Don Warren

Jamie McCaffrey

June 7 at 8:17 AM

I’ve put something similar to this before, but it seems it might bear repeating on the 75th anniversary of the start of the battle for Normandy.

While there were no allied Special Wireless units that landed on that day, there were hundreds involved in Canada’s No. 2 and No. 3 Special Wireless Sections, that landed in two subsequent waves. Their job was to intercept the communications of the Germans as they reorganized from the shock of the invasion. As these tactical operators waterproofed their trucks and lined up to board the landing crafts, their military and civilian colleagues, located at collection sites along the southern coast of England and on the Channel Islands, and the Navy’s Radiomen Special who operated from the English Channel, were intercepting German communications to judge the effectiveness of the attacks; and most importantly to help determine the German High Command’s next moves.

This comes to mind, not just because yesterday was the kick off to the 75th anniversary of the landings, but because I recently began to transcribe a Special Wireless veteran’s notes about his time with No.3 Special Wireless Section Type”A”. I met Mr. Don Warren in 2001, just weeks before 9/11. At our meeting he included his children, to whom he’d spoken little of his wartime service. It was quite satisfying to watch their reactions as he’d discuss things like Normandy, Ultra, Enigma and signing the Official Secrets Act. After 50-years of silence he was slow to open up, but I was quizzing him pretty precisely and I shared some of his insight/jokes about copying the unique ‘stick’ of the German operators. In no time he was relaxed and the tap was turned on for the first time in decades. He Was talking about trying to locate the V1 and V2 rocket launch sites by DF’ing their pre-launch activity, so counter attacks could try to destroy them before the rockets got off the pads. By the end of the afternoon his kids (themselves in their late forties) were in a bit of shock by what their dad did during the war. Up until then he only said that he worked a radio for a headquarters; and would change the subject whenever it came up. After the war he returned home, got a degree in education from Queen's University and taught in the Smith Falls / Chaffey's Locks area - retiring as a high school principal.

Several months later, while in Bosnia, I would receive a package from Don. After our conversation he realized how little was available on what his unit did and he was fearful that it would be lost to time. He’d jumbled down some of his memories from that time period and sent them to me. Forty-two hand written pages. I scanned copies and sent them to the Museum in Kingston and the main CWM, but in the post 9/11 frenzy the next fourteen years would be a blur for me and not much else would happen on the file.

I just started, recently, to transcribe his notes and add some amplification from my notes/memories of that meeting. Attached are a few pictures from Don. Showing their first operational setup in Amblie, just 6-km behind where the Juno Beach Centre is located; operators of the unit in Holland and a V-1 rocket as it overflew their position on its was on its way to rain explosives on either the port of Antwerp or England. They had just detected the launch site when the rocket launched. They knew it had to be very close, so he grabbed a camera and looked for the rocket. It went right over their heads. He remembers it as a disappointing moment. If they only had located it 5 minutes earlier a group of Typhoon fighters were on standby to rocket the location. They would still try and destroy the launch site, but too late to stop this one flying bomb.

Here are a few quotes from Don’s memoirs “…. this was exceedingly valuable in Normandy because we could follow each unit when it moved. If a Panzer Division moved from its position into another, even if its call sign changed, we knew the new call sign he was using. It certainly helped in Normandy when locating and destroying enemy headquarters was so essential….”

When they landed their vehicles at Juno Beach, just before dark, they were marshalled to an assembly area from which they would set out in the morning. “…in the morning, I remember we were somewhat alarmed to find German mine signs all through the area we were occupying during the night. It was a miracle that we had not lost men that night because some of us slept under the trucks…” The engineers were quickly called in to rectify the problem.

“..That morning we moved forward to a little French village called Amblie and proceed to setup our equipment on a side hill, camouflaged it and set-up our aerials as far aways as possible from the vans, In about 6 hours we were in full operation with our HROs operating. A link to the British in England established as well as a link to our HQ - the British Second Army…” The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division was part of the Second Army and since Type “A” Special Wireless units reported intelligence to Corps or Army level - their collection was ingested at the Corps level. Later in the war, as the three Canadian Divisions came together, all three Canadian Special Wireless Sections would be reporting to the Canadian Army - as well as whichever British units they might be supporting. They often worked side by side with American units doing intercept work. Don remembers No.3 SW Section working closely with an American intercept unit near the Ardennes Forest during the Battle of the Bulge.

