Cyril Robert Hart was born in Boylston, Guysborough County, on November 1, 1923, the youngest of Levi Robert and Mary Eliza “Minnie” (Peart) Hart’s eight sons. Levi was the son of Walter H. and Emma (Morris) Hart, Manchester, while Minnie was the daughter of Caleb and Lydia (Rinhold) Peart, Cook’s Cove.
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| Private Cyril Robert Hart |
Cyril belonged to the sixth generation of Harts to reside in Boylston. His great-grandfather three times removed was Josiah Hart, who was born in Wallingford, Connecticut, in 1741. Josiah in turn was the great-grandson twice removed of Deacon Stephen Hart, born in Braintree, England, around 1603. Stephen arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, around 1632 during the Puritan “Great Migration” and was part of a group of 25 men who founded Hartford, Connecticut, in 1635.
Following the American Revolution, Josiah Hart and his family "removed to Nova Scotia" with the "Associated Loyalists of Connecticut.” The group obtained a land grant at Manchester Township in 1785, part of the James Scovil Company settlement. Subsequently, in 1787, the group signed a least/rent agreement for a portion of the Hallowell land grant located in Boylston. In 1803, Joshua also received a crown land grant in the Manchester area.
Josiah’s great-great-grandson Levi Hart married Minnie Peart at Guysborough, NS, on June 6, 1906. At the time, Levi was employed as a “locomotive cleaner” in Mulgrave, where the couple initially resided. Their four oldest children—Lois, Gordon, Florence and Earl—were born during their time there.
By 1921, the Hart family had moved to Boylston, where Levi worked as a blacksmith. During the decade prior to the decennial census, seven more children had joined the household—daughters Verna, Cora and Emma, and sons Carl, Edgar, Harold and Arthur. Four more children were born after 1921—daughters Jean and Lillian, and sons Ross and Cyril. Remarkably, six of Levi and Minnie’s children—five sons and one daughter—later served with various branches of the Canadian Armed Forces during the Second World War.
Cyril Robert Hart left school at age 14, having completed Grade VII. He worked on the family farm for several years before relocating to Colchester County around 1939. In the spring of 1942, the Department of National Defence (DND) hired Cyril as a “wood cutter” for work near Debert, NS, where DND was constructing a military camp.
On June 26, 1942—three months after he started working for DND—Cyril enlisted with the Canadian Active Service Force at Truro, NS. While he was assigned to No. 61 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre, New Glasgow, for basic infantry instruction on July 17, he did not immediately report there. The following day, Cyril was admitted to Debert Military Hospital, where he remained under medical care until September 7. He then proceeded to New Glasgow for basic training. While Cyril’s service file contains no details on the nature of his illness, it was likely an early manifestation of a later health issue.
Cyril completed basic training in mid-October and immediately reported to Camp Aldershot, NS, for advanced military training. On December 1, 1942, he was admitted to Camp Military Hospital for treatment of a case of “acute tonsillitis.” During convalescence, Cyril developed a swollen, acutely painful right ankle, a condition that gradually subsided in two weeks.
Cyril was discharged from hospital on December 17 and received a five-day Christmas leave shortly afterward. He returned to duty before month’s end and spent the first three months of 1943 awaiting further orders. Cyril departed for overseas on March 28, 1943, and set foot in the United Kingdom one week later. He was immediately posted to No, 7 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU), where he awaited assignment to an active infantry unit.
On June 10, 1943, Cyril was transferred to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders (NNSH). Initially established as a machine gun unit in 1936 following the amalgamation of militia units from Cumberland, Colchester and Hants Counties, the North Nova Scotia Regiment established its headquarters in Amherst after the outbreak of war overseas. The unit was subsequently re-designated an infantry battalion and assigned to the 3rd Canadian Division’s 9th Brigade, where it served alongside the Highland Light Infantry of Canada (Waterloo, ON) and Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders (Cornwall, ON). The “North Novas” departed for overseas on July 18, 1941, and spent almost three years training and supporting British “home defence” efforts.
