B135917 Pte Peart, Davidson Robert enlisted with the Lorne Scots (militia) in Hamilton, Ontario in September 1942 and volunteered for overseas duty on 16 November 1942. He was a son of a farmer and gave his next of kin as Gordon R. and Ann Ross Atkinson Peart of RR#1, Freeman, Ontario. He did basic and advanced infantry training in Canada from 10 November 1942 to 8 March 1943 then sailed to the UK disembarking on the 18th. In England he was assigned to 1 CIRU then 4 CIRU (reinforcement holding units) and then joined the 1st Battalion, 48th Highlanders. With the battalion he embarked from Gourock, Scotland on 13 June and sailed on 28 June for the landing on the beaches at Pachino, Sicily on 10 July 1943. He participated in the battles of July and August of the Sicilian campaign, sailed across the Straits of Messina to Reggio di Calabria on 3 September, followed by the advance up the Adriatic side of Italy to Campobasso. He was wounded on 28 October 1943, (Scalp and back injury from Shelling (HE). The battalion had taken the town of Torella, northwest of Campobasso to push the German artillery out of range of the Canadians in Campobasso. He remained with the battalion and was wounded again on 18 December (Shrapnel wound to left leg and forearm). The battalion was conducting Operation Morning Glory on that date, outflanking the Gully protecting the roads toward Ortona. Morning Glory was a WWI style advance under lifting artillery fire, for which the Commanding Officer received the DSO, which he accepted on behalf of the regiment. The army’s Official Historian recorded: “Morning Glory set a standard of almost faultless cooperation between artillery, infantry and armour not previously attained by Canadians in the Italian Campaign.”

After recovery, Pte Peart returned to the battalion on 3 March 1944 when the battalion was on the Arielli River conducing fighting patrols into the Gothic line to discover the German strength and positions. In May the battalion moved across Italy to begin the advance up the Liri Valley to the Hitler Line defences. Pte Peart participated in the Liri Valley and the successful breaching of the Hitler Line on 22/23 May. On 11 June, with the battalion at rest at Piedmonte d’Alife, Pte Peart was sent to hospital (4CFA) and after recovery was held in reserve beginning 17 June.  He returned to hospital on 2 September then returned to the active battalion on the 12th near the Marano River. The battalion continued its attacks through the Gothic Line and the Rimini Line ending on 21 September. They returned to battle through the mud of Lombardy for two weeks in October before going in reserve at Miramar, south of Rimini.

The battalion began its move on 29 November toward the Lamone River area and during this Pte Peart was killed on 4 December. He was just 23 years old. He was buried in a temporary grave at Savignano at Map Reference 691020. His grave and that of other Highlanders was moved later to the Cesena Cemetery.

NOK: Son of Gordon R. and Ann Ross Atkinson Peart, of  RR#1 Freeman, Ontario, Canada.