Black Watch Snipers

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we were specially trained soldiers from one of Canada's greatest regiments the Black Watch my body does not carry normal blood it's Black Watch blood surviving impossible odds we had the highest casualties of any battalion we were the battalions top snipers there's less significant us left but there are four snipers fun do you think always the first ones in that sniper dozer to create me until they fired on you you had to keep going if you cannot shoot accurately you are gone you only got one shot when you put everything on the line to save the world from the Nazis a lot of times you're scared like hell it's something that has to be done Timur us only one thing kept us going to me we looked after each other that's how we survived my name is corporal Dale sharp and this is our story [Music] it was his summer 44 a month after d-day the Nazis had taken over Europe and they weren't giving it back as easy as we'd hoped no sooner had the Black Watch landed and we were sent in 20 miles to knock that Germans off a very air ridge but they were waiting for us with everything they had [Music] I don't know how I escaped with my life I showed him I'm dead I'll never forget that never forget that [Music] anybody tells you that they know what's going on they don't they're not telling the truth what I'm telling you is the truth know what's going on guys could be kept and killed 30 feet away you don't see them you don't care about them you're talking with yourself I could hear the guns firing at the shells with bullets flying back to the dropping like flies I'm impressed it was bad all the companies are going hundreds and hundreds of them just go there's only 20 or something about left our first big battle 300 killed wounded or taken prisoner the worst day ever for the watch it took another two weeks almost a thousand more allies wiped out before we finally kicked the cherries off that bloody Ridge that's when I got out of that C company and went into scope attune to commanders asked me to ask for volunteers for the Scout platoon the sergeant came along so I might as well tell you the truth it's dangerous this cow does a guy that goes ahead checks where the enemy is and fights for them if he has two advantages you won't have to do sentry duty right away those 120 plus for me kai hated that you have to fight all day and then cart guard duty all night I'll join the cherries were on the move and it was the Canadian Army's job to chase them the Black Watch marched on foot north through France Jimmy Bennett was just 21 a farm kid from the prairies he didn't know it yet but I Scouts we weren't like the regular foot soldiers he fought with before we didn't have to wear helmets or haul gear we were snipers and lookouts we didn't fight on the front lines we fought in front of it joined establishing yeah nuts they couldn't understand why I was stupid enough to go in the scope was that's why they didn't want my job no I didn't offer to take my place left Jimmy was put under my charge he's seen his share of war on very air Ridge but never the way he was going to see it with us I don't know what they told you but this isn't like the rifle company you're actually gonna have to look at your target through scope you're gonna get a little used to them being alive before you pull the trigger training him was the job of our 21 year old corporal from Montreal Jim Wilkinson hands down the best shot in my platoon which is called him hook always hope that was due to the the size of my nose and most people never knew me by my first name I hate to boast but I was one of the best shot in the regiment then there was Mike Brunner 21 also from Montreal except Mike was born in Hungary the only one of us that could speak German how's a good soldier because I did exactly what the woman and I listened I was good at listening considering who we were up against understanding the German came in real handy especially the Scout patrols me I was 26 the old man on the team at least that's how the boy saw me he was a big fella quiet as a bull and a strong as a bull Dale sharp was that type of a guy he didn't want to follow her anywhere home for me was Corby Villa Ontario where I drove a truck for the local distillery I had two kids my girl Dale jr. and him little teddy and a third on the way with the light of my life is Elma June plenty of reasons to stay home but this job had to be done for my family and everyone else by the end of August we caught up with the Jerry's we knew that each French town we came to was probably crawling with the sons of bitches the trick was finding them and flushing them out so our troops could mow them down that's what our Scout platoon was for we had to walk into each village and until they fired on you you had to keep going till somebody shot at you he missed you fine if he didn't you're dead duck that's the kind of business I was in you just become numb immune it's something that has to be done some people can't take that kind of stuff I don't know I just put that out of my mind and when did what I was supposed to do we clawed our way up the channel coast of France and into Belgium to the port of antwerp the biggest in Western Europe port big showdown the Allies had already captured the port but the cherries controlled