One week after joining the North Novas’ ranks, Cyril received seven days’ personal leave. After returning to duty, he logged approximately three weeks’ service before health issues resurfaced. On July 18, his right ankle once again became “swollen, red [and] tender.” Two days later, Cyril was admitted to No. 7 Field Dressing Station for treatment.
On July 21, Cyril was transferred to No. 14 Canadian General Hospital, where medical staff determined that he was suffering from a case of “acute rheumatic fever.” At the time of his admission, he had been suffering from an “acutely painful rt. [right] ankle for two days.” His other joints, however, were normal. By month’s end, the swelling and pain had subsided, but Cyril was experiencing “slight pain in [his] right hip.”
Cyril remained in hospital for another three weeks. By August 23, medical staff reported that he was “feeling well.” The following day, he was discharged to duty and returned to No. 7 CIRU. On September 9, he rejoined the North Nova’s ranks. During the months after Cyrils’ return, the unit’s personnel participated in a series of training exercises in Scotland and England, rehearsing amphibious landings in preparation for a future Allied invasion of Western Europe.
On June 3, 1944, the North Novas broke camp and travelled to Southampton, where its soldiers boarded a ship and awaited further orders while anchored off nearby Netley. The flotilla of vessels assembled in the inlet moved out open sea at 1400 hours June 5 and “formed up” in preparation for departure, their exact destination still a mystery.
On June 6, 1944, the first wave of British, American and Commonwealth units came ashore on the beaches of Normandy, France, around 0800 hours. Infantry units from the 3rd Canadian Division’s 7th and 8th Brigades landed on Juno Beach, where they successfully established a beach-head. At 1140 hours—one hour later than planned—the North Novas boarded landing craft and headed toward a beach near Bernières-sur-Mer, slightly east of the main Juno Beach landings.
After gathering in an assembly area near the village in late afternoon, the battalion moved out toward its D-Day objective—an airfield near Carpiquet, on the outskirts of Caen. Over the next 24 hours, the inexperienced soldiers advanced almost 16 kilometers to the outskirts of Authie, less than five kilometers from their target. Allied units on either flanks, however, failed to keep pace with the units, leaving the regiment exposed to enemy attack.
By late afternoon June 7, German infantry and armoured forces launched a series of counter-attacks near Authie, inflicting significant casualties on the North Novas’ ranks. What remained of its forward personnel retreated to Villons-les-Buissons, where the 9th Brigade established defensive positions. The North Novas’ war diary reported 10 “other ranks” (OR) killed, three officers and 27 OR wounded, and a shocking 195 OR ranks missing after the battalion’s first full day in Normandy. Many of the missing managed to find their way back to the unit the following day, but a significant number became casualties or prisoners of war.
The North Novas spent the next month in the vicinity of Villons-les-Buissons, rebuilding their ranks as Allied commanders developed plans for a break-out from the Normandy beach-head. On July 7, units began preparations for “Operation Charnwood,” the first phase of the plan. The North Novas were assigned the task of capturing Authie, the village where so many of its comrades were lost exactly one month before. Once the village was secure, the unit was to extend patrols to nearby Franqueville.
The Allied attack commenced at 0600 hours July 8 with a heavy aerial bombardment of German positions. The 8th British Division completed the first phase—the capture of Galamanche—by 0800 hours. One hour later, the second phase started, the North Novas following their 9th Brigade mates as they attacked Buron. The village was secured by 1045 hours, at which time the NNSH’s soldiers gathered in an orchard south of the location.
As personnel awaited orders to advance toward Authie, German mortar fire and a nearby 88-mm gun shelled their location, inflicting a significant number of casualties. The battalion finally moved out at 1530 hours, encountering heavy German shelling in addition to significant infantry and tank resistance. The soldiers nevertheless pressed forward and secured the village.
Around 1830 hours, the 7th Canadian Brigade passed through the North Novas’ lines and pressed forward toward Cussy. As it made progress, pressure on the Nova Scotians diminished considerably. The North Novas remained in Authie for the remainder of the day, one of its Companies establishing positions in Franqueville. According to the unit’s war diary, a total of nine officer and 192 other rank casualties occurred during the day’s fighting.
