Private Colin David Dort—Killed in Action September 16, 1944

 Colin David Dort was born on November 20, 1923, in Cole Harbour, Guysborough County, the fifth of Joseph Wilfred “Joe” and Mary Jane “Jennie” (Murray] Dort’s seven children. Jennie was the daughter of Colin and Mary Murray, Newton, Pictou County, while Joe was the son of David Alonzo and Lilia (O’Leary) Dort, Cole Harbour.

Private Colin David Dort

The oldest of his siblings, Joe left home sometime after 1911 and headed to Pictou County, where he found employment as a painter. On March 21, 1914, Joe and Jennie married in Trenton. Their first child, a son Everett Ellis, was born on May 25, 1915, but died at 16 months of age. A second tragedy struck the larger Dort family on July 4, 1917, when Joe’s younger brother, Private Leo Harold Dort, died of wounds received in combat near Avion, France, while serving with the 42nd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada).

By 1918, Joe and Jennie had relocated to Cole Harbour, where Joe went to work in the local fishery. Family sources state that he also maintained a local lighthouse, receiving a small stipend for lighting and extinguishing the lamp each evening. Joe and Jennie’s second child, a daughter May Isabelle, was born there on October 28, 1918. A second son, Leo Alexander, joined the family in May 1921, approximately one month prior to the decennial census. Frank, the couple’s fourth child, arrived the following year but died in infancy on August 28, 1922.

At the time of the 1931 census, the Dort household consisted of Joe, age 36, his wife Jennie, age 34, and their three surviving children—May, age 12; Leo, age 10; and Colin, age six. Two more children joined the family during the 1930s. Ella Theresa was born on July 18, 1932, while Patrick Joseph, the youngest of the Dort siblings, was born on March 17, 1936.

Colin David Dort completed Grade VII and left school at age 15, halfway through Grade VIII. For several years, he remained in the Cole Harbour area, where he fished seasonally with his father. Around 1939, Colin went to work for A. Logan, Trenton, NS, who operated a lumbering business. His job consisted of “snaking” and loading logs at lumber camps in northeastern Nova Scotia.

By early 1943, Colin’s age made him an ideal candidate for military service. On March 29, 1943, he enrolled with the Non-Permanent Active Militia of Canada at Halifax, NS. While his service file gives his birth year as 1923, family descendants state that he was actually born the following year and lied about his age at the time. Unfortunately, there is no official record of Colin’s birth.

At the time of Colin’s militia enrolment, he had already spent one month with a Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC) Company. Having few employment prospects at the time, his decision to enlist was perhaps not surprising. Colin’s older brother Leo had already enlisted with the West Nova Scotia Regiment and may have also played a role..

After three months of militia service, Colin enlisted with the Canadian Active Service Force (CASF) at Halifax on June 24, 1943, and thus became eligible for overseas service. In early July, he reported to No. 60 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre, Yarmouth, for initial infantry instruction. Two months later, he moved on to the Advanced Infantry Training Centre at Camp Aldershot, where he completed training. On October 30, Colin received a 14-day pre-embarkation furlough. In mid-November he reported to No. 1 Transit Camp, Windsor, NS, and departed for overseas on November 24. One week later, he set foot in the United Kingdom.

On December 2, Colin was assigned to No. 7 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU). By the time he arrived overseas, Canadian units had logged five months of combat service in the Italian  campaign, creating a significant demand for infantry reinforcements. As a result, Colin spent only two months in the UK before receiving a transfer to No. 3 CIRU in early February 1944.

The move was an indication that Colin would soon join an active infantry unit. At mid-month, he was placed on the Mediterranean theatre’s reinforcement list. He left the UK on February 17 and arrived in Naples, Italy, in early March. Colin spent one month in a reinforcement camp at Avellino, east of Naples, before he was assigned to the Royal Canadian Regiment on April 9, 1944.

The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) was part of the Permanent Force of Canada. Initially established as the Infantry School Corps on December 21, 1883, the unit underwent several name changes before being designated the Royal Canadian Regiment on November 1, 1901. The RCR mobilized for active service on September 1, 1939, and was assigned to the 1st Canadian Division’s 1st Infantry Brigade, where it served alongside two other Ontario units—the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment (Belleville/Peterborough,) known as the “Hasty Ps,” and the 48th Highlanders of Canada (Toronto).

The 1st Canadian Division spent almost four years in the UK before it departed for the Mediterranean theatre with an Allied invasion force in early July 1943. The RCR landed at Pacchino, on the southern coast of Sicily, on July 10, and moved on to the Italian mainland’s southern tip with the 1st Canadian Division in early September. The Regiment fought its way northward throughout the autumn months and saw its first major combat during the Moro River campaign, near Ortona, in December 1943. By year’s end, 550 of the “original” RCR 756 soldiers who had landed in Sicily six months earlier were no longer among its ranks. The losses resulted in a steady stream of reinforcements from camps in the UK and Italy.

