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Canadian Military History Volume 22 Issue 3 Article 6 2013 Husky’s Price A Window on 21 Lives Lost in Sicily Matthew Douglass Alexander Fitzgerald-Black Maryanne Lewell Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Matthew Douglass, Alexander Fitzgerald-Black, and Maryanne Lewell "Husky’s Price A Window on 21 Lives Lost in Sicily." Canadian Military History 22, 3 (2013) This Feature 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]. et al.: Husky’s Price A Window on 21 Lives Lost in Sicily Published70 by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2013 1 Canadian Military History, Vol. 22 [2013], Iss. 3, Art. 6 Husky’s Price A Window on 21 Lives Lost in Sicily Matthew Douglass, Alexander Fitzgerald-Black and Maryanne Lewell his article is a collection of soldiers killed during the First and short biographies of Canadian Abstract: The 38-day campaign in Second World Wars. The exercise T Sicily resulted in 562 Canadian servicemen killed in action during the reveals much about the human life deaths: an average of 15 per day. Allied invasion of Sicily in July and This article considers the cost of reflected in each white headstone August 1943. Together they constitute the campaign by examining a cross in Commonwealth War Graves a series of snapshots representing section of those who died while Cemeteries. These biographies offer the Canadian experience during fighting to liberate the island. The a glimpse into the lives of men who sample of 21 mini-biographies Operation Husky. The campaign represents soldiers from across volunteered to go to war and of the lasted 38 days and resulted in 562 Canada lost by each military unit and cost of their choice to friends, family, Canadian deaths, an average of corps that suffered fatal casualties in and to Canada. The men described 15 per day. Certainly, some days Sicily. These biographies animate the here all have unique stories. For saw much higher totals than others names depicted on a small number example, Private Wilbert Boulton of the stones found in the Agira but at no point were Canada’s cemetery in Sicily, Italy. Although only died on 23 July 1943. His father asked soldiers, sailors, and aircrew free a sample of the men who sacrificed that his son’s pay be deposited into an from danger. The stories of these 21 everything in Operation Husky, these account for Wilbert’s younger sister, men are intended to represent all portraits acknowledge the sacrifice to whom he was strongly attached. Canadians killed in Sicily, one for made by all. The personal lives of average soldiers each day commemorated during are not typically part of the story this year’s Operation Husky 2013 campaign in Sicily: the impact of the of Canada’s historic battles and march between 10 and 30 July. The island’s rugged terrain on the soldier. campaigns in the Second World War. men featured in this article represent Rocky hilltops were transformed In some cases, the evidence available each Canadian military unit and into enemy fortresses linked by in published accounts and military corps that suffered fatal losses in difficult roads and mule tracks. The records enabled us to identify the Sicily, including those lesser-known indiscriminate nature of artillery and time, place and cause of death with branches of the Canadian Armed mortar fire in those hills sometimes certainty. In all other cases we explain Forces. The dead commemorated resulted in so-called friendly fire probable causes based on where the originate from across Canada and injury and death. Summer time heat man and his unit were on the day are reflective of Canada’s population; could likewise be deadly to exhausted he died. This research was assisted much as it is now the Canada of 1943 men without sufficient water or cover by undergraduate history students contained a rich mixture of new from the sun. Sicily’s mountainous at the University of New Brunswick immigrants and established families. interior frequently interfered with participating in the Lest-We-Forget These biographies illustrate an radio communication, increasing the program sponsored by Library and important aspect of the Canadian fog of war and the cost in lives. Archives Canada and first founded by Preparing these soldier Blake Seward, an Ontario high school biographies was not a new task teacher. We hope these profiles will Left: Agira Canadian War Cemetery. for us. We have each previously encourage a discussion of the benefits researched the stories of Canadian and costs of Canada’s battle for Sicily. https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol22/iss3/6© Canadian Military History, Volume 22, Number 3, Summer 2013, pp.70-87. 