[Norm Cromie (RIP)]

Hi chaps. I am trying to accurately record my WW2 history and I need your help
Were the searchlights that were used at our front in 1945 in Italy organized to go on and off on a controlled time table? I vaguely remember being given a time sequence during this action but at the old age of 87 my mind is not what it used to be. Would appreciate any help.

Naviglio Canal

Winter of 1944 was a cold and miserable time to be in Italy. Sometimes things that happen are often humorous as well as sad.
Late in December Captain Mike George of B Coy had his headquarters set up in an old house on a road running parallel to the Naviglio Canal. One of his patrols had encountered a minefield on top of the dyke. So he sent word to H.Q for a section of the pioneers to take a look at the situation. At this time we were without a platoon officer as Lieutenant Ken Hudson a week before had stepped on a shoe mine and sadly had lost his foot. So I took four of my section and a Bren carrier and proceeded up to Mike Georges position. The Germans were firing intermittent fixed line of machine gun fire over the canal and the bullets were bouncing off the Italian houses, and I can tell you this did not sit too well with me. After talking the situation over with Captain George we decided due to the fact that German patrols were active on the canal that I would go myself as there would be less chance of them spotting one person rather than five. He did not want the field lifted he just wanted to know where it was and what it was. There had been light snow falling on and off so we took an Old Italian white sheet, cut a hole in it and draped it over me like a poncho. I then proceeded with a rifle section that took me to a forward bren gun outpost they then said to me, lots of luck Cromie you are on your own. From there I proceeded up what looked like a used path to the top of the dyke. At this time division was using large searchlights from the rear shutting them off and on at fixed intervals to light up the forward area. When the first light went on I suddenly looked at my white sheet and the muddy disturbed ground around me. Much to my shock, the white sheet I had over me stood out like a beacon in the night against the blackened and dirty snow. Needless to say I got rid of that sheet faster than a nightclub stripper. After checking the mine field I found out they were our own anti personal mines, which I believe had been laid earlier by the West Novies. I started back along the canal and had a hell of a time trying to figure which path I should take to get me back to the outpost. I had forgot to memorize it earlier but I took a chance and luckily I hit the outpost. Those damned Italians were just too efficient in cleaning their sheets.