The O'Leary Collection—Medals of The Royal Canadian Regiment

Lieut.-Col. Ralph Marston Crowe

The Royal Canadian Regiment

By: Capt (ret'd) Michael M. O'Leary, CD, The RCR


Lieut.-Col. R.M. Crowe, medals and Memorial Cross,
The O'Leary Collection.


Lieut.-Col. R.M. Crowe, medals and Memorial Cross, on display at The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum (London, Ont.), on loan from The O'Leary Collection.


Lieut.-Col. R.M. Crowe, portrait photo on display at The Royal Military College of Canada.


Carden Loyd Carrier Course conducted by The RCR, Wolseley Barracks, 1935.


The route from Pachino to Nissoria, plotted with Google Maps.


Major "Billy" Pope (left)) and Lieut.-Col. R.M. Crowe in Sicily, shortly before their deaths in battle.


Lieut.-Col. Crowe's gravestone at the Agira Canadian War Cemetery, Sicily.


Location of Crowe Lake (map images from Google Maps).

Ralph Marston Crowe was born on 2 Oct 1911 at 284 Woolwich St., Guelph, Ontario. His parents were Charles Robert and Edith B. (nee Skinner) Crowe. At the time, Charles' occupation was recorded as "Iron Founder." Ralph was the youngest of four surviving children (one child had died at the age of two years), and he was nine years younger than his next older sibling.

Ralph's father was an officer of the local Militia regiment, the 30th Regiment,Wellington Rifles. He rose to command that unit and was an accomplished marksman who represented Canada in the 1908 Olympics (1000 yard free rifle event) and competed at Bisley, notably for the Rajah of Kolapore's Challenge Cup, multiple times between the 1890s and the 1920s. The elder Crowe took over his own father's iron foundry in 1908 and grew the business to one of the largest employers in Guelph. (Charles Crowe was inducted into the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.)

By the time of the 1921 Canadian Census, the Crowe household included parents Charles (53) and Edith (52), with Greta (30), Ernest Watson (18), and Ralph (9). The family had one live-in servant, Mary Howse (23). By 1921, older brothers Charles (24) and George Kenneth (21) were out of the family home and on their own.

Crowe attended four years of high school at the Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institution, graduating in 1929. On 28 Aug 1929, he joined the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) as a Gentleman Cadet, No. 2081. As the latest member of his family to attend RMC, Ralph followed in the footsteps of brothers G.K. Crowe (No. 1385, Class of 1921) and E.W. Crowe (No. 1542, Class of 1924).

In the June, 1933, edition of the RMC Review, Crowe's year of graduation, a brief sketch was published over the byline "J.T.W." (likely No. 2123, Cpl. John Townley Woolsey (later Colonel, RCA)). It read:

"2081, Sgt. Ralph Marston Crowe.

"October 2nd, 1911, was a lucky day for Guelph when 2081, Sgt. Royster made his first appearance. After several years at Guelph Collegiate Ralph showed up at R.M.C. with the rest of us in August, 1929, wearing the famous brown suit and a bewildered look. A moustache (?) now hides the bewilderment. It was with the coming of winter that his originality first displayed itself in his scientific methods of "How to Keep Warm". Ralph has turned out for track each year, and last fall managed the track team. He is also a valued member of the orchestra with his violin. This year his Sundays have been mainly taken up with B.O.S. duties, while on week days his spare time has been spent trying to extract himself from the telephone booth under difficulties. Ralph goes from College to The R.C.R., and with everything combined we know he will make a success of army life. J.T.W."

On 14 Jun 1933, Crowe graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada. His Diploma notes that on leaving the College, he was 21 years 256 days of age, 5 feet 10 inches tall, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Also on his Diploma of Graduation is a list of subjects he studied while at the College:

On graduating, Crowe was eligible for an appointment to the Permanent Force of Canada. He was appointed to a lieutenancy and posted to The Royal Canadian Regiment. Regimental Order No. 11, dated 24 Jun 1933, included the following item: "To be Lieutenant: Ralph Marston Crowe, on graduation from the Royal Military College of Canada, 14th June, 1933." Soon thereafter came Regimental Order, No. 14, dated 20 Jul 1933: "Lieut. R.M. Crowe is posted to "C" Company, London, Ontario, on appointment."

With fours years of RMC drill and routines under his belt, Crowe would have been no stranger to ceremonial parades. As the newest subaltern in the London garrison, it's little surprise that he was on parade for the Trooping of the Colours on 11 Sep 1933 for the Regiment's 50th Anniversary. The regimental journal, The Connecting File, Vol. XII, No. 4, published November, 1933, stated:

"Before several thousand spectators the Battalion "Trooped the Colour" on Monday morning. Lieut-Col. R.J.S. Langford was in command. The four Guard Commanders were: Major H.T. Cock, M.C. ; Major V. Hodson, Lieut. J.P. Parker and Lieut. M.P. Bogert (Escort to the Colour). Lieut R.M. Crowe was the Officer Carrying the Colour."

The first volume of regimental history (Fetherstonhaugh, 1936, p. 411) also described the day:

"Next day, Monday, September 11, the celebrations were brought to an appropriate conclusion when, in the presence of more than 1,000 spectators, the Regimental colour, borne by Lieut. R.M. Crowe, was trooped at Wolseley Barracks, Lieut.-Col. Langford being in command of the parade and the four guards being commanded respectively by Major H.T. Cock, M.C., Major V. Hodson, Lieut. J.P. Parker, and Lieut. M.P. Bogert. Though the strain of the four days' entertainments had been great, all ranks had borne this trooping of the colour in mind, the result being that the ceremonial was carried out with the dignity and flawless execution of movements that the Regiment's reputation. required. Even the most critical of Old Comrades were satisfied and convinced that the Regiment had not lost that sense of discipline nor relaxed in that attention to detail which had been the sources of its greatness in the past."

The November, 1933, edition of The Connecting File also recorded Crowe's first appearances in regimental sports:

"Track Events Won by "C" Company … "Pte. G. Taylor, "C", took the 440-yard dash, making the race in 55 4/5 seconds. Lieut. R.M. Crowe, also of "C", was second and Serjt. G. Fawcett, "B" third." … "C" Company relay team romped home with the mile relay easily, while "B" Company was second and "D" Company made third place. The "C" team, Serjt. J. Fawcett, Lieut. Crowe, Pte. Dunseith and Pte. George Taylor."

For many officers of the modern army, the bane of their daily existence is the presence of "secondary duties" assigned in addition to the principal duties of their appointments. In the 1930s, it was no different. The April, 1934, edition of The Connecting File identified Crowe as the "C" Company representative for the quarterly regimental journal. The following edition, in July of 1934, "promoted" him to Editor and Business Manager for The Connecting File.

On 11 Sep 1934, Crowe and seventeen other officers of the RMC Class of '33 convened for a reunion dinner at the Chateau Laurier Grill in Ottawa. This was nearly one-third of the 61 original members of the Class wo entered the College in 1929. A brief article written by Crowe for the RMC Review in December 1934 noted that the dinner was possible because "eleven members of the class, now in the Permanent Force, who were attending the Junior Permanent Force Officers' Tactical Course at Connaught Ranges." Lieut.-Col. G.R. Pearkes, VC, DSO, MC, (PPCLI) was the guest of honour and one other officer of The RCR was in attendance, Lieut. W.J. Moogk.

After his return to the London garrison from his course, Regimental Order, No. 29, dated 17 Oct 1933, announced a posting between regimental stations for Crowe. The order read: "Lieutenant R.M. Crowe is transferred from "C" Company, London, Ontario, to "D" Company, St. Jean, P.Q., 1st October, 1934."

With his professional development training continuing, Crowe attended the Canadian Small Arms School in 1934. Regimental Order, No. 33, dated 23 Nov 1934 confirmed the completion of his course: "Qualifications—Officers: "A" Wing Canadian Small Arms School, 1934: Lieutenant R.M. Crowe, Certificate No. 81863."

Crowe's name also appeared in Regimental Order, No. 34, dated 30th November, 1934. The Hamilton-Gray Cup Competition was won, for the year 1934, by Captain T.E. Snow. An officers' shooting match with competitors fired at ranges of 200, 500, and 600 yards, Snow scored 88 points of a possible 105, with Capt. & Bt. Maj. Vernon Hodson one point behind him. Crowe, perhaps not having picked up his father's skills at musketry, fell ninth in the list of shooters with a score of 59.

In peacetime, regimental life could seem to revolve around sports, social events, and professional development. Mentions of Crowe in various editions of the regimental journal in 1935 touch on all of these as parts of his service:

The first edition of The Connecting File in 1936 (Vol XIV, No 1, Jan 1936) described the activities of "D" Company at St. Jean and their commemoration of the end of the Great War for Armistice Day in November, 1935:

"Armistice Ceremonies

"On Remembrance Day the Garrison paraded to the St. Jean cenotaph where a brief ceremony was held under arrangements made by the Canadian Legion. Wreaths were deposited by the Company, "A" Squadron R.C.D., The Legion, I.O.D.E., and other organizations. At eleven o'clock the customary two minutes silence was observed and the Protestant church party marched direct to church. Major Campbell was in command of the Garrison parade. Lieutenants Larocque and Crowe commanding the R.C.D. and R.C.R. respectively. Four sentries were detailed for the cenotaph, L/Cpls Wilkinson and Bingham and two from "A" Squadron.

