“…Bailey Bridging made an immense contribution towards ending World War II. As far as my own operations were concerned, with the Eighth Army in Italy and with the 21st Army Group in North-West Europe, I could never have maintained the speed and tempo of forward movement without large supplies of Bailey Bridging.”
….Field Marshall Montgomery of Alamein
The Second World War Allied campaign in Italy is often called “an Engineer’s War” because of the terrain and obstacles the enemy created that had to be overcome. In December 1943, the German Army had retreated to the "Bernhard Line" across the narrowest part of the Italian Peninsula to halt or at least slow the Allied advance. The line crossed over mountain rivers swollen with winter rains that German military engineers reinforced by demolishing most of the bridges in the area to the south.
On this date in 1943, Bandmaster WO1 Hardy and 24 bandsmen from the Rifle Brigade were taken on strength as the first RCE band. On 14 Aug 1943, the band went to Italy.
On this date in 1918, the formation of the Brigade Forward Water Supply Sections Canadian Engineers was authorized.
On this date in 1944, the 9th Field Squadron erected three Bailey bridges over the Somme River: a 60-foot Double-Single by 0430 hrs; a 40-foot Single-Single by 0730 hrs, and a 70-foot Double-Single by 0945 hrs.
On this date in 1918, Captain Coulson Mitchell of the 4th Battalion, Canadian Engineers, C.E.F., saved the bridge over the Canal de l’Escaut near Cambrai, France, to earn the Victoria Cross.
On this date in 1944, every Canadian field and park squadron and company in 1st Canadian Army (some 20 units), used bridges, rafts, and storm boats to get the divisions of the 2nd Canadian Corps across the Seine.