End of the Line

Chapter 31. Embarkation Leave.

Chapter Thirty-one 

Embarkation Leave

The rush to send the Canadian troops proved unnecessary. The troops, most of them volunteers, languished in the South of England, enduring a mind numbing routine of incessant drill and forced marches. Stretcher-bearers always accompanied the infantry in battle so Bill, Jack, and Tom underwent the same rigorous training. There were some calls to action; none resulting in contact with the enemy and invariably ending with orders to "Withdraw to Aldershot".  

After the Fall of France, the Canadians took up defensive positions, not as might have been expected on the South Coast, but at Shotover Hill near Oxford- a highly unlikely site for a Nazi invasion, Bill thought. Maybe  the Grand Old Duke of York was in charge.  

No invasion occurred. The enthusiastic volunteers, who had hurried to Britain, appeared destined to just watch and wait. 1940, faded in to 1941 then 1942. There were a few opportunities for action but invariably something went wrong. In the summer of 1941 a detachment of Canadians raided Spitzbergen. They made no contact with the enemy. A commando raid on Boulogne came to naught as the landing craft failed to put them ashore  

Under these conditions, the morale of the troops suffered, and understandably, they sought solace in the surrounding towns and villages. The Canadians, were quite highly paid compared to the "Tommies", and spent a great deal of their cash in boisterous drinking bouts in nearby pubs, much to the distaste of the locals. They also took a healthy interest in the young ladies of the area. Jack ran amok. Bill was more circumspect, but not immune to temptation. 

Desperate to find something positive for the troops to do, the officers organised huge war games, using real ammunition. They thought this would be a very effective way to acquaint the troops with the reality of warfare. The games proved unnecessary. The slaughter of August 19th on the beaches of Dieppe, which luckily for Bill and Jack did not involve the 9th Field Ambulance, proved far more effective.  

In mid-December 1942, the now bloodied Canadians were transferred to the Allied Forces Combined Operations Training Centre on Scotland's Loch Fyne. There they trained in the skills required to make a coastal assault, learning to scramble up and down nets swaying dizzily over heaving landing craft. One false move and you ended up in the icy cold waters of the loch. Once fully loaded the wildly bucking landing craft headed to shore. With a crash, the levered prow fell open and they rushed through the frigid waters on to a beach bathed in the light of flares and crackling with simulated machine gun fire. The prolonged training continued through the festive season. Bill was sure they were being prepared for another Dieppe debacle.  

In the late Spring of 1943, the 1st Canadian Division, reequipped with new jeeps, trucks and armoured carriers, moved with great secrecy to Scotland .The troops entered barracks close to the Lowlands town of Davel. The issuance of new cotton shorts and tropical bush jackets led to immediate speculation. Were they being sent to battle the Japanese? Maybe Burma? This opinion changed when they received orders to repaint all the vehicles, covering the normal camouflage with paint the colour of desert sand. Maybe they were to fight somewhere in the Middle East. For sure, they were going somewhere. On the 8th of June, all doubt disappeared, when troops were granted a leave. It was even called embarkation leave, and required them to report back to Greenock by noon on the 12th.

Tommy tried to persuade them to go to Reading and spend some time with his Aunt Beryl's family. Jack was sorely tempted. After all, Aunt Beryl had two gorgeous daughters. Only with his offer of a night on the town, and by forfeiting his cigarette ration, did Bill persuade Jack to accompany him to his old home town of Askam.