APH - Canada Sicily 1943

Re uploading this because I accidentaly enabled prints.

This is a drawing I made on my new Bamboo Art Tablet, showing Canada at rest after a long day's fighting in Sicily.

Operation Husky was the first operational deployment of the Canadian Army in the Second World War. The Canadian Army had only seen previous action during the Fall of Hong Kong in December 1941 and the Dieppe Raid of 1942. Both were major defeats for the Canadians, and the home front demanded the men were deployed.

On route to Sicily, the three ships which carried the Canadians transport vehicles, and most of their malaria medicine were sunk by a German Uboat. The Canadian Infantrymen were forced to footslog their way across the dusty, hilly Sicilian terrain, in boiling hot July temperatures.

In spite of the set backs, the 1st Canadian Divison was able to fight as a highly impressive fighting force. The 1st Canadian Divison gained the nicknames "The Little Red Devils" and "The Red Patch Devils" alluding to the red rectangle arm patch the men wore.

The Germans were very impressed with the Canadians they fought. One German officer was amazed how while the Americans and British would dive to the ground and freeze when they were being hit with mortars, the Canadian Infantry would keep advancing through the fire.

Another German Officer who was taken prisoner demanded to see the automatic howitzer he thought the allies had. (In fact, it was the skill of the Canadian Artillerymen who were able to fire off a large number of rounds at rapid speeds.)