Sergeant HL Ditner - 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2024 3:36 pm
Sergeant Hubert Ditner was a farmer's son born in St. Agatha, Ontario. Shortly after completing his training as a Driver/Mechanic - Armoured Car he sailed from Argentia, Newfoundland for the United Kingdom. Less than a year later he embarked for Algiers where he was assigned to 1st Canadian Base Reinforcement Group in anticipation of the Sicily landings. Though he did not take part in Operation Husky he landed at Reggio di Calabria, in September 1943 where, just weeks after doing so he was assigned to A-Squadron, 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards in time to take part in a daring raid on Miglionico during which his unit, Number 4 (Assault) Troop infiltrated enemy positions by way of a rail tunnel to kill an estimated 50 members of 3rd Fallschirmjager Regiment and destroy several vehicles prior to withdrawing, seven prisoners in tow. The following year, Ditner - now a Sergeant assisted in the capture of 10 Germans prior to his squadron breaching the Hitler Line at Pontecorvo, the first unit, asserted its War Diarist in 8th Army to do so. On the night of January, 4th 1945 Sergeant Ditner was leading his men in a counterattack at Canale Naviglio when he was struck, five times by a German LMG. He died the following day and is buried at Argenta Gap. A street is named for him in tiny Baden, Ontario.