Irving Thomas Davidson was born in Toronto to Ernest Irving Davidson and Queenie Davidson. He had one younger brother.  He grew up mostly in Toronto, but his family lived in Michigan for seven years.  He had pneumonia as a child which delayed his schooling. He was a King’s Scout and attended the world jamboree in Washington, DC in 1937. He completed senior matriculation at the North Toronto Collegiate Institute in June 1940. While at high school, he organized his school’s rowing club in 1939 and was captain of the four rowing teams which won Canadian high school championships and the Cosgrove Trophy in 1941. 

Irving had been working as a farmhand when he enlisted in Toronto on 21 September 1941. He intended to return to school after his service and study metallurgy. He completed basic training in North Bay, Ontario and advanced training at Camp Petawawa. He was transferred to A5 Royal Canadian Engineer Training Centre in Petawawa on 4 December as a Sapper. He trained and spent some time at the prisoner of war camp before embarking for the United Kingdom on 19 March 1942 where he continued training at the Engineer Reinforcement Unit. He applied to be transferred to the Navy but did not meet the vision requirements. Two comments stand out in his personnel file. First, he was seen as ‘good NCO material’ during his training, and later, in 1943, as a possible candidate for officer training.  Irving qualified as a Pioneer Group ‘C’ in October as an Acting Lance Corporal and was posted to the 9^th Field Squadron.

The 9th Field Squadron arrived in France on 22 July 1944 using the artificial harbour at Arromanches Their first task was clearing rubble in Caen while being continually shelled by German artillery. In early August, they were part of Operation TOTALIZE, one of the last battles in Operation OVERLORD and the first for the newly formed 1^st Canadian Army. Sections rode in half-tracks to keep up with the tanks as they followed a massive creeping barrage. Their task was to build tank positions at Falaise to cut off retreating German forces After that, they built rafts on the Seine and were the first Canadian engineers to cross over and spent the week clearing routes to the Somme At Pont Remy, on 3 September, the 9^th Field Squadron built three Bailey bridges in one day - a 60-foot Double-Single, a 40-foot Single-Single and a 60-foot Double-Single, all before 0940 hours!  The 8^th Field Squadron built the Ward Bridge, a 90-foot Double-Single, named for one of their officers 

By early September, they were in Belgium leading the 4^th Armoured Division including the provision of bridging support in the early attempts to establish a bridgehead over the Leopold Canal in mid-September They remained in the area for the next four weeks and among the bridging and route maintenance tasks, built one of two 120-foot bridges over the Leopold and Derivation Canals that would later figure heavily in the success of Operation SWITCHBACK to clear the Breskens Pocket, the south bank of the Scheldt.

On 15 October, the Squadron moved from the 3^rd Canadian Division area east and just north of Antwerp. The 2^nd Canadian Division had been involved in clearing the approaches to the Beveland Peninsula since 2 October. Operation VITALITY, the clearing of South Beveland Island was scheduled for 24 October The 4^th Division’s task was to protect their eastern and northern flanks from counter-attack. The Sappers were put to work with the 2^nd Divisional Engineers on the approaches, building and replacing brides, clearing routes and lifting mines and booby traps. On 19 October, the Division divided itself into two battle groups and started their move northwards Flail tanks and AVREs from 81 Assault Squadron, Royal Engineers came under command of the 9^th Field Squadron. 

The line of advanced was some of the most difficult the squadron had encountered so far in the war. There were mines, boobytraps and blown bridges and culverts to be cleared.  Once battle objectives were selected, bridgeheads had to be captured and expanded.  Taking towns like Esschen (captured 22 October), Bergen-Op-Zoom (captured 27 October) and Steenburgen (captured 4 November) required bridges to be built across canals under enemy fire and often under direct observation.  The 9^th Field Squadron had played a large role in the capture of the first of the two towns. The capture of Steenbergen was supported by the 8^th Field Squadron with support from the 6^th Field Park Squadron. The 9^th Field Squadron was recovering in a location close to Bergen-Op-Zoom.

In the early evening of 3 November, Sapper Davidson, having received permission to go into the town of Bergen-Op-Zoom, accepted a ride to the on the back of a 9^th Field Squadron orderly room motorcycle.  On the way, the driver, after confirming the road was clear, was passing a 60 CWT truck from the 6^th Field Park Squadron when the truck signalled a left turn. The driver applied his brakes but was too late.  The bike went down and Sapper Davidson was thrown clear. Forward and caught between the motorcycle and the truck and suffered very serious chest injuries. He was taken to the aid post and then transferred to the casualty clearing station where he died.  He is buried in the Bergen-Op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery located about 6 kilometres northeast of the town. He was 24 years old.

Return to Part 5: Tributes to the Fallen Sappers of the Scheldt