A Sapper’s War - 12 Fld Coy RCE History, Part 11 August 1944
(Moving North and the Beginning of the Assault on the Gothic Line)
A Note on Blog and Book
This
series of blogs, entitled "A Sapper's War" follows some units of the
Royal Canadian Engineers in World War 2, primarily the 12th Field Company,
which was my father's unit. The main sources are the unit War Diary, Daily
Orders, official military histories, and The History of the Corps of Royal
Canadian Engineers Volume 2. I will also include some personal accounts
of his, when this is appropriate to the history.
The
blogs will mostly relate to their time in Italy, from Oct 1943 to Jan 1945,
though it will ultimately be extended to the later events in Northwestern
Europe and the earlier events in the U.K.. They will be put together in
book form eventually, but until that time the blogs will be available for
interested readers on this "Dodecahedron Books" blog site. I
encourage anyone who in interested to read the blogs, and buy the book when it
comes available.
Naturally,
I am claiming copyright, though you can make "fair use" of content,
of course, if you are writing about similar times and events.
Though
the overall history of the war will be noted, as context, the text mainly
relates to the experiences of the 12th Field Company, as indicated in their War
Diary and related orders, and other documents. If you want a more general
history of the war, there are many other sources to more completely fill in
those details.
There
will be a fair bit of focus on what might be called "social history",
in addition to the sometimes routine, sometimes harrowing military activities
of a group of Allied sappers in the Italian Theatre of WW2. The daily
orders and company War Diary often provide an interesting window into this
day-to-day world that the strictly military lacks.
Though
this account is based is a Canadian engineer company, it is likely that
British, other Commonwealth and American sappers would have lived through
similar experiences at this time, so families and interested parties from those
nations might also find it interesting.
I
will fill in links to the blog series below, as they are posted.
Oct
1943: https://dodecahedronbooks.blogspot.com/2019/10/a-sappers-war-12-fld-coy-rce-history.html
Nov
1943: https://dodecahedronbooks.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-sappers-war-12-fld-coy-rce-history.html
Dec
1943: https://dodecahedronbooks.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-sappers-war-12-fld-coy-rce-history_30.html
Jan
1944: https://dodecahedronbooks.blogspot.com/2020/01/a-sappers-war-12-fld-coy-rce-history.html
Feb
1944: https://dodecahedronbooks.blogspot.com/2020/01/a-sappers-war-12-fld-coy-rce-history_27.html
Mar
1944: https://dodecahedronbooks.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-sappers-war-12-fld-coy-rce-history.html
Apr
1944: https://dodecahedronbooks.blogspot.com/2020/04/a-sappers-war-12-fld-coy-rce-history.html
May
1944: https://dodecahedronbooks.blogspot.com/2020/05/a-sappers-war-12-fld-coy-rce-history.html
Jun
1944: https://dodecahedronbooks.blogspot.com/2020/05/a-sappers-war-12-fld-coy-rce-history_31.html
Jul
1944: https://dodecahedronbooks.blogspot.com/2020/06/a-sappers-war-12-fld-coy-rce-history.html
Aug
1944: TBA
Sep
1944: TBA
Oct
1944: TBA
Nov
1944: TBA
Dec
1944: TBA
Jan
1945: TBA
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During the early part of August 1944, the
focus of the Allied armies in Italy was on planning for their next offensive,
further north, as well as the training required for that objective. However, initial plans had to be revised, as
the needs of the army in northern France were a significant consideration, as
was the possibility of a landing in southern France. That landing would take
vital resources of men and equipment away from the Italian theatre.
Thus, mid-August was the time for these
plans and counter-plans to be put into motion.
That meant positioning troops into the required areas, with an extensive
effort to fool the enemy as to where that would be. An entire army had to be moved across the
mountainous country, since Eighth Army would once again try to break through on
the Adriatic front, while Fifth Army advanced on its left. The deception plan
meant that much of the travel would be done at night, in pitch dark, over mountainous
terrain.
Late August saw the beginning of the next
great Italian offensive, against the Gothic line, a strongly defended German
position farther up the Italian boot.
The strategic purpose of this was to eventually break through into the
Po valley, and then threaten Germany from the south, via the Ljubljana Gap,
between Italy and Yugoslavia.
Short of the
long-hoped for breakthrough, it was at least hoped that the Italian offensives
would draw off German troops from the French and Russian campaigns. Those taking a longer view of the post-war
world also saw value in western forces being in southern Europe, as a
counter-weight to the Russians, should the shaky alliance break down.
