| Rank | Private, Sergeant |
| Service # | A50202 |
| Unit # | Essex Scottish Regiment, RCIC |
| Resident | 183 King St., West., Chatham |
Hugh trained in Chatham No. 12 BTC., London, Halifax, Westminister BC. and Quebec before he and his two brothers went overseas with the Essex Scottish Regt. He saw action in France and Belgium before being returned home.
Joe Ivison the father of the three Sargeants had served in the great War, going overseas in 1914 and had been working in the Customs Office in Chatham since the end of his war. Fred, Hugh and Joe had enlisted together in 1940 a picture of the three as Sargeants had appeared in the Chatham Daily News but their father had refused to be included in it. (See Joseph Henry Ivison for photo) Joe would be killed in action 21 July 1944, Fred was fatally wounded 1 August, 1944, Hugh did get to see Fred before he died of his wounds and was present for his burial in France. Fred, Hugh and Joseph all arrived overseas together according to the CDN 14/10/42.
“Our officers and men are tops. The officers were the best as leaders and the men really showed that they could fight.” Hugh sighted Majors Jack Burgess, Doug McIntyre and Cy Steele (MC) as outstanding leaders in the field and Lieut Pope and Sgt. “Stew” Kirkland (DCM) of Cedar Springs for their their fine leadership skills and devotion to their men.
Reported returned from overseas duty 18/12/1944. Hugh was transferred back to Canada posted in London, ON. as an instructor. The Canadian government had a policy that the last surviving son was ordered to withdraw from combat.
An article in the Chatham Daily News shortly after Hugh’s return from overseas painted a graphic picture of what the Canadians were involved in since D-Day, the loss of his two brothers and his feeling about how the Canadians were being led in the field and from Ottawa. He began with the Canadian actions around the Leopold Canal and the Belgium town of Merksen, near Antwerp. He was just about to leave the front to return home when he “watched his comrades storm across the Leopold Canal as the Canadian flame-throwers burned the ‘Jerries’ in their defensive posts in one of the many exploits of Canadian forces since D-Day”.
Hugh was of the opinion that the officers and men of the 1st Kent Battalion who went to the Essex Scottish as reinforcements have done a wonderful job but the lack of reinforcements from the conscripted troops is making it tough to fight the war. “The boys were disappointed in Prime Minister Mackenzie King and in Canadian General McNaughton.
“Having been through the mill”, Hugh said, the men at the front “Don’t blame the kids awaiting the call”. Their opinion is that< “we should have had a conscripted army right from the start, where the call to duty would have been fair all around. The sooner the people back home realize it the better.”
Hugh would be posted to London, ON. for the duration of the war as an instructor
Sgt. Hugh J. was reported as passing away 27/08/1991. LM-LP. CDN 18/01/45, IODE(P).
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