The Middy, October 7, 1999

Canadian Buddies

Thousands of troops were housed in Mid Sussex during the war years. They came from all parts of the British Isles and from overseas, particularly Canada.

The Canadians received a warm welcome among the civilian population, forming thousands of friendships many of which last to this day.

The Canadian troops were especially dominant in the Ditchling area. Since the army also practiced gunnery from Ditchling Common, to the north of the village, firing south on to the Downs, and the Royal Navy would often practice shelling inland onto the downs from the English Channel, Ditchling was anything but a quiet location in the war years, despite its rural reputation.

Many fields were turned into vast gunnery ranges and tank training grounds for the Canadian troops to practice, while all the downland farms were also used for target practice. Many were damaged and had to be rebuilt after the war. This was largely funded by the Canadian Government. Old shells are still occasionally found on the Downs by farmers or members of the public out for a stroll.

In Clayton the small bridge that crosses the railway line, known to locals as Misty Bridge, is inscribed with the still legible initials of some Canadian servicemen who, in the build up to D-Day landings were encamped in the nearby woods. One reads: "Bill Brunton, P. P. C. L. I. 8 July 1942, Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada.’ (PPCLI stands for Princess Patricia's Canadian light infantry.)

In 1986, the same Bill Brunton, who had been a dispatch rider in the corps, was traced by a Hassocks resident intrigued by the inscription. He wrote back: "I spent a lot of time in Sussex the first three years before going to the Italian Campaign – one of the D-Day Dodgers, as Lady Astor called us. Guess I had a habit of carving my name and address wherever I went, never thinking it would finally catch up with  me. Thanks for writing – at least someone knows I was there. "

Burgess Hill historian Mark Dudeney records that the Canadians, tall and cheerful in their smart uniforms were, in the main, courteous, friendly and free with their money, which certainly endeared them to the village traders.

It was also a combination that proved irresistible to the local girls, whose boyfriends were, in any case, far removed from the scene. According to at least one source, up to 7,000 Canadian soldiers ended up marrying women from Sussex.

John Taylor, from Burgess Hill, remembers as a child, the troops taking part in daily marches. "they were very good to us. They’d sometimes lob a bag of sugar and a loaf of bread over the fence and we used to follow them when they were on marches, “ he said.

During the severe winters of the war years, the visitors also displayed a great talent for skating, as Tom Hedgecock, a former Clayton resident, recalled: "it seems as if the Canadians could skate as easily as I could walk, and when the pond at Belmont froze over, you couldn't keep them away. "

He added: "the blackout regulations might not have existed for all they cared., When it got dark, they just lit hurricane lamps and carried on skating. One of them was playing an accordion as he twirled about. It was lovely to listen to the music… even though I fully expected to hear the warden’s whistle any minute. He must have been aware so must have half of Hassocks come to that. I think he was keeping his head down, these Canadians were a pretty tough bunch. Friendly, though, and generous. I never forget them. "

Occasionally there were stories of drunken violence involving these troops, including night fights on the streets of Hurstpierpoint. Such incidents were infrequent, though, and dealt with swiftly by the military authorities, who had total responsibility in these matters.

The Canadians would often take part in military exercises with the Home Guard. Some of them would dress up as German troops, looking quite realistic in grey uniforms and helmets. The Home Guard would normally defend a bridge or some other base, making use of anti-tank blocks and trenches, while their "allies “ would go on the attack. A group of officers would sometimes be umpires, wearing coloured bands on their arms and telling attackers or defenders "you're dead” or "you're injured ",  after which the soldiers had to adopt the appropriate pose.

John Bateman remembers watching some of these activities with his school friends. "It was always exciting, and naturally we always wanted the “Allies" to take the bridge,” he recalled.

Occasionally, the exercises would not always go according to plan. One of the Home Guard once launched a crude oil bomb in the direction of an attacking Bren gun carrier. It landed on the vehicle itself, spraying its contents over a Canadian soldier manning the Bren gun. The petrol ignited, setting fire to the soldier in his clothing. His Bren gun, before being dropped, fired off rounds in all directions. "

Keith Downer, who joined the Home Guard in 1943, added: "We always seem to be pitched against the Canadians, and it always felt that the exercises took place in the pouring rain. "

At other times, the Canadians would exercise among themselves, again dividing into attackers and defenders. The latter would mortar the attackers with smoke bombs: "you could see these coming as they left a trail of smoke,” according to Don Bateman.

In appreciation of the hospitality extended to Canadian forces, a canteen from Canada was presented to the urban district of Cuckfield in 1943, and at a ceremony in Victoria Park, Haywards Heath, the same year, a Canadian Corps presented the Sussex Home Guard with a ‘deed of trust’ and a silver cup to mark the special relationship and cooperation which existed between the corps and the Home Guard.

Lieutenant General Crerar praised the "kindness, sympathy and understanding of the Sussex people” towards his troops. The connection continues to this day with exchange visits between veteran associations.

Acknowledgements: "from Pyecombe to Cuckfield by Mark Dudeney and Eileen Hallett; Frontline Sussex by Martin Mace.