71 2 et al.: Husky’s Price A Window on 21 Lives Lost in Sicily In the early morning hours of 10 thin screen of Italian coastal defence Alvin and Elizabeth. The family July 1943 Canadian troops landed on units the Canadians met on D-Day hailed from St. Jacobs, Ontario. the southwest shore of the Pachino were meant to delay and disorganize Roland was also survived by his wife, peninsula in the southeastern corner the invasion force as it came ashore Mrs. Edith Thoms, who he married of Sicily. The assault troops of 1st and warn counterattack forces of the only three days prior to enlisting. Canadian Infantry Division were landing location. Roland was born in 1915, and by assigned several key missions The Canadians accomplished 1940, he had established himself as a that day, beyond getting ashore their D-Day mission at a cost of seven shoemaker in St. Jacobs. He practiced and clearing the beach defences. killed and 25 wounded. One of the this profession for just over a decade First, they were to capture Italian first men killed was Private Roland before enlisting on 2 July 1940 in coastal defence artillery batteries William Thoms. He was one of three Kitchener, Ontario. Private Thoms within range of the landing beach members of the Royal Canadian completed infantry training at Camp to protect the invasion fleet. Royal Regiment killed during their attack Borden, and proceeded overseas to Navy warships bombarded and on a pair of Italian shore batteries join the RCR in the fall of 1941. He temporarily suppressed enemy and Pachino airfield.1 The airfield was embarked for Sicily with the Royal heavy guns during the assault, but surrounded by a defensive pillbox Canadian Regiment in mid-June 1943 it was up to the infantry to capture and bunker network. Private Roland and lays there still.2 or destroy those gun batteries. The William Thoms was killed when the The fighting troops were not second task was to secure enemy Royal Canadian Regiment mopped the only ones in harm’s way as airfields in the invasion area to deny up pillboxes on the high ground the example of Corporal Thomas their use to the enemy and free them beyond the airfield. McEwan of the Royal Canadian Army for Allied aircraft. Finally, the assault Roland hailed from a family of Medical Corps reminds us. Thomas troops needed to consolidate their seven. He left behind two brothers, McEwan was born on 23 September positions ashore in order to meet one of whom also served overseas, 1901 in Hamilton, Scotland to Jessie expected Axis counterattacks. The two sisters and his mother and father, and John McEwan. By 1939 Thomas Canadian troops land in Sicily, 19 July 1943. Library and Archives Canada PA 141664 141664 Canada PA Library and Archives Published72 by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2013 3 Canadian Military History, Vol. 22 [2013], Iss. 3, Art. 6 Canadian casualties evacuated in Sicily. moved to Ontario while his mother and two sisters remained in Scotland. For 24 years McEwan made his living in horticulture. On 12 September 1939, just days after Canada’s declaration of war, Thomas enlisted in Hamilton, Ontario with No.5 Field Ambulance, 193890 Canada PA Library and Archives Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. At the time he was working as a private gardener for Beverly Robinson in Toronto and hoped to return to his job after the war. His first order of military business before being shipped overseas in December was to request permission to marry. exercise to rehearse the roles of field ship anchored offshore including In November, Edith McEwan became dressing stations and field surgical Canadian, British, American soldiers his wife and his next of kin.3 units in the type of operation in as well as Italian nationals.7 Thomas Private McEwan and No.5 Field prospect.5 McEwan was reported as killed in Ambulance joined the Canadian action that same day, possibly during force which crossed the English Corporal McEwan and No.1 one of the enemy air raids that struck Channel to Brest in mid-June 1940 Canadian Field Dressing Station the landing areas in the early days of and was hurriedly recalled before landed in Sicily around noon on 10 the invasion.8 the French capitulated on 22 June. July 1943. Other field ambulance units Axis air forces inflicted a steady In 1941 he attended an advanced landed earlier and were attached to toll of Canadian casualties behind medical training course. In January the assaulting brigades in order to the front lines throughout Operation 1943, he was transferred to No.1 facilitate the removal of the wounded Husky, including Theodorus Canadian Field Dressing Station from the battlefield. McEwan’s field Benedictus Bonefacius Hendrickus and appointed acting lance corporal dressing station and British surgical Kroon.