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Stu Christie is a Merchant Navy Veteran from the Second World War.  He has devoted himself to working on behalf of veterans for more than 40 years.  He is Past President of the United Services Club of Montreal and, at present, a member of the White Ensign Club of Montreal.  In addition, he is the Curator of The War Amps Museum.

Mr. Christie is an expert in the history of military decorations, particularly the Victoria Cross, and the following are some fascinating Victoria Cross facts he has compiled:

There have been many stories, articles and books published about the Victoria Cross and the men who have won this medal.  Below, I will outline some of the interesting facts on the Victoria Cross since the institution of the Decoration in June of 1856.

• On the 26th of June, 1856, the first distribution of the Victoria Crosses was held in Hyde Park.  It was awarded to all ranks, irrespective of social position – private soldiers, non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers as well as to all ranks in the Navy and was inscribed “For Valour.”  In 1857, it carried with it a pension of 10 pounds per year.  This amount was increased to 100 pounds per year in 1959.  The Labour Government turned down an appeal to have the pension increased in 1975.

• Although the Victoria Cross was instituted in 1856, the first V.C. was awarded to Mate (later Rear Admiral) Charles Davis Lucas, H.M.S. Helca, in the Baltic, June 21, 1854.  A live shell from the enemy landed on the upper deck with its fuse still hissing, and Lucas ran forward, picked up the shell and tossed it overboard.  It exploded with a tremendous roar before it hit the water.

• Samuel James Browne, Rank Lieutenant Colonel (later General) won the Victoria Cross in the Indian Mutiny, August 31, 1858.  He is said to be the inventor of the Sam Browne Belt.

• Sgt. James McQuire, who won the Victoria Cross in the Indian Mutiny, while a soldier with the East Indian Company, returned to Ireland and to a family dispute over a debt.  By way of payment of the debt, he seized his uncle’s cow and was convicted of theft and lost his Victoria Cross.

• Lt. Edward Daniel, who won his Victoria Cross in the Crimean War, also had his medal taken away and his name erased from the Victoria Cross Register by Royal Warrant.  The full truth of his offence is unclear.

• One of the most unusual V.C.s awarded was to Pte. T. O’hea of the Rifle Brigade for extinguishing a fire in a railway car containing 2,000 pounds of ammunition at Danville Railway Station, Quebec, Canada, in 1866.

Who else was a Knight of Battle?

PHIL GOWER, on D-Day June 6 ‘44, earned a reputation beyond belief with his handling of the giant casements at the mouth of the Seulles River where it joins the channel.  This constituted one of the major objectives of any of the assault forces in the Normandy landing.

PHIL had an interesting career.  He was a Corporal in the Permanent Force prior to the war.  After he obtained his commission he came to the RWR and soon showed that he had a thorough grasp of infantry tactics.  He knew, also, how to get the best out of his men.

In the Regiment PHIL had originally been the second-in-command (2 I/C) of BAKER Company.  His looming objective on D-Day was a huge German bunker.  The scene was destined to send shivers up the spine of any infantryman.  It provided defence, either from the sea or in an outflanking manoeuvre from the rear.  Several weeks before the final plans for D-Day, the major originally tasked to command B Company took a staff position at a Headquarters (HQ).  This meant that CO JOHN MELDRAM had either to bring in a new major or leave this all-important position to PHIL GOWER, the 2 I/C – a captain who knew the men and was immensely qualified to organize and carry out the attack.  It was a wise decision.

PHIL GOWER was given his normal compliment of 130 men with another 30 or so special combat troops, including engineers and explosive experts.  PHIL’S landing craft infantry (LCI) came under withering fire.  According to the regiment’s history, however, the highly-touted support from planes, warships and rockets fired from landing craft failed ‘to make one hit on this objective.’  (RWR Combat Report)

Of the 160 men – the figure is approximate – who landed with B Company, only 27 survivors could be counted at the end of the day.  Many spoke of the heroism of PHIL GOWER, standing knee-deep in water.  He had taken off his helmet and was using both arms to wave his troops ashore, completely ignoring the German small-arms firing at him.  He received a Military Cross for his bravery; a very rare decoration for a company commander holding a captain’s rank.

Here the story is scarcely believable.  PHIL was taken prisoner.  Until the end of the war he was in a POW camp, being paid as a Captain although his task would certainly have called for a Major’s rank.  It gets even worse.  After the war, PHIL decided to return to the Permanent Force.  The policy at that time for officers, staying in the Active Force, was to drop one rank.  PHIL had been a Captain, hence had to revert to Lieutenant when he joined the Peacetime Army.  It was my great fortune to spend a great deal of time with he and his wife Anne, in Ottawa, until he was posted to Calgary and then Korea. 

He eventually got his Major’s rank - without back pay.  Unusually tragic circumstances continued to dog him and he was killed in an Air Canada plane, on Mount Slesse in the Rockies, on his return to Calgary from the Korean War. 

Going down the list, it can be suggested that our Company Commanders were as good as any in the U.S. or British Forces.  That includes the commandos who landed on D-Day on the immediate left of our 8th Brigade at Saint Aubin.  Some of these ‘Knights of the Battlefield,’ and the list is by no means complete, would include MAJORS FRED HODGE, HUGH DENISON, and BRIAN ROBERTSON - all killed in action.

The point being made:  A company commander had, at his fingertips, an almost unlimited number of 25-pounders; anti-tank guns if needed for defence; air support from what was known as the ‘cab ranks’ of close-support aircraft flying above the battle and always ready for action, and even some of the ‘funnies,’ such as the Crocodile flamethrower tanks.  The so-called ‘funnies’ were the product of the ingenious mind of SIR PERCY HOBART – the father of the floating Sherman tanks which were effective on D-Day.