"On the evening of Monday 12th November, the Company held a very successful smoker to mark Armistice Day."

The April, 1936, edition of The Connecting File (Vol. XV, No. 2) shared news that a major change of course was on the way for Crowe's career path. The H.Q. Officers' Mess Notes from the London garrison stated: "Crowe was here for a few days leave prior to sailing for two years' exchange to India. His station is to be Razmak, Waziristan." Echoing that news was the notes provided by the "A" Coy, Halifax, Officers' Mess: "Lieut R M. Crowe called in to say good-bye as he was leaving for two years exchange to the Indian Army. We hope he has all the luck in the world."

Crowe's appointment on exchange with the Indian Army was published in the London Gazette of 29 May 1936. The item reads: "The undermentioned officer of the Canadian Military Forces is granted the local rank of Lt., while serving with the Imperial Forces in India, 17th Apr. 1936, with seniority 14th June 1933:— Lt. R.M. Crowe."

During and after his service in India, Crowe provided a number of short articles to the regimental journal. The first of these appeared in The Connecting File, Volume XV, No. 3, July 1936 and is presented here in its entirety:

"Extracts from the Diary of Lieut. R. M. Crowe, The R.C.R., attached to Q.V.O. Corps of Guides, Razmak, Waziristan, India

"Tuesday and Wednesday, April 28th and 29th

"Life started before five o'clock yesterday morning. It was a good day, but after my five-week lay-off on board ship, I didn't feel much like writing about it last night.

"It is quite obvious that mountain warfare tactics differ in many respects to those which we are most frequently taught at home. There are two principal reasons for this difference; firstly, the nature of the country, and secondly, the nature of the enemy.

"It is impossible to briefly compare the two types of fighting. Such comparisons are brought out by experience of which I have none. I can only hope, therefore, to give a brief description of the tactics I have carried out since my arrival in Waziristan. These have dealt totally with the problems of Protection on the Move.

"Even in Waziristan, which is generally mountainous, the nature of the ground varies in different parts. In some places the hills are fairly easy to deal with; in others they are covered with huge boulders which make climbing difficult. Sometimes you come up against sheer rock faces which are impossible to climb. In any case the hills are always there … in front, on both flanks, and in the rear.

"Seeing the country makes one realize several vivid points:

"(a)     A hill system is even more impenetrable to vision than a forest … until you get to the top, and that takes time.

"(b)     In movement. your protective detachments guarding your flank have to climb hills to do it. Obviously a slow business.

"(c)     Experience is the only thing which can teach a person how to choose tactically important points in a hill system.

"On the north-west frontier of India the enemy, or potential enemy is the unruly tribesman. Quite obviously his organization is poor and his discipline practically nil. Nevertheless, a massed tribe can create a lot of trouble. The only long-range native weapon is the rifle which is in most cases stolen or smuggled into the country.

"The tribesman is born in the hills. Hill country is his home. Therefore he is an expert at taking cover and in the use of ground for protection. This faculty, combined with expert skill-at-arms, makes him a difficult person to deal with if his calm is ruffled. His effective range with the rifle is taken as anything up to nine hundred yards.

"A tribe does not fight its battles in any organized way. Normally its members split up into small groups which take cover in the hills, ready to harass their enemy with long-range fire.

"Taking all these characteristics into consideration it is easy to realize the difficulties which confront a body of troops moving through hostile native territory. Enemy attack may be expected from any quarter at any time, usually in the form of sniping from well-concealed positions. Even in time of peace, due precautions must be taken.

"The normal route of a Column follows the well-defined passes of the hill system. Such a route is vulnerable unless properly protected. Protection can be gained by placing small detachments on the tops of the more commanding hills.

"Normally, all arteries of movement on the frontier are protected by permanent piquets, each manned by two or three native policemen, or Khassadars. These Khassadars are tribesmen, officially armed, and reimbursed by the government to maintain order among their tribes.

"Khassadar piquets are not, however, considered sufficient protection in themselves. A body of troops on the move is still responsible for its own protection. Not only must it send out an advanced guard; it must also detach flank piquets and be followed by an adequate rear guard.

"The duty of the advanced guard is primarily the same as elsewhere but its action is limited by the ground. Generally speaking, it is responsible for the valleys and for the lower underfeatures which are not dealt with by the piquets The vanguard is normally split up, with platoons moving in open formation on either side of the line of advance. Individual sections explore all gullies and dead ground. The vanguard usually consists of infantry without the support of machine guns.

"Troops which are going to be used to piquet the flanks quite obviously cannot move ahead of the advanced guard. Instead, they move directly behind it, in charge of the Piquetting Officer. This officer decides the points at which piquets are to be placed, and their strength. His orders are relayed to the piquet commanders through the company commander of the piquetting troops.

"The strength of each piquet depends on the importance of the feature to which it is sent. Sometimes a platoon is required; sometimes a couple of sections. Piquets may be posted up to a thousand yards or so on either side of the road.

"This business is obviously the one which slows up the advance of the column. No matter how well the troops are trained in hill-climbing, it takes a long time for piquets to get into position. Once detached from his unit, the piquet commander is independent, although communication between piquets is maintained by visual telegraphy. One signaller is normally attached to each piquet from the Battalion Signal Section.

"Piquetting goes on as the column advances until the company detailed for this duty is used up. Then another company is sent forward to continue its job.

"The question which should come now is "What happens when there are no more troops left for piquetting?" The answer is, "Such is never the case!" As the rear guard of the column passes each piquet, a signal is sent to the latter to come down from its post and rejoin the main body or the rear guard commander.

"In order to avoid losing any piquets and to afford some means of checking numbers, each piquet commander, on being sent out, is given what is called a piquet slip. This is a small piece of paper in two sections. On each section is written the number of the piquet, its strength, and whether it is equipped with a Lewis gun or not. Piquet slips are made out by the posting officer from a piquet book, which, when it is completed, is sent back to the rear guard commander.

"When a Piquet Commander sees the Rear Guard approaching, he detaches one section of his slip, and sends it with two bayonet sentries to the rearguard commander. These sentries then point out the exact position of their piquet, thus facilitating its recall. When each piquet returns to the column, its slip is handed in, and its number checked.

"The duties of the rear guard are the same as everywhere, namely, fending off the enemy pursuit. Its other duty is the offering of mutual support in the withdrawal of the piquets.

"I have only tried to draw a general picture of the whole business of protection on the move in mountain warfare. Later on I want to have a go at describing the routine and duties of the individual piquets.

"Gosh! I have just read the above over. It almost sounds as though I knew something about it! I don't actually, but it is good fun fooling myself as well as a lot of other people!

"Tuesday's experience was certainly a glorious one. For the first time in my life I saw a body of troops larger than a battalion. The incoming column was composed of three battalions of infantry. With mule transport, one battery of mountain artillery also on mules, two sections of armored cars, and detachments of all the services. Can you picture a sight like that moving along a road? There must have been twelve hundred mules carrying the baggage. I saw it all from the top of a high hill where I spent the day with one of the piquets.

"Actually the incoming column didn't post its own piquets this time. The troops left at Razmak did that for them.

"In the preceding gas explosion I said that posting piquets is a slow job. Actually, these Indians move like the wind. They climb hills like the Montreal Mountain at the double, and believe me, there are no paved roads to follow. I tried to keep up with them but was left hopelessly behind. On the way down I was more successful in racing them, but when we reached the bottom of our hill, I was all ready to reach out for a lily.

"It was interesting to watch the M.G. platoons in action. Their duty was to cover the advance of the piquets to their posts. They are packed on mules and have eight men per section. It was wonderful watching them move at the double everywhere. They can come into action in practically no time at all, and are up and away in a flash. Actually, I find that there are only two M.G. Platoons in "S" Company of the Guides.

"As I said, I spent the whole of yesterday with Major Redding on top of one of the hills. He took me through the whole sequence of piquetting, and I was actually able to watch the whole thing being carried out. The C.O. is running a T.E.W.T. on it next Tuesday. That is why I am not going to say anything about it now.

"We arrived back at Razmak from the piquetting job about five-thirty yesterday afternoon. I had dinner and hopped into bed right away.

"Today has been comparatively peaceful. I was on guard mounting parade at three this afternoon … just to see how they do it here."

It is interesting to note that in India, Crowe received first hand experience of the challenges of command and organization of forces in broken and hilly terrain.

