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William Patrick served in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals during the Second World War.
Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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Transcript
There was a misconception about that. They thought that they had lost radio communication cause the radios were faulty. I was the Radio Operator with Johnny, my buddy, and he went out just before daybreak with the Company. And I was told to stay with the 19 set in the carrier to relay the information in case they got out of communication with Tac Headquarters. So, Johnny went across but foolishly he had not exchanged batteries and he could hear but he could not send. He could not transmit. We did not know about that and we lost communication with him and all night long and all, most of the next day, most of the next morning I attempted to get in touch with him and nothing happened and I don’t know what the rest of the people did. They tried to find them. They tried to send the Pioneer Platoon over. The rains came. They were able to wade across the river but the water came down so fast from the mountains that it was up over your head and then some later on. And then the other Company - I guess it was ‘B’ Company - they didn’t find the bridges for some reason or other. So ‘A’ Company got across. They got to where the bridge was but reports later came back that the CO of the Company felt that there were no Germans there at all. So instead of digging in and holding his position he proceeded on into an ambush where they [ran] into three Tiger Tanks and a regiment of infantry and were captured after a number of casualties. Johnny, the Radio Operator, he got slashed across the legs and of course he lost his radio. And they - the CO - surrendered rather than have a massacre.
Interview with William Patrick - FCWM Oral History Project
Accession Number CWM 20020121-031
George Metcalf Archival Collection
© Canadian War Museum
Entrevue avec William Patrick - Projet d'histoire orale du AMCG
No d’accession MCG 20020121-031
Collection d’archives George Metcalf
© Musée canadien de la guerre