Operation Goldflake facts for kids

Operation Goldflake was a secret plan during World War II to move a lot of soldiers and their equipment. It involved the I Canadian Corps (which was basically all Canadian fighting units) and the British 5th Infantry Division. These troops had been fighting in Italy since 1943. The Allied commanders decided to move them to Northwestern Europe in the spring of 1945 to help finish the war there.

Planning the Big Move

Operation Goldflake was the secret name for planning this huge move. The goal was to move many soldiers without the German forces finding out. The Allies pretended the troops were just taking a break from fighting in Italy.

Moving so many soldiers and their gear needed a lot of careful planning. The troops and their supplies were spread out across southern Italy. They had to arrange trains and road convoys. It was important not to leave the front lines weak, so German forces couldn't attack.

Moving Troops and Supplies

Soldiers and their equipment (called materiel) were moved from ports like Naples and Leghorn in Italy. They sailed to Marseilles in France. Each day, they aimed to move about 3,700 people, 40 tanks, 650 wheeled vehicles, and 50 carriers.

The Move Begins

The troops started leaving Italy on February 22, 1945. Most trips to Marseille took two days. From Marseilles, it was a five-day drive to the Belgian border, which was about 1,085 kilometers (674 miles) away. By the end of April, over 60,000 soldiers and support staff had successfully moved from Italy to Northwestern Europe.

Keeping it a Secret

Speed was very important, but the Allies also needed to keep the plan secret from the Germans. The convoys moving the troops would be easy targets if the Germans knew about them. So, a special plan called "Operation Penknife" was created to hide the Canadian troops' movement.

A temporary group called the 1st Canadian Special Basra Unit was formed. "Basra" was the code name for the secret plan. This unit had 230 officers and men from other groups that were closing down. These men drove around the areas where the Germans thought the Canadians were. They would put up signs showing Canadian locations and then move them the next day.

All Canadian clubs, hotels, leave centers, and hospitals in Italy stayed open. The Canadian forces' newspaper, "The Maple Leaf," kept being published in Rome until mid-March.

Dummy Messages and German Confusion

The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals helped keep the secret. They sent out lots of fake radio messages to make it seem like the Canadians were still in Italy. This worked so well that the Germans even tried to block these fake messages!

Documents captured after the war showed that Operation Penknife successfully hid the Canadian troops' move. Until late March, German maps still showed the Canadians in different places in Italy. On March 17, when all Canadian troops were actually in Belgium or northern France, the Germans still thought they were in the Ancona area. They only realized Canadian troops were gone by mid-April.

The Secret Gets Out

A Canadian journalist accidentally revealed the secret on April 3, 1945. He announced that all Canadian infantry and armored troops were now together under General Harry Crerar.

The Allied commanders still thought the Germans weren't sure where the Canadians were. So, they waited to make an official announcement until April 20. Canadians were officially told about the move on April 23, 1945. However, many people in Canada already knew because the news had spread, even with censorship trying to keep it quiet.