Darling, Warren William Gibson "Bill"

Date of birth:: April 19th, 1906 (Toronto/Ontario, Canada)
Date of death:: June 25th, 1979 (Toronto/Ontario, Canada)
Nationality:: Canadian

Biography

Early life: Born on 19 April 1906 in Toronto, Warren William Gibson Darling was the son of the former commanding officer of the 48th Highlanders and joined the regiment himself in 1929. He was a former Toronto Argonauts halfback prior to joining the Canadian Army.

Enlistment: Daling entered the Canadian Army through the Royal Military College of Canada, graduating on 28 June 1929. He was commissioned and joined the 48th Highlanders of Canada, 29 June 1929.

RMC: The Royal Military College of Canada, abbreviated in English as RMC and in French as CMR, is a military academy and, since 1959, a degree-granting university of the Canadian Armed Forces. It was established in 1874 and conducted its first classes on June 1, 1876.

WWII: Canada entered World War II on September 10, 1939. Canada's decision to join the war was made after Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Canada's entry into the war was a result of the government and people's united support for Britain and France. Canada's entry was voluntary, not a result of being obligated to follow Britain's lead.

48th Highlanders of Canada: During World War II, the regiment mobilized the 48th Highlanders of Canada, CASF, on 1 September 1939. It was subsequently redesignated the 1st Battalion, 48th Highlanders of Canada, CASF, on 7 November 1940. It departed Canada for Britain on 16 December 1939, and on 13 June 1940, it went to France as part of the abortive Second British Expeditionary Force. The battalion reached Sablé-sur-Sarthe before being ordered back to Britain. It landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943 and in Italy on 3 September 1943 as part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Infantry Division. In March 1945, the regiment moved with the remainder of the I Canadian Corps to North-West Europe, where it fought until the end of the war. The overseas battalion was disbanded on 31 December 1945.

On 1 June 1945, a second battalion of the regiment was mobilized for service in the Pacific theatre of operations, designated as the 3rd Canadian Infantry Battalion (48th Highlanders of Canada), CASF. This battalion was disbanded on 1 November 1945.

Lt Bill Darling was one of the first officers to volunteer for service with 1st Bn 48th Highlanders (CASF), volunteering on 5 Sept and promoted Captain the same day.

Overseas: Newly promoted Captain WWG Darling, 2iC A Company sailed onboard the Reina del Pacifico to the UK in Dec 1939. During the “Dover Dash” into France in June 1940, he was instrumental in commandeering a French train and riding the engine from Rennes to St Malo.
Darling helped to commandeer the French train which allowed the Canadians to escape German encirclement and return back to England.

Promoted: He was promoted Major on 20 June 1940 in England. In 1941, the 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards (4 PLDG) was formed in the UK as the 1st Canadian Division reconnaissance regiment. Major WWG Darling was transferred to the command cadre that would form the unit and became Regimental 2iC on 22 Feb 1943.

4 PLDG: The 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards was a Militia regiment activated for wartime service with the Canadian Army (Active) in 1941. It was assigned to the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps which itself had been activated in 1940. In 1942 it was redesignated the 4th Reconnaissance Regiment (4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards), the same year the first of its soldiers sailed for the United Kingdom where 4th PLDG joined 1st Canadian Infantry Division at Camp Aldershot.
4th Recce immediately began expanding its ranks, taking volunteers from infantry regiments serving in the United Kingdom and a steady flow of reinforcements from Canada. Four squadrons were eventually raised in addition to the Regimental HQ Squadron. A reserve squadron, based in Ottawa continued to provide reinforcements throughout the war as well.

In July 44, during the battles for the Liri Valley, it was decided that 4 PLDG would be converted to Infantry in order to man a second infantry brigade within 5th Division.

Battle of Liri Valley: The 1st Canadian Corps continued its support of the Allied offensive in the Liri Valley as it moved into position for an assault on the Adolf Hitler Line. On May 23, under the cover of heavy mortar and machine gun fire, the Canadians breached the German defences. Tanks of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division pushed through as our troops pursued the Germans across the Melfa River and forced them to rapidly retreat towards Rome, thereby ending major combat operations in the Liri Valley.

