MOBILIZATION
By the summer of 1939 war looked imminent. Canada had begun to prepare for war. The Militia Act made provisions for the calling out of Militia Regiments prior to the declaration of hostilities. The first 'Wartime' guards were posted on the Seaforth Armoury at 0745 hours on August 26, 1939. Battalion Headquarters went on 24 hour duty, and permission was given to recruit 24 men to active duty to guard the Armoury. At 1500 hours on September 1st, the Seaforth Highlanders were ordered to mobilize.
Training and recruiting became the focus of the regiment. On September 21, it was known that the Seaforths would form part of an overseas force. One week later, the Regiment reached its entire war establishment strength, and had filled the ranks of it's first line of reinforcements that would accompany the Battalion overseas.
In November the Battalion started embarkation for the United Kingdom. On December 15th the main body of the Battalion, band included, embarked from the C.P.R. Station to Halifax. On December 20th, 1939 the Battalion boarded H.M.T. Andes for the United Kingdom.
From the arrival of the Battalion at Delville East Barracks, England, the paramount task was to prepare for battle. This meant equipping the Battalion and the men in the latest equipment, weapons, and vehicles. Training consisted of many courses that were not available in Canada, such as Sniping, 3 Inch Mortars, Bren Carriers, Anti-gas, and Driving and Concealment. When the officers and men were not training, many were involved with the Regiment's successful athletic teams.
In late May 1940, As the British Expeditionary Force in France withdrew to the beaches of Dunkirk, it was obvious that the defense of England would become the new mission. During the continuing Battle of Britain, the Seaforths were tasked in a variety of roles including; anti-parachute and first line of coastal defense.
Training and the defense of England continued for three more years. It was in August 1942 that Canada's 2nd Division invaded Dieppe. It was there that former Seaforth officer Lt.Col C.C.I. Merrit was presumed killed while Commanding the South Saskatchewan Regiment. It was discovered later that he was in fact taken prisoner, and had also been awarded the Victoria Cross.
It was only one week after Dieppe that the Seaforths recorded their first confirmed kill. At 0900 26 August 1942, two German Focke-Wolfe 190's crossed the channel near D Company's lines. The aircraft were spotted by Pte. E.G. Johnstone who was Manning an anti-aircraft post. He fired several magazines into the aircraft. At almost the same time, Pte F.L. Wood, who was manning another anti-aircraft post also spotted them. He too fired at them at a range of 300 to 400 yards. The result of this was that one of the aircraft was downed, and the other aircraft was badly shot up not only by the anti-aircraft guns, but also by two bren-gunners from the anti-aircraft platoon.
At about the time that Lt-Col B.M. Hoffmeister took command of the Battalion in October 1942, the focus of training shifted from the coastal defense of England to landings on enemy occupied coasts. After much intense training both in England and Scotland, by May 1943 the Seaforths knew they were finally going into action though the destination was still a mystery.
On the 18th of June the Battalion was ordered to board LSI(L) Circassia. After more than a week of further assault training the Circassia began it's journey down the Cyde at 2100 28 July. It was not until July 1st that the Seaforths learned that they were to attack Sicily in Operation "Husky".
SICILY
The morning on July 10th, 1943 saw the Seaforths on the Pachino Beaches as part of 2 Brigade of Montgomery's Eighth Army. The Campaign lasted 27 days. The 1st Canadian Division pursued the enemy for 125 miles during this time. The 50 to 60 miles proved the most difficult as the Seaforths fought the 15th and 29th Panzer Grenadier, and the 1st Parachute divisions through Valguarnera, Leonforte, Nissoria, Agira, Reegalbuto, to Adrano.
ITALY
On September 4th, 1943 the Seaforths were transported to the Italian mainland. The advance was quickly resumed. The German forces had at around this time decided to make their stand farther north. As the allies advanced north, the enemy was the mountainous terrain. The Eighth Army temporarily ceased its advance on the 21st of September, approximately four hundred miles from where it landed at the Reggio beaches. The terrain had by this time made it very difficult to supply the advancing army.