The RMC Review also sought to keep its readers up-to-date on Crowe's whereabouts. The June 1936 edition shared the following notice: "No. 2081, Lieut R.M. Crowe, The R.C.R., is on two years exchange in India and is stationed at Razmak, Waziristan." (The same edition also noted that "No. 1542, E.W. Crowe, F.A.S., has been made a fellow of the Actuarial Society of America.") In its December issue, the Review noted in its Directory of Ex-Cadets, that: "2081 Lieut R.M. Crowe, The R.C.R., attached 2/12 Frontier Force Regt., C.Q.V.O., Corps of Guides, Razmak, Waziristan, India"

A submission by Crowe for the January, 1938, edition of The Connecting File (Vol. XVII, No. 1) continued with "Extracts from Lieutenant Crowe's Diary." This instalment of his chronicles included descriptions of travelling in the country and the life of an officer outside of operations:

"Extracts from Lieutenant Crowe's Diary.

"I went on leave from Razmak on February 16th. I took a cruise to China and Japan which lasted until April 16th. The voyage included calls at Colombo, Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Kobe and Yokohama, with a full fortnight in Japan itself.

"The ship arrived back in Bombay on April 16th; I decided to camp there for the remainder of my leave. My month was very quiet and lasted until May 12th when I caught the Frontier Mail for Peshawar.

"The whole situation in Waziristan was very quiet after the Khaisora Operations. By the end of January all the troops had returned to their peace stations feeling fairly well satisfied that it was all over. The Fakir of Ipi went on about his business though, and by the middle of March it was realized that there was going to be more trouble.

"The first big show came off on March 29th at Damdil when the two battalions of Prince's Regiment, plus two other battalions, ran into nearly 1,000 tribesmen and came out with forty killed including a British Officer. It was an unexpected encounter in which the enemy lay in wait for the Vanguard and scuppered it by short range fire from the scrubby hillsides.

"Then, early in April, the tribesmen near Wana attacked a convoy and minced it up badly. 7 B.O's. were killed and about 20 I.O.R's. I don't know how many were wounded. There were a couple of M.C's. and several I.D.S.M's. awarded to the troops who came out and brought the convoy in to Wana.

"So troops and more troops were sent to Waziristan. Operations were begun with a view to building a new road right into the heart of Tori Khel country; to Arsal Kot, the Headquarters of the Fakir.

"Most of April saw intermittent scrapping, and sniping was quite a common everyday occurrence. Then, at the end of the month, the enemy pulled off an attack on the water-carrying party at Alexandra Piquet, killing seven I.O.R's. and getting away with their rifles. They were all the 4/8 Punjab Regiment.

"At the end of May, the road building had progressed fairly well. The Tori Khels, having lost faith in their Fakir, started to get a trifle fed-up and sued for peace. However, the sniping and opposition continued as the laskhars were made up of many Afghans as well as a number of Mahsud bad men. The Mahsuds, as a tribe, have not been unfriendly but their attitude has not been entirely angelic.

"By June, peace had been restored with the Tori Khels and the scene of operations shifted west into Mahsud country where more roads were contemplated.

"It was very hot when I arrived in Peshawar. Next day (May 15th), I reported to my new bosses at Peshawar District Headquarters. I was hurled in, in front of the General, and told that I would work the first week with the G. III. and the second with the D.A.A.G.

"After an hour of milling about, trying to explain why, what, and who I was, I barged out, took my kit up to the Club and booked a room for the ensuing month.

"Peshawar is in the N.W.F. Province, just about six miles from the India-end of the Khyber Pass. It is not in the hills; rather, it lies in the centre of the Kajuri Plain which is as flat as a billiard table. It is one of the well-known "Plain Stations" and is, I suppose, in the most strategically important position of any garrison on the frontier.

"It is a beautiful cantonment; green, well-treed, well-watered, with nicely paved streets and lovely bungalows.

"Well, the first week ended; I then moved into the D.A.A.G's. office where I stayed until the end of May.

"Well, the next step in the story came on May 31st, when I finished at district and reported to Peshawar Brigade H.Q. When I arrived I found the Brigade Major, Maj. Barker, and the Staff Captain, Maj. Godley, sipping ceremonial tea, so I joined them, and between the two of them they decided that I would do the first week with the B.M. and the second with the S.C.

"That evening, I was invited to dinner with Major Barker, and he asked me to come and live with him for my remaining fortnight in Peshawar; I thought that it was most awfully decent of him.

"He usually asked people in to dinner about twice a week. One of the most interesting people I met was old Major Cole of "Imperial Military Geography" fame. He wears thick glasses and is rather hard of hearing, but is most entertaining.

"Well, time marched on in the usual way, and the weather started to get really hot. Hence, outside of leaving the Barker mansion, I was not sorry to pack my things on June 16th, and head up the Khyber in the direction of Landi Kotal.

"It is a well-known fact that the Khyber is one of the few passes which cross the Himalayas along the northern boundary of India. Such passes are the only routes by which an invasion from the north could ever take place; a fact which has been proved in history. Hence they must be guarded.

"The Khyber is the connecting link between India and Afghanistan. Since the British took over control of India it has been the scene of intermittent unrest, although at present, and for some years past, the Pass itself has been peaceful. Any potential trouble lies in the attitude of the neighbouring tribes and in the possibility of hostilities against Afghanistan.

"It is difficult to describe the Pass in General Terms. Being a phenomenon of nature, it forms the bed of an old watercourse and picks its way through a seemingly impassable hill system for a distance of about thirty miles.

"The geological formation of the country is most interesting. Leaving Peshawar, one travels for a distance of about eight miles over the flat, uninteresting Kajuri Plain in a North-Westerly direction. The hills which can be seen from Peshawar grow gradually closer, and one can see the "V" shaped opening at the mouth of the Pass. One passes the fort at Jamrud, and then suddenly the hills rise up sheer out of the surrounding plain and one enters the Pass proper.

"The Khyber itself varies in width from two hundred to eight or nine hundred yards. On both sides one sees the towering, rock-faced hills, the more commanding of which are surmounted by Khassadar Piquets. The same brownness is there which characterizes Waziristan.

"There are three routes for travel which more or less characterize the development of transportation in recent years. first, the old camel path, then the Khyber Railway, and finally the metalled motor road. The latter has the characteristic bends and hair-pin curves of any mountain road.

"The railway is a miracle of engineering genius. Winding and twisting, bending around hills and passing through numerous tunnels in the rock, it rises a height of 3,000 feet in twenty miles. It is a strategic railway which in peace brings supplies to the garrisons of the Khyber, and in war would supply the means of quick transportation for troops to the borders of Afghanistan.

"It was a thrilling ride for me. Half way up the Pass we saw the Shargai Fort, and then further on, five miles short of the Afghan border, we came to Landi Kotal. The latter place is built of line similar to Razmak, but smaller as it houses a small brigade of three battalions and one battery. It was to be my station for the next two months where I was to be attached to the 1st Bn. The Dorsetshire Regiment.

"Due to shortage of transportation, my first ride up the Khyber was done on a lorry load of grass—not very adventurous, but certainly a comfortable way of seeing the place where men are men and the plumbing just isn't.

"The second day I was there, the C.O. asked me what I wanted to do, and I told him that I would like a platoon, so I was posted to "A" Company i/c No. 4 Platoon. I discovered later that a platoon commander has absolutely nothing to do most of the time mainly because there are no men to work with. There were all sorts of guards and things to find. Hence everyone was always either getting ready for guard, on guard, or resting after guard.

"Monday, August 16th.

"Today marks the beginning of another chapter in these two years of mine in India. Not only have I changed stations and regiments, but I can say that I have seen the last of the hills.

"My next attachment is to be with the Royal Tank Corps here at Peshawar.

"I discovered that I am to be attached to the 11th Light Tank Company for my two months here. Actually, there are two companies in Peshawar, the other being equipped with Armoured Cars. Each Company is really its own show and is administered on the same lines as a battalion of Infantry.

"Friday, August 27th.

"When I arrived back in the mess at twelve, I found MacNamara (the Junior subaltern), talking to a large Indian fellow. This chap is named Wyshnart Singh, but is commonly known as Bolo, and is a captain in the 1/4 Bombay Grenadiers stationed here. He is an Indian, but was born and brought up in England, went through Sandhurst, and now holds a King's commission in a non-Indianized Battalion. I met him up in Landi Kotal, and he is really a most charming fellow. He finally invited MacNamara, Capt. Hoad and myself down to his bungalow this evening for a real Indian dinner to which we rolled up on our bogwheels at 8.45.

"He has a lovely bungalow; beautifully furnished and supplied with the best wireless I have heard since I have been out here (which isn't saying much). When we arrived we found that he had also invited two major friends of his, so there were six of us for dinner.

"Well, it was a dinner. first of all we had thick curry soup about the consistency of all paint and with the kick of a mule. Then the most magnificent curry I have ever tasted, served in the proper way. first came in dry boiled rice which we ladled on to our plates in large quantities, then curried chicken which was piled on top of the rice, then curried dhall (split peas), and finally some delayed-action chutney. The curry slid down like greased velvet and then bang! I couldn't see anything. It all just seemed as though the whole room was engulfed in infernal (or internal) fire! Afterwards we had a sweet of cool creamy stuff which was supposed to act as a quencher. Personally, I could have tossed off a couple of pints of Pyrene with the greatest of ease, but this sweet did the trick.