12 Fld Coy
took on a number of tasks, from some railroad work in the early part of the
month, to a move across to the Adriatic front in mid-month, and finally
participation in the crossing of the Metauro River, late in August, which began
Operation Olive, the breaking of the Gothic line.
Following is a condensation of the 12 Fld
Coy War Diary notes for August 1944.
August 1 to 5 – Orvieto, Italy (Foligno area)
The company
received orders to be prepared to move, by either the 1st or 2nd
of the month. Their first assignment was
to take over some jobs from the 1st Division RCE, in particular
tasks related to railroad maintenance in and around the Ficulle Station. After setting up their camp, they proceeded
with the railroad job, which included mine sweeping the tunnels and track (3
Platoon). A severe electrical storm added
to the psychological drama inherent in a mine sweeping job.
August 6 to 11 – Orvieto, Italy
2 Platoon then
worked on a water tower and related pipelines.
3 Platoon worked on a weir at the station, as well as clearing culverts,
constructing retaining walls and improving the rail bed for some tracks. Some men from that platoon also went on
special mine clearing and demolitions training at company headquarters.
Towards the end
of this period (August 11) there was a move to a new area, near Foligno, about
half way across the spine of Italy, back towards the Adriatic coast.
August 12 to 15 – San Severino, Italy
The company H.Q.
actually established itself around San Severino, even closer to the
Adriatic. After the move, the company
worked on several route diversions in the area, and also removed a blown
railway bridge from a route. The arrival
of a D-6 bulldozer helped the work along.
3 Platoon improved some bridge decking.
A few parties had been left back at
Ficulle Station and they continued work on the water tower.
At this time,
the company had some visits from high ranking officers, such as the Commander
Royal Engineers (CRE) and the CRE 1 Canadian Division. The company was warned that another move was
nigh.
Further training
and lectures were given on the subjects of general security and Bailey Pontoon
Bridging.
August 16 to 20 – Jesi, Italy
The next move
was to a new area, with H.Q. going to Jesi.
The company was drawing steadily nearer to the Adriatic with each move. Some sections did mine sweeping for malaria
control units, and 3 Platoon did some improvised bridge construction. Route gravelling was undertaken, to improve
some routes. Diversions were built and
improved. There were more bridging
lectures and related training.
The company
command, Major Wade, returned from “O” group (Operations group meeting) at the
CRE’s headquarters. That meant another
move was in the works. The next few
locations would be known only by map coordinates.
August 21 to 22 – M.R.S. 2119436 Italy
Time for the
next move. The company was now doing work
on some major routes (Bottle Route, Boat route, etc.) required for the upcoming
assault on Gothic Line. The work was
quite secretive, so lights couldn’t be used at night, which slowed things
down. Also, the company was now rather
close to the front, so lights at night could bring down artillery fire.
There was
continuing work done on diversions, fords, and lateral routes. During these
operations, a popular non-com, Sgt Berlin, stepped on a Schumine, a small but
effective anti-personnel mine. Although
he was evacuated by ambulance, he died later that night. He was buried by a party from 3 Platoon on
the following day.
An anti-tank
battery arrived, that was to take on some sapper training. A section of the Provost Corps also joined
the company, to pitch in on needed engineer tasks and to put up signs and
direct traffic once the bridging was done.
This became a common occurrence – troops who weren’t engaged in their
usual duties were often assigned to help out the sappers, as so much of the
Italian campaign depended on maintaining mobility in extremely difficult
country.
August 23 to 24 – M.R.S. 2119436 Italy
There was another
move, to maintain important supply routes (named “Hat” and “Boat”), which
quickly followed up advances by 1st Canadian Division.
3 Platoon did
some mine sweeping and blockade clearing on a lateral route, with the help of
the anti-tank troop (referred to now as “gunsaps”, a portmanteau of gunner and sapper). In general, there was a heavy schedule of bridging,
mine sweeping, diversion construction, blockade clearing, rubble removal and
other tasks necessary to keep an army on the move.
Officers met
with a Lt-Col of Royal Engineers to
discuss the future campaigns in the area.
The need for a new 50 foot Bailey Bridge was part of that discussion,
which was put up the next day.
