13 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca ABEL, Alexander Brigham WWII A Veteran’s Military Memories I joined the army, Royal Canadian Artillery, on January 16, 1942. I took my basic and advanced training at Brandon, Manitoba. After a period of intensive training, most of the group moved off to England except for four of us who were only 18 and we had to be 19 to go overseas. In June 1942, we were posted to heavy anti aircraft Battery (ATT) at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where we guarded the steel mills from any air attack. We received American rations here. In August 1943, we were posted to Brandon, Manitoba. After a session of advanced training we were drafted overseas on the Queen Mary in late September. After arriving in Scotland we were immediately sent by train to Aldershot. I took driver’s training here. In January 1944, I was posted to the 18th Bty. 2nd Canadian Antitank Regiment 2nd Division. England provided still further training and employment on the south coast in an anti invasion role in the defence of Great Britain. In April 1944, I became part of the 7th Brigade 3rd Canadian Division and all leaves were cancelled. On June 2, 1944, in preparation for the Normandy invasion, we were loaded on to a ship at Southampton. The Royal Winnipeg Rifles were on it, too. The lieutenant told us we would be first line reinforcements wherever they were needed. In the early morning of June 6 we were ordered to be ready to man the assault boats. We had watched the Royal Winnipeg Rifles man the boats and go in. The assault boats that made it came back for us and we were on the Canadian sector of Normandy beach at 10 o’clock. All of us who landed that day knew we were a part of one of the largest military operations of our time. The first few days on the beach were very uneasy times. The first night I was on guard duty at midnight. Some German planes came in and dropped anti personnel bombs on a row of trees about 100 yards from where I was. They killed 24 men and wounded a number of others. About the third day a lieutenant picked out ten of us to help him look after about 800 German prisoners. This task took place in an open field with no cover. We were two hours on duty and two hours off but were always there. The only time we took our shoes off was to change socks. The first week in July a Lieutenant from the Queen’s Own Rifles came into camp. Some German snipers had gotten in behind the lines and were causing some trouble. The Lieutenant picked me and a fellow named Sineese and two German prisoners to go between us to help act as a cover.We were told to keep one pace apart, wait twenty minutes until the Lieutenant got into position, then go down the road. If we made it we were to keep on going to Brigade Headquarters about three miles away. We did draw the sniper fire and I managed to keep us together and we made the Brigade H.Q. This was the only time I was ordered to do a task like this - Thank the Lord, as our chances for survival weren’t great. Near the end of July I was posted back to the 18th Bty. 2nd Antitank Regiment 2nd Division around Verrieres. I had developed a very bad infection in my right hand caused from some fine shrapnel so I reported to the Battery M.O. expecting to have it treated, but was sent back to the field hospital on August 3. On August 5 we boarded a hospital ship and set sail for England very early in the morning. About six o’clock around August 8, 1944, we were almost shook out of our bunks by a very bad explosion. Our snip had been torpedoed. The walking patients I was with were at the front of the bottom deck of the ship. By the time we made it up to the main deck the back half of the ship was already under water. There was one life boat and one raft made it off. To my knowledge only one nursing Sister made it. The British marine who got the raft off managed to rescue the nursing sister. Luckily for me I did have the presence of mind to pick up a life jacket. After we tried to do all we could to get life rafts off I noticed this fellow standing just over the rail trying to get his life jacket on. He had been badly burned on his right arm and leg so I took my boots off and took my shoe laces out of my boots and his too and using these laces and my belt I tried to secure his life jacket so it would keep him afloat. (Continued)
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