"After dinner we just oozed into the other room and, flopped. It was a hot night any way, and the curry opened the old pores till we all were performing like the "rose" on a watering-can.

"My address is: c/o Lloyds Bank, Ltd., Hornby Road, Bombay.

"Wednesday, September 1st.

"I have just realized that I have omitted one incident which I feel is one of the most outstanding tragedies of the past year here in India. On June 23rd, we received the staggering bit of news that Col. Grant of the Guides had been killed in action in Mahsud country near Razmak. I feel sure that he died as he would like to have died; leading his regiment.

"Ken Lees, an R.A.F. officer who was attached to us in Razmak for a fortnight last November, was also killed in March. He was taking off from Miranshah aerodrome with a load of bombs, when his engine failed, crashing the plane and exploding the bombs.

"I was up well before dawn today, and we moved out of the Tank park at 7.30. It was lovely and cool for a start, but soon heated up as we worked out on to the open roads.

"We moved in the normal road-march formation, i.e., two tanks as adv. Sub-section, followed by the Section Commander's Tank, the two supply lorries, the breakdown lorry and then my sub-section of three tanks as rear guard.

"We averaged about 17 miles per hour along the road for the first five miles. Then, unfortunately, an old native woman darted across the road in front of one of the lorries and was killed. Fleming stayed until the police arrived, and I took the section on to Kohat, where we arrived at about 12 noon."

Not limiting himself to recording and sharing of his experiences on exchange duty, Crowe also provided an article for The Connecting File that described his time on leave in Japan. This was published in the April, 1938, edition (Vol. XVII, No. 2):

"A Japanese Experience

"By Lieut. R.M. Crowe

"(Being an extract from his diary of March 12, 1937, whilst on leave from India.)

"Having arrived safely in Japan and having left the ship at Kobe, the three of us (Mr. W.E. Eversden and Mr. R. Webb—two chaps from Southern India with whom I had "teamed-up" and myself) decided to take a taxi to the inland city of Kyoto. We arrived there well after dark and were in rather a haze re the question of hotels. Bill had the address (or what he thought was the address) of a Japanese Inn, but it turned out to be merely the name of a district in which the Inn was located. We were also equipped with a taxi-driver who didn't understand English. However, after asking numerous policemen and after nearly being arrested for driving down a street forbidden to motor cars we eventually found a chap who had a vague idea of what we wanted. He directed the driver and away we went.

"The farther we travelled, the less savoury seemed the streets. Dark narrow lanes for the most part … dingy and dirty looking. When we eventually stopped it was outside the dingiest of dingy doors. Through the lattice gate we could see inside into a small courtyard lit by electric lanterns. It didn't look at all unwelcome if one forgot the exterior. So "out we got and in we went."

"From then on it was perfectly enchanting. We were met at the door by the Innkeeper and about ten small Japanese girls … all of them bowing and laughing and chattering in wiggly-waggly. At the entrance we took off our shoes and put on slippers which were provided by the Inn. You wouldn't wonder why if you could see the floors. They are covered with woven matting and are spotlessly clean. They are delicate things too. Hence street shoes are always discarded at the door for the sake of cleanliness and preservation.

"The Innkeeper said he could give us rooms, but before we decided to stay we went in to have a look at them. It was bitterly cold. Every time we entered a bedroom we had to take our slippers off and walk in our stockinged feet. The mats were freezing and our toes nearly dropped off but it all looked so nice that we decided to stay.

"Strangely enough we had landed at the best Inn in Japan. Apparently it is the showplace of them all and caters to foreigners. The prices were correspondingly high, but the Inn-keeper spoke English so we decided to stay for one night at least.

"The rooms were all the same. You enter them through a low, sliding, paper panel after leaving your slippers at the door. Inside, the matting covers the floor. The walls, too, are paper and the only furnishing consists of a low table, a charcoal brazier, three or four cushions for sitting on, a lamp, and a vase of flowers. Everything shining and spotlessly clean. The Innkeeper produced some electric stoves for us and soon the rooms were quite warm.

"The thing that really disturbed us was the presence of the little maids. Each of us had a room and discovered that there was a maid attached! My A.D.C. was called Kiko.

"When we had straightened everything out with the Innkeeper we each went to our rooms, followed by the Aides-de-Camp. Mine said, "Baff". And I, being unable to think of anything else muttered, "Yes!" She then proceeded to pull off my coat and vest and signalled me to take off my trousers. That staggered the old decorum a trifle, so I made a bee-line for the door where I found Webb coming towards me. "Good Lord," he said, "Should we really take our trousers off?" (He had reached exactly the same stage as I had—and had bolted too!) However, mutually reassuring ourselves, we went back, slung convention to the blooming zephyr, and removed the required article. Then my A.D.C. produced a kimona for me. In three layers it was: a heavy cotton undercoat, a silk overlayer, followed by a short silk jacket … all of which was held in place by a long silk sash around the waist. I wasn't sure of what came next, but when you feel like that you reach out and suck down a spot of tea which always seems to be there. While I was doing this, Bill and Dick came in, and we all three went down to the bath-room prepared for we knew not what!

"The bathroom was really two small rooms. In the first we undressed, and then went into the second where the bath was.

"In Japan, you bathe in the reverse order to our way. There are, little tubs on the floor which you use to bail water out of the big tub for cleaning purposes. When you are thoroughly "de-soaped" you then step into the big tub which is about four feet deep and just bask. The three of us sat side-by-side like the three wise monkeys. You couldn't see for steam and we were laughing so hard at the sight we must have presented that we were exhausted by the time we got out!

"Then we donned the old kimonas again and went back to Bill's room for dinner. When we arrived there was more tea, and then came the meal proper. first they brought in three small tables about a foot off the floor … one for each of us. Then, chopsticks and bowls and bowls of food. Not much in each bowl but enough on the whole to sink a ship. We ate sitting on our haunches and the chief maid sat nearby and produced the various bowls as required. She couldn't speak a word of English but we had a book of phrases and found that she would function if we said "How about a spot of fish, Agnes!" or "Toss the Toast." She showed us how to use the chopsticks.

"About half way through the meal Webb suddenly let out a groan and said, "My God! I'm stabbed! Try to move!" We did, and believe me, the old legs were like two fiery swords after sitting like that for so long. All I could do was roll over on my side and gradually straighten them out. Talk as you will about the tortures of hell, they had nothing on those few minutes.

"Well, by the time we had finished we had eaten practically everything … fish, bamboo shoots, persimmons, eggs, rice, etc., ad infinitum. To say nothing of socki (a very pleasant wine brewed from rice and served hot). After dinner we sat around and talked it over, considering that it had been a day well worthwhile.

"When I got back to my room I found my bed laid out on the floor. And what a bed! A thick mattress underneath, followed by snowy white sheets and layer after layer of light eiderdowns. Inside was a stone hot-water bottle! I think that it was the softest bed that I have ever slept on, and it didn't take long to slip into the unconscious once my head had touched the pillow."

Crowe's service overseas wasn't all adventuring and social settings as some of his notes might infer. In the 18 Feb 1938 issue of the London Gazette (No. 34485) is found the announcement that Crowe had been awarded a Mention in Despatches for his services in Waziristan.

With the spring of 1938 and the end of Crowe's exchange posting, the Connecting File in April (Vol. XVII, No. 2) announced: "Lieutenant R.M. Crowe, R.C.R., on his return to Canada from inter-change duty in India, is being posted to "C" Company, London, Ontario." The RMC Review in June, 1938, also informed its readers of Crowe's return to Canada with two brief items: "No. 2081, Lieut. R.M. Crowe, The R.C.R., who has been serving with the Imperial Forces on the N.W. Frontier of India, has returned to Halifax." … "No. 2081, Lieut. R.M. Crowe, The R.C.R., was attached to the 24th Mountain Bde. for the last 6 weeks of his tour in India. He was with the 18th Mtn. Bty. in Kohat. He was mentioned in Despatches for his work in the Waziristan operations."

But there was another impending bit of personal business for Crowe on his return. On 30 Apr 1938, he married Rosalind Brewer. In quick succession with their next issues, the marriage was announced in The RMC Review of June, 1938:

"CROWE-BREWIN — At St. Mark's Church, Port Hope, Ont., on Saturday, April 30th, 1938. Rosalind, daughter of Rev. F.H. and Mrs. Brewin, to No. 2081, Lieut. Ralph Marston Crowe, The R.C.R. The best man was No. 1542, E.W. Crowe, and among the ushers were No. 1385, G.K. Crowe, and No. 2105, Lt. W.J. Moogk, The R.C.R."

And in The Connecting File of Jul, 1938 (Vol. XVII, No. 3):

"Headquarters Officers' Mess Notes:

"Crowe's wedding to Miss Rosalind Brewin, of Toronto, took place at Port Hope, Ontario, on April 30th. Moogk was one of the ushers. Pope and Aylan-Parker were present. We take this opportunity of welcoming Mrs. Crowe into the Regiment, with our sincerest good wishes for her and her husband's life long happiness and prosperity. Crowe has been posted to "C" Company on his return from India."