By the 30th, the Seaforths were on the advance again. The Battalion fought through stiff resistance on hill 1007 (Monte San Marco) and Barnello, forcing the defending Panzer Grenadiers to withdrawal. The Allies were determined to maintain pressure on the German forces.
By the end of the year the advance of the 8th Army under General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery had been bogged down due to stiff resistance from 90th Panzer Grenadiers, and the onset of increasing severe winter weather. The initial plan to capture Rome prior to the end of 1943 and destroy the German forces in Italy was no longer possible.
With the growing build up of forces and supplies in Britain for the summer offensive in Normandy, reinforcements and all types of supplies and ammo were becoming scarce if they were available at all. This shortage coupled with an increasingly long supply line from the heel of Italy was threatening to halt the allied advance all together.
With the need to capture ground of strategic significance prior to the end of the year and before the weather deteriorated further Monty set his sites on Pescara. He also targeted a closer and easier town: Ortona.
Most of Southern Italy is sparsely populated with a hostile and rocky shore Ortona, prior to the War was an active deep water port, with a rail head. Although the Germans had attempted to destroy some of that capability, the idea of being able to rail supplies to the front, as opposed to by foot up the boot of Italy was enticing to the Commander of the 8th Army.
The Gustav Line south of the Moro River was the first major defensive line of Field Marshal Kesselring. The German forces had deliberately withdrawn to that point after the Sicily Invasion and the surrender of Italy.
In December the Seaforths had fought their way against stiff resistance across the Moro River, to San Leonardo. The entire Division front was engaged from the 10th to the 19th of December in a bitter struggle for control of "The Gully".
On the 20th, 2nd Brigade under the command of Brig. B.M. Hoffmeister, began it's advance on the Town of Ortona. It didn't take long to discover that the Germans were determined to hold Ortona. The fighting that ensued was some of the most difficult that the Canadian Division had experienced in Italy. The fight was carried on by the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, and the Seaforths.
Ortona is a small town. At the time, only 500 yards wide. The streets were very narrow and the houses, three to four stories high, were wall to wall, and back to back. Armour and Artillery support was difficult at such close quarters. Defended by the 1st Parachute Division, the streets were well covered by fire, and snipers. Many of the building ad been booby-trapped.
It was during this fighting on Christmas Day, that the Quartermaster; Captain D.B. Cameron, and his staff had arranged a Christmas dinner in the Church of Santa Maria di Constantinopoli, the four companies were rotated one at a time from the front only a few hundred yards away, to the Church. For some of the men it was their last Christmas dinner, enjoyed with all the fixings, on white table cloths.
The fighting continued until sometime before first light, December 28, 1943, when under the cover of darkness the 1st Parachute Division withdrew from Ortona.
The Seaforths remained in Italy until 1945. Fighting through the Liri Valley, and breaking through the Hitler Line on the 23rd of May, 1944. The Hitler Line, was the costliest battle in the War for the Seaforths. The Battalion suffered 210 casualties, including 49 men and 3 officers killed.
The Gothic Line was breached by the 4th of September, and the advance was pushed to the San Fortunato Ridge by September 20th, 1944. It was in the night crossing of the Savio River on October 21st that Pte "Smokey" Smith's actions awarded him the Victoria cross. the Battalion saw action at the Navigilio Canal, Fosso Munio, Granarolo, and the Senio River.
NORTHWEST EUROPE
On March 13, 1945 the Battalion was transported by a variety of ships to Northwest Europe. The Battalion crossed the Germany/Netherlands border on April 7, 1945. The Seaforths first saw action at the crossing of the Ijssel River, and continued to pursue the enemy west of Apeldoorn to the Grebbe line until the first Allied and German talks on April 23rd, 1945.
News of Germany's collapse came at 2037 hrs May 4, 1945 effective 0800 May 8th. On the 8th the Seaforths were the first allied troops to liberate Amsterdam from German Occupation.
Though the war in Europe ended in May, it wasn't until October 7th, that the Seaforths returned to Vancouver. They were greeted by an estimate of 100,000 people who lined the streets from the C.P.R. Station to the Armouries.