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"On July the 8th, we had our worst engagement."
See below for Mr. Ritcey's entire testimony.
Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
![Carvil Ritcey after enlisting in the Canadian Army on September 2, 1939.]({"id":"6a0d08e7-dd03-44ce-99aa-f5b7047637eb","disk":"s3","directory":"MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey","filename":"864_538","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":25877,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-07-06T02:57:33.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-07-06T02:57:33.000000Z","title":"Carvil Ritcey after enlisting in the Canadian Army on September 2, 1939.","alt":"Carvil Ritcey after enlisting in the Canadian Army on September 2, 1939.","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Courtesy of Carvil Ritcey","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net\/MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey\/864_538.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net\/MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey\/864_538.jpg","credit":"Courtesy of Carvil Ritcey","pivot":{"mediable_id":"819bc8f3-8afb-4f44-bc3c-2c92c224d74a","media_id":"6a0d08e7-dd03-44ce-99aa-f5b7047637eb","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":1},"translations":[{"id":"d9e13b9c-0d91-4e61-9e85-ae9638ef57a8","media_id":"6a0d08e7-dd03-44ce-99aa-f5b7047637eb","title":"Carvil Ritcey after enlisting in the Canadian Army on September 2, 1939.","alt":"Carvil Ritcey after enlisting in the Canadian Army on September 2, 1939.","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Courtesy of Carvil Ritcey","locale":"en","credit":"Courtesy of Carvil Ritcey"},{"id":"4adfc8c1-b342-4ad4-9b5d-185457a148b8","media_id":"6a0d08e7-dd03-44ce-99aa-f5b7047637eb","title":"Carvil Ritcey suite \u00e0 son enr\u00f4lement dans l\u2019Arm\u00e9e canadienne, le 2 septembre, 1939.","alt":"Carvil Ritcey suite \u00e0 son enr\u00f4lement dans l\u2019Arm\u00e9e canadienne, le 2 septembre, 1939.","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Avec la permission du Projet M\u00e9moire","locale":"fr","credit":"Avec la permission du Projet M\u00e9moire"}]} "Carvil Ritcey after enlisting in the Canadian Army on September 2, 1939.")
![Carvil and his brother, Lloyd (left).]({"id":"a33d317b-78b7-4e09-83e3-62e3d6861ccd","disk":"s3","directory":"MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey","filename":"865_538","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":31405,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-07-06T02:57:33.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-07-06T02:57:33.000000Z","title":"Carvil and his brother, Lloyd (left).","alt":"Carvil and his brother, Lloyd (left).","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Courtesy of the Memory Project","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net\/MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey\/865_538.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net\/MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey\/865_538.jpg","credit":"Courtesy of the Memory Project","pivot":{"mediable_id":"819bc8f3-8afb-4f44-bc3c-2c92c224d74a","media_id":"a33d317b-78b7-4e09-83e3-62e3d6861ccd","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":2},"translations":[{"id":"ac10ce87-7d13-4be8-90c9-c251f8c630a3","media_id":"a33d317b-78b7-4e09-83e3-62e3d6861ccd","title":"Carvil and his brother, Lloyd (left).","alt":"Carvil and his brother, Lloyd (left).","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Courtesy of the Memory Project","locale":"en","credit":"Courtesy of the Memory Project"},{"id":"b9bc2f16-5a82-4a68-bca6-20df2cc7f2e1","media_id":"a33d317b-78b7-4e09-83e3-62e3d6861ccd","title":"Carvil et son fr\u00e8re, Lloyd (g.).","alt":"Carvil et son fr\u00e8re, Lloyd (g.).","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Avec la permission du Projet M\u00e9moire","locale":"fr","credit":"Avec la permission du Projet M\u00e9moire"}]} "Carvil and his brother, Lloyd (left).")
![Carvil (right) and a friend overseas.]({"id":"30857a98-a4dc-42ed-a01d-492970830905","disk":"s3","directory":"MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey","filename":"866_538","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":30784,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-07-06T02:57:33.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-07-06T02:57:33.000000Z","title":"Carvil (right) and a friend overseas.","alt":"Carvil (right) and a friend overseas.","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Courtesy of the Memory Project","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net\/MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey\/866_538.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net\/MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey\/866_538.jpg","credit":"Courtesy of the Memory Project","pivot":{"mediable_id":"819bc8f3-8afb-4f44-bc3c-2c92c224d74a","media_id":"30857a98-a4dc-42ed-a01d-492970830905","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":3},"translations":[{"id":"0fc9da3d-c35d-4652-8420-a94f2417a9a8","media_id":"30857a98-a4dc-42ed-a01d-492970830905","title":"Carvil (right) and a friend overseas.","alt":"Carvil (right) and a friend overseas.","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Courtesy of the Memory Project","locale":"en","credit":"Courtesy of the Memory Project"},{"id":"8c83c2ee-a605-4193-9017-b1e6f0335a71","media_id":"30857a98-a4dc-42ed-a01d-492970830905","title":"Carvil (d.), outre-mer avec un ami.","alt":"Carvil (d.), outre-mer avec un ami.","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Avec la permission du Projet M\u00e9moire","locale":"fr","credit":"Avec la permission du Projet M\u00e9moire"}]} "Carvil (right) and a friend overseas.")
