Ortona, Canada's WWII Crucible In Italy
Remembering Canadian Soldiers' Valour in December 1943, 65 Years Ago
Sadly neither of Canada's two magazines dedicated to war vets and the military, Legion and Esprit de Corps, ran any articles in December 2008 specifically honouring Canadian soldiers' Ortona experiences of 65 years ago. It was the Canadian 1st Division's job to clear the Germans from the port city on the Adriatic, thus breaching the Gustav Line, the road to Pescara and the eastern approach to Rome. The Canadians acheived their objective but at great cost:
- the bloodiest month of war in the Italian campaign with 1,375 dead, 964 wounded and 213 dead alone in the Christmas week
- historian Daniel Dancocks reported even higher figures, 4,206 casualties including 1,700 sick with shell shock, exhaustion and jaundice
These Canadian forces cannot be forgotten or their efforts diminished. Their experience and achievements deserve more than the denigrating moniker "D-Day Dodgers" unintentionally given by Lady Nancy Astor, according to her biographer John Grigg.
The Experience of Ortona
After the battle for Sicily and landing at Reggio, the Canadians had been fighting up the eastern side of Italy's boot since September, 1943. Slogging through steep river valleys with gullies and ravines cutting through the Apennine spine, they approached Ortona at the beginning of December. Ortona was the eastern flank of the German defensive Gustav Line just beyond the Moro River which presented a 2-mile front line from Villa Rogatti and San Leonoardo to Ortona itself, all still bearing war scars to this day.
That December was the wettest on record. The Moro River had risen over 8 ft, the steep slopes of vineyards and olive groves presented a glutinous, porridge-like muck that clung to soldiers trying to ascend amidst snipers and machine guns, mortar and counter-attacks, artillery and tanks. It took the Canadians over a week to overcome one such ravine, known as The Gully.
There are tragic personal stories behind the figures too. One was Mitch Sterlin, a chemistry major from Montreal, a pudgy lieutenant who held a ruined house against odds and led his men back to safety only to die a few days later on the same gully. He is buried in the well-kept Canadian cemetery just south of Ortona.
Ortona itself was a firestorm. From Dec. 20-28, the Canadians used a tactic of "mouse-holing" whereby they fought from the top floor down, clearing stairs and a room at a time. In The D-Day Dodgers Dan Dancocks wrote, "in some cases, they could clear entire blocks without setting foot in the street." The only respite seemed to come on Christmas Eve, a dinner in a destroyed church. The Seaforth Highlanders found essentials for a memorable meal:
- table cloths and chinaware; beer and wine
- roast pork, applesauce, cauliflower, mashed potatoes & gravy
- chocolate, oranges, nuts, cigarettes
For some it would be their last meal.
The Aftermath of Ortona
The German defenses, forestalling northward movement, caused stalemate on the Adriatic. But Canadian troops passed muster in the testing ground of Ortona. Recognized as shock troops by the Germans, many would be transferred west surreptitiously to Cassino for Operation Diadem in May, 1944. However Ortona meant:
- Canada gained a promotion of sorts, getting its own 1st Canadian Corps, the first time since WWI
- almost 25% of all Canadian deaths in the Italian Campaign occurred during the fight for Ortona
- the standard training film for British and Commonwealth troops, "Fighting in Built-Up Areas" was based on interviews with the Seaforth Highlanders' and Edmonton vets' experience at Ortona
The magazine Legion is planning to publish a cover story in its March/April 2009 edition. That will be like receiving a "sorry I missed your anniversary" card. Canadians and their history deserve better than that.
Sources:
The D-Day Dodgers by Daniel Dancocks, McClelland and Stewart (1992)
Canada at War website
Canadian soldiers move into place in Ortona
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road signs along the Moro River
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the Canadian War Cemetery Ortona
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war monument to the Van Doos
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