Liberti • Egalite • Fraternite

REPUBLIQUE FRAN<;:AISE AMDASSADI! Dl! FRANCS AU CANADA

COURTESY TRANSLATION (letter no 2015-1149365)

By order of the President of the Republic of France, you have been awarded the rank of Knight of the French National Order of the Legion of Honour. Please accept my sincere congratulations in this regard.

This distinction (the Legion of Honour is the highest national order of France) illustrates the profound gratitude that France would like to express to you. It is awarded in recognition of your personal involvement in the liberation of our country during World War II. Through you, France remembers the sacrifice of all of your compatriots who came to liberate French soil.

As required by Canadian regulations regarding the decoration of Canadian citizens by foreign states, I contacted the Canadian government to set in motion the process of having this decoration officially approved. This process has come to a fruitful conclusion.

It is my honour to deliver your insignia to you. You will find them included with this letter. With regards to foreign nationals, the Code of the Legion of Honour states that nominations are effective as of the date that the issuing order is published. As the Canadian authorities have already given their approval for your nomination, you can therefore proudly wear this insignia, which attests to your courage and your devotion to the ideals of liberty and peace. With regard to any decoration ceremony that might be organized by local authorities or by the Royal Canadian Legion, please contact the Embassy's Honours and Distinctions Service (veterans@amb.afrance-.ca.org) so that we can try to muke artCJngements for an· official representative of France to attend, if circumstances allow.

Please allow me to express once more France's respect for your contribution to the combat that led to the liberation of my country.

Yours sincerely,

Cq : nominating person/organization

Nicolas CHAPUIS Ambassador of France to Canada

Ottawa, Ie i l 0 QEC. 2315

N° 2015-1149365

Monsieur,

Par decret du President de Ia Republique franyaise, vous avez ete nomme au grade de Chevalier dans l'Ordre national de Ia Legion d'honneur. Permettez-moi de vous adresser mes plus sinceres felicitations.

Cette haute distinction, Ia plus elevee que deceme Ia Republique franyaise, illustre Ia profonde gratitude que Ia France souhaite vous exprimer. Elle recompense votre engagement personnel dans Ia campagne de liberation de notre pays lors de Ia Seconde Guerre mondiale. A travers vous, Ia France se souvient du sacrifice de tous vos compatriotes venus liberer le sol franyais.

Comme le veut Ia reglementation canadienne relative aux decorations de citoyens canadiens par des Etats etrangers, j'ai engage Ia procedure de demande d'agrement aupres du gouvemement du Canada. Cette demarche a abouti favorablement.

J'ai l'honneur de vous transmettre vos insignes, que vous trouverezjoints a cet envoi.

Le Code de Ia Legion d'honneur prevoit que, pour les etrangers, Ia nomination est effective de facto des Ia parution du decret. Les autorites canadiennes ayant donne leur approbation a votre nomination, vous pouvez done porter fierement ces insignes qui viennent saluer votre courage et votre devouement au nom des ideaux de liberte et de paix. Pour toute ceremonie de presentation de vos insignes qui serait organisee par les autorites locales ou par Ia Legion royale canadienne, merci de contacter le service des distinctions honorifiques de l'Ambassade (veterans@ambafrance-ca.org) qui essaiera, dans Ia mesure du possible, de prevoir Ia presence d'un representant officiel de Ia France.

En vous renouvelant l'hommage de la France a l'egard de votre engagement dans Ies combats qui ont conduit a Ia liberation demon pays,je vous prie d'agn~er, Monsieur, !'assurance de rna consideration Ia plus distinguee.

Monsieur Cyril, Charles HOLBROW 4176 Seldon Road Abbotsford BC V2S 7T4

Nicolas HAPUIS

Cq: Monsieur Arthur Donald TURNBULL, a l'origine de votre memoire de proposition

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My Military Involvement

in the Second World War

By

Cyril Holbrow

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Transcribed, edited, and designed in 2015 by Anneleen van Dijk, Archivist MSA Museum Society Abbotsford, BC

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Basic Training

I joined the anny on January 22, 1942 at the Vancouver depot (the old Vancouver Hotel). The

branch ofthe anny I wanted to serve in was the signals, R.C.C.S . (Royal Canadian Corps of

Signals), which was granted. .......

