Dad's Navy Days: July 1943 - Sicily (3)

[Map: "Landings in Sicily and Italy, 1943", pg. 76

 COMBINED OPERATIONS, by Clayton Marks, London]

This month, as part of the 70th anniversary of D - Day Sicily WWII, I share some of the memories of men who served in Combined Operations, including my father, Doug Harrison (deceased), a member of the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve.

     "Once, with our LCM (landing craft) loaded with
     high octane gas and a Lorrie, we were heading for the
     beach when we saw machine gun bullets stitching the water
     right towards us. Fortunately, an LST (landing ship for tanks)
     loaded with bofors (guns) opened up and scared off the planes,
     or we were gone if the bullets had hit the gas cans. I was hiding
     behind a truck tire, so was Joe Watson (Simcoe). What good would
     that have done?" Page 32, "DAD, WELL DONE": The Naval Memoirs 
     of Leading Seaman Coxswain Gordon Douglas Harrison

     by Gord Harrison 

["Junkers 87 Stuka over Trapani, Sicily": from achtungpanzer.com]

As I read through my father's memoirs I realize he and other members of Combined Operations did not spend all of July 10 - August 6, 1943 in Sicily dodging bullets from Stukas as they loaded and unloaded landing crafts filled with troops and various parts of the machinery of war. But good times were rare since men in charge of landing crafts often had to scrounge their own lodgings and most supplies even though surrounded by various ships and tonnes of war materials, including soldiers' rations. Some slept in holes on the beach, others in caves. Some cooked their own meals when scant time allowed after scouring the countryside for something edible. Almost a full month past - seventy years ago -  filled with regular German air raids and mean survival tactics on the part of the Allies in Sicily, including many Canadian members of Combined Ops.

["Landing crafts bring troops and all supplies of war":

Photo @ histomil.com]

About those times father writes the following:

     "Our beach had machine gun nests carved out of the 
     ever-present limestone, with slots cut in them to cover
     our beaches. A few hand grenades tossed in during the night
     silenced them forever."
     Slowly we took control and enemy raids were only sporadic,
     but usually at dawn or dusk when we couldn't see them and
     they could see us... during one raid I was caught on the open
     deck of the Pio Pico, so I laid down - right on a boiling hot
     water pipe. I got up quickly."

Fortunately, there was some escape from the hot action at times.

["Combined Operations insignia on my shop door, circa 1975": Photo by GH]

More to follow.

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Please click here to read Dad's Navy Days: July 1943 - Sicily (2)