Which Canadian units were sent to France in 1940?

[Michael Ockenden]

Thanks very much everyone. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Mike

[Michael Ockenden]

I've changed a note on the Wikipedia page which had stated that Canadian units were evacuated from Dunkirk. To my knowledge there were no units taken off at Dunkirk ... although there may have been individuals with the British army.
M

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

McNaughton went to France and took with him staff and vehicles..the photo I have seen, probably on MLU, shows that they had their own vehicles. They obviously came back but how and when? The lucky chaps who were on board at Dover and who were disembarked were of course also captured on camera.

[Michael Ockenden]

So is it right to say that no Canadians (apart from individuals) were taken off during the Dunkirk evacuation?
Thanks ...
M

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I have checked my material such as iI have, on my computer. I have a copy of file CMQ015 and this part is relevant:

6. It may be noted that the part of 1 Cdn Div which actually got to France were the same that had been led to expect action in the preceding month. On 24 May, 1940, 1 Cdn Inf Bde was actually on board ship at DOVER, but was ordered to disembark. It received another move order on 26 May, but this was countermanded after a few hours. The proposals for action in May were three in number, and the story is a complicated one. The last revival of the idea of sending Canadian troops in through DUNKIRK was on 27 May, and was evidently the consequence of an appeal from General Lord GORT. By this time General McNaughton had decided that the idea was foolish, and had resolved, if ordered to undertake the operation, to send as few troops as possible to make this "rather theatrical sacrifice", as he called it. (See "G" diary, 1 Cdn Div., May, 1940, especially Appendices LXV and LXXXI.)

All the evidence I have suggest that only the 1 Infantry Brigade got to France, and did not obviously disembark through Dunkirk. I have to assume that Macnaughton and his staff came back via another port. Does this mean that your answer is 'Yes'?

[Michael Ockenden]

That all seems conclusive and, furthermore, in all my reading about Dunkirk I had not come across any references to Canadians.

And what an interesting topic you chose for your thesis!

Thanks again ...

M

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

My thesis was on the Southampton Plant of General Motors Limited, though you would probably not have gathered that!