Behind the 5th Canadian Armoured Division, our soldiers rapidly advanced to the Italian town of Ceprano where the 1st Canadian Infantry Division then took over. By May 31, Canadian forces had liberated the Italian city of Frosinone and were moved into the reserve by the Eighth British Army. Roughly 800 Canadians were killed in the Battle of the Liri Valley, while approximately 2,500 more were wounded.

The Italian Campaign played an important role in helping the Allies eventually end the Second World War. The fighting there tied down German soldiers in Italy and kept them from being used to reinforce enemy troops on the Eastern Front or along the coast of Northwest Europe where they could have helped resist the eventual Allied landings on D-Day.

Promoted: On 17 July 1944,Darling was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and given command of the new infantry battalion. He fought with the “Plugs” until he was relieved on 8 December 1944 and was awarded the DSO for his battlefield leadership at Tomba di Pesaro on 1 September.

Tomba di Pesaro: Also Known as the Gothic Line. Canadians began fighting in Italy in July 1943. By the summer of 1944, the Allies had pushed German forces to one of their last defensive positions a stretch of heavily fortified territory in northern Italy known as the Gothic Line. The main job of breaking the Line fell to the I Canadian Corps, which accomplished the task after a month of difficult combat, at a cost of more than 4,500 casualties. Although overshadowed by the Allied invasion of France, cracking the Gothic Line was among Canada's greatest feats of arms of the war.

Post war: Following the Second World War, and back in Toronto, LCol. Darling reverted to Major in the 48th Highlanders. He served as Commanding Officer from 1946-49. In retirement, he served as President of the Royal Canadian Military Institute, and as the Regiment’s Honorary Lieutenant Colonel (70-72) and as Honorary Colonel (72-77). His son Robert had served with the 48th Highlanders and while serving as Deputy Commanding Officer (DCO) he had to relocate for work. He returned to serve as Honorary Colonel in 2005. Colonel Bill’s granddaughter, Sasha, became the Honorary Lieutenant Colonel in 2020 and his grandson Capt. WM (Bill) Darling served as Regimental Sergeant Major.

Legacy: “Little can be said about the C.O. that would do justice to a great leader, a wonderful Colonel. Certainly, his departure leaves a gaping wound in our hearts, that nothing can ever heal. The C.O. had been with this Regt ever since its conception and had come up through the various ranks until he became the Commanding Officer and led this Regiment in all of its battles as an Infantry Unit.” -PLDG war diary, 8 Dec 1944.

Lest we forget: He died in Toronto on 25 June 1979.

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Mentioned in Dispatches

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Major
Awarded on:: January 6th, 1945

Canada Gazette, 6 January 1945

Distinguished Service Order (DSO)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Lieutenant-Colonel
Unit:: Commanding Officer, 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards, 12th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division, Canadian Army
Awarded on:: January 20th, 1945

On 1 September 1944, the 4 Princess Louise Dragoon Guards, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel DARLING, was ordered to attack and capture the high ground in front of TOMBA DI PESARO.

The attack went in under very adverse conditions. The battalion was heavily shelled and mortared in the forming up place and, as a result, many officers and senior Non-Commissioned Officers, as well as other ranks, became casualties. Most of the signalers were hit, with the result that communications almost ceased to exist. The battalion, made up largely of inexperienced troops and, with officers recently converted from a reconnaissance regiment who were now fighting their first infantry action, became rather disorganized.

Lieutenant Colonel DARLING, ignoring the continual shelling, machine-gun and sniper fire, visited each company in turn, urging his men on, and by sheer gallantry and personal example, led his men towards the objective. He constantly stayed with the forward elements directing the fire of the supporting tanks and artillery on to the numerous machine-gun positions. Being the outstanding figure in the attack, he was made the subject of special attention by snipers and machine-gunners. In the final assault, Lieutenant Colonel DARLING personally led remnants of two companies, some fifteen all ranks, on to the objective.

The courage, leadership, and outstanding devotion to duty of this officer set an example of the highest order to all under his command. The success of the attack was made possible by the magnificent way in which Lieutenant Colonel DARLING led his unit.”

Canada Gazette, 20 January 1945