Fighting in Ortona

We fought in Ortona until the 29th of December. On the 25th of December we spent the time knocking the church and the hospital down, brick by brick by brick. We moved, held our position until the Germans, when B-Squadron moved up on the far side the Germans decided that they were going to be cut off and withdrew. That was the 1st Parachute Division, German 1st Parachute Division, which in 1998, an idea from our padre, the Archbishop Wilhem of Kingston, always said we should bury our problems and have, we had lunch, supper with the, with the people from the 1st Parachute Division in the church, which we had knocked down on Christmas Day in 1943.

Mr. Dowie describes knocking down a church on Christmas Day in 1943 and then holding a reconciliation supper with the 1st German Parachute Division in 1998 at that same church.

Vernon Dowie

Mr. Dowie was born in Montreal on August 9, 1920. His father was from Jamaica and was a medical doctor who trained in Cambridge, England. His father did not have a medical licence in Canada and thus worked at a variety of jobs including painting and as a railway porter. Mr. Dowie joined the Three Rivers Regiment in August 1940 and was part of the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade. He trained in England and served in Italy, Sicily, and Holland. He is still involved with the Three Rivers Regiment.