the Scheldt meaning none of our ships could get through from the North Sea without food weapons and ammo coming in for our boys we were sunk headquarters was set up just outside of Antwerp [Music] our Scout platoon was called into HQ on the map you see the show they wanted us to zero in on where the Jerry's had set up this is what controls the entrance time we get as much information as we can and pass on to the headquarters and headquarters applies to information to our attack they couldn't ask the brookey's to do it so the job fell to me and hook our orders were to sneak behind enemy lines across the Albert canal Joe Nixon who was my commander at the time said he said huh we have a dinging here for you and Dale and you but once you're there I'll have to pull the boat back we can't risk the Germans getting the boat so you'll have to make your own way back understood sir we get to this small cluster of trees there's a German standing guard UDI siddell we got to take this son of a gun out I can jump them and you goo stabber ah and that's when it all went self there's a whole platoon of Germans in there I haven't suffered ah as he was being stabbed me scream I said Fidel you better start checking off your boots and a few other pieces of holding as we gotta swim across this Lincoln Albert canal now we were just trying to get out alive we got to the embankment and lo and behold the thing he was still there the Rope they use was too short to pull it back good Lord is looking at Brees the next couple of nights with more scouting we started to get a pretty good picture of where the cherries were set up along the Scheldt they were everywhere our Scout platoon needed to beef up the brass brought in reinforcements but not enough yes hi most were just kids who couldn't reload a damn weapon never mind shoot one that's when insanity Russell Sanderson came into the picture you think you're and that age you're indestructible and you can solve the problem by going and helping and that's what I wanted to do I'm in sir sandy was 18 from Niagara Falls he'd been trying to enlist since the war first broke out I had a paper that said I was 18 and I was not 18 yet I had my brother's paper I cut cause a recruiting tent twice sandy struck me as a cowboy type go here go there let's go he was dueling to win the war himself this is corporal sharp exciting he called me over and said whatever Dale tells you to do you do it my job was to take these kids Jimmy Bennett sandy Sanderson and the others and turned them into killing machines and if they listened they might just make it home I was so taken by working with the man take your helmet off my stay with me he was so sincere but teaching and his honor about things I'm alive today because of what Dale taught me what I knew about shooting I learned back home teaching my kid brother Billy my brother Dale he was nine years older than I was and he was on a pedestal as far as I was concerned he was a excellent sports for sure he was my idol all right straight ahead reference gray building window on the left third story up a sniper learns real quick that the best Nazi target is the one with the highest rank you cut the head off the snake and the rest of the division goes blind I've used to Train sometimes in in a German uniform infantryman they got a white band on them if they're artillery they got a red band what do you see see a German what's he wearing what's his uniform infantry but rank is he junior officer not bad we didn't want any bozo out of the rifle companies he has to be a disciplined man like myself all right so use the sling as a brace I'll put your arm through their set but spotting a giri is only half the job deep in the shoulder see that bottle right there if you cannot shoot accurately you are gone your focus is on your breathing you only got one shot deep breath in I was good with a rifle yes half out I just telescope what squeeze that trigger it pretty you'll hit a guy at 300 yards in the head in no trouble at all how'd I do hook see you do it again all the training in the world can only take you so far are we going Dale find out when we get there stay quiet he takes me over to a place way out away from our guys command down it along the river all right Saracen take your helmet off check up your site picture my 12 o'clock look for the broken tree we weren't here to shoot bottles or paper targets there's jerry's on the other side of the river take up your site pictures Henderson look through the sites Anderson you don't know how that guy's gonna react till you try them all right don't worry about the other guy just worry about the one it's gonna be him or you breathe slow your hand tightens up like a paralysis and your fingers move so slowly and squeeze that figure it's just like you're squeezing an orange nice and slow [Music] and you see that would beggar go down and you know that's my first one it's sad to say that that we had to become used to this sort of thing but it's a necessity stop counting now stop after one it's a damned war and we didn't started and had to bid that so you do the job Sanderson we're leaving [Music] okay god IV sandy we had our team the closest thing we'd ever have here to a family let's go we were sent out to the town of woman just over a mile from the front the Jerry's had just been chased out for four years