The following day, the remainder of the battalion moved forward to Franqueville during the morning and advanced to Vinot under heavy mortar fire later in the day. Simultaneously, other Allied units advanced into the western suburbs of Caen. A total of four officer and 61 OR reinforcements joined the unit as civilians welcomed the Nova Scotians “in a true French manner[,] appearing very pleased to see Allied troops in their presence.”
The North Novas remained in Vinot for several days, consolidating their defences amidst spasmodic artillery and mortar fire. Late in the evening of July 14, its personnel withdrew to Anisy for a three-day rest. Companies encamped “in old slit trenches… modified… for their needs” as the unit cleaned up during a welcome break from the forward area.
On July 17, the NNSH was informed of an impending attack on Faubourg de Vaucelles, located across the Orne River on the southern outskirts of Caen. The battalion moved out to an assembly area between Buron and Les Buissons at 1130 hours and commenced preparations for combat scheduled for the following day.
Prior to the attack, the North Novas had to cross two Bailey bridges erected by Canadian engineers across a canal and the Orne River. Personnel rehearsed the maneuver during the day while Commanding Officer (CO) Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Petch met with the unit’s officers to review plans for the following day.
At 2330 hours, personnel moved out on foot toward an assembly area, arriving at a designated location along the Canal de Caen northeast of the city and settling in for the night. Aerial bombardment of the objectives commenced at 0700 hours July 18. One hour later, the 9th Brigade’s Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders crossed the two structures, dubbed “London Bridge” by the Canadian engineers.
The North Novas were across by 0900 hours and formed up behind the 8th Brigade, which was assigned the task of completing the operation’s first phase—clearing enemy forces from an area of factories along the river bank. The 8th Brigade’s Régiment de la Chaudière, however, was quickly pinned down by enemy machine gun fire, forcing commanders to revise the battle plan. The 8th Brigade would remain in the factory area, “cleaning up” enemy resistance, while the NNSH advanced through their ranks and attacked Faubourg de Vaucelles.
The main advance was delayed for two hours as bulldozers repaired bomb craters, creating a route for vehicles to pass through the factory area. In the meantime, the NNSH moved forward on foot, encountering considerable sniper and mortar fire but no significant infantry resistance. By 2230 hours the unit had secured their objective with light casualties.
The following day, all Companies were “firmly in their positions and on a sharp lookout” for enemy counterattacks. German forces had evacuated the area quickly, leaving behind large quantities of wine and foodstuffs that the soldiers added to their supplies. The area was quiet as a total of 31 German prisoners of war, mostly young men ages 17 and 18, were taken during the day.
On July 20, the North Novas moved out to Bras, seven kilometers southeast of Vaucelles, where they relieved a British unit. Personnel travelled by motor carrier and were in position by 1330 hours. While the area was subjected to sporadic mortar fire and a group of Messerschmidt 109s strafed its location with machine gun and rocket fire later in the day, the unit suffered no casualties.
Wet weather over the next two days turned local roads into a muddy quagmire. Meanwhile, the North Novas endured regular mortar and artillery shelling. On July 23, Company commanders visited the forward area for reconnaissance of Bourgébus and Tilly-la-Campagne, two locations on Verrières Ridge south of Caen that were the unit’s next objective. Personnel were scheduled to depart for the area after darkness the following day in preparation for an attack in conjunction with the 2nd Canadian Division.
The North Novas would advance in “moonlight” created by searchlights, “the first attack of this nature that we have had, but it sounds quite feasible and all express confidence in it.” Once the unit had established control of Tilly-la-Campagne, the British 11th Armoured Division would pass through its positions and advance toward an area of high ground to the south. The 9th Brigade’s Highland Light Infantry would follow in its wake. It was hoped that the attack would produce the major breakthrough that had eluded Allied forces since the D-Day landings.