August 25 – M.R.S. 2119436 Italy
2 Platoon
constructed the 50 foot Bailey Bridge, with troops of the Loyal Edmonton
Regiment providing some construction assistance (i.e. general labour and
manpower for launching the bridge). They
also provided infantry covering parties during the work, since this bridging
site was near the front and could easily come under attack by enemy infiltrating
parties. Though sapper companies did have weapons and infantry training, it was
always more efficient to have regular infantry troops cover the work, allowing
the full complement of sappers to get on with the job. The bridge was built between 1;00 and 6:15
a.m., though it still needed some work on the base plates.
Meanwhile, 3
Platoon swept for mines, on approaches to the Metauro River along Bottle route.
The opening barrage for the crossing of the Metauro River commenced at midnight
of the 25th. It was a big show, similar
to the scale of the barrage for the El Alamein battle back in Egypt.
August 26 to 28 – Metauro River, Italy
All platoons
were now occupied with jobs on BOAT, BOTTLE and HAT routes and associated
laterals. The advance across the Metauro
had gone quite smoothly, so work on routes, bridges and diversions was intense,
in order to keep up with the advance.
Much bridging
work was done, including an 80 foot Bailey.
The gunsaps helped out with route work.
A 110 foot Bailey was built by 3 Platoon, and the gunsaps helped out
there as well. The assistance of the
Provost troops was also highly appreciated.
More diversions were cut, craters were filled in and a tank route was
constructed.
August 29 to 31 – Metauro River, Italy
The pace of work
and events remained intense. More tank
routes were constructed. Work continued
on maintaining bridges, cutting diversions, filling craters and similar
activities. Platoons carried out road
patrols on BOAT route and laterals. A
D-8 dozer was supplied, to help the work along.
An officer, Lt. Anderson, came down with a bad case of jaundice and went
to hospital. Mines, of course, were a
constant threat.
Other Notes and Observations from August 1944
Following are some selected quotes from the
report on Operations during August 1944 in Italy, written by the military
(Report Number 143, Canadian Operations in Italy, June 1944 to Feb 1945):
1 - Evolving Plans and Strategies
“On 22 Aug Lt-Gen Leese addressed the senior officers of
1 Cdn Corps and outlined the general situation and future operations. He explained
that after the breaking of the Hitler Line and the capture of Rome, the
expected thrust through Florence to bisect the German forces in Italy had
received certain set-backs. Heavy ground resistance and bad weather had delayed
the advance through the Lake Trasimeno area, and when the attack had continued
through Arezzo with parallel successes in Leghorn and Ancona on the flanks, the
high-level decision to invade the south of France had seriously weakened the
striking power of the Allied Armies in Italy. Seven division and 70 per cent of
the air support had gone to this new venture and the Eighth Army had been
required to take over the front formerly held by the French troops of the Fifth
Army. Even with such depleted forces the attack had gone on and the key ground south-west
of Florence had been captured by 4 Brit Inf Div and 2 N.Z. Div, supported by
tanks of 1 Cdn Armd Bde (See para 52). But the delay and the fatigue of Eighth
Army had made it impossible to follow through and break the Gothic Line in that
area. The Adriatic sector had then been chosen for the breakthrough because of
the need for a good port on the east coast. Ancona had not the port facilities
to handle the supplies needed for
operations to break into the German Reich and take the Eight Army target -
Vienna. Only Venice could provide them. The logical method was a seaborne right
hook; but the French invasion had withdrawn both the equipment and personnel
needed for such operations.” (Page 5)
2 - Work for Engineers during moves
“Here it was explained that 1 Cdn Corps was to
participate in a very considerable movement of troops to the Adriatic front to
take part in operations to break the Gothic Line. It was of utmost importance that
this move be both rapid and secret, and since only one state Highway, No. 76,
was available, the difficulties were great. Effective German demolitions had to
be bridged or bulldozed and the resultant fills maintained under tremendous
traffic - 1 Cdn Corps alone moved 280 carriers, 650 tanks and 10,700 wheeled
vehicles. To relieve the highway from tank traffic, 1 Cdn Corps Engineers
produced an alternate track paralleling the highway, a remarkable engineering
feat in view of the rugged nature and the height of the ridge that had to be
crossed. (Page 5)
And here are some of the events noted
above, from the Engineers’ perspective, as found in “The History of the Corps
of Royal Canadian Engineers” as well as a related passage from Mark Zuehlke’s
book “The Gothic Line: Canada's Month of Hell in World War II Italy”
1 - Moving to the Adriatic:
“Field Marshall Alexander’s original plan
had been to direct his main drive through the central mountains from Florence
to Bologna and then through to the Po River. … At this stage plans were
changed. For many reasons a principal
drive through the mountains had become less and less feasible. Not the least of these reasons had been the
loss of a quarter of Alexander’s troops to “Anvil”, including the trained
mountain troops of the French. Operation
“Olive” was the new plan – a “two-handed” punch with the greatest pressure up
the longer route of the Adriatic coast. … On the evening of the 10th
the red, oblong divisional patches had come down once more and the Division
was back near Perugia.” (Page 224)
2 - Objectives for Operation Olive:
“General Burns’ orders for the
forthcoming operation stressed three main tasks:
a.
