Innes, John Marshall: my Army recollections (March 10, 2012)

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Interviewee: Innes, John Marshall, b. 1922

An interview/narrative of John Innes's experiences during World War II. Innes served with the Royal Canadian Dragoons. Interview took place on March 10, 2012.Medals and Honours: France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-1945; Canadian Volunteer Service Medal; Defence Medal

Interviewer: North, Steve

ABSTRACT: Private/Trooper John Marshall Innes John Innes wanted to join the Navy; it seemed to be a popular request for boys from the prairies. John joined in September of 1942 and served in the Royal Canadian Dragoons armoured car regiment as a gunner-radio operator in ‘D’ Squadron from September, 1943 until March, 1946. John was twenty when he joined and was eighty-nine when interviewed. His reconnaissance unit found action in Italy’s Liri Valley, liberated Rimini, and served in north-west Europe where John was injured. March 10, 2011 0:00 Welcome 0:20 Opening statement by John 1:50 Why John joined 2:15 Portage-La-Prairie and hockey 3:30 Basic Training 4:00 Family and friends 6:00 Aldershot, England and hockey 6:45 Borden, gunnery, radio, gas 9:00 Leaving Canada from Nova Scotia on the Queen Mary 11:45 Aldershot, advanced training and more hockey 12:20 Leaving England 12:45 Landing in Naples, November 1943 13:25 Avellino, travelling in boxcars 15:00 Joins RCD as gunner/ operator 15:30 Staghound training, ‘D’ Squadron 17:20 Liri Valley, first action, 19:00 Statement from notes, 88mm gun & moaning Minnie 24:24 Cassino 26:00 Between Rome and Ortona travelling east 29:00 The road to Rimini, friendly fire, destroyed British tanks burning 32:00 Firing at Observation Post in brick factory “Liberating” Rimini 35:00 Up the coast to Ravenna, park the cars, infantry now 36:00 A B C D Squadrons advancing, facing a Tiger tank 38:00 Observations about Italians, trading cigarettes for spaghetti 39:30 Observations about Staghounds, life as infantry 43:00 Lugo across the river from Germans at Christmas 1944 46:50 Leaving Leghorn, Italy 47:30 Marseilles and refitting cars 48:15 Travelling in France 50:00 Into Holland 51:00 John gets wounded, driver (Blinkhorn) killed 54:00 The “D-Day” dodgers 56:00 Rejoins group 56:50 Entering Germany 57:00 General Comments about fellow soldiers 1:00:00 The “Stand Fast” order, 1:02:30 Referring to a newspaper article regarding RCD activities in Italy 1:03:00 Closing Statements about post-war visit, recounts events.

In Collection:
Contributor Subject Language Keyword Date created Relation
  • Part of the Military Oral History Class collection of interviews.
Resource type Rights statement Extent
  • 1 sound recording (MP3)
Geographic coverage Coordinates
  • 51.5, 10.5
  • 60.10867, -113.64258
Additional physical characteristics
  • Original sound recording (WMA) also available.
Physical repository Collection
  • Canadian Military Oral History Collection
Provider Genre Archival item identifier
  • IJ_722
Fonds title Fonds identifier Is referenced by Date digitized
  • March 10, 2012
Technical note
  • Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 56kbps and 22 kHz. Recorded in digital format by interviewer, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2012. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
Rights
  • This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
DOI

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