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The Seaforth News, 1942-05-07, Page 6• PAGE SIX THD $1 AFORTINEWS THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1942. Commando raid sarin ted in, assault manoeuvres overseas Canadians leave their boat and splash through shake ,« surf during a simulated raid, part of Commando training (tap left). :ambers of an assaultsquad of the West Nova Scotia Regiment, L/Cpl. A. J. "Scotty" McBain, of West Bay Road, Inverness County, Nova Scotia, standing, and Cpl. V. A. Oicicle, of Bridgewater, N. S., (in upper right) look for trouble in a doorway during a "house-to-house" raid. In the photo at lower Left, Capt. G. Vandelec, instructor, and Sgt. M. Du Mouchel, recon - lire, and signal to their men to advance for a final charge against the objective. On departing, the troops direct a final burst ' fire at the cliff edge to keep the defenders from pressing too closely, then they race across the beach to their craft. Dominion Troops Get Commando Training By Kim Beattie With the Canadian Corps over- seas:— Commandos! — the very name holds the tang of hazardous adventur'ings, the ring of daring and enterprise. Canadian Commandos? — well, there was nothing more certain, from the first hint of the existence of groups of hand-picked, British raid- ers, that every Canadian soldier in the British Isles would be fascinated. From the moment rumor first car- ried that thrilling word (adopted from the hard -riding Boer) to Cana- dian ears, the junior officers and ranks have been enthusiasts, From the time, after May 1940, that Com- mander Sir Roger Keyes' suggestion to Winston Churchill resulted in a request for volunteers in the British Army, there' has betn a desire for independent Ceandian Commandos. Every outdoor Canadian, every trapper, guide, fisherman, prospector or hard -rock miner, every man bred to free open skies, or who has hunted fished and lived during holidays in the northern bush, has clamored for inclusion in any nocturnal expedi- tions that were going or' in sight. Ev- ery boy who ever fancied himself as a swashbuckling marauder, or ever played "Cowboys and Indians," saw himself as a lone -hawk guerrila on surprise raids of Nazi strongholds. They argued, with some logic, that Canadians possessed almost every attribute demanded of the fully - trained Commando, that they would be "naturals." Born For. The Job. It was true that native Canadian resource and initiative was marking the soldiering of the new Canadian Corps, as it had given the old its shock -troop fame. It was also true that many Canadians were literally 'born for the job," and that in the last war they had inaugurated the surprise foray and excelled as trench raiders. But the Canadian Corps has a definite aim as a heavily armoured shock formation. Independent forma- tions and side issues are out so far as the existing Corps is concerned, But the result is a surprise for the Canadians have done much boa:. et' than an independent force, trained and pointed as raiders, only. Lieut; Gen. A. G. L. McNaughton and his staff immediately saw that there was an invaluable medium of making tougher, better trained fight- ing men. Here was something invairr- able to meet the relentless demand for antidotes to monotony +hat would also have real pre -battle value As the work of the Commandos develop- ed, almost every ruse, device, exer- cise which might be calculated to make a more skilled all-round infan- try -man, was adopted by the Cana- dians. They have banished boredom, fos- tered keenness, held their morale, and made themselves the kind of troops who can be successful in to- day's swift, unorthodox campaigns by the simple doctrine which holds that any stratagem, novelty or re- novated old fighting method is worth trying. Greeted New Tactics. But none of that long lisb, whether rejected or adopted, was greeted with enthusiasm of "commando tricks and tactics." They filtered through the instructional establish- ments and units of the Corps with giant strides. There are now few fighting habits of the Commandos which are not practiced by Canadian infantrymen and machine -gunners, and even by Canadian artillerymen and ancillaries, in the daily round of duties that fit them for the defence in an "invasion battle" or for the at- tack in the battles of decision. The Canadians have not used the experts of the Levet Scouts as tea. chers in sniping and mountain climb- ing. They have not utili~,cd Highland ghillies as instructors in stealth prac- tices and methods of silent stalking. They have'not required them. Within their own ranks they have fine snip- ers and natural woodsmen. They do not need to be taught how to live off the country, or the elementary field - craft lessons of a Cub Scout, which is where the Commandos' training syllabus starts. But the Canadians have been quick to seize upon any other practices of the Commandos that would enhance their knowledge and skill as guerril- las, either in raiding, in stopping tanks or in assaulting with their own mighty armoured formations. They have, for instance, learned bullet -economy from certain frugal Scotsmen who instruct the Comman- dos. An embryo machine-gun raider may not be recipient of the same scathing rebuke for prodigality (de- nounced as carelessness that may cost his life) for wastage of bullets by missing a target, or for • firing three rounds when one should be enough to kill a Nazi. But Canadian tommy-gunners and light machine - gunners are taught accuracy and single -shot sniping instead of loosing wild sprays of lead. They are bluntly told that the man who fires unaimed and at random are either frightened or stupid. Canadians are trained to fire short, sharp bursts from the Tommy and the Bren, and their in- stinctive aiming from the hip is al- most as shatteringly effective as fire by the sights, Learn Unarmed Combat Still another direct adoption is the series of holds and methods of swift. silent killing introduced to the Com- mandos qty ex -members of the Shang- hai police force. The British raid specialists are such adepts at hand- to-hand fighting that T. would prefer tackling an armed Nazi it a cellar, a narrow trench or anyother confin- ed space, than an unarmed Comrean- do. I almost said "than an unarm- ed Commando from behind!" They are just that "handy." And there are thousands of Canadian enthusiasts who are not far behind