In February a number of us were despatched to

Vernon, the basic training centre for B.C. We were

housed in large tents. Washing facilities were set up

outside in long wooden troughs . This wasn't too

bad until it turned cold and all the piping froze.

This was the only time we were allowed to go on

parade without shaving. It was very cold in the

tents too as we had only two blankets and a small

heater to warm us. I came down with a bad case of

tonsillitis and spent a week in hospital.

We were issued WWI rifles to train with, complete

with WWI bayonets. There was also a bugler

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training to blow the various calls for mustering. He was on a par with Radar on M-A-S-H; one of

the few things we had to laugh at.

Transmitter key for Morse code, similar to the one used by Cyril.

In mid-May a few of us were transferred to Vimy Barracks, Kingston, Ont., for signals training.

It was a vast improvement to the Vernon accommodations although it was very hot in the

summer. The drinking water came from Lake Ontario but was too chlorinated to drink so we

often went to the canteen to drink beer instead. I was training to be a wireless Morse code

operator and also training in the use of semaphore and Aldis lamp signalling with the navy. By

August I was qualified operator (class C) at 18 words per minute.

Vimy barracks at Kingston, Ontario, 1942. Photo taken by Cyril Holbrow.

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Deployment to England

The next move was to England via convoy. The trip took nine days ;

we zigzagged to avoid U-boats. It was very rough at times and many

of the troops were sea-sick. My Dad, a fom1er sailor told me to sleep

in a hammock as it would counter the swaying of the ship. It worked

as I was one of the few that didn't throw up. One of the reasons we

had a safe passage was due to the British navy capturing aU-boat

intact in 1942, which had the Enigma signalling device aboard,

complete with instructions on its use. The British were soon able to

break the German code and then knew about all their troop and

submarine movements. This resulted in shortening the war by at least

a year, the military said.

We landed in Glasgow and then travelled by train to a holding unit at

Farnborough, Sussex. It was slow going as the train kept stopping

because there was bombing ahead. We could see search lights and

"ack-ack" (anti-aircraft artillery) firing in the night sky above us.

An Enigma machine.

5th Brigade Signals Unit (RCCS) on manoeuvres in England, March 1943 as part of Exercise Spartan. Cyril is second from

, the left.

Exercise Spartan was a nine day exercise - a miniature war between British and Canadian troops in preparation for "D-Day."

Soon after, the holding unit sent me to 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, 5th Brigade H.Q. where I

received more training until obtaining a class B grade and a raise in pay. For the next two years

my Division moved around a lot guarding the southern coast against a possible German raid.

In 1943 I was stationed near Chichester just south ofTangmere Airport. We communicated with

the air force which resulted in an invitation to visit their operation centre. It was located below

ground and was where all the aircraft activity was controlled; it was very interesting.

At the end of May 1944 my Division was involved in a mass movement of troops to the Dover

area as a deceptive movement to indicate to the Germans that we planned to invade in the Calais

area. Many dummy tanks and trucks were

set up in local fields as part of the

deception.

While in Dover I saw one of the first V -1

"buzz bombs" pass over on its way to

London. A Spitfire dove on one just above

us firing at it and it exploded, resulting in

the plane flying right through the debris. It

came out unscathed. Barrage balloons were

located all along the coast to snag the VIs

and did bring down many.

The Normandy Invasion

Postcard showing V-1 bomb used to bomb London.

On June 6, "D-Day", the Germans were taken by complete surprise. They were sure we would

invade near Calais and that the landing in Normandy was a diversion tactic. By the time they

realized it was the real thing it was too late as we had a strong foothold in Normandy.

