The war in Italy had slowed down considerably by January 1944. It would have been a welcome relief for the Canadians after the heavy fighting in December. The weather, combined with the terrain, made any significant movement nearly impossible. The break in the action allowed the Ontario Regiment to conduct vehicle maintenance and for some soldiers to go on leave. There was also a program of combined arms training with infantry and artillery.

This routine was interrupted for some of the Ontarios in mid-February. A request came on the 19th from XIII Corps to the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade for three officers and 50 other ranks who were proficient in skiing. The skiers were needed to take supplies to members of the British 56th
Reconnaissance Regiment who were snowbound in the mountain villages of Montazzoli and Colledimezzo. Bad weather had prevented resupply by air since 4 February.

Within minutes of the request five officers and 63 other ranks had volunteered. The group was under the command of Captain A.C. Morrison, of Ottawa, with Captain Dunstan McNichol as second-in-command. The other officers were Captain G.W. Hamm, Lieutenant C.B.D. Jamieson and Lieutenant N.G. Guthrie.

The only participant in the ski detachment who was not a member of the Ontario Regiment was Regimental Sergeant-Major Fritz R. Prevost from the Three Rivers Regiment. RSM Prevost was a skilled skier who had instructed at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City and the Mount Royal Hotel in
Montreal.

By early afternoon the group was on its way to the XIII Corps transit camp at Atessa, where they were issued with ski equipment and special winter clothing. The ski detachment travelled by truck on the road to Tornareccio the following morning, where they set up a base and billets were allocated.

On 20 February one ski detachment section, commanded by Captain Hamm, headed to Colledimezzo, while the section commanded by Captain Morrison set out for Montazzoli. The plan was to take the roads as far as possible and then don their skis if the road conditions prevented further progress by vehicle. The section destined for Colledimezzo had to resort to skis for the final leg, only to find that the road had just been opened just before they arrived. Each soldier carried about 50 pounds of food. The section that traveled to Montazzoli made it all the way by truck. They met a slow plow coming from the other direction that had cleared the road to Montazzoli.

XIII Corps had one more task for the ski detachment. On the 22 February the group travelled to the headquarters of the 56th Reconnaissance Regiment at Castiglione and spent the night. The next day the group moved to Agnone by truck where they switched to skis. The group pulled sledges carrying ammunition and Bren guns several kilometres through a blizzard to the Polish 12th Podolian Lancers at Pescopennataro. The skiers returned to Agnone for the night and then to Atessa on 25 February to return the ski equipment. The group was back with rest of the Regiment on the 26th.

Ontario Regiment members of the ski detachment (may not be complete):
Captain A.C. Morrison (Ottawa, ON)
Captain G.W. Hamm (Regina, SK)
Captain D. McNichol (Philadelphia, PA)
Lieutenant N.G. Guthrie (Ottawa, ON)
Lieutenant C.D.B. Jamieson (Durham, ON)
Lieutenant M. Sullivan (Saint John, NB)
Sergeant G.L. Bastien (Timmins, ON)
Sergeant J. Gibson (Toronto, ON)
Sergeant C.H. Hills (Hamilton, ON)
Sergeant G.W. Parrish (Oshawa, ON)
Corporal K.C. Costello (Ferris, ON)
Corporal A. Friesen (Timmins, ON)
Corporal R.B. Johnston (Vancouver, BC)

Corporal M. Miller (Timmins, ON)
Corporal R. Pyper (Toronto, ON)
Corporal F.W. Robinson (Toronto, ON)
Lance Corporal F.A. Vandamme (Oshawa, ON)
Lance Corporal D. MacMillan (Webbwood, ON)
Lance Corporal J.A. Kelly (Oshawa, ON)
Trooper W.D. Armstrong (Toronto, ON)
Trooper R. Beaudin (Timmins, ON)
Trooper R.C. Boddington (Toronto, ON)
Trooper A. Burch (Sault Ste. Marie, On)
Trooper J.H. Burton (Toronto, ON)
Trooper C.D. Carter (Toronto, ON)
Trooper T.V.M. Claringbold (Windsor, ON)
Trooper R.C. Cockle (Toronto, ON)
Trooper W.G. Fairborn (Toronto, ON)
Trooper J.J. Fletcher (St. Marys, ON)
Trooper L.G. Foster (Toronto, ON)
Trooper F.A. Foyle (Vancouver, BC)
Trooper G.J. Gibbs (Sault Ste. Marie, On)
Trooper G.F. Hadley (Timmins, ON)
Trooper L.A. Hall (Toronto, ON)
Trooper G.W. Huggins (Peterborough, ON)
Trooper R.A. Jeglum (Vancouver, BC)
Trooper S. Lack (Arborg, MB)
Trooper G.L. Langton (Peterborough, ON)
Trooper P. Lanosky (Matheson, ON)
Trooper J.H. Lumbers (Streetsville, ON)
Trooper C. McCullough (Toronto, ON)
Trooper D.E. McLeod (Toronto, ON)
Trooper R. Murdock (Toronto, ON)
Trooper R.A. Packard (Haliburton, ON)
Trooper F.J. Parkes (Toronto, ON)
Trooper F. Pascall (Utterson, ON)
Trooper F.A. Ranger (Ansonville, ON)
Trooper R. Richards (Timmins, ON)
Trooper P.E. Roy (Timmins, ON)
Trooper T.G. Sewell (Toronto, ON)
Trooper C.D. Simpson (Oshawa, ON)
Trooper S.J. Standley (Toronto, ON)
Trooper E.C. Tacium (Toronto, ON)
Trooper W.G. Walker (Sault Ste. Marie, On)
Trooper K.D.G. Wallace (Kirkland Lake, ON)
Trooper E.C. Wathon (Charlton Station, ON)
Trooper D.G. Weeks (Oshawa, ON)
Trooper W. Whistence-Smith (Orangeville, ON)

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: The History of The Ontario Regiment RCAC”.