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The Canso Defence Area, Were Residents of Guysborough, That Were Recruited and Trained Here

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The Canso Defence Area, Were Residents of Guysborough, That Were Recruited and Trained Here ABSTRACT Half of the first troops that served in the Canso Defence Area, were residents of Guysborough, that were recruited and trained here. The story of how they were brought together, was the story of war on the Homefront in Canada. Neither self-evident nor apparent as the war unfolded; was the influence of events on the world stage that often- precipitated change and action on the home front. Courtesy of George Freer Archives Such was the case in the Canso Defence Area. The Canso Defence Area - This is that story. The Second World War on the Home Front Gerry Madigan 23 August 2019 Gerry (GD) Madigan, CD, MSc, MA is a retired logistician, Canadian Armed Forces. Major Madigan’s (Retired) career spanned 28 Years as a finance officer whose notable postings included time served at National Defence Headquarters, CFB Europe, Maritime Canada and the First Gulf War. He is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston Ontario, War Studies Program. 1 ISBN 978-0-9959203-3-0 2 Contents Prologue .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 7 1 - Idyllic Summer ..................................................................................................................................... 9 2 - Baby Steps ......................................................................................................................................... 14 3 - Growing Pains .................................................................................................................................... 19 4 - Danger Abounds Everywhere (1939-1941)....................................................................................... 29 5 - The Bureaucratic Muddle 1939 to 1940 ........................................................................................... 39 6 - The Annual Lull .................................................................................................................................. 47 7 - Hustle and Bustle of the Job ............................................................................................................. 56 8 - Life and Trials of the Guns ................................................................................................................ 63 9 - Troubled Waters ................................................................................................................................ 78 10 - 1942 Greatcoats on – Greatcoats off .............................................................................................. 91 11 - 1942 Tensions Mount .................................................................................................................... 102 12 – 1942 to 1943 The Evolving Security Threat ................................................................................. 117 13 - “ …. rolls down hill.” ...................................................................................................................... 133 14 - 1943 “The Bumps in the Night!” ................................................................................................. 157 15 - 1943 “The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round” ................................................................ 166 16 - 1944 A Pivotal Year ...................................................................................................................... 180 17 – 1945 The End is in Sight ................................................................................................................ 193 Selected Bibliography ........................................................................................................................... 201 Listing of all DHH scanned documents ................................................................................................ 204 3 Prologue On September 15, 1917 a recruiting officer came to “Guisborough”, and took lodgings at Grants’ Hotel. He held a meeting at Chedabucto Hall, now the Masonic Hall, in which a large crowd was in attendance. Amongst the throng, was a young Laurier C. Grant who enrolled with the 85th Nova Scotia Highlanders, along with several of his friends that day, much to his mother’s chagrin.1 Laurier Grant never made it overseas for one reason and another. He was due to go after passing several hurdles, but posted on his unit’s bulletin board, was a notice that he was to be deferred for a time. He was surprised to learn of that deferral, along with a 30-day pass of leave without pay from July 30th, 1918 onward. He was flummoxed, but later learned that his father applied for a pass on his behalf on the grounds that he was employed in the essential service of lumbering. By the time his pass expired, it became evident that the allies were clearly winning the war, and that his services were no longer required. But just in case, he was advised by military district number 6 at Halifax, that his pass was extended to 14 January 1919 should he ever be needed. By that time though, the war was over, and young Laurier was discharged.2 Laurier Grant returned to his community. He lived and served in Guysborough with distinction and as a community leader. Notably he retained his military ties to the 85th Nova Scotia Highlanders who would come to call upon him again in later years. In the meantime, following the war, people simply wanted to get on with their lives. But it wasn’t as simple as all that. There was much left unresolved after the Great War. Many rifts, grievances, imbalances, and injustices were created as a consequence of the Treaty of Versailles, for Germany in particular. Germany suffered several economic crises and economic depressions in its aftermath, that were the seed bed for discontent and revolution. On top of that, 1 Laurier C. Grant, “Recollections Of Life In Guysborough”, January 1987 (Self published memoir), pg. 68 2 Ibid Laurier C. Grant, 1987, pg. 70-71 4 Germany was held largely to blame for the Great War; and made to pay its costs through onerous reparations, that added to the peoples suffering. By 1933, Adolph Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in the vain hope by the government of the day, that he would be a unifying power for a peaceful Germany. Hitler worked wonders and soon lifted Germany from a downturn and restored its economy between 1933-34. His work began to take an ominous turn by 1935 though. Hitler began the re- militarization of Germany and re-armed the country once again. Clearly, he had violated the Treaty of Versailles, but as the Allies, took no action, Hitler was emboldened to move forward with his master plan, the restoration of Germany as a military power, and his quest for world domination. 3 So began a territorial expansion, that by 1938 suggested, there was a very real possibility of war.4 Austria was annexed that year, followed by Hitler’s ambitions for expansion in the Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia. War was clearly evident that late summer and fall. There was some respite though. A pact was reached with Hitler designed to resolve what came to be “the Munich Crisis”. World leaders looked forward to peace in our time in their acquiesces and appeasement to all of Hitler’s demands. Then came Poland’s turn 3 September 1939, and with that invasion, the Second World War began.5 The coming of the Second World War was anticipated. Behind the scenes the Canadian government took some preliminary steps for the nation’s defence. These steps reached far back, and down into many local communities. There was envisioned a growing need for manpower. Less than 20 years after Laurier Grant’s release from the 85th Nova Scotia Highlanders (Pictou Highlander's), he was called by its commanding officer to raise a reserve army company in one eastern county of Nova Scotia, known as Guysborough County. 3 John Keegan, The Second World War, Penguin Books, 1989, pg. 34-36 4 William L. Shirer, The Nightmare Years -1930-1940, A Memoir Of A Life And The Times, Little, Brown, and Company . Boston . Toronto ., 1984, pg. 254-326 5 William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich – A History of Nazi Germany, A Touchstone Book published by Simon & Shuster Inc., New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, 1959, pg. 455-512 5 Laurier Grant was commissioned in the rank of second lieutenant as officer commanding E company, but by war’s end had been promoted Major for his distinguished service. In the beginning though, he had no soldiers to command. Laurier’s first task was to recruit and prepare platoon commanders and key non- commissioned officers for the company. He soon began enlisting troops, some of whom had experience as World War One veterans. Eventually, Laurier raised 3 platoons of Pictou Highlander’s, that were stationed in Guysborough, with one platoon at Canso, and another at Isaac’s Harbour, totalling over 300 men. Men received regular training conducted largely in the evenings and on weekends. A summer army camp was also held. Their training was large in scope and far beyond boot bashing on the parade square. All the officers of the company received an education and wrote regular army examinations for promotion. These exams were usually held at the Pictou Highlander’s Barracks in New Glasgow. Many of the young men who joined and trained in Guysborough served in the active force on reaching the age of 18 and gave distinguished
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