My unit embarked from Tilbury docks a few days after June 6. The sea was alive with boats

going to and from the beaches. There was little problem from bombing or submarine attacks as

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f tne air and sea. The battleship Rodney was anchored near Juno Beach and was

control 0

. hiDd from its 16-inch guns. ·des 1J1

l!roadst

111y wireless truck beside some damaged buildings. Then I noticed a fighter

. J set UP . l;tndrng wward me just a few feet above the ground. I thought It was one of ours

d ·rectiY tlYing 1 . on its wings . It didn't fire at me for some odd reason. A few seconds later it asu}{lls

1 ~aw sW ne of our gunners. down b)'

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Zth SS Panzer Division tank with a

a Gerroa~ Ie looked interesting. I looked inside and . ·ts std In 1 .11 sitting at the controls, burned to a

·ver stl the dr1 . t There was a triangle pennant on the .. h sdv 51gh . · . . l k . d ~·a ; death head ins1gma on It. too It own

. v;itl1 3 . rnere were several dead horses nearby,

h ve tt· a Germans used horses to pull some of me Save fuel.

tO

12th SS Panzer Division badge (left) and the pennant (right) taken by Cyril from tank at Juno Beach. Uniform patches (below) were also brought home by Cyril.

Fighting in France

My next move was close to Caen which was under attack by our infantry. The next day R.A.F.

(Royal Air Force) bombers flew low over us and dropped their loads on the city. The wind was

blowing in our direction so we were soon showered with dust particles. We entered the city

shortly afterwards and found the smell from dead bodies hard to stand.

We located to a treed lot overlooking a main street and then shelling began on our position.

Many of the shells were exploding in the trees an;mnd us and we were covered with leaves and

branches. When it finally stopped, none of our guys were hit but our vehicles had holes all over.

On the street below us a number of our artillery pieces under tow had stopped and several men

had been wounded by the shelling. A nurse carne running from nowhere and attended the

wounded even when the shelling was going on.

Shortly afterwards I was attached to the Calgary Highlanders when they went on an attack just

east ofCaen. I was using a half-track (vehicle) as a wireless contact back to Brigade H.Q. I was

parked beside the Highlanders' Bren gun carriers, next to a wooded area, while the infantry went

on the attack. Incoming shelling was heavy at times; some of the carriers were hit. There was a

slit trench nearby that I was able to use by using an extension to my wireless set in the truck. One

of our tanks was returning on the nearby road when a German 88 rnrn gun fired at it. The first

two shots missed but the third hit the rear, knocking it out. All the crew bailed out and took off.

Shortly afterwards I had two German prisoners in my care until someone could take them back to

a P.O.W. (prisoner ofwa,r) camp. One ofthern could speak English so I asked him where he was

from. He said he was from Poland and had been forced into the Gennan army. "But my father

told me to give myself up as soon as I had a chance, so here I am." They were shortly taken off

my hands. When it got dark my driver showed up and we drove back to H.Q.

On August 14 a large-scale attack was made to try to take Falaise about 20 miles away. The

Americans had broken through at St. L6 and the intention was to encircle Falaise and capture a

large portion of the German anny. I was posted with the Maisonneuve, a French-Canadian

battalion, for the attack. We had proceeded for a couple of miles when we were stopped by

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heavy shelling. The air was buzzing with shrapnel. My

truck was hit, wounding the other wireless operator and

the driver. We were ali taken back to our First Aid

centre. 1 was ok so was sent back to my unit for another

go.

Falaise was taken and the Germans that escaped were

in full retreat. The road north was littered with

destroyed and abandoned equipment including horses

hitched to some of it.

We crossed the Seine near Rouen. I was sent up a hill

to try to get better reception to a forward unit. My

annoured car was the first to enter the area since the

enemy had left so the people mobbed us. They were so

glad to be free again. One family was having a feast and

invited us in as guests of honour. It was something to

remember. It was too bad that I had to leave early to get

back to my unit.

Wireless truck which was hit by shelling. Cyril operated out of this truck when he was in action with the infantry fighting to take Falaise.