The Regiment spent the first four months of 1944 in sectors north of Ortona, near the Adriatic coast. It was a period of static warfare similar to First World War combat. Wet weather throughout the winter and early spring created muddy, uncomfortable conditions in the front lines. Private Colin David Dort joined the RCR’s ranks during the last weeks of its service in the Adriatic sectors.

On April 21, the unit commenced a journey toward the Italian peninsula’s west coast. Personnel trained near Oratino for several weeks before moving on to an area near Foggia for co-ordinated exercises with tank units at month’s end. On May 4, the soldiers established camp near the Volturno River, where they rehearsed river crossings.

The nature of the training suggested preparations for a new combat assignment. During the spring of 1944, Allied forces prepared for a major push into the Liri Valley, which ran in a northwestward direction toward Rome, parallel to Italy’s western coast. Within the valley, German forces had created two defensive networks. At its entrance lay the Gustav Line, which extended from the Liri River on the valley’s western side to Cassino in the east. Atop a steep hill behind the town stood Monte Cassino, a monastery that provided Germans with a clear view of the valley’s entrance.

The second network, called the Hitler Line, was established approximately 15 kilometers into the valley, stretching from Pontecorvo on its western side to Aquino in the east. Behind it lay the road to the Italian capital, the Allied spring offensive’s ultimate goal.

The attack on the Gustav Line commenced in the late evening hours of May 11. The RCR and 1st Canadian Division units were not involved in the initial assault. Three days later, the Canadians moved forward, entering the forward area on May 15 and pursuing German forces as they retreated toward the Hitler Line.

After a week’s hard fighting, Allied forces finally reached the second defensive network. The RCR’s 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade (1st CIB) was given the task of securing Pontecorvo, the line’s western anchor. While an initial May 22 attack failed to penetrate the town’s outer defences, a second push the following day secured the high ground in front of it. The RCR’s soldiers entered Pontecorvo at first light May 24 and secured the entire town by day’s end.

The Liri Valley campaign provided Private Colin Dort with his first combat experience. The inexperienced young soldier came through the tour without injury. After completing its Hitler Line tour, the RCR withdrew from the line for a week’s rest, returning at month’s end as Allied units pursued retreating German units northward.

On June 4, 1944, American and British forces liberated Rome, which German forces abandoned without a fight. Meanwhile, Canadian units retired from the line for a lengthy period of rest and training. The RCR first encamped at Anagni before relocating to a training area near Piedmont, where the 1st Canadian Division prepared for its role in the next Allied push. Exercises focused in particular on infantry - tank co-operation.

While Canadian units trained and rested, other Allied forces pursued German forces northward to the Apennine mountains north of Florence, where they established yet another defensive system. The Gothic Line stretched from a location near Pisa on the Italian west coast through the mountains to an area south of Rimini on the Adriatic Sea.

The Canadian Corps, which was attached to the British 8th Army, was given the task of breaking through the eastern sectors of the line south of Rimini. In early August, its units returned to active duty and relocated to the Adriatic coast at mid-month. By August 20, all units were in position, awaiting orders to attack.

The Gothic Line, the Canadians’ main objective, lay approximately 25 kilometers behind the Adriatic front line at the time of their arrival on the western coast. Two major rivers—the Metauro and Foglia—cut their way through the coastal plain from the Apennine Mountains to the sea. Behind each water course lay German forces, determined to prevent an attack on the major defensive system.

The initial Canadian assignment involved crossing the Metauro and establishing bridgeheads on its northern bank. Units would then push northward to the Foglia, which had to be crossed before an attack on the Gothic Line could take place. The RCR was involved in the initial stage of the operation, occupying front line positions north of Montemaggiore on August 23. Opposite its position lay the unit’s first objective—an area of high ground on the Metauro River’s northern bank.

The attack commenced with a massive artillery bombardment at 2315 hours August 25. As the barrage lifted, two RCR Companies crossed the river and established a beach-head before pushing on to the village of Saltara. The advance continued throughout the following day, the Regiment advancing toward Monteciccardo throughout the night of August 26/27 before retiring to an assembly area near San Vito for a short rest.

By dawn August 29, 1st CIB units had reached the southern bank of the Foglia River, behind which lay the approaches to the Gothic Line. The Division’s 3rd Infantry Brigade (3rd CIB) led the first attacks across the river as the RCR’s 1st CIB moved back for a brief rest. By the time its units returned to the line on September 2, two Canadian Infantry Brigades had broken through the Gothic Line and secured Monte Peloso and Monte Luro, two areas of high ground that dominated the surrounding landscape for several kilometers.