Improved weather on July 24 dried out the roads, making vehicle traffic “much easier.” The North Novas spent the day preparing for the impending attack. All four Companies “formed up” on the starting line at 0230 hours July 25, ready to move forward at H-Hour. While the lead platoons crossed the start line 30 minutes later, the searchlights did not come on as anticipated.
Word arrived at 0350 hours that the 2nd Canadian Division’s operation had been delayed by at least 30 minutes. The North Novas, having already committed to the task, continued to move forward. When the searchlights finally came on, they silhouetted the troops, making them “good targets for the enemy.”
German forces, however, did not initially open fire, allowing C Company to establish positions in front of Tilly-la-Campagne “without any difficulty.” Likewise, D Company appeared to have reached its assigned position on the village’s left. When A Company moved toward an area right of the village, German soldiers located in a large barn in front of the village “opened up with everything,” pinning down both A and C Companies.
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| Source: C. P. Stacey, "The Victory Campaign" |
While the North Novas were able to establish a position in an orchard along a northeastern corner of the village and infiltrate parts of the village, they were unable to overcome enemy resistance, which had not been softened by a preliminary artillery barrage. To further complicate matters, Battalion Headquarters lost contact with most of the attacking groups.
At 0614 hours, North Nova CO Petch requested tank support from the 10th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Fort Garry Horse). In the meantime, the unit’s Bren carriers and several self-propelled anti-tank guns moved forward to support the soldiers deployed around the village. German counter-fire, however, quickly targeted and neutralized the guns.
The Fort Garry Horse’s B Squadron soon arrived on the scene and moved forward west of the village. German Panther tanks and anti-tank guns immediately engaged the armoured vehicles, “cut[ting] the squadron to pieces” and in the process destroying 11 of its tanks. The remaining tanks retreated toward Bourgébus and provided supporting fire from a distance.
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Petch, through the one Company with whom he could reach, instructed his men to “dig in and hold on where they were.” By late afternoon, it was obvious that the soldiers in the village were at risk of being cut off by a German counter-attack. Petch ordered his men to make their way back to Bourguébus once darkness arrived. Approximately 100 soldiers were able to retreat during the evening, while A Company’s commanding officer and a group of nine men made their way to safety during the early morning hours.
The situation for the remaining North Novas was grim. According to A Company’s commanding officer, small groups of men were still “holding out” in the village, but at least 10 German tanks and two infantry Companies had entered the area, making it “unlikely” that any of the remaining soldiers “would get out alive.”
In the early morning hours of July 26, an exhausted group of North Novas withdrew toward Cormelles, arriving there at 0930 hours. The men were billeted in local houses where they enjoyed a “well-earned rest, followed by an excellent meal.” The 3rd Canadian Division’s attack on Tilly-la-Campagne had failed completely, resulting in a total of 139 North Nova casualties—61 “all ranks” killed, another 46 wounded and 32 taken prisoner.
In the immediate aftermath of the North Novas’ July 25, 1944 attack on Tilly-la-Campagne, Private Cyril Robert Hart was reported “missing.” On August 7, Canadian and British units launched a second assault on Verrières Ridge and managed to remove German forces from the area after four days of hard fighting. In the aftermath of the successful advance, Cyril’s body was located, identified and interred in a temporary cemetery at Tilly-la-Campagne on August 10.
In the aftermath of Cyril’s death, Levi and Minnie Hart received letters of condolence from NNSH Captain Michael J. Heffernan and Chaplain Graydon O. Cox. Captain Heffernan described Cyril as “well liked by those with whom he came into contact, both officers and men. His officers and NCOs [non-commissioned officers] had the greatest faith in his ability to carry out to the end any task he was given.”
Chaplain Graydon provided some details on Cyri’s death and initial resting place:
“It was during the battle of Tilly-la-Campagne that your son was killed and it was one of the stiffest battles the regiment had to fight in Normandy. Your son was buried close to the village with a number of boys who were killed at the same time and the last time I visited the grave, it was covered with fresh flowers placed there by the French people, who seem to take an interest in the graves of the Canadians.”
On November 22, 1944, Cyril’s remains were re-interred in Brettevile-sur-Laize Canadian Military Cemetery, Bretteville-sur-Laize, France.
