Lieutenant-Colonel Charlie Petch
North Nova Scotia Highlanders
4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards

France was tough from D-Day for a couple of months. Tough as you know what. But it was not Italy. Italy was a different show. In France we had the armor and the transport and the men and power. We drove and conquered. But in Italy it was a case of bracing the enemy and then when he gave, driving through.

(Ottawa Citizen, 4 Oct 1945, 13)

Born on 18 December 1904 in Manchester, Lancashire, England, Charles Petch came to Canada with his family as an infant. He graduated with a degree in commerce from McGill University and worked as an investment banker while also a militia officer with The Black Watch. He transferred to the 8th Reconnaissance Regiment as second-in-command in 1941. Following a series of promotions and senior officer courses, he was appointed commanding officer of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders in September 1942.

On D-Day, Petch led the Highlanders ashore at Juno Beach, and through the strenuous fighting in the Normandy campaign for nearly the next two months. In June 1944, German SS troops under the command of Brigadeführer Kurt Meyer murdered Canadian prisoners of war from the North Novas and the 27th Armoured Regiment. Petch’s report after discovering the unburied bodies of the victims would form important evidence in the December 1945 court marital that convicted Meyer of the war crime.

Following heavy losses in Operation Spring in late July 1944, Petch convinced his brigadier, Ben Cunningham of 9th Infantry Brigade, that a further assault would be futile for his depleted unit. Although Cunningham agreed, Major-General Rod Keller of 3rd Division, who had directed the attack, and II Corps Commander Guy Simonds determined to remove both subordinates. In late July, Simonds sacked Petch, Cunningham and another battalion commander, Lieutenant-Colonel G.H. Christiansen of the Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders, who also would have refused another attack if ordered.

Second-in-command Major D.F. Forbes took over the North Novas and Petch unceremoniously left the battalion. In a protest against the adverse confidential report, which accused him of failure to properly lead, control & command his battalion in action,” Petch defended his performance and decisions in the Tilly operation:

It was impossible to personally lead the Battalion in this attack … From two months experience in leading my troops in other battles, I found that I was too far forward, and became involved with the leading Coys, and on two occasions almost cut off from the remainder of the Bn. Knowing this and that personal leadership at night was extremely difficult, I decided to fight the Bn from a stationary Command Post near the start line.

…

I have commanded and trained my Battalion for 23 months since D day, my Battalion has put on eleven various attacks against the enemy, all of which I have been in command. My Unit was in the line for 52 days during which time no other unit was between it and the enemy, and no day passed without heavy shell and mortar fire. I protest that after almost five years of service that having commanded, led, and controlled my Unit during the past 23 months, without one adverse remark from anybody, that G.O.C. 3 Div picked me and my Battalion to do the Tilly-la-Campagne attack, and that I should be removed from my command after this battle was lost, and with remarks against my character which are not justified.

According to official procedures, a confidential report should have been submitted to First Canadian Army with the officer’s protest before removal from command took effect. Very unusual for a sacked battalion commander, Petch was soon given another chance in a different theatre of war. After reviewing the adverse report and the appeal, in late August, General Harry Crerar of First Canadian Army decided:

While, on the evidence, Lt. Col. Petch failed to show the grip and drive which the occasion demanded, the action of 24/25 Jul was fought in the circumstances of exceptional difficulty conducive to errors in judgement and decision. I therefore consider that Lt. Col. Petch should be give another opportunity to prove himself as a Bn. comd and recommend that he be placed at the disposal of Comd 1 Cdn Corps [in Italy] as a prospective replacement Inf CO.

In September 1944, Petch transferred to the Italian theatre, where Major-General Chris Vokes of 1st Canadian Division sound him “tactically and physically sound and with plenty of personality. In my opinion he has well developed powers of leadership, and was well liked by all with whom he came in contact. When a posting opened up, in December Petch replaced Lieutenant-Colonel Bill Darling of the 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards (PLDG), a reconnaissance unit which had converted to infantry in July 1944.

Perhaps as much revealing of his feelings about his removal from France as the difficult conditions he now faced, Petch argued that winter fighting in Italy had been much tougher than the Normandy operations. “In Italy it was plain hell,” he later explained in an interview. “You can visualize what that was. They talk about shelling in France but they never saw shelling … It was a blast by day and night with shrieks of shells, detonations and blasts, until you though it would never stop.”

Petch commanded the PLDG for the remainder of the war. In March 1945, after the Canadian forces in Italy redeployed to Northwest Europe, the 12th Infantry Brigade was broken up and the PLDG reverted to an armoured reconnaissance unit after eight months as a converted infantry battalion. On arrival home to Ottawa in October 1945, Petch announced to the demobilizing troops:

It is over five years since we left to go overseas and this is the day we have been waiting for with the utmost eagerness … I am proud of you all–yours has been a wonderful job and as you go to your homes I want to wish you the best of luck–and God bless you all.

Petch resumed his investment banking career and died in Ottawa on 22 June 1989.