Meanwhile, German forces retreated across the Conca River to Misano Ridge, 13 kilometers north of the Foglia, where terrain was more suitable for a defensive stand. The RCR received orders to lead the attack’s next phase and took up positions on the Conca’s southern bank. On the night of September 2/3, its personnel crossed the river and established a bridge-head on the opposite bank by 0300 hours September 3. The soldiers continued to advance toward Misano Ridge until they encountered enemy forces as the sun rose.

In fact, the RCR’s lead forces had stumbled into a German strongpoint and were quickly pinned down by a hail of fire. The soldiers dug in and held on until darkness, the remainder of the battalion reaching the area throughout the day and providing support. Exchanges of fire continued throughout the following day as the soldiers made slow but steady progress toward their objective. In the early morning hours of September 5, supporting Allied artillery units launched a massive bombardment of German positions. When the RCR’s soldiers resumed the attach at 0600 hours, they discovered that enemy forces had abandoned their positions during the night.

The Canadians now controlled an elevated area known as the Dornier feature and continued their pursuit of retreating German units. Fierce fighting occurred in the village of San Lorenzo in Strada, southeast of Rimini and northwest of Riccione, as the RCR encountered another enemy strongpoint. At first light September 6, the unit attacked on a three-Company front but was unable to dislodge opposing forces. The unit suffered severe losses during the attack—31 soldiers killed, 108 wounded and 15 missing.

On the night of September 6/7, the RCR retired from the line after four days of heavy fighting. 1st CIB moved into reserve for five days, resting and reorganizing its ranks in the aftermath of the recent combat. Meanwhile, in an effort to block further Allied advance, German units concentrated their forces on and behind a series of ridge lines and mountain features, particularly in the Passano-Coriano and the San Lorenzo-San Martino areas.

1st CIB moved forward again of September 14, assembling in an area across the Marano River in preparation for a 24 kilometer-wide attack on the German line. 3rd CIB was ordered to attack the San Lorenzo-San Martino feature, while 1st CIB covered its flank, in full view of German forces atop San Martino Ridge to the west. As a result, its units would be subjected to heavy artillery shelling and mortar fire throughout the upcoming operation.

The RCR broke camp at 1745 hours September 15 and began the trek to its designated start line. During the pre-dawn hours of September 16, its personnel slowly moved forward in the face of stiff resistance from the German 1st Parachute Division’s soldiers, supported by a hail of artillery and mortar fire. As A Company attempted to cross open country, enemy fire forced its men to take shelter in a small irrigation ditch, inching their way forward. As dawn broke, the soldiers found themselves in a waist-high depression that offered little protection. In response, they took cover in a culvert beneath a road crossing. The Company subsequently received orders to abandon its efforts to reach the start line and fall back to a defensive position out of enemy view.

The other three RCR Companies followed a secondary road running from the Marano River to the north-west corner of an airfield on the outskirts of Rimini. A Greek unit was given the task of advancing across the airfield, while the 48th Highlanders of Canada was to proceed along the coastline beyond the airfield. Neither unit was able to keep pace with the RCR as its men slowly advanced.

Two lead RCR Companies—B on the left, D on the right—moved forward at 0630 hours. Within seconds, the soldiers lost sight of each other in thick vegetation and walked straight into a hail of bullets from German machine gun positions hidden in gullies beyond their location. Simultaneously, German guns atop San Martino saturated the area with artillery fire.

Despite the heavy enemy response, D Company managed to reach the airfield’s northwestern corner but were quickly pinned down and unable to move. The shelling from San Martino immediately forced B Company to the ground. Any effort to move provoked further fire, inflicting more casualties.

At 1100 hours, the RCR’s Headquarters ordered B and D Companies to attack the gullies in which German soldiers were firmly entrenched. The advance was to take place without artillery or tank support. The close proximity of the two sides made shelling too hazardous to shell, and enemy guns immediately disabled any tank that dared to move onto the battlefield.

The two Companies moved forward at 1430 hours but lost personnel at a steady rate as they advanced. B Company on the left was particularly hard hit. When A Company moved forward to support its comrades, it also suffered heavy losses. By late afternoon, the RCR had established a “tenuous hold” on the airfield’s northwest corner but were unable to advance any further. Units to its right had still not made their forward, leaving the flank exposed.

The fighting dragged on into the following day, the soldiers slowly making progress. Enemy personnel occupied stone structures throughout the area, requiring the attackers to clear buildings one at a time. While the RCR gradually made its way to a location approximately three kilometers south of Rimini, enemy resistance did not falter.