In the latter publication, it was also announced that Crowe returned to his old secondary duty at the Regiment's London garrison as the Editor of The Connecting File.

By the end of 1938, in their respective December issues, both RMC and The RCR shared notice of Crowe's award of a Mention in Despatches. In the pages of the Review, the notice read:

"No. 2081, Lieut. R.M. Crowe, The R.C.R. (attached to the 5th Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regt., Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides), was mentioned in the London Gazette, dated at the War Office, Feb, 18, 1938, as having been brought to notice by His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief in India, for distinguished services rendered in connection with the operations in Waziristan, North-West Frontier of India, Nov. 25, 1937-Jan. 16, 1938."

On 12 Dec 1938, after over five years of regimental duty, Ralph Crowe was appointed to the rank of Temporary Captain. His new rank came along with a posting back to the familiar grounds of the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario. The RMC Review summarized his career to date in a brief synopsis in their June 1939 edition:

"No, 2081, Captain R.M. Crowe, R.CR., was appointed Instructor in Tactics on December 12th, 1938. After attending Guelph Collegiate he entered the R.M.C. in 1929 and graduated as a sergeant in 1933, when he obtained a commission in the R.C.R. After being stationed at London, Ont., and St. Johns, Que. he went to India, on exchange, in 1933. He was at Razmak during the Waziristan Operations of 1936-7, in which he took part and was mentioned in despatches. Later he was stationed at Peshawar, Landi Kotal, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Chaklala and Kohat, He as attached at various times to the Indian Infantry (Corps of Guides), British Infantry, R.T.C., Indian Cavalry, Royal Corps of Signals, R.I.A.S.C., and the Royal Artillery, (Mountain Battery). On returning from India in 1938, he proceeded to London, Ont., before coming to the R.M.C. Captain Crowe is a brother of No. 1385, G.K. Crowe, and No. 1542, E.W. Crowe, and a son of Colonel C.R. Crowe, V.D., who was 16 times a member of the Canadian Bisley Team."

The Crowes' time at RMC also included the 1939 Royal Visit on 21 May 1939. The Crowes were among those who had the honour of being presented to their Majesties during the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

As a Lieutenant (and Temporary Captain), Crowe was employed on Secondment at the Royal Military College of Canada when he completed an Officer's Declaration paper for the Canadian Field Force on 27 Sep 1939. The form notes Crowe's status as an officer of the Permanent Active Militia (P.A.M.), that he was married, and a member of the United Church of Canada. Crowe noted that he had former war service in the North-West Frontier of India (Waziristan, 1936-37).

Crowe's record of service sheet at the outset of the Second World War began with the date 1 Sep 1939. He was noted as an officer of The RCR employed at RMC, Kingston, and his qualifications were listed as:

Crowe's medical examination form showed him to have no medical issues at the age of 28. He had an appendectomy in 1934. Crowe was described as 5 feet 10 inches in height, weighing 166 pounds, with a 38-inch chest, a medium complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He had good physical development, and admitted to having previously worn glasses, probably for a slight imbalance in vision between his eyes (the left was better than 20/20).

The second part of the Declaration form, which comprised the certification of his Commanding Officer and confirmed Crowe's new appointment as of 7 Dec 1939, was signed by Major Vernon Hodson on 13 December. Commencing his active service in the Second World War, Ralph Crowe was appointed to be a Company Commander in The Royal Canadian Regiment with the rank of Captain.

In completing a "Particulars of Family" form on 27 Sep 1939, Crowe identified that his wife Rosalind had a current mailing address of RMC, Kingston. The couple had no children at that time. He also noted that his parents, Lt.-Col. Charles Robert Crowe and Edith Bowden Crowe, were living at 323 Woolwich St., Guelph, Ont.

In its December 1939 edition, The RMC Review was brief in announcing Crowe's departure: "No. 2081, Lieut R.M. Crowe, The R.C.R., who has been Instructor in Tactics since December, 1938, returned to his unit in December, 1939."

On 6 Dec 1939, Crowe was struck off strength of the RMC on being posted to regimental duty. The same date, he completed a last will and testament. In this document he identified that the executors of his estate would be his brother, Ernest Watson Crowe, and his wife's brother, Francis Andrew Brewin. Crowe left his entire estate to to wife Rosalind. In the circumstance that Rosalind did not survive him by more than two weeks, his estate would be equally divided between the members of his own family (parents and siblings) and the members of Rosalind's family.

Crowe and other members of The RCR were struck off the strength of the Canadian Army (Canada) on 18 Dec 1939 when they, on Sailing List 46, boarded the troop ship HMT Almanzora at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Although they were taken on the strength of the Canadian Army (Overseas) the following day, the ship sat at anchor in Bedford Basin until the convoy was assembled and ready to sail on 22 Dec 1939. When the Regiment sailed from Halifax, Crowe was in command of "D" Company as the Regiment departed Canadian shores for operational service. Eight days later, on 30 Dec 1939, The RCR disembarked in the United Kingdom.

Within days of arriving in England, on 2 Jan 1940, Crowe was detached from The RCR to join the General Staff Branch of the 1st Canadian Division Headquarters as a Staff Learner. Six weeks later, on 19 Feb 1940, he ceased that employment and was struck off the strength of The RCR and posted to The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment at Barrosa Barracks, Aldershot, England.

On joining the "Hasty P's," Crowe was appointed Officer Commanding (O.C.) "C" Company and was promoted to Acting Major. His substantive promotion to Major would later be confirmed for this date.

While with the H&PE Regiment, Crowe would have received news in early June, 1940, of the death of his brother George. Having returned to active service in Canada, George died at his home in Montreal at the age of 40. His body was taken to be buried with family in Guelph.

In mid-June, Crowe had his first operational employment with the Hasty P's. With the unit, he was on the 1st Division's brief excursion to France between embarking at Plymouth on 13 June 1940, disembarking at Brest the following day, and returning to Plymouth by the 17th of the month after less than 48 hours on the continent. The abortive attempt to shore up the allied forces that remained on the continent was quickly realized to be ill-advised and the hasty withdrawal of forces cost many units their vehicles and equipment.

Crowe stayed with the H&PE Regiment until 14 Sep 1940. On this date he was struck off strength and returned to Canada by 2 Oct 1940. Back in Canada, he went to the camp established at Sussex, New Brunswick and, as a Temporary Major, took over the appointment of Brigade Major of the 8th Infantry Brigade. Remaining with the 8th Brigade, including some brief periods at the Headquarters of the 3rd Canadian Division in Debert, Nova Scotia, Crowe returned to the United Kingdom on 31 Jul 1941.

On 26 Aug 1941, Crowe was recommended for Staff Training by the 3rd Cdn Div. The brief summary of his career and characteristics recorded on the recommendation form were as follows:

"RMC Graduate (1933) P.F. service from 14 Jun 33: service in 1 Cdn. Div. with R.C.R. (Coy. Comd) and Hast. & P.E.R. (Coy. Comd.) D.I.O. M.D. No. 1 (1938). Instructor R.M.C. Kingston (1939). Staff Learner "G" HQ 1 Cdn. Div. (1940).

"A very capable and intelligent officer possessed a good military knowledge. An excellent instructor—imparts his knowledge well. He is energetic, aggressive and quick at making decisions. He has a sound judgment, initiative and general ability. A pleasing and agreeable personality smart in appearance. Good physique and hard working."

Crowe vacated the appointment of Brigade Major, HQ 8 CIB, on 22 Oct 1941 and was struck off strength to the 1st Canadian Infantry Holding Unit (C.I.H.U.) while attending staff training. He was sent to the Junior War Staff College, Course No. 7, a three month course conducted at the Staff College, Camberley.

In November, it became obvious that Crowe's return to Canada was not spent exclusively labouring under the yoke of the Brigade Major's appointment. On 9 Nov 1941, the Crowes welcomed their first child, a son, (John David).

Completing No. 7 War Staff Course in February, 1942, Crowe achieved a "B" grading and remarks by the Commandant included the following:

"Loyal, reliable and very tactful. This officer has common sense, and is withal outstandingly painstaking and thorough in all his work. He will make a most capable staff officer."

Crowe was recommended for Staff College and "Possibly" for Senior Wing. He was considered suitable for employment as G2 of an Infantry Division. The Commandant concurred with these recommendations and stated:

"I agree, he has done extremely well. He is thorough in all that he does and has well balanced judgment, combined with a practical outlook, He will make a very sound, reliable staff officer."

Shortly after completing the staff course, Crowe was struck off strength 1 C.I.H.U. and posted to HQ Canadian Reinforcement Units (C.R.U.) on 28 Feb 1942. He was taken on the strength of No. 1 Cdn Div Infantry Reinforcement Unit (C.D.I.R.U.), to be General Staff Officer I (G.S.O. I), and to be Acting Lt.-Col. whilst so employed.