the people here had been beaten down nearly starved to death but now they were finally free that's when we came across something we thought we'd never see in this whole hellhole of a war ice cream who are you that read I I just the guy who ran the place hadn't seen in Oakland three years then somewhere he found this former staff now he was food was a factor because the Germans were confiscating everything so they had to scrounge the city of Jesus in a safe to here live where sleep near animals in the Kilduff the rest for the variance in the various laveyan he was Uncle Matt a vacillated reached our special short rolls of favorableness the drama barons in withdrew her ice cream with soda wreck ended and after at Canada drank you say the so doctor in bayonne sake [Music] right fellas black watch black watch [Music] those kids would come along and they were starving your depth it was terrible they just kept getting skinnier and thinner and thinner and there was nothing you could do when the Jerry's pulled out of this place they robbed these poor people blind took everything it reminded us why we were here to crush Hitler get the world back on track for these kids and mine and destro collegiate is over he came down off her pony you choose from that you put your left hand in your left and out your left and in and you check to your leave out your duty okey-dokey and you turn around that's what you're about we liberated part of France and Belgium now we were headed to Holland it was time to kick the cherries out of the Scheldt and open up the port we were gonna be fighting on land flat as a board flooded to high hell getting in and out alive was going to be tough our Scout patrols became more important than ever and more dangerous way were to go out and bring in all the information trucks vehicles weapons whatever you saw we work in the dark mostly in the dark we had different clothes we wore a different jacket camouflage green you just keep your fingers crossed hope you get out of it you don't expect to live very long you boys all clear the plant yeah they're all right good to go let's out of the truck we were on what's called The Listening Patrol get as close as towards the enemy and be in a hidden position and you just tear it off one minute to the next what's gonna happen going out on a listing patrol was absolutely miserable you don't know whether you're walking into a infertile [Music] the goal is finding their HQ that's where we dig up our best information getting there was another thing pure suicide listen at the windows for the number of voices any mention of weapons our our our places a major first officer I really didn't hear much he's uh he's leaving yet out the back you walk along the road very quietly and we'll see if we can hear them and then we'll sneak up on them and get a prisoner this is a good spot go get better you always had a couple of grenades hooked in your belt you get close enough to them and you'll say holt and he halts or he lays on the ground dead you don't just ask him to come he won't come you mean I gotta come here just run off and ask him the other day go take him back interrogator England in the swine hunts halfway through October we were working around the clock sniping and running patrols gearing up for the big battle at the Scheldt we were dead tired the only thing that kept us going was each other you develop such close friendships the orions and the same perils and dangers and mishaps I'm a nervous person but Michael Brunner he used to always try and get me to slow down because he was a cool fellow you're going out and you're a lot of times you're scared like he'll go in the best position well clear even with just one bad situation you become attached to each other and that was the case with the Jim Bennett no he's the best guy in the world but here's the thing about war even going back into your own lines you're never really safe well can hire coming back then we had to come to the Maison des plaines the Mesa nerve were one of us a french-speaking regiment from Montreal but we still needed to use a password to clear the security checkpoint the password changed every night the password that night was steamer trunk fever bag you guy says steamer and you have to holler trunk if you don't holler trunk you can get shot right there steamer it's up well luggage begings we couldn't think of a damn word trunk without a password we were could like what you kidding me boy huh Joey the feather boy and ya always carried your Bell morold inside your sniper jacket that's your recognition and there's no one else acid eh the feather come closer there's a better boy seem easy that desert better Black Watch the black Watchers oldstone Black Watch the password is trunk you can go fast you can go fast but you're gonna but if we knew what was waiting for us around the corner none of us would have been laughing Black Friday was about to come crashing down the jerries were set up just outside the Dutch town of wound strict they were on an embankment around half a mile away from our position over open ground it was like a funnel there was high ground on one side a high ground on the other side the Black Watch was sent in to fight but this time the Scout platoon had to go to reinforcements were still too green so it was all hands on deck they were just farmer