Meanwhile, events elsewhere along the line of attack gradually transformed the situation on the battlefield. British and Indian forces on the Canadians’ western flank made their way across the Marano River and broke through German resistance in the Apennines. Simultaneously, Allied artillery and aircraft bombarded the entire enemy line for 24 hours.

By the evening of September 18, Allied forces finally secured San Martino Ridge on 1st CIB’s left flank, bringing artillery shelling to an end. In the early hours of September 19, RCR patrols made no contact with enemy forces. Later in the day, Canadian units secured San Fortunato Ridge, allowing Allied forces to advance across the Marecchia River and effectively isolate the town of Rimini.

The RCR held its positions near the Rimini airfield until September 23, when its soldiers moved out to Riccione for rest and reorganization. The fighting from the Metauro River to Rimini had been costly—79 soldiers were killed in action, another 221 wounded and 12 were missing. Almost one-third of the fatalities—27 in total—occurred from September 15 to 19, and more than half of those deaths—a total of 14—took place on September 16.

Private Colin David Dort was one of September 16 fatalities. The exact circumstances of Colin’s death are unknown, as available records do not indicate the Company to which he belonged. Colin and his fallen comrades were buried in a temporary cemetery near the battlefield where they were killed.

In early October, Canadian military authorities sent a telegram to Jennie, informing her that Colin had been killed in action. On July 18, 1945, his remains and those of his fallen comrades were re-interred in the British Empire Cemetery, Coriano Ridge. Jennie passed away in Port Felix on June 7, 1976, at 80 years of age and was laid to rest in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Port Felix. Her husband Joe died in 1978 and was interred beside her.

Two of Colin’s siblings served overseas during the Second World War. May Isabelle, the oldest of Joe and Jennie’s children, attended the small one-room schoolhouse in Cole Harbour, travelling several kilometers to and from the building each day. As the family lived on the opposite side of the harbour, May and her siblings walked or skated across the ice in winter. In warmer months, they rowed an old dory across the water.

2nd Lieutenant May Isabelle Dort, CAMC

After progressing through all of the grades available in Cole Harbour, May moved on to a convent school in Arichat. She then completed nursing studies at New Waterford General Hospital. Financial contributions from a spinster godmother helped pay her education costs. By the time May received her nursing diploma, war was raging overseas, Without hesitation, she enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) and commenced service with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.

May completed her training in Debert and headed overseas aboard RMS Queen Mary. Upon arriving in the UK, she was assigned to the staff of Watford Military Hospital, located on the outskirts of London. There, she cared for incoming wounded soldiers from the Western European front. May soon became accustomed to the regular blackouts, air raid sirens, and the other inconveniences of service in wartime Britain.

In later years, May recalled the respect and appreciation given to Canadian nurses, as well as the sense of adventure that was part of the experience. At times, it was challenging to tend to the young soldiers, witnessing their combat injuries and pain. May recalled sitting at soldiers’ bedsides after a shift, writing out letters to parents, wives or girlfriends back home dictated by her patients. On her rare “days off,” she and her colleagues would take short trips into London or the surrounding countryside. After the cessation of hostilities, she was able to visit the Netherlands and France before returning to Canada.

May briefly returned home after her discharge and then headed to Montreal, where she joined the Royal Victoria Hospital’s staff. She later relocated to Camp Hill Hospital, Halifax. While working there, she met George LeBlanc, a Second World War Royal Canadian Air Force veteran who had spent his time in uniform patrolling the western coast of Canada.

May and George first resided in Tufts Cove before moving to Tracadie, Antigonish County, where they raised a family of five children—four boys and one girl. The couple was actively involved in the community, particularly with St. Peter’s Parish Church, Tracadie, and were members of the Royal Canadian Legion, Antigonish, participating in many Remembrance Day ceremonies. May passed away in the Port Hawkesbury Nursing Home on March 6, 2000.

Colin’s older brother Leo Alexander also enlisted for service, joining the ranks of the West Nova Scotia Regiment. He saw combat with the unit in Italy, the Netherlands and Germany. After returning to Canada, Leo remained in the armed forces. He later served with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, a Special Forces unit that was the first of three RCR units to arrive in Korea and served there from May 5, 1951, to April 25, 1952.

Lance Corporal Leo Alexander Dort, Royal Canadian Regiment

 

After returning to Canada, Leo settled in Ontario, where he married and raised a family of two boys while working as a painter. Later in life, Leo and his family returned to Cole Harbour, residing with his parents during their later years. He passed away there on January 26, 1979, and was laid to rest in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Charlos Cove.

Photographs of Colin David Dort, Leo Alexander Dort and May Isabelle (Dort) LeBlanc courtesy of May's daughter Linda Wood, Auld's Cove, NS. Wendy also contributed information on her mother's and Uncle Leo's lives and military service.