Within Crowe's service record is a brief biographical sketch dated 26 Jun 1942. Possibly created and a copy filed as he was being considered for substantive promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and possibly command appointments, the sketch read as follows:

Biographical Sketch As Per Canmilitary Cable GS 2203 Dated 26 Jun 42

Lieut.-Colonel Ralph Marston Crowe of Guelph, Ontario, has had extensive operational experience since he joined the Permanent Force on graduation from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1933. His present appointment is General Staff Officer (Grade I) at Headquarters, Canadian Reinforcement Units.

Born October 2 1911 at Guelph he attended Guelph Collegiate-Vocational Institute before going to RMC. He was first commissioned in 1933 in the Royal Canadian Regiment where he did regimental duty until 1936 when he was attached to the Indian Army for two years for service on the Northwest Frontier and during the Waziristan campaign in which he was mentioned in despatches and awarded the India General Service Medal with clasp, "Northwest Frontier 1936-37."

Returning to regimental duty in Canada, he served as an instructor at RMC and was commanding a company of the RCR on the outbreak of war. He went overseas in December 1939 and after a staff position at Headquarters, 1st Canadian Division, he was transferred to the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment in February 1940 as a company commander and promoted to Major.

He returned to Canada in September 1940 rejoining the RCR and becoming Brigade Major of the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade with which he returned overseas in July 1941.

After graduation from the Junior War Staff College at Camberley England in 1942 he was posted to his present appointment with rank of Acting Lieutenant-Colonel.

A son of Lieut.-Col. C.R. Crowe VD of Guelph who has represented Canada on the Bisley Team sixteen times, Colonel Crowe is married and the father of two children. His wife, a daughter of Rev F.H. Brewin for many years rector of the Church of St Simon the Apostle Toronto now lives in Guelph.

Crowe vacated the appointment of G.S.O. I at No. 1 C.D.I.R.U. on 6 Jul 1942 and was struck off strength to the Canadian Military Headquarters (C.M.H.Q.). He retained the acting rank of Lt.-Col. and was employed as G.S.O. I in the General Staff Branch (Mechanical Transport Section), later moving within the headquarters to fill the appointment of G.S.O. I (Training). Effective 7 Sep 1942, Crowe received a substantive promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, with seniority in The RCR.

About this time, Crowe's records also show that Rosalind Crowe returned to live in Guelph, her address is recorded as 22 Tiffany St. East, Guelph, Ont.

Remaining at C.M.H.Q. until 2 Mar 1943, Crowe was struck off strength on that date and posted back to The RCR as the Commanding Officer, replacing Lt.-Col. T. E. D'O. Snow. The regimental history noted his arrival:

"On March 3rd Major (sic) R.M. Crowe arrived from detached duties and assumed command. In a few well chosen words he expressed his pride at being back with The Regiment after a protracted absence. He declared that the long wait was nearly over. Major J.H.W.T. Pope also rejoined as Second-in-Command." (Stevens, p. 61)

On 18 Apr 1943, an Officers Information Card was completed on Crowe. Detailing various personal information of his educational background and military training. The card notes that he identified his hobbies as painting and sailing. It also noted that he was fluent in English, had "slight" abilities to read, write, and translate French, and also spoke Urdu "fairly well."

The Info Card noted that Crowe had received the India General Service Medal for service on the North West Frontier in 1936-37. It described his time there as "Interchange with Indian Army and British Army in India 1936-37. (Including regimental duty with Indian Infantry, British Infantry, HQ Peshawar District, Indian Cavalry, Divisional Signals, RIASC, Mountain Battery RA) and that he had "visited Japan, 1937 (2 weeks)."

In the busy months leading up to the Sicilian campaign, Crowe had the responsibility to prepare his battalion for what lay ahead. These duties were complicated by the fact that didn't get uninterrupted time to focus on that one objective. On 28 Mar 1943, he was attached to Headquarters 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade and executed the duties of Acting Commander until 28 Apr 1943.

Six weeks after Crowe's return to the unit from the Brigade HQ, The RCR boarded ship and was struck off the strength of the Canadian Army (UK) on 13 Jun 1943, being subsequently taken on the strength of the Canadian Army (Mediterranean).

During the evening of 28 Jun 1943, the majority of the battalion sailed from British shores aboard the SS Marnix Van St. Aldegonde in the Fast Convoy carrying the troops of the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade. Some members of the Regiment travelled with the unit's vehicles in the Slow Convoy, and their trip to Sicily was interrupted by a brief stay in Africa after the ship carrying the Regiment's carriers was sunk. The Regiment would be at sea for a few days before Crowe, as the designated Operational Commander aboard the Marnix was authorized to open the Ship's Bag on 1 Jul 1943 and begin the dissemination of orders and intelligence materials for Operation HUSKY, the Landing in Sicily.

On 1 Jul 1943, Crowe issued The RCR Operation Order, No. 1, detailing his plan for the Regiment's participation in Operation HUSKY. When he led the Regiment ashore on 10 Jul 1943, the mission he had defined for the Regiment in the 8-page operation order was:

"INTENTION

"RCR and attached troops will land on ROGER GREEN II Beach at H hr on D day and will:—

The final paragraph of Crowe's orders would be repeated in a letter he wrote letter to Royal Canadians back home in Canada via the Depot at Wolseley Barracks. That letter read as follows:

"The Royal Canadian Regiment
Battalion Headquarters, At Sea, 1943.

"Colonel W. Neilson, DSO,
Commanding No.1 District Depot, (AF)
Wolseley Barracks,
London, Ontario, Canada.

"My Dear Colonel:

"Your receipt of this letter will follow close upon the news that The Regiment is in action. Time alone can tell what epic tales are to be written in the annals of history by our comrades-in-arms with whom we share the unparalleled honour of embarking on this inspired expedition. Time alone can tell what lies ahead of us as a battalion going into battle after a pause of twenty-five years.

"Of one thing we are confident … and we share that complete confidence with those at home who are close with us in spirit. We are confident that our mission is worthy of the principles we know to be sound and good; that by force of arms we will destroy the heart of a disease which is loathsome and rotten in its every form; that side-by-side with the finest soldiers in the world we are about to strike a smashing blow at the very root of the evil; and that our actions, in the days to come, will bring a return to the World of the ways of living which we hold so dear.

"This letter is a message from every man of The Regiment.

"We are proud of The Regiment. We are proud, each one of us men, to be The Regiment. We honour with our hearts the traditions which have been handed down to us in The Regiment by its soldiers of other wars. We pray that we, as its soldiers of the Present, may prove worthy of the Trust which our Regiment has placed in us.

"We are so very proud of our loved ones at home who, in their own way as soldiers of The Regiment, give us so much for which to fight. They, as much as we, go into the imminent battle. They give to us, as individuals, the personal confidence we need, and of The Regiment they are an essential part. Without their presence The Regiment as a whole and we as individuals would be lacking.

"In conclusion, I quote the final paragraph of the Operation Order which will launch us on The Day:–

"The Regiment has been selected to play a vital part in this, the greatest and most inspired Combined Operation ever mounted in the history of Mankind. After our long period of training we go forward with the utmost confidence … confidence in the ever-presence of our God; confidence in the efficiency of our battalion; confidence in the men beside us; confidence in ourselves; confidence in the pride of those we love. The Regiment goes into battle with God's help and with a clean heart. The Regiment will help to strike a mighty blow at the vitals of the enemy and, by the side of many seasoned units of our own and of other countries, will play its part in effecting the glorious victory which will bring Peace on Earth again."

"(Sgd) R.M. Crowe, Lieut-Colonel,
Commanding, The Royal Canadian Regiment"

At 0530 hours on 10 Jul 1943, the first soldiers of The Royal Canadian Regiment set foot on the beach southwest of Pachino, Sicily. With the landing of the 1st Canadian Division, the Canadian Army was now actively engaged in operations against the enemy. The landing was mostly unopposed, though by day's end the Regiment had suffered its first battlefield casualties and seen the actions which would lead to the Regiment's first valour awards of the war. With the Allies' foothold on the "soft underbelly of Europe" secure, the next day would see Canadian infantry, armour, artillery, and engineers begin the advance into central Sicily backed by the Army's full suite of supporting arms.

According to the modern marvels of Google mapping, the route between the towns of Pachino and Nissoria on modern roads is 212 Km, a drive of four and one-half hours. In the summer of 1943, it was two hot, dry, weeks of foot-slogging for the soldiers of The RCR interspersed with combat against determined enemy resistance. The Regiment's itinerary recorded in the War Diary plots the battalion's course through these towns:

Two of those way-points are represented by Battle Honours won by The Royal Canadian Regiment under the command of Lieut.-Col. Ralph Crowe. The first was the "Landing in Sicily." The second was at "Valguernera," where, after previously failed assaults to take the town by units of the Brigade, Crowe personally led an assault by two companies that took the position where they dug in and held it until relieved. That attack, with Crowe's direct leadership style, faced by challenges of terrain, absent supporting fire, and failures in communications, presaged the upcoming operation between Nissoria and Agira. Sadly, after the action at Valguernera, the Regiment buried its Second-in-Command, Major "Billy" Pope, and three other soldiers.

