Sydney 'Rad' Radley-Walters A great soldier, leader, and story teller. Ace of Aces of the Commonwealth/Empire. Rip
Amen! Thanks for posting this Matt. I was unaware that he had passed. A sad day for the Sherbrookes. A great leader and I think highly ignored as an innovative armour tactician. In many ways, the quintessential Canadian officer. He took a common sense and pragmatic approach to fighting a war with inadequate equipment and flawed training.
Tim I never met Gen Rad but have many friends and acquaintances who would sit on the edge of their chairs while he led them through his leadership philosophy which was based on (I abridge),friendship engagement, and responsibility. You are quite right his innovative approach not only made his tank crews the most successful in the commonwealth, but also saved many tank crews lives. Matt
I have posted this previously but I think it's worthy of a repeat with the passing of Radley-Walters: http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/vo9/no4/11-mantle-eng.asp
Sydney Valpy RADLEY-WALTERS Obituary "RIP Rad..A true Canadian hero and a gentleman. RADLEY-WALTERS, Sydney Valpy Brig.Gen January 11, 1920 - April 21, 2015 Brig.Gen. S.V. Radley-Walters CMM, DSO, MC, CD, OLd'H, known as "Rad" to many, "Syd" to some, "Uncle Son" and Valpy to those on the Gaspé, and affectionately as "Woppy" to family, passed away peacefully in Kingston on April 21, 2015, in his 96th year. Loving husband of 68 years of Mary Patricia (nee Holbrook). Beloved father of Gary (Martha), Grant and his wife Maureen, Chris (Sue deceased), and Greg (Kumla deceased). Proud and loving grandfather of Alison (Scott Nichol), Elizabeth (Patrick Childerhose), and Mark, Radley-Walters, and Sarah, Cairis, Caitlin, Phaidra, Lilly, Stella, and Rowan. Great-Grandfather of William and Olivia Nichol. Predeceased by his wonderful sisters Ruth, Marjory (Bill Smith deceased) and Joyce.(Siki Quinn deceased). Son of the late Rev. Sydney and Marjorie, Rad was born in Malbay on the Gaspé Coast on January 11, 1920. His early education was in many one-room schoolhouses, followed by high school at Bishop's College School. His time at Bishop's University and was filled with happy football memories. He then enlisted as an Infantry Officer in October 1940, with the Sherbrooke Fusiliers, which was always dear to his heart. The Fusiliers later became the 27th Canadian Armoured Regiment. Rad landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day 1944, as a Captain second-in-command of C Squadron. Within ten days of the landing he was promoted to major and commanded A Squadron to the cessation of the hostilities in Europe. He is recognized at the Canadian War Museum as Canada's Tank Ace of the Second World War, with 18 confirmed enemy tanks knocked out. He was decorated for gallantry by Field Marshall Montgomery and by King George VI, receiving the Military Cross and the Distinguished Service Order. He was promoted to the rank of Lt-Col in command of his regiment in June of 1945, making him one of the youngest regimental commanders at the age of 25. After the war, he stayed in the Regular Army as a Major in the Royal Canadian Dragoons. He was appointed to the Directing Staff of the Canadian Army Staff College in Kingston, Ontario. In 1957, then Lt-Col Radley-Walters was chosen to be the first Commanding Officer of the 8th Canadian Hussars, a position he held proudly. In June 1968, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and served as the Commander of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade Group and Commander of CFB Petawawa, Ontario. His final career appointment was on July 29, 1971 as Commander of the Combat Training Centre in CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick. Rad retired form the Forces in 1974 and was honoured by the Government of Canada with the award of a Commander of Military Merit (CMM). He was also awarded the Order of the Legion of Honour from the French Government at the French Embassy in Ottawa. He was instrumental with others in creating the Normandy Foundation and raising funds to be used in the Musée Memoriale in Caen, France, to recognize the substantial contribution and sacrifice of the Canadian Forces in the Allied Victory in Normandy and Europe. After retirement to his much loved farm in the Killaloe-Wilno area in Ontario, Rad was a guest lecturer at the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College in Kingston and participated in numerous battlefield-teaching tours in Normandy. One of his favourite tours was showing his children and grandchildren where he landed on D-Day and recounting his history during the war. Each summer he and his wife Patricia returned to their home that he was raised in, in Percé, Quebec where he spent a large part of his childhood. His heart was in the Gaspé. Our Woppy could capture any audience with his stories about the war, his world travels and his day to day adventures. He will be remembered for his courage and leadership, and equally for his joie de vivre, his infectious laugh, and sense of humour, his incredible appetite for seafood and desserts. We fondly remember gathering around the farmhouse table, enjoying a salmon or a roast of venison or bear, and playing in the tank and armoured vehicles at the farm. We loved exploring the Perce coast and backcountry together, and seeing his smile any time he returned from a day spent fly-fishing on the Grand Cascapedia or Miramichi Rivers with a twenty-five pound salmon to show. He was a wonderful Father, Father-in-law, Grandfather, Uncle, Soldier and Friend. He was our hero. He was a man of immeasurable courage and energy, and will be greatly missed. His spirit lives on. The funeral arrangements have been prearranged with Robert J. Reid, Kingston. The funeral will be at the Anglican Cathedral Church of St. George in Kingston on Saturday, May 9, 2015 at 11:00 am. A reception will follow at the Fort Frontenac Officers' Mess. There will be a family interment service at St. Paul's Church Percé in the summer time. Special thanks are given to Major C.K. Catry MMM CD as well to the caring staff at Providence Care Manor, Syndenham 5th Floor and the ICU staff of the KGH. If desired, donations in memory of Rad can be made to Wounded Warriors Canada COPE Ontario and The Canadian Battlefields Foundation. On-line condolences and special memories may be shared at www.reidfuneralhome.com Published in The Ottawa Citizen on Apr. 25, 2015
