Sapper Donald Albion Gunning was born in Ruthven, Ontario to Frank and Lena Gunning. He enlisted in the 11th Field Company in Windsor, Ontario on 22 September 1939. He was a garage mechanic and had worked for four years at the Hudson Motor Garage in Leamington, Ontario.
Donald was sent to Camp Petawawa for training. He arrived in England in September 1940 and qualified as an Engine Artificer in November, adding fifty cents a day to his daily rate of $1.30. He married Audrey Vera Andrews in England in February 1942. He was appointed Acting Lance Corporal with pay that December of the same year.
Donald applied to join the RCAF as a Wireless Operator (Air Gunner) in July 1942. Before joining the Army, he attended the San Antonio Flying School in Texas and had 3 ½ hours flying time with a student licence. He had also completed a Ground Course for the Syracuse Flying School by correspondence. His application was approved and forwarded at division level but was later turned down. At that time in the war, Canada had a surplus of aircrew and Donald had not finished high school.
Spr Gunning was then sent to the School of Signals at Catterwick for eight weeks and qualified as a Radio Operator in March 1943. He displayed good leadership qualities and showed initiative from the outset. In February 1944, his commanding officer recommended he be considered for a commission in the infantry. Donald was an Acting Lance Corporal at the time. Despite the strong recommendation, the application was not accepted by the selection board. He reverted to the rank of Sapper at his request in June 1944.
The main body of the 11th Field Company arrived in France on 9 July as part of 2nd Canadian Division Engineers. They participated fully in all operations during the Battle of Normandy and the advance across the Seine, through the Channel Ports and into Belgium, clearing routes and building bridges. The Battle of the Scheldt started for them on 1 October when five men were killed by enemy artillery during a bridge build. The company continued the fight through the Beveland Approaches and Operations VITALITY and INFATUATE.
Operation VITALITY launched on 24 October. The plan was to drive forward ten miles and seize crossings over the Beveland Canal. The ground was unsuitable for tanks and the work fell entirely in the infantry of the 4th Brigade with the 2nd and 11th Field Companies in support. By 26 October, the exhausted 4th Brigade was replaced by the 6th Brigade in the final drive to the Canal. After a hard fight, all three battalions reached the barrier the next day. By evening, the South Saskatchewan Regiment had secured a small bridgehead over the canal.
The 11th Field Company with support from the 2nd Field Company was assigned responsibility for bridging during the night 27 – 28 October. Two platoons of the 2nd Field Company started the task at midnight but suffered many casualties during heavy shelling, including two killed. Two platoons of the 11th took over the task at 0200 hours. The shelling continued with three casualties at 0230 hours and five more at 0400 hours including Spr Gunning who was was killed. Despite continued shelling, completed the 340-foot floating bridge (FBE) by 1500 hours on 28 October.
Sapper Donald Albion Gunning is buried in Bergen-Op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery. He was 28 years old and left a wife and daughter, Starr Elaine Marcelle, born 19 December 1942. Under the sponsorship of Donald’s father, his wife Audrey Vera Gunning and daughter were repatriated to Canada after the war and settled in Leamington.
Return to Part 5: Tributes to the Fallen Sappers of the Scheldt