The Ontario Regiment quickly settled into their new quarters in Leersum, Netherlands and then received the news that the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade would be inspected by General H.D.G. Crerar, commander of the 1st Canadian Army, on 8 June. It would also be the final parade for the tanks.
Preparations for the inspection consumed the soldiers’ time for the next few days. The tanks were cleaned, painted, and given a thorough going-through. Drill was practised and uniforms cleaned and pressed.
The parade and inspection took place on a large, flat area of ground north of Doorn. Over 250 tanks and other armoured vehicles were on parade. This included the self-propelled guns of the 98th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. The fighting vehicles were lined up 28 abreast and 10 rows deep. On the signal all the vehicles rolled forward toward the reviewing stand, firing blank rounds while Mosquito fighter-bombers flew low overhead. All vehicles came to a halt simultaneously and the crews dismounted, leaving only the gunners. The soldiers formed up behind a Calgary Regiment guard of honour. Brigadier Murphy gave the command, “1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, to your tanks, general salute!” A bugler played the “Last Post”, the soldiers saluted and the gunners dipped their guns. General Crerar made a short speech and the event concluded with a march-past where the Army commander took the salute from a reviewing stand.
The 1951 regimental history stated that the crews walked away from their tanks, never to see them again. In fact, several more days were spend cleaning and conducting maintenance before they were turned over to the Ordnance Corps on 18 June.
With all guard duties completed and the tanks turned in, the Ontarios found themselves with more spare time than at any time to date. Getting all Canadian soldiers home from Europe would be a mammoth undertaking, taking many months, so it was necessary to keep the troops busy. Some of these non-military activities began in May.
A comprehensive training program, called the “Rehabilitation Program”, was initiated under the command of Captain Earle Kennedy with the goal of preparing the soldiers to return to civilian life. A war diary entry noted that the program was, “an effort to put back into our heads some of the intelligence we’ve lost after five years in the army.”
The training program began with three weeks of what was described as a preliminary program, with lectures “of a general nature and covering a number of subjects.” A training syllabus for the final week of June lists classes that covered various potential careers for the soldiers. Two training periods per day were allocated to the rehabilitation program.
A significant amount of time was dedicated to sports including soccer, volleyball, softball, and track and field. Each day ended with a sports period. There were games between squadrons, against other regiments and even local Dutch teams. “C” Squadron dominated the intra-regimental sports. Activities such as horseback riding, golf, and tennis were also available.
Many of the long-time soldiers were shipped home, based on a points system. Soldiers from other regiments arrived to keep the Ontaros at full strength. The war diary noted:
The old regiment is certainly changing. Soon we won’t know the regt as it once was. All the men who landed in Sicily with the Regt will have soon gone.
Finally, the parties continued. There were several each week.
The training and sports programs were interrupted by another move. On 28 June the Ontarios relocated from Leersum to Harlingen. After some initial trepidation about the move, the Regiment soon found the area to be quite satisfactory.
Rod Henderson
Rod Henderson is the Regimental Historian of the Ontario Regiment. He served as a Sergeant in the Regiment and is the author of “Fidelis Et Paratus: A History of The Ontario Regiment (RCAC), 1866-2016”.