To attack and destroy the enemy
holding the Metauro River Line.
b.
To advance to and to breach the
Gothic Line.
c.
To exploit to Rimini.”
(Page 225)
3 - Difficulties with Mines:
“While the Corps was concentrating, there
was work to be done south of the Metauro.
… On the 24th, the 1st Field Company had its first
officer casualty in Italy…while on a river-crossing reconnaissance, was killed
by the explosion of an S. Mine on the near bank. His body was brought back by the C.R.E.
‘through a hail of enemy fire.’
…
The situation was so fluid that German
patrols were able to infiltrate. More
than once they laid new mines in cleared areas and altered markers. During this period, also, a new German trick
came to light. Mines had been placed around demolitions before they were blown
and some of these, not set off by sympathetic detonation, became so deeply
buried as to escape immediate detection. Such mines not only could and did cause
damage later but had the added effect of casting doubt on the efficiency of
removal parties.” (page 226)
4 - Crossing the Metauro River and 12th Field
Company:
“Because of thorough preparation the
Metauro crossings were easily established and the advance from the engineer
standpoint went smoothly. .. During the afternoon one of these crossings
carried Mr. Winston Churchill’s car, which had joined the stream of vehicles
negotiating the fords and tracks. … The 12th Field Company built an
80-foot double-single Bailey, and British engineers another upstream.” (page 227)
5 – Overnight Travel to Jesi
“On the night of August 16, Corps
headquarters and the Royal Canadian Engineer Corps troops moved to the area of
Jesi. Like all the other convoys rolling over the Apennines, they travelled
without using headlights in order to avoid German detection. Hour after hour,
the road ahead worsened. At dawn, the road abruptly petered out and the convoy
found itself stranded atop a mountain summit. The track was too narrow to turn
the vehicles around. With no option but to go onward, the engineers unloaded a
couple of bulldozers and proceeded to cut a rugged cross-country trail overland
to where it could link into another road.”
Zuehlke, Mark. The Gothic Line: Canada's Month of Hell in World War II
Italy (pp. 87-88). D & M Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Following are some selected quotes from the
documents associated with the 12 Fld Coy War Diaries during August 1944:
1 - New Mines:
The Germans
continued to develop new mines and improve the older model mines. It was a constantly evolving contest between
the opposing armies, with each side developing new mines that were difficult to
detect and/or render harmless, then needing to devise ways of overcoming the
challenges of the enemy’s new technology.
The mine noted
in the order below sounds like an anti-tank mine, but the ever-present Schumine
(or S-mine) also accounted for many casualties, killed or wounded. Among those was my father (obviously not
killed), but that was still several months in the future. As noted in the War Diary above, one of the
popular sergeants of the company was killed by a Schumine – my dad may well have
been in the burial party, as it was 3 Platoon who was given the task.
Mines could
either be neutralized (detonator removed or otherwise deactivated) or pulled
(exploded in place, for example by hooking it to a rope and pulling on that
rope, with a vehicle at a safe distance.)
Aug 25, 1944
TELLERMINE
IGNITER T MIZ 43
1
Enemy is now using T Mine Igniter T MIZ 43 in T Mines 35 (STAHL) 42 and 43
(P112/ as opposed to IGNITER T MIZ 42.
2 It
is impossible to determine which igniter is being used by inspecting the mine.
3
This igniter works by either pressure (approx. 200 lbs) on the pressure plate
of by unscrewing the pressure plate.
4 In
future all T Mines will be pulled but NOT neutralized.
2 - New Allies:
The fortunes of war can shift quickly, as
can alliances. The Italian Armed Forces
were now fighting with the Allies (as co-belligerents) against the German
army. But it seems as if the Allied
soldiers on the ground were somewhat skeptical, as they felt free to commandeer
property of the Italian forces. Perhaps
this was not so surprising, as that property had quite recently been used
against Allied troops. The term frenemy
hadn’t been invented yet, though it seems like it would have been quite useful
back then.
