Ted Conover was a platoon commander in the 2nd Corps Defence Company (Lorne Scots) in the United Kingdom, when he was ordered to report to #5 CRU (Canadian Reinforcement Unit) and proceed to Italy. The intention was that he would join one of the Lorne Scots units in Italy – the 1st Canadian Corps Defence Company, the 1st Division Defence and Employment Platoon, or one of the brigade defence platoons. (In the same month, the duties of 2 Corps Defence Company were handed over to the Prince Edward Island Light Horse. Some of the officers, like Sam Charters, rebadged to stay with the unit.) In December he went to Italy, and was stationed at a reinforcement depot at Avelino. In March 1944, the 1st Special Service Force was serving with the 5th American Army at the Anzio beachead, and requested five Canadian officers and 100 other ranks as reinforcements. The SSF, which became known as the Devil's Brigade, was a joint US-Canadian unit formed in 1942. It had about 1800 combat troops and a service element of 600. They were under US command, and wore American uniforms with the USA CANADA badge.  They were trained as paratroops, ski troops and in assault landings. They were to have been droped into Norway to take out strategic targets, but that operation was abandoned and they were sent to Italy. Since they had been formed for a specific task, they had no reinforcement system in place. The US component was reinforced from the American Rangers. Lieutenant Conover volunteered to be part of the first Canadian reinforcement. He was sent to Camp Santa Maria at Campera Vitere, for a month's training, to become familiarized with American weapons like the Johnson Machine Gun. The training stressed unarmed combat, and the use of the force fighting knife.  1st Lieutenant Conover, on the right, at Anzio, April 1944.
In April they went to the Anzio beachead to join the unit. He was to command #1 Platoon of 6 Coy, 2nd Regiment, 1st SSF. The Force at Anzio had been assigned a place along the Mussolini canal, almost a third of the total front line (the whole of the US Third Division, a fine and experienced fighting force, was only assigned half as much frontage). The Force had to be very aggressive to hold such a large front. The 1st and 3rd Regiments held the line, while the 2nd Regiment went on continuous fighting patrols, day and night. The force had been very successful against a German strong point at Cerrete Alto, about four miles south-east of the canal, capturing many prisoners. On the 1st of May, 6 Coy, 2nd Regiment was again ordered to attack Cerrete Alto. The enemy had doubled his mine fields, and was using the new Schu mine - a pound of explosive was contained in a wooden box, with only the spring and firing-pin being made out of metal, so it was undetectable by mine detectors. Lieutenant Conover's platoon had been assigned a covering fire position, while the other two platoons assaulted. Unfortunately, their area was in the middle of the new minefield. When coming into the area, his American scout, Bill Berg, stepped on a mine and was blown up. Lieutenant Conover ordered the rest of the platoon to hit the ground. He left his pack and Johnson gun to go into the minefield to rescue the scout. But he stepped on a mine and went up. His sergeant, Ray Plough, also American, came in, picked him up, and started out. He stepped on another mine, and they were both blown in the air. Later in the field hospital, Lieutenant Conover learned that there were 18 casualties in his platoon that morning, and 15 had part of their leg amputated. He was lucky, losing only a heel. He was invalided back to Canada by way of the UK, sailing on the hospital ship Lady Nelson. Back home, several Medical Officers wanted to amputate his foot at the ankle. By then he was able to refuse, telling them, 'I like to cut my toenails.' He was discharged in 1944 as medically unfit, and finally operated on, at Christie Street Hospital, in April of 1945. Butcher B…, the MO at Chorley (Shornecliff?), wanted to cut the foot off right away. Dr Dale in Toronto wasn’t sure what to do – they just put it in a cast, which itched like hell, and had to be replaced from time to time. It got infested with maggots, but that was OK, because they ate the pus. Finally, some Russian doctors were touring the hospital – they had lots of experience of mine wounds, and said the foot could be saved. While waiting in hospital, he re-enrolled at the University of Guelph.  The American members of the Force were awarded the Bronze Star Medal for their service in 1945. 61 years later, on 18 August 2006, the Canadian members of the Force were awarded the same medal.  At the Change of Command parade in Milton, 20 June 2009, the Honorary Colonel presented the Bronze Star to Colonel Conover. |