In was on 24 Jul 1943, as The RCR advanced eastward out of Nissoria that Lieut.-Col. Ralph Crowe would fall in battle. Determined to clear the enemy from the road leading to Agira, Crowe and his soldiers again faced the challenges of hilly Sicilian terrain and also communications problems with the radios the unit carried. Advancing companies of the Regiment, sent forward to outflank the enemy on the high ground east of Nissoria, instead bypassed the main enemy location and at the same time lost comms. Unable to verify the locations of his missing sub-units, and unable to coordinate their actions against the unknown enemy's exact locations and strength, Crowe led his tactical headquarters forward to where he thought his companies might be. Unfortunately for Crowe, his impetuousness in trying to expedite a solution to his dispersed unit and the lack of progress in defeating the enemy to his front led to his walking into an enemy killing zone with his signallers.

The Regiment's War Diary recounts his final moments:

"With the C.O. at the time he moved forward was Lieut. A. Davis, RCCS; Lieut. Heron, the RCE Pl Comdr; A4249 Cpl Bowman; A4226 Cpl Cummings W.J.; Pte Burton (RCCS); Pte Turner F.A.; all signallers; and two sappers. They were able to reach the high ground but found no troops in that area. Firing continued to their front and so the C.O. pushed on, although wireless communications had now broken down completely. The Coys were to reorganize on the 2nd report line and the C.O. intended to reach the road and meet them at the report line. On the right of the high ground it dropped away in shallow gullys. Continuing on towards where he believed one of the Coys to be, the C.O. led his party towards the road up the third of these approaches. Some bodies of our own troops found along the route seemed to confirm that he was going in the right direction, although some desultory fire was still coming from the ground on their left rear (back towards NISSORIA). As they neared the top of the rise however, about 300 yds in South of the road, the party suddenly came under quite heavy rifle fire from near by. Calling out "RCR" the C.O. pressed on, determined to reach his troops when an MG post opened up. Although wounded, Lt/Col Crowe engaged the enemy with the signallers rifle which he was carrying supported by Ptes Turner and Burton. Turner in fact crawled forward under the fire of a second post which had just opened up, to aid the C.O., and he himself was killed. They had apparently been allowed to walk in to the midst of what later turned out to be a Coy position (one of three which the enemy had on the hill). Fortunately the bulk of the party was some distance behind the C.O. They attempted to cover the withdrawal of Lt/Col Crowe and his signaller, but apparently they were unable to, or did not want to withdraw. During the ensuing action the C.O. Lt/Col Crowe, Cpl Cummings and Pte Turner were killed and Pte Burton was missing, presumed wounded and captured. The remainder of the group were able to make their way down the draw and returned to B.H.O, to report what had occurred."

Following Crowe's death the forward companies of the Regiment, which had consolidated and held their forward position until contacted, were withdrawn during the morning of 25 July in order to allow the battalion to reorganize at Nissoria. The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment took over the next stage of the assault toward Agira. The War Diary of The RCR notes losses of 15 killed and 30 wounded in the attempt to advance from Nissoria. These were the most costly days since the landing at Pachino.

Command of the Regiment passed to Maj T.M. Powers in an acting appointment. Having landed at Pachino in command of "D" Company, Powers had replaced Maj "Billy" Pope as Second-in-Command after the latter's death only six days before Crowe's demise. Powers commanded the Regiment until the arrival of Lt.-Col. Dan Spry on 12 Aug 1943.

Initially buried near where he fell, in the later consolidation of Commonwealth graves in Sicily, Crowe's remains and those who fell in his last battle were moved to the Agira Canadian War Cemetery. The Cemetery Register contains the following notation:

"CROWE, Lieutenant-Colonel, Ralph Marston. The Royal Canadian Regt. 24th July, 1943. Age 31. Son of Charles Robert and Edith Bowden Crowe; husband of Rosalind Crowe (nee Brewin), of Montreal, Province of Quebec. B, A, 130."

At the base of Crowe's gravestone is the passage his wife chose: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

Released on 6 Aug 1943, a battlefield story by Ross Munro, Canadian Press War Correspondent writing from Sicily, provided some details of Crowe's death for Canadian papers. With the death of the Regiment's second-in-command, Major "Billy" Pope, only six days before, the loss of both senior officers was a hard blow for the Regiment:

"Two Canadian Officers Die in Action Against Germans Major Pope and Lieut.-Col. Crowe Killed by Machine-Gun Bullets leading Men Against Enemy in Sicily

"With the Canadian in Sicily, Aug. 6—(Delayed)—(CP Cable)—Major J.H.W.T. Pope, second-in-command of the Royal Canadian Regiment, was killed in action during the fighting in central Sicily. Previously it had been announced that the regiment's commanding officer, Lieut.-Col Ralph Crowe, of Guelph, Ont., also had been killed in action. …

"Colonel Crowe, who had taken over command of the regiment a few months before the 1st Division sailed from Britain for Sicily, was killed 24 July.

"At the time the regiment was attacking down the Leonforte railway and had met strong German opposition on mountain slopes outside the town of Nissoria. Forward companies of the battalion lost contact from headquarters and Colonel Crowe went ahead with a small company from headquarters to locate them. Accompanied by Capt. John Hunt, of London, Ont., and Lieut. A.C. Davis, of Birch Hill, Sask., the young colonel went up a slope to within 300 yards of the crest when enemy machine-gun fire opened up. Crowe was hit by the first burst.

"When the hill was captured later, the colonel's body was recovered. He was buried under olive trees by the roadside."

In another brief column about Crowe's death, Munro stated: "Col. Crowe … had shown great qualities of leadership during the voyage, in the landing on Pachino Peninsula, and in the advance in which he led the Royals inland to Nissoria."v

On 14 Aug 1943, The Globe and Mail of Toronto published a lengthy article with a Guelph dateline from the previous day which offered a hearty serving of outrage over the way in which Crowe's family in Guelph was informed of his death. No doubt, delays were created by the control of news and passage of information between the Mediterranean theatre, England, and Ottawa, both of which are alluded to. Two days later, another article followed in the same tone.

At the end of August, 1943, a regimental newsletter published by the Royal Canadians at Wolseley Barracks included a brief letter received from Rosalind Crowe:

"Dear Colonel Neilson,

"Please will you extend to The R.C.R. Officers in Canada, my sincere thanks for their sympathy.

"I am more proud than I can say, that if Ralph had to die, it was while leading his own Regiment which has always been so dear to both of us.

"Yours sincerely,

"(sgd) Rosalind Crowe."

The sorting of Crowe's personal possessions and estate would extend over the months following his death. In the organization of Crowe's personal effects, the Regiment identified that he possessed a Remington portable typewriter. Such instruments being in short supply, the regimental Second-in-Command, Major L.G.B. Lavoie, on 21 Sep 1943 sent a note to the Canadian Section, GHQ, at Phillipeville, North Africa, proposing that the Regiment would buy the typewriter from Crowe's estate. Estimating its value at £4.0.0, Lavoie offered to purchase it for the sum of £5.0.0.

On 22 Sep 1943, The Globe and Mail shared excerpts from a letter sent by the new commanding officer of the Regiment to Mrs. Crowe.

"Guelph Officer Killed in Sicily
'Brave as Lion,' Widow Is Told

"Guelph, Sept. 22 (Special)—Major T. Powers, Who took over the command of the Royal Canadian Regiment when Lt.-Col. R.M. Crowe of Guelph was killed, in a letter to Mrs. Crowe termed her husband "brave as a lion" prior to his death in the Sicilian campaign.

"This whole regiment mourns the passing of a commanding officer who was both as brave as a lion and gracious as could be in his dealings with us. A terrific battle raged back and forth over the spot where Ralph fell, but once the ground was ours we gave him a military funeral to the accompaniment of German mortar fire. A detail of the 'Pats' dug the grave. Present were the commanding officers of the Pats, the 48th, the Hastings and Prince Edward, the unit with which Lt-Col. Crowe first went overseas (sic), the 5th L.I., numerous gunnery officers, myself and the company commanders of the regiment. Our padre officiated with the brigade padre," wrote Major Powers.

"Ralph is buried with the remainder of the small gallant party who were with him, just outside the Town of Nissoria, a place where the Hun had set up his infernal machines to prevent one inch of ground being in our hands."

On 10 Oct 1943, a report completed by Capt. G.F. Clynick, Officer i/c Effects Section, noted that a sandbag of personal effects of RCR personnel had been found to have been rifled and robbed on arrival at his section. Upon inspection and the resorting of the bag's remaining contents against recorded inventories, it was discovered that personal effects of thirteen of the Regiment's fallen had been removed from their packages. Among these missing items, the following were attributed to Lieut.-Col. Crowe:

On 3 Nov 1943, Rosalind Crowe wrote to the Canadian Military Headquarters in London, England. She was seeking information regarding the disposal of Crowe's personal effects and clothing as she had not received any information regarding them. She was desirous that his clothing be disposed of in England and that his personal effects plus his "white RCR sweater" be sent to her in Canada. She wrote to the military authorities in order to have the necessary actions taken and information received in order to close Crowe's estate.