Aug 4, 1944
PROPERTY AND EQPT OF
ITALIAN ARMED FORCES
1 The Italian Armed Forces
are fighting and working as co-belligerents with the Allies in Italy. Their help can only be effective if they have
the means to administer and maintain themselves.
2 Cases have occurred
(particularly in ROME and other newly occupied localities), where property,
transport and materials belonging to the Italian Forces have been removed from
them without proper authority and when the operational need for such action no
longer existed.
3 In future, no buildings,
real estate, transport or other materials belonging to the Italian Armed
Forces, or in the possession of effective units of the Italian Navy, Army or
Air Force, will be occupied, requisitioned, seized or made use of without prior
reference to this H.Q.. This does not, however, preclude the rights of operational
commands to make such use of the items mentioned as may be necessary for
operational reasons.
4 The Italian Commanders
concerned have been authorized to place notices on their property indicating
its ownership. These notices will be respected.
3 - San Marino - Enemy or Neutral?:
The case of The
Republic of San Marino is another strange situation. This tiny independent republic is entirely
surrounded by Italy, though not too far from the Adriatic coast. As the order below states, it was technically
at war with Britain at this time (it had declared war in 1940 and never
capitulated). However, the troops were
instructed to respect its “neutrality”, at least for the time being. How it could be both neutral and in a state
of war with Britain is not explained.
However, the troops were still some distance from San Marino, so the
issue was not yet pressing.
My dad was quite
impressed with San Marino, or at least with the idea of San Marino. He often spoke of his short stay in the
world’s smallest country.
Aug 12, 1944
NEUTRALITY
OF THE REPUBLIC OF SAN MARINO
1
The Commander-in-chief directs that the neutrality of the small Republic of SAN
MARINO ref map 1/100,000 sheets 108-109 R 7585, be respected, and that allied
troops are not to violate the territory of this Republic except under the
conditions given below.
2
Troops may only enter the confines of the Republic of SAN MARINO if it can be
definitely established that either:
·
The enemy have first violated the neutrality of this state either by
withdrawing through it or by fighting from within its boundaries or
·
The Government and people of SAN MARINO have adopted a hostile
attitude.
If it is necessary to enter the territory of SAN
MARINO under the provisions of this paragraph, the greatest possible respect
will be paid to the inhabitants and property within the state. The decision to
enter this territory will not be taken by an Officer junior to a Divisional
Commander.
3 All troops that are likely to operate in the
vicinity of SAN MARINO will be fully acquainted with this order. The boundaries of this republic are clearly
delineated on all GSGS maps.
POINTS OF INTEREST
All
of the information hereunder is not confirmed and is only hearsay.
1
SAN MARINO is the smallest independent republic in the world.
2 It
declared war on Germany during period 1914-18 but never declared peace.
3 It
declared war on Gt Britain in Jul 1940 but did not capitulate along with Italy.
4 - More about POWs:
Becoming a
prisoner of war was always a possibility.
In fact, as noted earlier, some members of the 12th Field
Company had been captured during the June battles in the Liri Valley. As we all know from countless war movies, the
Geneva Convention stated that Name, Rank and Serial Number were all that a
soldier had to divulge to the enemy.
Apparently, though, according to German reports on British prisoners
that had fallen into Allied hands, some POWs had been rather free with
information. So, soldiers were reminded
of their duties in this regard (including the destruction of documents), and
cautioned against falling for any enemy trickery during captivity.
Having said all
that, it is good to remember that Allied intelligence officers also tried to
get information out of German POWs, and no doubt they had their own bag of tricks. One advantage that the Allies had in this
regard, was that a significant number of the German troops were not German
nationals, and had been pressed into service by Germany. So, they tended to have little loyalty to the
Axis cause.
Aug 17, 1944
CONDUCT
OF BRITISH PRISONERS OF WAR IN GERMAN HANDS
1
During recent operations, interrogation reports on British POWs have
been captured from the Germans.
2 They give the names of POW and reveal
that much information has been given by them under interrogation which was of
great value to the enemy. The
information included details of their Unit organization, its previous moves,
often with ports of embarkation and shipping used, reliefs planned and
locations of other units.
3 Such indiscretions lead directly to loss
of Allied soldiers’ lives and endangers the success of Allied operations.
