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Topic: General Dan SPRY. (Read 224 times)
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george burrows
redpatch43
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2002
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To Jim Hickson et al: Jim would you possibly know if Gen, Spry is still living? I really do not know for sure.
I had one of the Col's ask me about him Sat. night at the Yacht Club. I thought he may have passed on, but my friend says he thinks he is still alive. I remember him and served under him in WW2. He was one terrific man to work with.
Cap'T O'Leary - if your reading this , would you possibly know the answer if no one else does?
Thanks guys:George.
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Hi George. How are you. Bad news, I'm afraid.
General Spry passed on in 1989....
From the Juno Beach Centre...
Major-General D.C. Spry
Daniel Charles Spry, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on February 4th, 1913; died in 1989. Canadian Army Officer.
An avid follower of the Boy Scouts Movement in his youth, Dan Spry was educated at Dalhousie University in Halifax in the early 1930s. In 1932, he joined the Princess Louise Fusiliers, a regiment of the Canadian Militia, and in 1934, the Royal Canadian Regiment of the Permanent Force.
When war broke out in Europe, Spry was in command of a battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment. In 1943, the Royal Canadian Regiment took part in the invasion of Sicily and of continental Italy with Spry, by then a Lieutenant-Colonel, as Commanding Officer. On December 18th, 1943, Spry was appointed Commanding Officer of the 1st Infantry Brigade and promoted to the rank of Brigadier.
On July 13th, 1944, Spry took charge of the 12th Infantry Brigade, created to regroup several Canadian units already serving in Italy. He started organizing and training the 12th Brigade but was transferred to the Normandy theatre on August 18th, 1944, to succeed Major-General Rod Keller, Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, wounded in action. Spry took part in the last phase of the Normandy campaign, in the liberation of coastal cities between the mouth of the Seine and the Pas de Calais (September 1944), and in the Battle of the Scheldt (September-November 1944). With winter drawing to an end, the 1st Canadian Army launched a new offensive and the 3rd Infantry Division was involved in the Battle of the Rhineland (February-March 1945). On March 22nd, 1945, Spry was relieved of his command and sent to England as commander of the Canadian Reinforcement Units.
In 1946, Dan Spry was appointed as Vice-Chief of the General Staff at National Defence HQ in Ottawa.
Here is the picture provided. General Spry is in the center, Montgomery on the right and Gen. Crerar to the left.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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ranrad
Ron [Andy] Andrews
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Hi Mike and all; very interesting and good history here,and the pic is fantastic, have to save.. thanks for the info, ranrad
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RCAF,CAF, converted RCR?,1RCR 74-77 CD: SSM (Nato);CPSM,;UN-Cyp.; UN- Golan
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george burrows
redpatch43
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2002
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Hi Mike: Thanks a million for the info On Gen. Spry. I felt that he had passed away too a long while ago. However I did not realize it was that long ago. I remember Col. Strome Galloway and some of the others. who were also terrific officers and a pleasure to serve under. However, I do have to say that Col Spry ( when I knew him) was a super guy who was really loved by just about everybody. He was just the opposite of a HARD NOSED GENERAL. Always pleasant and never had to issue an order as an order. We were talking at the Yacht club last Sat. night when out for dinner. I was telling my friend the Col. that I was ALMOST positive that I am the LAST LIVING RCR VET OF WW.2. I have done a reasonablew amount of research on it and cannot find any further info to disclaim this. It is still possible I guess, but if it is ,the individual/S would have to in their early to mid 90's.
Anyway Mike thanks again for the use of your EXCELLENT LIBRARY AND STATS.
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Jerry Robertson
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I remember Gen Spry was in Edmonton visiting us Airborne guys. Myself and Paul McManus had to workin the officers mess, doing general duty stuff in the kitchen. Well they we are, Saturday eveing, cleaning plates etc, putting empty wine bottles away in boxes when the doors to the kitchen come flying open and who is directly behind said but Gen Spry himself. He sees Paul and I, asks about us, we tell him we are 2 CDO ex RCR and he says well its not fitting that two RCR paratroopers should be cleaning up without any hooch and he gets us a bottle of wine each thanks us for the job we are doing and tells us we are now dismissed goodbye see ya later take off get the point? A truly great man!
Jerry
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Regt Adjt
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George, perhaps not quite the last Second War veteran. "Spin" Reid was at the Regimental Memorial for our service on Saturday and "Sherry" Atkinson is still kicking about, I believe he's on a trip to Thailand at the moment to visit his daughter.
Regt Adjt
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george burrows
redpatch43
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2002
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Cap't O'Leary, i thank you very much for the Update on staff still iiving from WW2. I did not realize Spin Reid was still living. Good for him. I did not know him personally but have heard some excellent stories about him. May God Bless him and I hope he is still around for many more years to come.
As for Sherry Atkinson, I know him personally. Unfortunately he did not last long in the Sicily invasion. About two weeks as I recall. He went around with my older brother in Chatham pre war. He was not liked that well. Wore his 'JESUS boots all the time. He was in AntiTank Platoon. Unfortunately he was one of the officers that not to many men appreciated. He was a very strict disiplenarian . He is a member of our local Windsor chapter. Need I say more?
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