artilleryman drivers cooks everything we taught them to use a gun we taught them to keep the head down - but that wasn't the worst of it moving through the water and muck was slow and they threw off the timing the whole countryside was flooded because there the Germans had bombed and opened up the types once we finally got there we waited for what seemed like forever it was supposed to win a 5:30 in the morning and when it come time to move in and across that bloody great open field it was 6:30 and it was crack of dawn OOP this first light this is a big difference between last dark and first light you can see everything that moves me we went out there and it was murdered we were up against german paratroopers and they could fight like all hell every time we'd woo we get a mortar or a rifle fire we were caught in a no-man's land gangs were dropping homers please just like my three mirror is this the truth how am I going to get out of this mess it was a black day for the Black Watch again because of our mortar platoon who filled the field with smoke all five of us made it through but most weren't so lucky dozens dying all around us nothing we could do it hurt it hurt when you you can't help somebody and you know bloody well that his escape room just cut up the second worst day we ever experienced that we lost a hundred men in there [Music] now we were mad as hell we turned it up a notch or two whatever the Germans wanted to fight we shot him we just kept pushing them harder and harder we ramped up our sniper patrols our boys fought hard we took back the shelter one flooded field one tiny town at a time it was a sense you you could almost taste it Hitler's luck was finally running out with each Dutch town we freed we rounded up prisoners and snag souvenirs for good measure but as we went through I found the swastika it was a it was a little trophy of the war a little souvenir and you just stood a little taller make it a little show David after what we've been through you couldn't blame us for wanting to rub their faces in it one way or another the war had to end this would be there to see it we moved Northwest to the Dutch town of ghosts we needed to know if it was safe to bring in the battalion were there any Jerry's still crawling around somewhere that's when we sent in hook I was the first allied soldier to in ghosts I was on patrol a one-man patrol of all by myself it was a very very strange day I remember everything of the war everything enter liberation on the day of the liberation they came a man in closest that I did not know and something on his head there was the first Canadian soldier that I saw this man puts his hands up in the air he says don't shoot I'm a Dutchman and he says the Germans have just left we chased off the Jerry's in free to town that for the last four years lived under the dirty boot of the Nazis more strange one day you're bearing your best friend the next you're setting hundreds of total strangers free they're sure glad to see the last of the Germans [Music] my mother cry it out that are the liberators that are the liberators we are free we are free even flex came on the frontier of the houses that we have not seen in four and a half [Music] that is unbelievable I can hardly tell it what so feeling the emotion again you just don't believe how much though such people appreciate what the Canadians have done these girls come on nice - Mike you can speak Dutch listen yeah I said there's a nice drunk girl tell her I love her I love her good [Music] [Music] from goes we headed east towards the German border we knew that if this war didn't end by Christmas we'd have to bust into Germany and crush the enemy in its own backyard but the winter of 44 was brutal cold as hell Canadian cold everyone was pretty beat up to make a final push into Deutschland the Black Watch needed to recharge the brass put us up in a small Dutch town of quake a few miles from the German border the Jerry's on one side of the Maas River us on the other bunking up with locals was a nice break from sleeping on the ground when we were in a quick gym I wound up in this hospital a real elderly couple they slept in the basement last lucky guy's we slept in their bedrooms every time we woke up in the morning our our boots were Paula's greased and everything she washed our shirts at night and Hannam well dried out the morning we got up our shirt was all washed dried in the ten months that I was in the front lines I saw any time I was in a bed it was Christmas and for the first time in a long time we almost felt normal there was a cafe in the town of shake and there was a middle-aged lady and she had two daughters I always liked girls and I got a grid of that though Jimmy you know he was trying to tell her different things than I had to so I interpret for him whatever he said I wouldn't say I always thought of him the Dean Martin type darts good-looking he's to say how come you get all the girls he just met bigger and he's already told oh I love you I was young man [Music] my darling little family I hope you're all flying and not getting into too much mischief I bet you keep your mommy on the run all the time be good for daddy and when I get home we'll have lots of fun my darling June Merry Christmas and Happy New Year with all the love in my heart Dale mostly coke was a pretty safe place