4 Immediate steps will be taken to ensure
that the above information which a POW will give to the enemy is his RANK, NAME
AND NUMBER.
5 The attention of all ranks will be again
drawn to the following points:
a) Papers and Documents – All personal
papers and documents will be removed from the person before going into
action. Any papers or documents (except
the AB 64 or officers identity card) which must remain on the person will be
destroyed at the first opportunity after capture. Steps will be taken to ensure than the only
information contained in AB 64 and officer’s identity cards is owner’s RANK,
NAME AND NUMBER.
b) Misleading Information – No attempts
will be made to mislead the enemy by giving false information at
interrogations. Such attempts will
inevitably be detected.
c) Red Cross questionnaire – No Red Cross
questionnaire or questionnaire forms will be filled in. It is not legitimate to force POWs to answer
such questionnaires and in no way serves its ostensible purpose of assisting
prisoners’ welfare.
d) Stool Pigeons – The German
organization is adept at planting convincing stool pigeons among POWs. Prisoners will not converse among themselves
on recent actions, units or other military matters.
e) Microphones – The Germans are experts
at organizing listening-in systems, with microphones planted in the most
unlikely places. POWs will NOT converse
on military matters, even with the most trusted friend.
5 - Clean Water:
Clean water was
extremely important, to prevent disease.
In fact, establishing water points and ensuring that the water was
sterilized was one of the unsung but vital functions of Engineers. When good water wasn’t available (at the
front, for instance), soldiers were
expected to sterilize the water with their own portable outfits. I assume that meant something like iodine
pills, similar to what hikers sometimes use (I have used them and the taste is
not great, but better that than a parasite infection). Note that this issue was an ongoing concern,
so an order with this exact wording showed up in succeeding months as well.
Aug 25, 1944
STERILIZATION
OF WATER
1
All sources of water in this theatre will be regarded as contaminated and must
be chlorinated whether intended for human consumption or for washing
purposes. Dual water sups, e.g. pure for
drinking and impure for washing, will not be allowed. Thirsty men are liable to drink any water.
2
When units are drawing water from other than supervised water points
established by the RCE or RE, unit water duty personnel will carry out
filtration, chlorination, and de-chlorination in the manner laid down.
3
Forward troops who cannot be served by unit water vehicles will chlorinate and
de-chlorinate all water by means of their individual sterilizing outfits. Full instructions as to their use are
contained in the outfits.
6 - Clean Chickens:
Bad water meant
that any animal drinking from these sources might be contaminated. Apparently that was an issue with local
chickens. There is no mention of the
particular disease in question, but some sort of food poisoning might be a
possibility, as might be a parasite.
Also, flu has been known to spread from fowl to humans, so that could
also have been a concern.
Aug 17, 1944
CHICKENS
Chickens
in this area are diseased. They will NOT
be eaten by personnel.
Some Family Stories Related to
August 1944 Events
Working on the Railway
Working on an Italian railway in August
1944 would have been like old times for my dad.
One of the reasons that he was put into the Engineer Corps was because
of his railroad experience in Canada (and a high score on the M-test, a sort of
IQ test given to recruits to place them where their talents could best help the
army).
He had worked
for some years with the Canadian National Railway (CN) in Alberta and a smaller
company, the Northern Alberta Railway (NAR), which eventually was absorbed by
the larger CN. Railway construction was
a big endeavour in the 1920s, though it slowed to a crawl during the 1930s.
Even during
peacetime, railway work could be extremely dangerous. I know that from experience, as I spent a
summer working for the railroad, while I went to university. Even at that time, there were a lot of
accidents – at least one fellow lost a leg during the weeks that I was on a
track laying crew in northern British Columbia.
Plus, safety practices were pretty lax, when we crossed the high trestle
bridges, laying new tracks (e.g. no hand railings, just a long drop into the abyss
if you lost your balance near the edge).
My dad sometimes
related a story from his bridge building days before the war that illustrated
the dangers of the railroad life and bridge building in particular.
He was
apprenticing on the railroad, building trestle bridges in Northern Alberta. As
I understand it, there was a kind of cable used for transporting materials
across a bridge, in a manner similar to a conveyor belt, powered by a
motor. Normally, it was slack, unless it
was in use. His journeyman, a fellow
that he got on well with, was stepping over this cable, when someone carelessly
put it into operation. It snapped into life, drew taught and caught him between
the legs, tossing him off the bridge.