The 2nd Division was given the assignment to take Dieppe as the Division had been involved in

the 1942 raid. This time it was easy as the enemy had abandoned the place.

Next it was on to Antwerp on September 4, 1944. At this time I had been posted to a wireless

monitoring unit at Division H.Q. Our job was to monitor all wireless transmissions within the

Division for security reasons .

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The Liberation of Holland

By the end of September we had entered Nijmegen, Holland, where we sat for the winter. I was

sent to the Isle of Man on a course to qualify for my new position. Soon after returning, my

Division advanced to Groningen in northern Holland where we were swanned by the Dutch for

freeing them. Many of the population were starving as the Jerries had stripped the country of

food. We gave some of our rations to them to help in a small way until plane-loads were brought

over from England.

The War Ends

Our next move was into Germany

where the fighting was tougher

going, especially in the

Hochwald Forest area. On May 5

my unit was in Oldenburg when

finally the war had ended. There

was no celebration, just a relief

that it was all over.

CANADIAN ARMY OVERSEAS

LEAVE PASS

Pus No •.....• J..Q?. ..... _.

No . .K7.6.}5.1 ........... P.ank ..... 51gmn. ... Name...... ~r.o.v •..... G • .... -... .

has permission to be absent from his unit ... l.4.0.Q ... hrs .. ~5 .. ..l:~U ..... 45

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...... .5 ........... Jor the purpose of proceedlnJ to

In May 1945 Cyril was on leave in Paris where he attended a show at the famous Parisian music hall Folies-Bergere.

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Cyril (fourth from left) at the Arc de Triomphe, when he was on leave in Paris, 1946. Cyril was the only Canadian in this group of British army personnel.

Army of Occupation at Jever Airport

I then volunteered to join the army of occupation for one year and was posted to a German

airport at Jever near Wilhemshaven. There wasn't much to do, just guard a prisoner of war camp

nearby. It was boring after all the action but I was able to see much of the country while on duty

and leave. By the end of May '46 our year was up and I went back to England where I had a final

leave and could say goodbye to all my relations in London and Newton Abbot, Devon .

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05NASQUCK

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Jever airport where Cyril was stationed in 1946. The brick buildings were heated

by steam.

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Jever airport, 1946. Cyril took this photo from a watchtower. The airport hangers are visible in the background. No Allied bombs were dropped on the airport as the Germans had camouflaged it during the war; they had also placed farming equipment on the edge of the field to make the Allies think it was being farmed.

Left: Royal Canadian Corps of Signals 3rd Infantry Division shoulder patch worn by Cyril in 1946.

Cyril, while stationed at Jever in 1946. 11

Photo taken by Cyril of "some of the guys" sitting on one of the German planes at Jever airport.

. l{ome I~l de Returnlng ton on the e

ft Southam? d 0 June 17 l \e h'p and \ande

n . as a troop s 1 '

France, \ts \ast tnP days later the CNR 22 seven

at Halifax on June . . Station. l was horne ff at Matsqul

dmeo droppe d-a-half years.

fter four-an at last a

il de France, the postcard of the e ht Cyril baCk

h·n that broug troop s lr

to canada.

Liner Ends Career As Troop Carrier

lle De France Reaches Halif~ With 9,193 Puaengera

The 43,450-ton liner Ile de France ended her career as a troop carrier yesterday when she brought into the port of Hali!ax 9,193 passengers, including 496 army and 52 R.C.A.F. personnel for Nova Scotla and Prince Edward Island homes, besides 229 priority civilian passengers. - j The ll~ cie France. whlch durin&

he: "'ar careu aaUed sa9.978 r-ilu, and camtd ~10.516 Brl:lsh and Can·

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ad ... n troops to all pnu ol th e "'o-rld, alter bt1ng taken O\tr by t!le R<>> al Kavy ot SlDfapo~ hour~ before that city ,., .• , captured by

the J npi.Dtfl, on June 30, 11140. cli­maxed her troo~carr,yln& career when M 2 p .m. yesterday J.be ou ed throutn the dense fo( that capptd :ne j,;.r bor, w•th kbal<! and blue­d aci \et~ro.ns whutllng, wav1ng and shou\;ng l rom all decks ol the so:,., ar.d : r.e baapipu playing on tne boat oeclc.

