The following is Stan Scislowski’s tribute to LCpl. Freddie Lytwyn which was published in The Windsor Star on November 10, 2012.
By Stan Scislowski
The night was black as pitch, no moon, no stars, no flash of artillery fire to light the way for the Canadian infantry moving forward to the start-line of their next attack.
The night was unusually quiet, as though both armies facing each other in the flatlands of the North Italian plains had gone to bed early.
The only sound came from the scuffle of the infantrymen’s boots on gravel as they worked their way forward.
To a man, as always, they fervently hoped that the advance would be a “walkover.” But it was not to be.
The enemy had not gone away and they had not gone to bed early.
Except for those momentarily relieved of weapons post duty, the enemy was very much awake and alert.
They were in positions all through the area with their weapons trained at the single point where they were sure the Canadian attack would come in on them and that was the roadway crossing the Fosso Munio stream.
In the lead section of the lead platoon of the Perth Regiment from Stratford, Ont., spearheading the attack was a 17-year-old Windsor lad.
Actually, too young to have been inducted into the army, LCpl. Freddie Lytwyn had to have lied about his age to get in the army.
But he was a veteran now, a veteran of several hard-fought battles as he marched on toward yet another battle, this one only five days before Christmas 1944, hoping, as all men do when going into battle that it would be an easy affair and that he would come out of …read more