Martin quickly shimmied down the tall trestle bridge, just in time to hold
this man in his arms as he died. His
dying words were "find another line of work - this is too dangerous."
I suppose it was
ironic that Martin stayed in bridge building game, which became orders of
magnitude more dangerous once the war started.
Here's a nice
little poem about railroading in those days:
The Section Man
by Edna Jacques
We passed him there,
knee-deep in snow,
Standing to watch
the train go by,
A lonely man in
overalls,
Outlined against the
snowy sky.
Along by Field,
where peak and height
Make ghostly shadows
in the night.
His face was bitten
by the cold,
His mittened hands
were stiff and hard
Yet there he stood
as staunch and true
As any soldier
standing guard,
Keeping his trackage
swept and bare
That we might pass
in safety there.
Oh, unsung heroes of
the land,
The lowly knight of
mawl and spade,
His home a lonely
section-house,
His trust a curving
mile of grade.
Seen through the
dusk, a tired wraith
Knee-deep in
snow...he still keeps faith.
Source: Canadian
Pacific Railway, Factors in Railway and
Steamship Operation.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Book Call Out
If you are interested in history, you may
also be interested in adventure travel, whether by foot, bike, truck or
car. So, why not consider reading a
travel, for only 99 cents on Amazon:
A Ride on the Kettle Valley Rail Trail
U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GBG8JE0
U.K.: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01GBG8JE0
Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01GBG8JE0
Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01GBG8JE0
Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01GBG8JE0
Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01GBG8JE0
India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B01GBG8JE0
The Kettle Valley Rail Trail is one of the
longest and most scenic biking and hiking trails in Canada. It covers a good
stretch of the south-central interior of British Columbia, about 600 kilometers
of scenic countryside. British Columbia is one of the most beautiful areas of
Canada, which is itself a beautiful country, ideal for those who appreciate natural
splendour and achievable adventure in the great outdoors.
The trail passes through a great variety of geographical and geological
regions, from mountains to valleys, along scenic lakes and rivers, to dry
near-desert condition grasslands. It often features towering canyons, spanned
by a combination of high trestle bridges and long tunnels, as it passes through
wild, unpopulated country. At other times, it remains quite low, in populated
valleys, alongside spectacular water features such as beautiful Lake Okanagan,
an area that is home to hundreds of vineyards, as well as other civilized
comforts.
The trail is a nice test of one’s physical fitness, as well as one’s wits and
adaptability, as much of it does travel through true wilderness. The views are
spectacular, the wildlife is plentiful and the people are friendly. What more
could one ask for?
What follows is a journal of two summers of adventure, biking most of the trail
in the late 1990s. It is about 33,000 words in length (2 to 3 hours reading),
and contains numerous photographs of the trail. There are also sections
containing a brief history of the trail, geology, flora and fauna, and
associated information.
After reading this account, you should have a good sense of whether the trail
is right for you. If you do decide to ride the trail, it will be an experience
you will never forget.
A Drive Across Newfoundland
U.S.:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NMR9WM8
U.K.: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NMR9WM8
Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07NMR9WM8
Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07NMR9WM8
Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07NMR9WM8
Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07NMR9WM8
India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07NMR9WM8
Newfoundland, Canada’s most easterly
province, is a region that is both fascinating in its unique culture and
amazing in its vistas of stark beauty. The weather is often wild, with coastal
regions known for steep cliffs and crashing waves (though tranquil beaches
exist too). The inland areas are primarily Precambrian shield, dominated by
forests, rivers, rock formations, and abundant wildlife. The province also
features some of the Earth’s most remarkable geology, notably The Tablelands,
where the mantle rocks of the Earth’s interior have been exposed at the
surface, permitting one to explore an almost alien landscape, an opportunity
available on only a few scattered regions of the planet.
The city of St. John’s is one of Canada’s
most unique urban areas, with a population that maintains many old traditions
and cultural aspects of the British Isles. That’s true of the rest of the
province, as well, where the people are friendly and inclined to chat amiably
with visitors. Plus, they talk with amusing accents and party hard, so what’s
not to like?
This account focusses on a two-week road trip in October 2007, from St. John’s
in the southeast, to L’Anse aux Meadows in the far northwest, the only known
Viking settlement in North America. It also features a day hike visit to The
Tablelands, a remarkable and majestic geological feature. Even those who don’t
normally consider themselves very interested in geology will find themselves awe-struck
by these other-worldly landscapes.