![Carvil Ritcey landed on the beaches at Normandy in a landing craft like this one. June 6, 1944.]({"id":"a28835ee-8961-454f-9f22-2278ae85fa6d","disk":"s3","directory":"MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey","filename":"867_538","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":51270,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-07-06T02:57:33.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-07-06T02:57:33.000000Z","title":"Carvil Ritcey landed on the beaches at Normandy in a landing craft like this one. June 6, 1944.","alt":"Carvil Ritcey landed on the beaches at Normandy in a landing craft like this one. June 6, 1944.","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Courtesy of the Memory Project","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net\/MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey\/867_538.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net\/MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey\/867_538.jpg","credit":"Courtesy of the Memory Project","pivot":{"mediable_id":"819bc8f3-8afb-4f44-bc3c-2c92c224d74a","media_id":"a28835ee-8961-454f-9f22-2278ae85fa6d","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":4},"translations":[{"id":"5ea0b012-3c39-4051-8baa-744e8717d41b","media_id":"a28835ee-8961-454f-9f22-2278ae85fa6d","title":"Carvil Ritcey landed on the beaches at Normandy in a landing craft like this one. June 6, 1944.","alt":"Carvil Ritcey landed on the beaches at Normandy in a landing craft like this one. June 6, 1944.","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Courtesy of the Memory Project","locale":"en","credit":"Courtesy of the Memory Project"},{"id":"c56ae22b-2442-4a6a-9ab7-ba3f12e02a35","media_id":"a28835ee-8961-454f-9f22-2278ae85fa6d","title":"Carvil Ritcey a atterri sur les plages de Normandie \u00e0 bord d\u2019un navire de d\u00e9barquement comme celui-ci. Le 6 juin, 1944.","alt":"Carvil Ritcey a atterri sur les plages de Normandie \u00e0 bord d\u2019un navire de d\u00e9barquement comme celui-ci. Le 6 juin, 1944.","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Avec la permission du Projet M\u00e9moire","locale":"fr","credit":"Avec la permission du Projet M\u00e9moire"}]} "Carvil Ritcey landed on the beaches at Normandy in a landing craft like this one. June 6, 1944.")
![Carvil Ritcey's unit marching at Bognar Regis, England.]({"id":"2cadd292-958e-4193-afa3-f3e09b64628e","disk":"s3","directory":"MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey","filename":"868_538","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":41990,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-07-06T02:57:33.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-07-06T02:57:33.000000Z","title":"Carvil Ritcey's unit marching at Bognar Regis, England.","alt":"Carvil Ritcey's unit marching at Bognar Regis, England.","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Courtesy of the Memory Project","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net\/MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey\/868_538.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net\/MemoryProject\/CarvilJamesRitcey\/868_538.jpg","credit":"Courtesy of the Memory Project","pivot":{"mediable_id":"819bc8f3-8afb-4f44-bc3c-2c92c224d74a","media_id":"2cadd292-958e-4193-afa3-f3e09b64628e","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":5},"translations":[{"id":"76ddf7b2-b530-41b8-9a3b-1c33c0179766","media_id":"2cadd292-958e-4193-afa3-f3e09b64628e","title":"Carvil Ritcey's unit marching at Bognar Regis, England.","alt":"Carvil Ritcey's unit marching at Bognar Regis, England.","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Courtesy of the Memory Project","locale":"en","credit":"Courtesy of the Memory Project"},{"id":"3adbc9dc-e192-4434-8e47-de0e6d81c03b","media_id":"2cadd292-958e-4193-afa3-f3e09b64628e","title":"Le bataillon de Carvil Ritcey en marche \u00e0 Bognar Regis en Angleterre.","alt":"Le bataillon de Carvil Ritcey en marche \u00e0 Bognar Regis en Angleterre.","caption":null,"creator":null,"source":"Avec la permission du Projet M\u00e9moire","locale":"fr","credit":"Avec la permission du Projet M\u00e9moire"}]} "Carvil Ritcey's unit marching at Bognar Regis, England.")
Transcript
My name is Carvil Ritcey, and I was a Lance Corporal with the Royal Canadian Regiment. I joined September the 6th, 1939, and we went overseas just before Christmas. We landed in England, and we nearly froze to death the first year, and a lot of us came down with pneumonia and stuff like that. I went to France in 1940. We evacuated France and came back to England, and went over to Dover when Dunkirk was involved there, and we were supposed to go in as reinforcements, but it was so bad there that we only helped with the evacuation. From then on, we went on to doing Tiger Scheme, and I ended up with a motor vehicle accident. I was driving a Norton, and a fifteen hundred-weight drove me into a ravine and kind of crippled me up for about four months. When I got out of hospital, my regiment had moved to Italy and because I was F5 when I got out of hospital, they left me back in England. So instead of going with the Royal Canadian Regiment, I rejoined the Highland Light Infantry, and on D-Day, I went ashore with the Highland Light Infantry. We had quite and event there for the first month, because we were in combat practically every night. If you were lucky to get back, you were doing great. On July the 8th, we had our worst engagement. It was called 'Bloody Buron'. We lost about two hundred and eighty men and practically all our officers in that engagement. Our unit was with the 12 Platoon of the Highland Light Infantry. We were attacked by eight tiger tanks, and if it hadn't been for the help of a self-propelled seventeen pounder, we would have been eliminated. They knocked out three of the German tanks, and the rest retreated. So that was our worst engagement. Then we went on to the Falaise Gap, and at the Falaise Gap, our Canadian corps was roughly about a hundred thousand men, and we captured over three hundred thousand Germans. It was the worst scene I'd ever seen in my life. There was nothing but dead horses, dead Germans, and broken and crippled tanks all over the place. That was about the worst memory I had during the war, because the smell of death was everywhere.
