Lieutenant-Colonel Harry Angle
9th Armoured Regiment (British Columbia Dragoons)

During these operations the regiment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Angle destroyed: one Panther tank, was instrumental in destroying another, three self-propelled guns, four mountain field guns, seven anti-tank guns, four mortars, three trailers with mortars equipment, captured or killed one hundred and seventy-give Germans, and captured sixty horses and equipment with a lost of only two of his own tanks and six personnel wounded.

(D.S.O. citation, 2 Feb 1945)

Born on 31 March 1906 in Heytgsbury, England, Harold Herbert Angle moved in 1923 to Kelowna, British Columbia where he worked as a fruit farmer. A prewar militia officer with the BC Dragoons, he was among the first to volunteer in September 1939 and went overseas as second-in-command of the redesignated 9th Armoured Regiment in November 1941. Following duties as brigade major he returned to the regiment in April 1943 to replace Major A.P. Ardagh in succession of Lieutenant-Colonel W.C. Murphy.

Angle led the regiment to Italy in December 1943 but within a few months he was appointed chief of staff to 5th Armoured Division headquarters under Major-General Bert Hoffmeister. In this role he again succeeded Murphy who had been promoted to brigadier of the 1st Armoured Brigade. Lieutenant-Colonel F.A. Vokes, former commander of the 8th Reconnaissance Regiment, arrived as his replacement to the BC Dragoons.

In his farewell message, Angle wrote:

For the third time during this war I must say “So Long” and “Good Luck.” Personal preference has to be disregarded and one has no option but to take on the job that higher authority dictates.

The blow at leaving the regiment is softened by the knowledge that I shall not be far away and shall know what the regiment is doing at all times. Your new C.O., Lt.-Col. F. Vokes is an old friend of mine, and I am happy that it should be he who is taking over command.

Six months later, when Vokes was killed in action on 31 August 1944, Angle was sent forward from division headquarters to take command of the 9th Armoured Regiment in action. At the Lamone River in January 1945, he earned the Distinguished Service Order: “With his Headquarters under both direct and indirect enemy shell and mortar fire a good deal of the time, Lieutenant Colonel Angle, by hold and skillful handling of his regiment, without thought of personal danger; smashed the determined enemy.”

“That’s that. We did it again.” Angle recorded in his diary. “We have put flank of Eighth Army on the Adriatic and along southern end of Lake Commachio. The General is delighted—and so should be—these men are superb. Thank God, casualties light. I am going to sleep for a week.”

The next month the regiment along with I Canadian Corps prepared for the move to the Northwest theatre. Following the liberation of the Netherlands and the final defeat of Germany, Angle stated of the celebrations: “Most of the shooting is done by civilians. The troops received the news in their usual matter-of-fact manner and carried on with their jobs.”

Although appointed magistrate in Kelowna soon after return home, Angle left for the Indo-Pakistan border in the disputed Kashmir region as a UN observer in 1949. While serving as chief observer, he died in a plane crash in the foothills of the Himalayas on 17 July 1950. The Canadian Army spokesman released a tribute to the press:

He was in every respect a fine soldier and a fine man. Before World War II he had a fine record as a reserve army officer and his promise was fully redeemed. His death will come as a grave shock to those who fought with him in Italy and who knew him in civil life.