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Documenting the D-Day Dodgers Canadian Field Historians in the Italian Campaign, 1943-1945

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Documenting the D-Day Dodgers Canadian Field Historians in the Italian Campaign, 1943-1945 Canadian Military History Volume 18 Issue 3 Article 3 2009 Documenting the D-Day Dodgers Canadian Field Historians in the Italian Campaign, 1943-1945 Christine Leppard Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Christine Leppard "Documenting the D-Day Dodgers Canadian Field Historians in the Italian Campaign, 1943-1945." Canadian Military History 18, 3 (2009) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. : Documenting the D-Day Dodgers Canadian Field Historians in the Italian Campaign, 1943-1945 Documenting the D-Day Dodgers Canadian Field Historians in the Italian Campaign, 1943-1945 Christine Leppard he research for the operational historian other than Stacey to have volumes of the official history Abstract: The “top-down” official focussed on military history in his T record of Canada in the Italian of the Canadian Army in the Second Campaign of the Second World War graduate studies and publications, World War was gathered by two was gathered by the 1st Canadian initially refused Stacey’s invitation, under-staffed and over-worked field Field Historical Section (1 CFHS), but then later accepted. Stanley, who historical units. They were organized which served in Italy from 1943 to was serving in an infantry battalion and trained by Lieutenant-Colonel 1945. Close study of 1 CFHS records in Canada when Stacey contacted indicates that it was also documenting C.P. Stacey, the official historian of a “worm’s eye” view of the campaign him, was a graduate of Oxford the overseas army, who was based through a war art program and in the University, and in civilian life had at Canadian Military Headquarters historians’ war diaries. Historians been a professor of history at Mount in London. Stacey exercised close Captain Eric Harrison and Captain Allison University.2 Stanley finally direction over the units through Sam H.S. Hughes offered preliminary arrived in London only in October analyses on important campaign liaison visits, messages and frequent questions, and, along with war 1942. letters. The mission of the 1st Canadian artists Captain Charles Comfort and Canadian troops had stood on Field Historical Section (1 CFHS), Lieutenant Lawren P. Harris, provided guard in England, a vital role in which served in Italy from November material for future scholarship on the 1940 and the first part of 1941 when 1943 to February 1945, was to gather social history of Canada in the Italian a German invasion had been a real campaign. “top-down” documents for the possibility. Thereafter the Canadians’ official record. Closer examination main purpose had been to prepare of their work shows that 1 CFHS Canadian militia, and one of only two for an Allied return to Europe, but was also recording a “worm’s eye” Canadian university historians who strategic circumstances repeatedly view of the war through art and the specialized in military history, Stacey delayed that major operation. When, pages of the historians’ war diaries. was prolific and committed. Still in August 1942 a large Canadian In doing so, field historians Captain the job became too big for one man, force built around the 2nd Canadian Eric Harrison and Captain Sam H. no matter how industrious, as the Infantry Division (CID) carried out Hughes developed valuable analyses overseas force grew by 1942 into the a raid on the French port of Dieppe, of Canadian military operations. First Canadian Army comprising two Stacey learned the hard way that Secondarily, they made a valuable corps with a total of five divisions.1 when Canadian units went into contribution to our understanding Even so, Stacey had a difficult time action historians needed to go with of civil affairs in Italy, and the social persuading his superiors that a them. Stacey was not warned of the history of the “D-Day Dodgers.” second historian was needed. For raid and was on leave in August – his Stacey arrived in London at a time it appeared that Gerald S. first holiday in the nearly two years the end of 1940 with a mandate to Graham, of Queen’s University, he had been at CMHQ, London. The document the Canadian Army’s whose recent work had taken him Dieppe operation was an unmitigated overseas war. He was the right man into naval and military history, might debacle that cost the 2nd CID 3,367 for the job. A professor at Princeton be available, but he joined the navy. casualties. Stacey scrambled to University, a former officer in the George Stanley, the only Canadian collect all of the information that he Published© Canadian by Scholars Military Commons History @, Laurier,Volume 2009 18, Number 3, Summer 2009, pp.7-18. 