Captain Sidney Arthur Mooney
Unit : No.2 Forward Observation Unit
Awards : Military Cross
Sid Mooney was one of twelve Forward Observation Officers of the Royal Canadian Artillery who, with their RCA Signallers, were posted to No.2 Forward Observation Unit in August 1944. He participated in the Ardennes campaign in December of that year, serving as Forward Observation Officer and at a counter-mortar observation post in support of the 5th Parachute Brigade, principally in the difficult fighting in the woodland around the village of Bure.
He was later specifically selected by the 6th Airborne Division's Commander Royal Artillery to act as a Divisional Liaison Officer with the task of making contact with the American troops who were believed to be somewhere on the Division's right flank. He accomplished this, despite the great difficulty of finding friendly forces in the lonely and possibly hostile snow covered hills and forests, and returned to the 6th Airborne Division in triumph, having been given a brand new Jeep by the Americans, who were most relieved to discover that British Airborne troops were protecting their flank.
In February 1945, the Division held a section of the River Maas in Holland, and Sid Mooney was one of several officers of No.2 Forward Observation Unit who crossed the flooded river at night to operate, for several days at a time, deep amongst the German positions, radioing information back to the Division and bringing artillery fire to bear on targets.
On the 24th March 1945, Captain Mooney took part in the Rhine Crossing as a Forward Observation Officer with the 7th Parachute Battalion. After just twenty minutes on the ground, his was one of the first observation posts to make contact with the medium artillery of the 2nd British Army on the western bank of the Rhine. Like all the other Forward Observation Officers scattered throughout the Division, Captain Mooney was kept intensely busy throughout the day, registering and engaging targets, and bringing down defensive fire on the German counter-attacks.
On the 5th April 1945, Mooney was acting as Forward Observation Officer with the 2nd Battalion The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry during the crossing of the River Weser. The Commander Royal Artillery had appointed him as his representative FOO with the authority to call and control the fire of all artillery within range. For his actions here he was awarded the Military Cross:
Captain Mooney was Forward Observation Officer to the assaulting company at the passage of the River Weser near Petershagen on the afternoon of 5th April 1945.
Before crossing the river the forming up place came under heavy small arms and airburst shell fire, which forced everyone to take cover in buildings. Finding his wireless screened by the houses, this officer forsook all cover, set up his set in the open under the same heavy fire, established communications and brought down very effective fire in support of the crossing.
He himself was in command of one of the first boats to land on the far side, and provided invaluable artillery assistance throughout the evening, destroying an Anti-Aircraft battery amongst many other targets.
Next morning a tank attack developed at a time when anti-tank guns were not available and the infantry were withdrawn from the vicinity of Captain Mooney's Observation Post. However this officer remained behind and engaged the tanks with concentrations of two field and two medium regiments, although the tanks were as close as 200 yards and the concentrations were falling around him. Throughout the 48 hours this officer's personal example of energy and devotion to duty had a marked effect on the morale of all around him. His unhesitating acceptance of obvious danger was outstanding and was directly responsible for the accurate and timely artillery support throughout a critical period.
With the war in Europe at an end, all the Canadians with No.2 Forward Observation Unit returned to their homeland. Sid Mooney remained in the Canadian Army where he continued his distinguished career as a gunner and airborne soldier. His final posting before retirement in 1969 was as commander of the Canadian Joint Air Training Centre at Rivers, Manitoba.
Despite being very ill at the time, his famously independent spirit brushed aside his doctor's strong advice against travel, and he attended the 40th Anniversary of the Rhine Crossing in 1985. He died at his home in Winnipeg on the 5th June 1985.
My thanks to Bob Hilton for this account, based on an obituary by Lieutenant-Colonel H.J.B. Rice, R.A. (retired).