The Memorial Cross sent to Rosalind Crowe widow was despatched on 31 Jan 1944. The Memorial Cross sent to Crowe's mother was despatched on 11 Feb 1944. Mrs. Edith Bowden Crowe was living at 323 Woolwich St., Guelph,. Ont.

Ralph Crowe was awarded a Mention in Despatches for his actions in Sicily. The formal notification of the award was published in the London Gazette, No. 36497, dated 4 May 1944. It also appeared in the Canada Gazette, No. 78, Vol 78, dated 25 Mar 1944, and in Canadian Army Routine Orders, No. 4296, dated 1 Apr 1944.

Questions regarding the personal effects of Lieut.-Col. Crowe continued for some time. An undated note by Maj. A.F. Mitchell of the Canadian Base Reinforcement Depot who had been an officer of The RCR in Sicily, referred to a letter dated 11 Dec 1944. With reference to a claim by Mrs. Crowe for missing binoculars, Mitchell's comments also provide some details regarding Crowe's battlefield death:

"Ref-Claim For Binoculars.
"Mrs R.M.Crowe.

"1.     Ref your letter of 11.Dec.44, and enclosed copies of letters received from 2 Echelon, I wish to bring to your attention, that the following information, is to the best of my ability, from what I can remember of the incidents which took place around the time of the death of Lt.-Col. Crowe.

"2.     Col. Crowe was always in the habit of carrying his binoculars slung around his neck when in action, but although I was present with him about one hour before he was killed, I cannot definitely state whether or not he had the binoculars with him at that time.

"3.     On his being reported killed an immediate but unsuccessful attempt was made to recover his body, and it was not until approximately 36 Hours later that the body was recovered. There was no binoculars either on the body or in the vicinity.

"4.     Due to conditions of battle at that time his kit was not completely collected until about 1.Jul.43 (sic, possibly meaning 1 Aug), at which time I personally sorted it, and forwarded all personal effects to 2 Echelon. There was no binoculars in the kit.

"5.     When Col. Crowe's, and the bodies of other members of his party were recovered, there was obvious evidence that they had been rifled (e.g. one No. 18 Wireless set had been removed) therefore I would suggest that it is most probable that the binoculars in question were confiscated by the enemy, whose positions was approximately only 75 yards from the place at which Lt.-Col. Crowe fell.

"6.     I trust that this information may be of assistance in bringing this investigation to a satisfactory conclusion.

"(A.F. Mitchell) Major
Commanding,
CMI. 631. #2. Trg. Inc. 1. CBRD."

For his service in the Second World War, Crowe was entitled to receive the 1939-45 Star, the Italy Star, The Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Overseas Clasp, the Defence Medal, and the 1939-45 War Medal. He was also entitled to receive a Mention in Despatches emblem to be mounted on the War Medal ribbon. These were despatched to his widow on 2 Nov 1949.

On 19 Jan 1956, approval was given for the naming of "Crowe Lake" commemorating Ralph Crowe. Details are the lake's location are: "Crowe Lake, NWT (map sheet 75H/8) 61° 20' 01"N 104° 22' 02"W, located east of Lutselk'e was named in honour Lieutenant Colonel Crowe on 19 January 1956."

In two brief sections, the regimental history (Stevens, 1967, pp. 80-81) provides a post-mortem analysis of the action at Nissoria:

"The Anatomy of Defeat

"In addition to Colonel Crowe, 16 other ranks had been killed, three officers and 27 other ranks wounded. Defeat is a sore tooth and it is the nature of soldiers to bite on it. In post-mortems many members of The Regiment expressed the opinion that neither in planning nor in execution had the Canadian commanders done their homework. What they had planned was not a battle but a walkover. It was eight miles by map from Leonforte to Agira, which meant that it was at least twelve miles as the feet of the infantry slogged it. Seven regiments of artillery could not possibly sustain an effective barrage over such distance. Not even the Official Canadian Historian reports what happened to the air programme. Because an enemy preferred to hold high ground gave no assurance that he would not fight stubbornly on low ground; because radio sets worked well on the peaks was no guarantee that they would work at all in the valleys. But above all else, when three-quarters of the attacking force had evaded the blocking position virtually without casualties and had closed up against its final objective, why was it withdrawn instead of being supported?

"In addition—and this is no denigration of a brave and able officer who died gallantly—The Regiment was of the opinion that the front line was no place for Colonel Crowe. The day was long past when a commander who was the controlling and integrating factor in an operation could afford to expose himself unnecessarily to the enemy; all the lessons of the New Training, all the corollaries of the new support weapons, alike confirmed that the manager of a battle should be immune to its malice. Pte. Joseph Grigas and his gallant quartette at Pachino had shown how fighting should be done-in penny packets, with everything dependent on immediate control. When Colonel Crowe fell his plan of attack died with him. Had he lived it seems possible that he would have by-passed the blocking force and a major victory might have been within his grasp.

"Great Gallantry

"Such reservations do not in any degree detract from the great gallantry exhibited by all ranks at Nissoria. The fighting men of The Regiment did not fail. Their record is of shining valour. Capt. R.M. Dillon's feat of encircling the flank of the blocking position, finding and guiding back the three forward companies, already has been noted. Lt. M.C.D. Bowman, having lost touch with his Company, persevered in the assault, supplementing his meagre numbers with stragglers and thrusting on to overrun one enemy position after another until by courage and resource his small force penetrated the main enemy battle position. L/Cpl. L.F. Meister and Pte. Nicholas Kowalchuk of A Company when separated from their comrades fought a small war of their own; from opposite sides they stalked an enemy machine gun post, killing seven of its occupants and capturing the remainder. Cpl. F.C. Mowers, also of A Company, although wounded in several places, worked his way forward alone and killed the observer who was controlling the mortar fire of the enemy. Typical of many performances was that of Cpl. F.R. Hawkes; when his section was held up by a machine gun firing at point blank range he worked his way forward until within grenade distance of the post; having destroyed it he withstood every effort of the enemy to oust him and he forced the Germans to relinquish that section of high ground. Padre Wilkes as usual was in the firing line and accompanied by stretcher bearers evacuated many wounded under intense close-range fire; his leadership was an inspiration and he was awarded a bountifully-deserved Military Cross. Pte. D.H. Blackman, a B Company stretcher bearer, responded to a call from the adjoining C Company front, doubled out under heavy mortar fire and gave first aid to a seriously-wounded officer, returning a second time to assist in his evacuation."

The regimental history hints at the opinion that Crowe was not a good fit for battlefield command in the Sicilian theatre. His drive and force of will, characteristics that may have helped set the path of his career to that point, were unable to adjust to the unknowns of battle and trust subordinates to work things through when information and effective communications were lacking.

In 2017, in his University of Ottawa PhD thesis titled "Wartime Lessons, Peacetime Actions: How Veterans Like Major-General Dan Spry Influenced Canadian Society After 1945," Gordon C. Case provides some points shared by members of the Regiment that contrasted Lieut.-Col. Dan Spry's command style with Crowe's:

"One thing that had not changed was the great respect that The RCR felt for Dan Spry. "Spin" Reid remembered that "I looked forward to him taking over. He was a gentleman and was courteous to you regardless of rank." Padre Wilkes agreed: he thought Spry was "an impressive and very capable leader." Such memories were likely reaffirmed by the manner in which Spry assumed command. Tom Burdett said that the new CO did not immediately implement wholesale changes. What changes he did make, Burdett said, "came quietly, perhaps without knowing that one was adopting his teaching." Spry's method differed markedly from that of his predecessor. Strome Galloway remembered Ralph Crowe as a critical perfectionist who was "out to whip [his] newfound battalion into the peak of fighting efficiency, no matter what." Tom Burdett agreed, saying that "Prior to Spry we had a CO who in my estimation was the wrong fit." Little wonder that Spry's quiet approach struck a positive chord amongst his battle-experienced subordinates."

A casual review of Crowe's life before the Italian campaign appears to provide excellent conditions for a long and potentially successful career in the Army. His military family background, attendance at the Royal Military College followed by a commission in the Permanent Force, proven skills in regimental life (sports, social engagements, and ceremonial duties), staff skills, and operational employment on exchange in India … these all set the conditions for rising military career.

In the end, however, its appears that he was undone by his own drive and impetuosity. Perhaps in the moment at Nissoria, with his three forward rifle companies out of touch and lacking effective communications to regain control, he saw his future as a commander in operations, and his career beyond that, hanging in the balance. Did his success at Valguernera colour his decisions? Did he think he could once again take positive control of his troops and, leading from the front, secure another victory?

Whatever he may have been thinking at the time, Crowe, without confirmed information on his own troops or those of the enemy, walked himself and his signallers into a literal death trap. If he had paused, sought more information, sought to define the enemy locations and to locate and communicate with his own troops, the outcome of the day's operations may have been similar to what actually occurred, except for his death and the deaths of those who followed him up that slope into the fire of German machine guns. If there is a lesson to be taken away from the death of Lieut.-Col. Ralph Marston Crowe, it is perhaps that throwing oneself into an act requiring great courage is not, in itself, validation of that act as the best course of action.

May he rest in peace.

Pro Patria

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