7 1 Leppard - Documenting the D-Day Dodgers.indd 7 10/6/2009 12:53:48 PM Canadian Military History, Vol. 18 [2009], Iss. 3, Art. 3 Colonel C.P. Stacey, the official historian of the overseas Canadian army, was responsible for setting up the field historical sections. He exercised close direction over the units through liaison visits, messages and frequent letters. history of the war if he went to sea.6 After lobbying President Roosevelt, who was a vocal proponent of a comprehensive history, Morison set sail. Ultimately his work was essential in convincing the US Army Historical Branch that battle reports, war dairies and message logs inadequately depicted what happened on the battlefield.7 Trained historians were made “combat historians” and sent overseas to interview rank and file soldiers. These interviews featured Library and Archives Canada (LAC) PA 501024 PA Canada (LAC) Library and Archives prominently in the American Forces in Action pamphlet series that began publication in 1943. The initiative for the series had come directly from General George C. Marshall, chief of staff of the US Army, who particularly wanted to have the pamphlets distributed in military hospitals “to help [wounded soldiers] understand why their sacrifices were necessary.”8 could including first-hand accounts behind the front interviewing soldiers The British, according to Stacey, from Canadian officers and soldiers for accounts he rushed into print in “scorned” the idea of placing who returned to England. Such an newspapers to promote the Canadian historians in the field to conduct after-the-fact effort involved many effort. He drew on this material to interviews. Instead, they preferred compromises, and the lessons were publish one of the first monographs to keep their historical work in the not lost on Stacey. He had to have about Canada’s part in the war effort, Cabinet Office, relying on war diaries advanced notice of future operations, Canada in Flanders, which became an to construct the chronology. They did, and historians had to be attached to instant best seller when it appeared however, coordinate a widespread formations in the field so they could in 1916.4 effort to gather documents for immediately gather and collate During the Second World War, archival keeping, and made extensive documents, and interview officers as the Americans also employed field preparations for their official history soon as possible after combat actions historians. The idea originated with while the war was still on.9 before the passage of time blurred the Harvard maritime historian S t acey did not have the memories.3 Samuel Eliot Morison, the Pulitzer manpower to employ “combat There was precedent for this Prize-winning author of a book historians” the way the Americans work. During the First World War, the about Christopher Columbus.5 To did, but in October 1942 the Canadian ambitious Canadian businessman, better appreciate the difficulties of Army agreed that one historical member of the British Parliament, and Columbus’s voyage, Morison sailed officer should be attached to each socialite, Max Aitken, was Canada’s the explorer’s route across the Atlantic headquarters in the field. Stacey had “Eye Witness” of the war. As self- Ocean. In 1942 he pitched the same hoped to send Sam H.S. Hughes appointed historian of the Canadian concept to the United States Navy, to gather documents and conduct Expeditionary Force, Aitken travelled arguing that he could write a better interviews with 1st Division when https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol18/iss3/38 2 Leppard - Documenting the D-Day Dodgers.indd 8 10/6/2009 12:53:49 PM : Documenting the D-Day Dodgers Canadian Field Historians in the Italian Campaign, 1943-1945 it participated in the Allied invasion the First World War, to record the in September. In Italy, at places of Sicily in July 1943. Hughes, the Canadian effort. With the help and like Ortona and the Hitler Line, grandson of the infamous First support of Stacey, Massey established the Canadians waged some of their World War minister of militia, Sir a formal army art program that toughest battles of the war. Sam Hughes, was an Oxford-trained was administered by the historical Two months into the campaign historian in modern European section.11 the Canadian presence in Italy history. When the war broke out in Although not a trained historian, expanded, with the dispatch from the 1939, Hughes was embarking on a Sesia proved effective in recording United Kingdom of I Canadian Corps law career at Osgoode Hall. He joined 1st Division’s operations in Sicily in headquarters and 5th Canadian the Canadian Officers’ Training Corps July-August 1943, and his efforts have Armoured Division (CAD). The size and later the Queen’s Own Rifles, and, been well documented elsewhere.12 of the field historical section grew after completing two of three years Most importantly, Sesia was an accordingly.
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