Buiclts the t roops there we1e or, board t lt~ nteran ol the •ea Janes two Br ittsh ex-,ervJc:eme.n, so ~nx· loua lo roach C&nad.a that tbey haa Jlowed 1'-'' IY In the sblp '$ venti lator n •sttom. and a arou11 ot Mexic.an 5ft­>'itemen, under Brigadier Roman Famflior, n!urnl:ll to their h om .. la~d a!:er taking part In the Victory Parade 10 London, England.

Atnl'r.g tho5e returnlnlt on 11u l.fner wore L t.-Col. R. S . P tl t. ol }h Ji!ax; Sgmn. W. M. Withrow, cl Sydne) . who had been O\'~rseas tv. o and a h alt years; Cp!. T. B. B:.!dr.

1 :\lall!ar.d. two y ears overseu ; P :e • L. E. Su lherlaod. ol Amhers t. Pte. G. H. Brow, two-year veteran. from ... n C:Gor.!sh; Pte. P. R Conrad. Sta· lorth. a:td P te. D. Terawley, Cedar slreet. H.Ui!ax.

T wcr.!y tu.iru will be requlted to :n~\·e the ove;seae veterans to ln­La.ncl h omes. The first left Halifax 11 5 p m. )'<Jterda)·. and the lut

I troop t:aln b 10 lca\'f the dotk.side at 4 J'l m. today. Only army con· t in~rnt \bat wli l br tra,·ell.fn' as a unit will b e th~ Fourth Bat:allon. Queen·., O~~o·n. oJ Toron to, w!lirh wn par: of !he army's oecupa:lon lc~e in Germany.

I A:n~ :>~ the al r t orte conth:grnt of 9()t nn the linor ,..... the w~U·

I k:town H;,h!ax Bthle:e. Cpl. F: a::l: Ward . I i\•erpool street. Ha.lJfax..

I who l:n:! be~ ovcr~ns with tbr j R<" ,O.F · n~ two :re.rr.

I Thr ll r cle FraMe ! ~ Ia emb•:k

395 ,a·H~~~s al .lhli!s x, •:.d 1! scbec!ul.d' t J sail !rom h~~• for tit~ 1 as: t ime "at rnidnh!hl en June '-C. Copta:::- H erve ~Hu~cle. who j brGu=h t \he ~3 ( 5().trn •bln in!n p~::

I v~terd:;\'. >.t.!d lhJI th• s!l.!p 1m her :elur r: trl"' w ould c..ll at B:! ~~~: t :>r. . to em t-p~k 14.M pau~n$!err;. !hen

l.,roeecd to S,u:•amoton. he!r re re­!u:nir. ;r ~o ChP··I'1 :"ui-P'. Th,. li!1~~' ntY~ . , =- '"o'"e w;n ht' :c ' h .daf as!'a: ~'!" rf ;-- - e :-:~ !:i do-f': !-.ina. tht c .. r. ~•' . ~ : lc! . r :' "" ir {("f\.':ew ve~\e:"d&Y 0

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Back of fie de France postcard witb tbe names of tbe soldiers in Cyril's

unit, witb wbom be served in tbe

RCSS in 1946 .

Adjusting to Life at Rome I found it verY hard adjusting to civilian life; 1

had a problem with PTSD (post-traumatic

stress disorder) for quite a while but was able

to overcome it eventuall-y.

End of Military Career ln !950 !joined the Westminster Regiment as

a cadet instrUctor. I then took an officer

training course at Dundurn, Sask. and was

given the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. \ was an

instructor for five -years before being

discharged, fmal\y ending >nY military career.

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REMEMBERING THE PAST

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