“It was no uncommon thing to have a German H.Q. we had identified and located with our D/F go off the air in the middle of a transmission because it had been dinged by a rocket firing Typhoon, whose headquarters were receiving our information. ..”

In addition to feeding their Corps level HQ G2 section with tactical targets, who used a mix of plain language and low-level ciphers/encryption, they also fed strategically back higher level intercept to the UK. “… I do remember a British van equipped with an officer and three NCOs that joined our unit. We know it was being used for transmission back to British HQ for Ultra and Bletchley Park…”

He left small town Chaffey's Lock to be a volunteer soldier in the big adventure of World War Two. In a few short years, he would cross the Atlantic, see his best friend die in front of him during a training accident, enter France via a landing craft in Normandy, help intercept and find Panzer Divisions and SS units all the way from France, across the Netherlands and eventually over the Rhine River. In the process he'd see the devastation and thousands of civilians killed in and around Caen, and the starvation purposely inflicted by the Nazis in the Netherlands. But he'd also feal the indescribable joy of the liberated Dutch and the beauty of Paris as they turned on the evening lights of the city for the first time in years. Even his return to Canada would not be without memorable moments. He came home via the Queen Elizabeth liner from South Hampton to New York and onward to Kingston by train. He remembers Prime Minister Churchill being on board the ship and addressing them just after they'd set sail. It didn't take long for someone senior to recognize that Churchill was "... into the sauce and he was soon cut off..."

From these eventful years in Europe he was all too happy to return to quiet Chaffey's Lock where he proceeded to Queen's University for a degree in education and then back to the Chaffey's Lock / Smith Falls area where he married a childhood sweetheart, raised their children, advanced from teacher to distinguished principal and passed away in the town he loved so much, in 2014, at the age of 93. Thanks for helping us ensure that your unit wasn't lost to history Don.

Terence D'Arby French

 

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Canadian Army Overseas Honours and Awards (1939-45)

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Isabel May McDonald

Isabel May McDonald is known for her service in the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (W.R.C.N.S.) from 1942 to 1945. The W.R.C.N.S., modeled after the unit of women serving in the British Navy (W.R.N.S), became known as the “Wrens” just like the British model.

Originally from North Bay, Ontario, Isabel studied to become a teacher prior to her service. After graduating from “Normal School,” or teachers’ college, she taught in small, northern Ontario towns. Deciding that she wanted a change of pace, Isabel quit teaching and enlisted in 1942. Shortly afterward, Isabel attended training for the “Wrens” in Galt, Ontario, and then in St. Hyacinthe, Quebec. During her time in training, she learned how to intercept and decipher radio messages, including the high-speed Morse code messages used by the Japanese, known as Wabun code. Once she completed her training, she was transferred first to Esquimalt, then to a listening post at Gordon Head – both Naval bases were located in Victoria, British Columbia.


Ms. McDonald, on the far left, in the teletype room at Gordon Head (Credit: Military Communications and Electronics Museum Archive via The Globe and Mail).

Isabel and the other wireless telegraphers at Gordon Head were required to sign the Official Secrets Act, which required all military intelligence to be carefully monitored and kept discrete. Throughout her military career, she worked at a clandestine location and was transported to and from work in a canvas covered truck. At work, she would listen to her radio all night, decoding and monitoring Japanese Naval transmissions. She was a part of a large network of intelligence operatives, who were crucial to the Allied success of the war.

Beyond her service in the “Wrens”, Isabel was dedicated to preserving the memory of the fallen soldiers. In 1944, she used her professional typing skills to help her husband, Rudolph Mauro, with his memorial book dedicated to Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) airmen from the North Bay area who gave their lives in the war. Isabel left the Navy in 1945 after the war ended and returned to Ontario where she continued her education at the University of Toronto.

She passed away on August 22, 2018, just days before her 96th birthday. Her story is preserved by the Military Communications and Electronics Museum in Kingston, Ontario.

For more information on Isabel McDonald, read “Telegrapher Isabel McDonald monitored coded Japanese broadcasts” (The Globe and Mail, 5 Oct. 2018). Another “Wren”, Bea Corbett, followed a path very similar to Isabel’s – read about it in the Kingston Whig Standard (10 Nov. 2016).

To learn more about the secret activities that occurred at Gordon Head, Jerry Proc’s site offers a ton of information.

