New D-Day vehicles for the Canadian army

[servicepub (RIP)]

Originally Posted by peter simundson

I deal with fact. Not Part 2 orders. Or coffee table books. Simundson

Wow. I have never been accused of that before.
All of my books are based on historical record and I would prefer to rely on that than on the 60+ year memory of a veteran. Further, any individual CO may order or condone changes to Orders but it is the study of these Orders that tells us what the Army's intent was. It is Part 2 Orders that are fact - not the reminiscences of a veteran or the provenance of a uniform. I respect your knowledge and experience but your sweeping statements about wholesale replacement of all categories of materiel is hard to swallow.
There is written support that all units, prior to embarkation, were to report shortfalls in their War Establishment. In all cases material was supplied at the embarkation point with British material - this included motorcycles, vehicles and smal arms and allowed for the replacement of material which was lost on the way to the embarkation point. Obviously the "Continuing Canadian Supply" policy was not observed in these cases.
I don't understand the comment about British-made Canadian uniforms. The reason the Brits were making their economy pattern was because of their shortage of wool. If they were to re-clothe Canadians they would either do it with stocks of Canadian BD or they would issue British pattern BD, not a Brit-made Canadian pattern - and in which colour, British or Canadian?
In any event, until I see documented evidence or other primary sources I will file this one as an interesting story.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

All that occurred with a quarter million troops in WW2, and elsewhere for that matter, is not going to be found in orders or have a document trail.

And all that you say about museums, second hand stories from vets and wishful thinking is mostly true.

But this is Peter Simundson we're talking about. If you knew him, or had dealt with him, you'll know his knowledge and experience will turn out to be better informed than you can otherwise prove with documents. Not one to exaggerate or make things up is Peter. Quite the opposite. He's one to listen to it all and sort out the likely from the crap.

Coffee table books. Now you take that back!!

[peter simundson]

In a few posts Vet's (which we are supposed to love and respect) have been called liars and unreliable sources, a uniform I've got on the rack doesnt exist in a canadian pattern and colour and a British maker's name, even though the guy who says it doesn't has never seen it, Clive, who has done a great job publishing a series of informative Canadian books calls himself a "coffee table" book publisher,(coffee table books are 99 cents at the remainder sale at bookstores and you all know what they are) and, a guy I've never met says I don't know what I've got here and it's all fake.
Boys the fakes are on E Bay and they turn up all the time. The crap is at the Militaria Shows and it's "original" ss uniforms and Canadian battledress jackets that a month ago had no flashes and now is 3rd div. original d day. It's kangaroo badges aged with a blowtorch or whatever.
I'll give up annoying all you experts now. No more posts. I've had three phone calls asking me what's going on.
Who is this Bruce Parker guy anyway??? Seems to me someone said he had a perfectly restored Fox (all covered with red fur?) and carrier. Both ground up Museum quality. Bruce I see a complete original list of WW2 Tac sign markings in your future.

Simundson

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

May I just pick-up the reference to wool for uniforms? The Ministry of Supply acquired the whole Australian wool clip in 1939, thus frustrating as a coincidence, German plans to exchange wool for Opel cars and possibly trucks. I assume that as the war dragged on the availability of spare wool not required for the AEF etc. and shipping problems meant that the supply sagged? Excuse pun!

Reference to coffee table books reminds that I co-authored one: it was designed to be landscape format so as to sit nicely on tables! Regrettably only a handful of Canadian vehicle photos though. Of course, the discovery of 220 professional photos in a tin box that had survived unscathed was a miracle. It did however provide irrefutable evidence where relevant!

[malcolm erik bogaert]

this is what makes the MLU furum best in the world....it gets down to the nitty gritty....best regards from a rather wet north-northumberland . malcolm

[Ed Storey]

Peter, please reread my posts. Nowhere did I say that Veterans were liars, that is your wordiong and your take on what was posted. As for using Veterans as sources, they are but one source, a human source.

With respect to Peter, I always find it strange that when people are challenged to support their statements and theories with some form of tangable proof, ie documents or at times even photographs they start with a 'smoke screen' in this case you work at the QOR Museum and then also fall back on how many years collecting they have. Both of those credentials are great, but where are the facts? Once the 'smoke screen' thins and they still cannot provide any supporting proff then it is the old story, of not ever going to post agian because the 'experts' are giving me a hard time. Peter, you work at the QOR Museum, you are sitting on what could potentially be a huge resource of information, mine it, find the answers and post them, don't run off.

[Ed Storey]

Damn I forgot to run it through spell check before posting, disregard the typos...