Don White, from Toronto, ON was eager to join the war effort. He signed up first thing in the morning on his 18th birthday and was sent to training in Saskatchewan later that very night. Assigned to the Royal Canadian Dragoons, a reconnaissance unit he would fight through Italy, France and Holland.
Joining the war effort
Born in Oshawa, Ontario on August 9, 1924 he grew up against the backdrop of the Great Depression. He attended school in Oshawa and enlisting after Grade 12, joining the militia at the tender age of 16. On his 18th birthday he joined the regular forces and was quickly sent out to Dundurn, Saskatchewan for basic training.
From there he headed east to Nova Scotia, where Don was put on the SS Île de France bound for Greenock, UK. After a short stay in England White was sent to Italy where he was assigned to the Royal Canadian Dragoons, a reconnaissance unit.
Having learned how to operate radios and how to load and fire shells from a Staghound armoured vehicle, White deploys as a Reconnaissance soldier in 1st Troop, C-Squadron.
Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD)
At the start of the Second World War, The Royal Canadian Dragoons were still horse cavalry and would remain so until the regiment finally dismounted in August, 1940. Through various phases of change the regiment was designated ‘1st Armoured Car Regiment (The Royal Canadian Dragoons), CAC, CASF’ on 15 October 1943.
The RCD landed in Sicily on 8 November 1943 and moved to mainland Italy on 5 January 1944. There it fought as the armoured car regiment for I Canadian Corps until being transferred to the 1st Canadian Infantry Division as the divisional armoured car regiment on 14 July 1944. Due to the mountainous terrain of Italy, the regiment fought much of its time there in a dismounted role as infantry.
In the spring of 1945, the Regiment was transferred from Italy to North West Europe where it joined 2nd Canadian Corps in forming 1st Canadian Army. It was not until this time that it was used to its full advantage as an armoured car regiment, employing vehicles such as the Dingo, Staghound, Humber, and Greyhound and making a spectacular sweep from the Rhine to the North Sea.[1]https://dragoons.ca/history-of-the-dragoons/second-world-war-wwii/
The RCD was the first Allied unit to advance through Holland to the North Sea; famously liberated the city of Leeuwarden and fought off an attempted German amphibious assault.
Through Europe
Landing on mainland Italy White and the RCD made their way up the peninsula. The Regiment was also involved in the breakthrough of the Hitler Line in May 1944 (as part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division) and later the Gothic Line on 12 September 1944.
With the war in Italy beginning to reach its end, the RCD was sent to Marseilles, France. From there up to Belgium and the Netherlands White’s unit continued their reconnaissance duties.
Employed to scout out the German positions and engaging them where they had to. White’s recce team led the way in northern Holland, liberating one town after another.
Liberating Leeuwarden
On 15th April 1945, the Dragoons liberated the city of Leeuwarden, Holland. This event is commemorated annually and the RCD are still welcomed as liberators on each visit to this fine Dutch town.[2]https://dragoons.ca/history-of-the-dragoons/second-world-war-wwii/
White recalls it well as he was a member of 1st Troop that participated in the advance. With two Dingoes and two Staghounds they force their way through a barricade outside the city.
We saw no living thing until we were a block or two into the town. Within minutes you could hardly see the ground for the swarms of people, all ages. I have never in my life, before or since, seen such a joyous, hysterically happy group of people.
Trooper Don White, 2010
https://www.dragoonsarchives.ca/home/focus-on-history/leeuwarden/
Accolades
White has received many accolades for his wartime service, and the government of the Netherlands has extended many of these. The Dutch prime minister mentioned White in Canada’s Parliament, and he was invited to the floor where he received a standing ovation.
In the summer of 2019 he was invited to take part in the 75th Anniversary of the liberation of Friesland, the northernmost province in the Netherlands – again he was the guest of the prime minister and Governor-General Julie Payette was in attendance too.
On May 23, 2022 the project was honored by Mr Donald C White’s entry in the log book facilitated by Scott Masters.
Sadly Trooper Don White passed away 17 June 2023, only a few weeks after signing the logbook.
Among the many condolences expressed the below excerpt by the RCD Regimental Patron is a perfect summary of how much we owe this fading generation.
“…Don was a great bridge between generations of Dragoons, always engaging today’s Regiment while offering heartfelt context to our history and the importance of soldiering for the current generation of troops. He inspired so many across all walks of life in this country and overseas…”
Regimental Patron Marjolaine Hudon[3]https://dragoons.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Patron-of-the-Regiment-Trooper-Don-White-Dragoon_.pdf
Don White’s entry bestows immense gravitas to this project, we are honored to have been given a peak into his incredible story and will do our upmost to carry his legacy forward. May he rest in perfect peace – we have the watch.
This profile is in large parts copied and developed from its original as published on the website of Crestwood Preparatory College, we are forever indebted to Mr Scott Masters and his students
References
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