance was conducted. The Regiment was still within range of German artillery, which caused several casualties among the Ontarios, including the death of Acting Corporal Smith.
Acting Corporal Harold Frederick Smith was born on 26 February 1918, but lived most of his life in Toronto. He was working as a clerk on 14 September 1939 when he joined the Canadian Active Service Force as a member of the 48th Highlanders of Canada. He transferred to the Ontario Regiment in June 1941. Acting Corporal Smith was wounded on 21 May and later died of his wounds the same day.
The Ontarios were on the move again on 25 May, arriving at the Melfa River. Elements of the Regiment crossed both the Melfa and Liri Rivers, providing support to the infantry. The Regiment was relieved by British armoured units and moved back to a rest area for the remainder of the month and into June. Trooper White was killed on 26 May.
Trooper Kenneth Joseph White was born 4 August 1920 in the area around Ailsa Craig, ON. He was working as a farm labourer when he joined the Canadian Active Service Force on 1 December 1941. White was taken on strength of the Ontario Regiment on 4 April 1944. His time with the Ontarios was short, as he was killed a few weeks later on 26 May. He is listed in the official casualty lists as being in the Ontario Regiment but his service record indicates that he transferred to the Calgary Regiment on 25 May.
May 1944 was a tough month on both men and tanks for the Ontarios. The Regiment was awarded the following battle honours: “Sant’Angelo in Teodice”, “Cassino II”, “Gustav Line”, “Aquino” and “Liri Valley”.
Rod Henderson
Rod Henderson is the Regimental Historian of the Ontario Regiment. He served as a Sergeant in the Regiment and is the author of “Fidelis Et Paratus: The History of The Ontario Regiment RCAC”.