Five of Cyril’s siblings served with Canadian military units during the Second World War. His older sister Emma Dorothy, born on October 23, 1919, enlisted with the Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC) and served in Halifax and the Strait of Canso. On May 13, 1944, Emma married Thomas Mortimore, a native of Sherbrooke, Guysborough County, in a ceremony that took place in St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Halifax. Thomas was employed as a carpenter in the Halifax dockyards at the time of the marriage. Emma later gave birth to a son, Thomas Jr., her only child.
Tragically, Thomas Sr. passed away in the Victoria General Hospital, Halifax, on January 21, 1952, the result of an “intercranial hemorrhage.” Emma subsequently married Otto Curtis Spanks, a native of Manchester, Guysborough County. The couple established residence in Boylston, where Otto passed away in 1991. In her later years, Emma relocated to Lower Sackville, where she resided with her son. She passed away in the Victoria General Hospital, Halifax, on November 26, 2001, and was laid to rest in Boylston United Church Cemetery.
Two of Cyril’s brothers enlisted with the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR). Edgar Havelock, born on April 27, 1915, rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer and was stationed at HMCS Fort Ramsay, Gaspé, QC, during the Second World War. Following his enlistment, Edgar married Florence Alice Atkins, a native of Dort’s Cove, in a ceremony that took place in St. Patrick’s Glebe, Halifax, NS. Florence was a member of the Victoria General Hospital’s nursing staff at the time of the marriage. Edgar and Florence raised a family of three children—two sons and one daughter. Edgar passed away on December 20, 1978, and was laid to rest in Boylston United Church Cemetery.
Ross Wilfred Hart was born on August 1, 1922, 15 months before the arrival of his younger brother Cyril. Ross served as a Petty Officer at HMCS Scotia, Halifax, and also in Quebec during the Second World War. He married Dorothy Emily MacCall, a native of Steep Creek, Guysborough County, in a ceremony that took place in Canso on August 29, 1944. Emily and Ross raised a family of three children—two sons and one daughter. Ross passed away in Guysborough Memorial Hospital, Guysborough, on October 7, 2010, and was laid to rest in Boylston United Church Cemetery.
Two of the Hart brothers enlisted with the Canadian Army. Harold Everett was born on August 25, 1912, and married Agnes Rhoda McCall, a native of Steep Creek, Guysborough County, at St Mary’s Rectory, Bayfield, on July 10, 1937. Harold was employed as a lumberman at the time of his marriage but enlisted with an artillery unit following the outbreak of war. He served in Debert and Halifax during his time in uniform and was overseas at the time of Cyril’s death.
While serving in Western Europe, Harold was wounded in the leg, an injury that ended his time overseas. Upon returning to civilian life, Harold obtained a civil service position with the federal government. Among his duties was overseeing the disposition of old munition stock from the Second World War. He and Agnes settled in Debert, where they raised a family of seven children—two boys and five daughters. Harold passed away in Colchester Regional Hospital, Truro, NS, on July 2, 2002.
Carl Levi Walter was born on February 22, 1914, and married Jean Katherine Fraser, a native of New Glasgow, in Stellarton, NS, on August 18, 1939. Carl was working in the “motor business” at the time of his marriage, while Jean was a school teacher. Carl enlisted with the Canadian Active Service Force (CASF) at Halifax on August 5, 1941, and was stationed at Camp Aldershot at the time of Cyril’s death. He later headed overseas, where he served in Western Europe.
As a “late” overseas arrival, Carl volunteered to remain in Europe after the war to assist with the shipping of supplies back to Canada. He was discharged from military service at Halifax on September 19, 1946. After the war, Carl and Jean resided in Boylston, where they raised a family of five children—three sons and two daughters. Carl passed away on November 2, 1991, and was laid to rest in Boylston United Church Cemetery.
Thanks to Derek Hart, Guysborough, NS, for providing genealogical information on the Hart family and a photograph of his uncle Cyril Hart and the Hart siblings who served during the Second World War.
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