them in fur- ious and deadly rough-and-tumble. This phase of "hardening has spread exuberantly. It has a grand dual purpose. Close—and unarmed combat, plus close—quarter fighting with the soldier's personal weapons, increase physical fitness, and are the best means ever devised to instill confidence in the young soldier. Con- fidence means lack of fear of your enemy. When combined with natural aggressive impulses you have an ex- ceptionally formidable fighting man. The average Canadian soldier senses this and is an eager enthus- iast. He can actually feel such in- struction making him harder, more efficient and skilful, and growing supremely unafraid. He is not beaten even when disarmed. He volunteers for lectures and demonstrations and would rather miss pay parade than something new in close -quarter fight- ing. The Canadian infantryman has be- come a realistic, practical, aggres- sive soldier. Nothing else, Like the Commandos the Canadians are urged by their officers to sort everything out in their mental process until only one purpose is there when they are in action. That is to get to the enemy and annihilate him. That. is war. He is not expected to become bru- talized, but for his own personal sake he must face the brutal facts of war, and learn how to defend him- self. He must know that a fight to the death in the dark with a storm trooper is not a polite tea-party. Theere is no foul trick or blow which his Nazi opponent will not try and there is no fair -play or stand-up fighting in the German mentality or the type of warfare he wages. Too strong a sense of fairplay and too much squeamishness could be a Can- adian soldier's most fatal enemy. So, countless methods of self de- fence, of how to dispose of an op- ponent in a trench, a cellar, a room, or in the open, are taught with the detachment of a scientist propound- ing a theory. Young and athletic officers and NC;O.'s who are instructors in close combat, ]inevitably becalm such ar-. dent exponents that they are not safe to have adjacent to you. They're so anxious to explain new ga'ips or to demonstrate new painful, numbing, paralyzing holds and throws, that the unwary is likely to find himself sud- denly hurtling through the air,' The old "parlor rugby" of open mess - night is child's play compared . to their idea of good, clean fun. But they can teach you how to disarm an opponent as if lightning had struck bit; They have scores of devices for handling prisoners during violent operations; they can stand you up against a wall without a rope, chain. or shackle, and., completely immobil- ize you. The average Canadian sol- dier can disarm and overpower a Nazi, whose revolver is already pressed into the small of his back, with an ,easethat is astonishing, Fights To Finish These close -combat classes are a direct advance from the catch -as - catch -can wrestling and jiu-jitsu practised in the same subject in Can- ada as an item of the Canadian basic training system, The difference Is that these are simulated fights to the finish, the Commandos' skill has been added, and all the tricks in the dirty fighter's bag are included. They gouge, butt, stamp, maul, numb, and groin -kick. They can break an arm or wrist with a blow, or a neck with only a light cane., The Canadians are realists. There is no need for the instructor to explain that you can't lick a stab -in -the -back kill -in -the -dark Niza fighter with Marquess of Queensbury rules. It is self-defence knowledge of the most valuable sort. Sudden, surprising methods are learned of overcoming .a foe when you are armed with nothing but an empty rifle. The seine cold dispassign marks demonstrations and lessons in the fighting knife. The'where and why to strike, slash, slit and sever are bluntly explained as a matter of grim necessity. So are the reasons why the knife should be handled and gripped as sa rapier, and not as a dagger. Buy Fighting Knives The Commando fighting knife and the raider's machstte are not itielud- ed in the official equipment of the Canadian infantryman. But he knows the weapons. When I bought a fight- ing knife at Wilkinson's the London sword' makers, all customers were Canadians. The volunteer (and probably off- the-record) fighting knife demonstra- tions bring home to the individual soldier, with hard realism, hte part he must eventually play. They make clear the kind of fighting he will meet. They instill fighting spirit and confidence, and reveal the life -or - death ruthless of war. They will stand him in good stead in action. In the course of his street -fighting instruction, the average Canadian in- fantryman has also learned about everything the Commandos. know. It "POP" VOCALIST Here is Patricia Berry, .Winni- peg's 19 -year-old Hong specialist, whose contralto voice is currently heard with Harold Gr'een's ensem- ble in "Impressions by Green," Saturdays at 5.30 p.m, on the CBC. Patricia is a native of Winnipeg, a very attractive young 'lady of considerable accomplishment. is part of Canadian battle drill, that part which rehearses the cleaning out of villages which the fighting team has "cut-off" or of farm build- ings they havil "surrounded" and "stormed" by pincer tactics: "Cover the main street with heavy fire comes first. Then: "Send a stop -section to the rear to catch escapers. "Send two sections into houses from the rear and flanks of the street under fire. "Drive them into the street you have under fire." In daylight in the open, Canadians learned long ago how to creep, ob- serve, fire, with a new sense of per- sonal camouflage. They know how to take advantage of every bit of Dover asd what is, or is not, good cover. For instance—"I1 you're seen while leaping for a hedge( why bother to AUCTIONEER F. W. AHRENS, Licensed Auction 'er for Perth and Huron CmnrtieF ;ales Solicited. Terms on Application warm Stock. chattels and real estate "rope'+.y, R. R. No. 4. Mitchell Phone 634 r•6. Apply at this office HAROLD JACKSON Licensed in Huron and Perth coun- ties. Prices reasonable; satisfaction guaranteed. For information. write or phone Harold Jackson, phone 14 on 661; R. R. 4, Seaforth. r counter Check Books • We etre Selling Quality Books Books are Well Made, Carbon is Clean and Copies Readily. All styles, Carbon Leaf and Black Back. Prices as Low as You Can Get Anywhere. Get our Quotation on Your Next Order. • The Seaforth News SEAFORTH, ONTARIO. 4)