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WRCNS Magazine

WRCNS Magazine

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Obituary, Peter Sutton

SUTTON, Colonel Peter H., CD, (ret'd)

15 December 1932 - 24 August 2019

Loving husband, devoted father and grandfather Colonel Peter Sutton passed away August 24, 2019 in Kingston, Ontario, aged 86 years.

He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Audrey (nee Doerr), daughters Karen Sutton (Peter Heidinger) and Ann Hollett (Edward) and sister Ann Dunn. His life was enriched by five grandchildren: Bryan, Michael, and Eric Heidinger and Philip and Emma Hollett.

Colonel Sutton was the son of the late Dr. William D. Sutton and Mrs. Edna (Thompson) Sutton of London, Ontario.

The funeral service for Colonel Sutton will be held at Trinity Chapel, Canadian Forces Base Kingston on 27 August 2019 at 2:00 PM. Private interment in London, Ontario, will take place at a later date.

Colonel Sutton joined the Canadian Army in 1949. Commissioned in 1951, he held command and staff appointments including commanding officer of 1st Canadian Signal Regiment and Senior Staff Officer at Headquarters, Allied Forces North, in Oslo Norway. He attended the 1965 Australian Army staff college course and later served as directing staff, senior staff officer (plans), and assistant commandant of the Canadian Army staff college.

After retirement from the Canadian Forces, Colonel Sutton joined the Public Service of Canada and held senior positions with the Department of National Defence until his retirement in 1991.

Colonel Sutton was Colonel of the Regiment, 1st Canadian Signal Regiment from 1983 to 1988.

An active volunteer, Colonel Sutton was senior researcher at the Military Communications and Electronics Museum for 25 years. He was part of the team that produced a history of Canadian military communications for the 110th anniversary of the Communications and Electronics Branch in 2013. Colonel Sutton also volunteered with the Correctional Service of Canada as a mentor to inmates preparing for release.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Military Communications and Electronics Museum (candemuseum.org) or to the Michael J. Fox Foundation (www.michaeljfox.org) in his memory.

Published on August 27, 2019

Obituary, Don Strong

Colonel Donald Strong

Don's death at age ninety-two in the early morning hours of October 17th released him from the grip of Alzheimer's Disease. We lost a beloved husband, father, father in-law and grandfather.

Having lost his father from a heart attack when Don was eight years old, the military became a strong male influence in his life. This began when he donned an army cadet uniform, followed by service in the militia and at enlistment age, as Private Strong in the Royal Canadian Regiment. Don rose through the ranks and was accepted into Royal Military College. He graduated with a degree in electrical engineering with the "New One Hundred" Class of 1952 - the first graduating class when the college reopened at the end of World War Two. Upon graduation, he was sent to the war in Korea as a Signals Officer.

Don served in a number of postings within Canada and internationally. His out of country postings included England, Washington DC, the Netherlands and Brussels. Upon his retirement he was executive officer of the Royal Military Colleges Club of Canada for ten years.

A dedicated proponent of physical exercise with a love of the water, Don swam in the Atlantic, the St. Lawrence River and any body of water he was near. In his fifties, Don became a SCUBA instructor. At the age of sixty, he swam from the winter landing on Wolfe Island to the Vimy Officers' Beach on the mainland. He continued this swim every five years, completing his last swim on his eighty -fifth birthday. He always felt it would set a good example for those who served under him.

Don is survived by his loving wife Jeannie, a former Army Nursing Sister, daughters Patti and Linda (Larry) granddaughter Samantha, grandson Patrick, step-granddaughter Laurie (Danny) step-grandson Bruce (Carrie) and their families.

Following his wishes, Don's body has been donated to Queen's University Medical Research . It is our hope that this might help in finding a cure for Alzheimer's.

A reception in memory for Don is planned for Sunday November 3rd at 2pm at Vimy Officer's Mess, Kingston. Everyone welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations to The Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP), or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) will be gratefully accepted.

Don's death occurred at Providence Manor, Kingston. The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the devoted and caring staff, especially those on Montreal 5 who became such an important part of our lives.

Published on October 22, 2019

Doris Grierson Hope intercepted U-boat messages in WWII, received Bletchley Park badge | Ottawa Citizen 

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Doris Grierson Hope served in the Second World War as a member of the Women¹s Royal Canadian Naval Service; Courtesy of Melodie Summers  

As a high school student during the Second World War, Ottawa’s Doris Grierson wondered what she was going to do with her life. 