but the Nazi bastards never let us forget that the war was far from over so we thought we'd remind them that we were here to Mandy we're on this hill we were working together that day there's nothing out there Gerry's are out here somewhere they're just hiding Jesus look at that Jerry that's some of the guns watching this Jim he's aiming it get on to sandy put your head down kill them dead 'red adorn new I think I thank them profusely sorry we looked after each other that sounded we survived word came down from HQ to get ready to push into Germany but first our platoon was asked to scout ahead see what we could find Dale Sharpe and I were assigned to see if we can get some information such as capture prisoner or prisoners and we got into a farmyard which was actually on the German side I see a body we get closer and closer and he doesn't move nothing I go to put my hand on them don't could be booby-trapped booby-trapped their mothers had a chance [Applause] and that's when we saw them two Germans that's a Dale will kill one and take the other one prisoner all right all three only one problem with that plan one two I took the second one in the patella my knee I said I can't move Dale I said I'm done Dale was able to dry off these two guys he picks me up but just like a bag of potatoes still just don't worry he saved my life and he carried me across the valley you're doing real good hook you're doing real good they're gonna get you back to the doctor my leg was hanging off a fracture the bone down take care of the boys there by hook he saved my life a beautiful man [Music] for hook the war was over he was lucky at least he was going home for the rest of the Black Watch it was back into action in February 1945 we crossed into Germany bloody Deutschland this wasn't about freeing anybody anymore now it's payback time retaliation you damn right retaliation they started the thing and somebody's gotta paid the bill we observed the engineers going in and knocking the houses down with bulldozers and just blow them all there's a devil it it wasn't pretty but it was necessary it was necessary they had to be taught a lesson but in this Reich's walled forest the enemy had home-field advantage there were booby traps landmines and machine-gun nests our job was to clear the way for our they're having trouble with the rifle company advancing and these time may show themselves at one end of the company my job is to take out the guns and put a bullet into the bloody operator I could tell he was gonna take off the rifle company the rifle company men started to move and he let go a blast of about five six rounds I've just fully loaded I had a bead right above his right ear no mercy you couldn't show it anymore by the first week of April we chased the Jerry's across the Rhine and pushed north back into Holland near the town of Lauren we set up camp near their mainline just outside of town we could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel we had those dirty Nazis right where we wanted them against the ropes but sometimes it's just a question of being at the wrong place at the wrong time in comes a couple of guys carrying turned out to be Dale sharp sorry I was hit bad with shrapnel I was losing a lot of blood the medic asked me to hold something and put back signs they were sort of out of the stomach I was scared I didn't know if Dale sharp was gonna live or die Brunner Colonel needs you right now double-time that's when Mike got called away my field medical card called it if the serration of the bowel all I knew is that it wasn't good things weren't going well for Mike and Jimmy either they were about to step straight into an ambush this toes thousands of Germans entrapped in there hit me one other just look everybody we all started running right he fired again maybe the back of my head once piece on him I hear kind of piece on to my skull I could taste blood to come on in my mouth and nose and I knew I was well I went through my lunch huh Jeep came along broad yeah it was a Red Cross Jeep here's my friend he's been shot in the chest in the head help there's no point son he's gone your medic do something there's nothing I can do unless they got damnit their guys shot do something you know it's good for you don't put him on you cheap I don't get a shot over sure as hell Jimmy they're coming they're coming stay with us and I just hope he would stay alive till we got there IMO that's all you thought about those few days were the worst in my life and I apparently I was crying most of the night but I don't remember a thing about it I just it just hit me that was the first time I I cried for anything three of us wounded taken out of action only Mike and Sandee still standing the black watch headed north to Groningen to mop up what was left of the cherries by now they were desperate like a wild animal backed up in a corner more dangerous than ever and they pulled back some place so I got child in finding them for us well I know what what who and how many Cindy everything there's none of our troops there I'm alone in that side of the city doesn't know activity over on the streets hands up or I'll shoot Alison the German soldier kiss [Music] never anchor numérique from numero Derrick phone and so inhale thank you that rustic romantic for Spain I figured about 20 just over maybe 20 25 or