[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

According to Lt Col Mike.l.Tucker of Montreal,Officer Commanding of this 250 man RCE 23rd Field Company unit,the boats were collapsible 20' with 50HP outboard motors.Their only claim to fame was the rescue of the British Airborne during Operation Market Garden.At the time of the rescue they had the reputation of being"the hottest engineering unit in the Allied armies".The rescue consisted of less than 2500 troopers..At the end of the engagement there were only two boats servicable.Mike Tucker's argument was reinforcement for the beleaguered troopers across the river.But by the time they were called upon,the paras had been almost surrounded.A thank you note was the only reward received from British Military leaders after this courageous acheivement.Afterwards they went back to Belgium chopping trees for courdoroy roads .this info taken from an interview with Charles Lynch,a distinguished wartime journalist from Ottawa,on the 30th Anniversary of the action.

Unsung heros all.