At the time, smart young women like Grierson were mostly streamed into careers as clerks, secretaries, teachers or nurses. 

But the war opened up vast new opportunities as women took on traditionally male roles to release soldiers and sailors for wartime service. The Wrens, members of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service, were at the vanguard of that movement. 

Grierson remembers reviewing the list of wartime jobs available to Wrens — cook, steward, supply assistant, postal clerk, pay writer, administrative write, coder, teletype operator, transport driver, dispatch rider — and stopping when she came across the words, “wireless telegraphist.” 

Doris Grierson Hope served in the Second World War as a member of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service; as a wireless telegraphist, she intercepted and plotted messages from German submarines during the Battle of the Atlantic. jpg  

“It sounded unusual and challenging,” she wrote in her memoir, ‘A Wren Remembers.’ “What an opportunity to do something different and to serve my country.” 

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Grierson was one of 6,000 Canadian women to enlist in the Wrens during the war. As a wireless telegraphist, she intercepted and plotted radio transmissions from German U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic. Her reports were sent directly to Naval Service Headquarters in Ottawa, and from there to Bletchley Park, the top-secret nerve centre of Britain’s wartime intelligence gathering. 

She would receive an official Bletchley Park badge from the British government in recognition of her contribution. 

Doris Grierson Hope, a retired member of Algonquin College’s teaching faculty and a dedicated genealogist, historian, bridge player and golfer, died Aug. 24 at The Ottawa Hospital. She was 96. 

“The Wrens were one of the most important things in her life: It gave a sense of purpose,” said her daughter, Melodie Summers. “She was a tremendous intellect and extremely hard-working. She was a maverick ahead of her time.” 

Born into the Depression on March 29, 1923, Doris Ethel Grierson grew up on a dairy farm in what is now Kanata. Her mother, Minnie Sparks, and father, Ernest Grierson, were both descendants of the Ottawa Valley’s earliest pioneers. 

A gifted student, Grierson graduated at the top of her class in Nepean High School and went to work, briefly, for an Ottawa lawyer. 

But her career path changed in July 1942 when the Canadian government approved the creation of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service, marking the entry of women into the navy. The first class of Wrens reported to the training depot at Ottawa’s Kingsmill House on Laurier Avenue East in August 1942. 

A select number became part of Canada’s fast-expanding intelligence gathering network. 

After her basic training, Grierson was sent to signals school in St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, at a condemned army base. The conditions were “abominable,” she said, with 60 Wrens crammed into an old army hut, heated by pot-bellied stoves, with two bathtubs, four showers and two toilets. 

Grierson studied Morse Code and electronics, and learned to send, receive and transcribe signals. Upon graduation, she was sent to HMCS Coverdale, a high-frequency, direction-finding station near Moncton, N.B. 

It was staffed by 140 Wrens. In three shifts, 24-hours a day, they monitored German submarine messages, and took bearings on the transmissions. They had only seconds to zero in on the subs since the Germans had been taught to keep their messages to less than 30 seconds. 

“The weight of our responsibility was constantly with us,” she wrote in ‘A Wren Remembers.’ 

After the war, Grierson was demobilized and went to work for an insurance company, London Life, where she met her husband, Bob Hope. They married in 1954, and their only child, Melodie, was born two years later. 

Doris Grierson Hope returned to school part-time and, in 1961, she was among the first women to graduate with a commerce degree from Carleton University. 

She worked as a teacher at the Ontario Vocational Centre then joined the staff of Algonquin College when it launched in 1967. She taught business and English. 

Hope later went back to school and obtained undergraduate and master’s degrees in religious studies. After her husband died in 1977, she bought a home in Port Charlotte, Florida, so that she could golf year-round. 

“She golfed every day and played bridge every night,” her daughter said. 

Hope was an active member of the Ex-Wren Association of Ottawa, the Historical Society of Ottawa and the Ottawa branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. In her mid-90s, she completed a history of the Wrens; it was her third such pamphlet published by the historical society. 

“Doris was a prolific contributor to our knowledge of local history,” said Randy Boswell, a history writer and associate professor at Carleton’s School of Journalism and Communications. “Like many people, she was passionate about researching her family history, but she had a wider vision, and turned her interest in genealogy into a broader projects, like her history of the former Torbolton Township.” 

Her daughter, Melodie, said she will miss her mother’s fortitude and her unwavering support. 

“She was a very devoted, loyal person.”