Crocodile flamethrowers were usually mounted on Churchill tanks.  Petards were a tank which could rush up to a German fortification, plant a beehive charge consisting of thousands of pounds of TNT against a wall, back off and open a breach from which the infantry could penetrate.

Where did the Canadian Army find field commanders such as HARRY KNOX?  Their German counterparts were trained in infantry, tank or tactical schools – not so our Company commanders.  They simply joined the Forces and used their natural ability to pick up the finer points of their jobs.  It is remarkable that such officers had command of a battlefield many miles long and wide.

Our Infantry Battalions, or individual companies, using the supporting arms as necessary, wiped out or subdued the well prepared German positions.  The German commanders – mostly in mobile vehicles – were perplexed about the courage and the knowledge of these new commanders of the battlefield.

Some say our victory in Normandy was a ‘fluke.’  Who won?  Who lost?

August brings us to the end of the Battle of Normandy and I thought it fitting to conclude with a chapter from my memoir, Excuse Us! Herr Schicklgruber.

THE KNIGHTS OF BATTLE IN NORMANDY

HARRY KNOX controlled a large area of Normandy as a Company Commander.

When first I saw HARRY in my neighbourhood in Winnipeg, he wore a white smock as he ably served the shoppers in a supermarket.  He enlisted in the infantry early in World War II and was eventually posted to the RWR.  He quickly rose in the ranks.  He was on what is today called a ‘fast track.’

By the time the Regiment was in Normandy, he was commanding an infantry company.  HARRY KNOX was the prototype of ‘fellow well met.’  He made a rapid transition to officer of field grade rank – a designation for Majors.  He looked great in the white smock in his job making jokes with the grocery shoppers.  He looked even better in a camouflage battle smock, with his tin hat slung over a shoulder and a map case sticking out of a pocket.  In the meantime he learned the hard way how to command an infantry company of eager young soldiers.

We met up in a ‘hot zone’ half way between Caen and Falaise, where today some 5,000 Canadians lie in peace.  He had come clipping along the road in a jeep, complete with a tall aerial and a powerful radio set.  He had just been through a fierce battle with the German SS.  We stopped in a safe farmyard and had a chat.  Harry had all the skills of an infantry company commander.

The Dean of Canadian War Correspondents, ROSS MUNRO of The Canadian Press (my pre-war boss in Winnipeg) joined the discussion.  HARRY was enthusiastic about a recent, highly successful attack.  He pointed to a concealed copse about 500 yards ahead, stating that, with the flick of a radio button, he could give an order to the Forward Observation Officer (FOO) of the Field Artillery for a 25-pounder shoot, or give a command to the lethal 105mm guns mounted on tracked vehicles, also we had our own 3” mortars and mobile anti-tank guns.  Sherman tanks, too, were at his ‘beck and call.’  The German position would be badly shaken.

ROSS MUNRO – always the reporter – got out his notebook, asking for further details.  HARRY, without a hint of braggadocio, pointed to the sky.  He told us that by communication with the Air Liaison Officer (ALO) at Tactical Headquarters, he could bring in the ‘Tiffie’ fighter bombers with tons of high explosive, smoke bombs or rockets.  From his command post (usually a well-concealed jeep), armed with radio communication, HARRY could give commands which would bring the entire Division’s artillery weapons into play.  Another aspect of his ability to dominate the area would be counter-battery fire.  He could accurately determine the German gun positions by spotting enemy muzzle flashes.  This included the pride of the German artillery – the mobile .88s.  Once discovered, they would either be obliterated or have to find another appropriate gun position.

HARRY KNOX wasn’t finished.  He had been tasked by the CO and was literally in command from his jeep of the coming brigade attack on the town of Renesmesnil, on the route to Falaise.

With this awesome command of firepower, the infantry commander from a farmyard or ditch, had control.  If they attacked an objective, his men, with grenades, 303 rifles, and access to Bren and Sten guns, could advance behind an artillery and smoke barrage.  The German command post could be annihilated.

This was later ably demonstrated in the attack on Renesmesnil which opened the way to the pivotable ‘strong point’ of Bretteville-le-Rabet and was reported in the Canadian newspapers by the legendary ROSS MUNRO.  As ROSS put it – the infantry was still the Queen of Battle but had unbelievable help from supporting arms.  The story was repeated in the Maple Leaf – the army newspaper in Europe.  The boys of the RWR understood that, with these tactics, we could dominate the battlefield.

The well-trained majors, while commanding infantry companies, had literal mastery of Normandy from Caen to Falaise - 25 miles in length and 15 miles wide.  One legendary Company Commander was MAJ LOCKIE FULTON.  Another was JAKE CARVELL who started as a signal officer but had decided to fight the war as an infantry company commander.  JAKE was not satisfied merely to send signals, he wanted to play a close combat role.

HARRY KNOX’S company that morning had been in a tactical manoeuvre with devastating results for the enemy.  The ground troops, who otherwise would have had to put in a hand-to-hand bayonet assault, talked of their faith in artillery, tanks and aircraft.  Also they acknowledged KNOX’S brilliant work as conductor of the assault.

More Knights of Battle in Part II.

As mentioned earlier on my blog, the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association unveiled and dedicated the Hong Kong Veterans Memorial Wall in Ottawa this past weekend, at the corner of Sussex Drive and King Edward Street.  I am pleased that there was extensive media recognition of this event.

It was interesting to note that the Ottawa Citizen, as well as several other papers, noted that Gander, the Newfoundland dog who was a mascot to the Royal Rifles of Canada during the Battle of Hong Kong, was memorialized by having his name etched on this monument.

In a previous entry, I related how Gander gave his life when he seized a live grenade and ran towards enemy lines, saving the lives of several wounded Canadians.  He was killed instantly in the explosion. 

The Ottawa Citizen article on Gander can be found here.