so okay lads get those brain guns to the front let's go and I'm cursing all right get that machine gun over there put that Bren gun there you guys feel that way and I'm hollering imaginary troops I want two columns one on the left one on the right you guys down the back there's no one there I'm alone in the middle of that speech bring the carriers bring the carriers I was absolutely bluffing drop your weapons can I thought you gonna use it right now let's go [Music] they put their weapons on the ground get against the wall hands up against the wall let's go let's go so easy to lose a bow excellent Faraz varieties bail and health Cynthia Lenormand aye sir he dodges the baton hours in finance the notes are that mention had Canada best datum on us from the a kalafat Hitler its junction of stage four oh that's a fandom heaven hurl a from service tickets thank you leave out keep moving let's go I lined him up in three in the street let's go no oh yeah two days later we drove every last stinking Jerry out of grown again for Sandy it was time to celebrate and he found just the right thing [Music] it's a 33 [Music] want some [Music] but the party didn't last too long [Music] I paid for it I wound up in 109 British gentleman duffle and Belgium are you ready to eat yet from the damn Wayne being poison it had been booby-trapped with poison Germans left behind that was the only W drank it on May 5th 1945 nineteen days after sandy drank the bad wine Germany finally surrendered and now the lucky ones were going home but not me I was never going home again [Music] I'm not ashamed my tears he wasn't couldn't have could man many good men went for Dale Sharples he was an exception oh I'm gonna cry yes it's so tragic I can't tell you any more about him yeah near his mustache that's for this come from I I liked I idolized there mr. Schurr I can remember my mother being very sad crying a lot I had an empty feeling after I realized what had happened I literally walked her on I think for a few days just credit in a fog I didn't know if I was coming or going what was happening with me I was so mixed up inside to think that I'd never see him again [Music] I try to do good for my dad because my dad is my hero [Music] I have never been to Holland it's one of the the most important things in my life I've always wanted to be here and see this never thought it would once I get to touch his headstone I'll probably feel a real strong connection I'll be dead you always been my hero sorry you died so young I'm old enough to be your grandfather now rest in peace [Music] the day after the war and then I got the spirit the scare of my life it was supposed to have been some Canadian soldiers being held by some German troops who probably weren't aware that the war was over but I remember praying and I don't know what language I prayed but I prayed and all I'm thinking is I've been lucky I went through my nine lives umpteen times you think it's better boy no I'm gonna get it Nick Nick I started yelling the war is over Nick Nick it's bad boy and you know I'm really way waving that white like there's no response hello you can see there is a campfire sort there and that was it big sigh relief fold it up the flag trudged right back that I carry when the war terminated I was so happy the famous Royal Highland regiment sustained the greatest number of casualties of any Canadian unit on the Western Front I was happy that I lived through it [Applause] so it was a relief the killing was over the nurses come through and we all got a quart bottle of yours ale [Music] when the war was over I knew it was akin to the end of the line I didn't jump up on and I did well I couldn't get out of bed then I was in the hospital baby when I come home my family ever asked me what happened there and I never told him I never did tell I had a knife with a big long blade on the switchblade you know and I took it I wouldn't throw it on the ground and buried it I had got those wanted seven eight years old ten I didn't want the kids to find that a knife they didn't even know what a war was I'm just happy that come to tell somebody one bend in my insides all my life the Black Watch is my life my body does not carry normal blood it's Blackwatch blood long time sandy overall that's the best thing that ever happened to me being assigned to the Black Watch just oh sandy I'm very proud of being a black watch from the Rays I love it and here we I was still here got it and every conversation every phone call I love you Jim I love you too something sure that always Dale of my life I love that guy we kept each other alive when we did our job we did our job and I'm damn proud of it [Music] [Music] not too bad for an old drunk oh good recognize easy I'll take that rifle just like the one I use use Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] okay fine [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] [Music]

Info

Channel: Canada Strong

Views: 1,931,161

Rating: 4.8099203 out of 5

Keywords: WW2, WWII, Canada, Canadian, Sniper, Royal Canadian Forces, Royal Canadian Armed Forces, Black Watch, War, Army, Special Ops, Covert Ops, Special Forces, Documentary

Id: 9zmgjG3Wtn0

Channel Id: undefined

Length: 62min 35sec (3755 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 12 2017

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