[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Clive, I have been pursuing the elusive War Diaries of the 1 and 2 Detachment RCOC for some time now with no success! They are referred to in TO THE THUNDERER HIS ARMS but I have got nowhere despite repeated and consistent research and enquiries.

Can you confirm that Volumes 16172-16174 relate to the 1 and 2 Det War Diaries? The online web catalogie implies that they relate to 'Central Mechanization Depot', i.e. in Ottawa. Were they incorrectly indexed?

There are possibly two files that might also relate:

RG24 , National Defence , Series C-3 , Volume 16133
Serial : 3302 , Access code: 90
File Title: No. 1 Ordnance Depot, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (formerly No. 1 Detachment, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps)
Outside Dates: 1939/08-1941/09

RG24 , National Defence , Series C-3 , Volume 16135
Serial : 3303 , Access code: 90
File Title: No. 2 Ordnance Depot, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (formerly No. 2 Detachment, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps)
Outside Dates: 1939/12-1942/03

although I am not sure that the latter is the one I had copied and sent me...just a pile of personnel requirements etc.


Basically, 1 Detachment RCOC was based in Aldershot from around March-April 1940 and handled the very first assembly of Canadian vehicles including staff cars that must have included some Ford Fordor sedans. 2 Detachment was formed later and was allocated 1 Det staff in due course, being formed up at Citroen Cars Limited in late August 1940. By then the original Canadian Mechanization Depot was at Southampton [to be precise the lease was signed February 1940 and assembly started at Southampton in April with Ford F15s. , but the civilians in charge from CANMEC, i.e. Canadian Mechanization HQ at CANMILTRY, Canadian Military HQ in Cockspur Street, London [the former Sun Life of Canada building behind Canada House in Trafalgar Square, London] were also based at Ford, Dagenham.

After the CMD was blitzed 30 November-1 December 1940 assembly was switched of Fords to the new CMD, in several bays of the main Citroen factory on the Slough Trading Estate....see Dr Gregg's book for the photo of the first with # CMD 15001 etc. This was run by 2 Det personnel as by then 1 Det personnel had been transferred to 2 Det although that is an oversimpilification of what actually transpired....as for example some of 1 Det as was moved to Camp Bordon, the new RCOC depot in Hampshire. GM vehicle assembly was switched elsewhere...another story! However I have photos of Ford boxes including Jeeps stored outside the new CMD in Slough and there are clearly military personnel walkimg around, including women. However I am told by a Mr Smith who worked at Citroens just before the war and then subsequently under Canadian supervision that there were civilians employed. The sheer numbers of vehicles would have required military and civilian personnel. 450 civilians were employed with 1 Det it seems at Aldershot, it seems. Officially 1 and 2 Dets RCOC were based at Aldershot but I suppose with the move into Bordon that Camp became the actual HQ for all activities.

May I ask if you could assist further in this project because we might at last write some new history, namely about the numbers of vehicles assembled in Aldershot, Southampton and then Slough, and also when 2 Det started any assembly work in Slough?

I must just add that Southampton always had staff shortages and the RCOC personnel were supplemented by civilians. However capacity was never exploited to the maximum because there was no night shift. Why? Well research showed that the civilians wanted to get out of town by 16.00 each day because of the worry about bombings. There was no way on earth it seems that civilians could have been even forced to work when the evenings drew in because of the increasing air raid alerts and darkness = bombing!