.......and his description of the events on the day Wittman was killed: During this break in the action Brigadier General Radley-Walters, a major commanding A squadron of the Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment had moved his squadron which included two Fireflies into an ambush position behind a stone wall in the area north of Gaumisnil and west of RN158. He had the men make holes in the stone wall so that the tanks could remain hidden while firing. His account begins after a series of counter attacks were defeated which began at around 8:30hours. I decided that I should move forward to Gaumesnil and be in position to support the Royal Regiment of Canada (infantry) when they were ordered to capture the village. At approximately 1030 hours I left the wood and skirted the woods to the left until I reached the railway line, then turned south past La Jalouise until we reached near the rear of Gaumesnil. I was able to get good cover during this move and had right flank protection from the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry and my #1 troop as I moved the squadron south behind the bush at Gaumesnil. The village was small but at its eastern edge near the Caen-Falaise Highway (RN158) was a large chateau with a tall stone and cement wall completely around the property, giving good firing positions to the east and south-east. To the rear was a large wooded area which gave good protection from view. I had 8 tanks with me and 2 were equipped with 17-pounder guns. We took up defensive positions about the farm and made holes in the stone wall so that we were covered from view but could observe any targets moving north on the Caen-Falaise Highway and in the fields to the east of it. The wood to the rear of the village and the hedgerows around the village gave good cover, so moving into this position was not a problem. At 1115hours we had settled into position, the village was not occupied by the Germans. At noon we could see movement to the east of Cintheaux. There was a long hedgerow that ran east from the village out into the fields and our artillery was shelling this area and the village when this movement was spotted. That was somewhere from between 1215 and 1230 hours when thr attack started.....In our area around Guamesnil the visibility I recall was thick with smoke and the German attack was supported with mortars and artillery as they moved parallel with the highway and point 112. The attack moved as a group with five Tigers leading the group well spaced with four at front and the fifth leading a number of MarkIVs and halftracks with Jagdpazers. One of the Tigers was running close to the highway beside Guamesnil followed by two Jagdpanzers advancing on the main highway.... When we saw the attack coming in, I just kept yelling, “Hold off!” “Hold off!” until they got reasonably close. We opened fire at about 500yds. The lead tank, the one closest the road, was knocked out. Behind it were a couple of Sps. I personally got one of the Sps right on the Caen-Falaise Road. The other Tigers were engaged not only by my squadron, but also by two Fireflys from B squadron tthat had moved over to La Jalousie when the counter attack started. Once we started fire, the German column turned to the north-east and headed for the wooded area south of St.Aignan de Cramesnil... We destroyed two MarkIVs before the rear of the German group veered too far to the east.....When the action was over we claimed the Tiger beside the highway, a second Tiger which was at the rear of the advancing column, two MarkIVs and two Sps. [Reid, No Holding Back, Who Killed Whittman] Take note, the Tiger engaged by Radley-Walters was the Tiger travelling closest to the road. The otherTiger he claimed was advancing at the rear of the column. Holflinger states that he saw that five tanks had been lost and his was likely the rear Tiger. Holflinger states that at the time he saw that five tanks had been lost, Micheals turret was still resting on its hull. He was also emphatic that the time was precisely 1255hrs. 1 Northamptonshire Yeomanry claimed three Tigers between 1240, 1247 and 1252, the second Tiger 8 minutes prior to when Holinger states his fifth Tiger was hit. RAF vertical air photo taken August 9 shows four knocked out Tigers in the vicinity of St.Aignan-de-Cramesnil. Three of which are within 800yrds of the orchard 1NY was in, the other is 1100yrds from the orchard within 200yds of the highway and 500yds from the Sherbrooke Fusiliers positions. In addition a mass grave where the remains of Wittman and his crew were buried is closest to the Tiger closest the Canadians, forensic evidence has proven this. There are photos showing this as Tiger 007 Another story is that a French civilian Serge Varin photographed Tiger 007 with a ragged hole in the left side air intake, and sees no other holes in the tank. Thus it has been assumed the tank had been typhied, however, after exhuasting research Brain Reid concluded that 2 TAF made no kills in that area that day, even Kurt Myer noted on the lack of enemy fighters on August 8. 1100 yards is beyond what a 17lb antitank gun was considered accurate, yet this was the distance Wittmans tank was from the British position. Both the British and the Canadians describe holding thier fire until the Tigers were within 800yds. This puts Wittmans tank under the Fireflys of the Canadians guns. The Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment 27CAR was most likely the Allied unit to kill Micheal Wittman.
I am only familiar with what he did in and around Leer in April 1945, but if that was the only thing he did then that would have been enough. However, reading the posts he did a lot more! May he R.I.P.
