Canadian Motor Battalion using C15TA

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Julian Weber

So it could be possible, that a Regiment in the 1st Inf Div received the C15TAs as a "Lorried Infantry" without receiving the Motor distinction?

I quote from "The C15TA in Canadian Service" (by Roger Lucy):

That reads to me as if the II and III Canadian Corps in NWE would have gotten the M5 Half Tracks (at least initially), but the Motor Battalions in Italy would have received the C15TA in late 44. BUT that is contradictory to the info that the only Motor Battalion in Italy was already converted to regular Infantry by then.

Or could it be that the Westies fought under Infantry doctrine with the 12 Inf Brig but were still equipped with the C15TA und thus were more of a "Lorried Infantry" that fought only dismounted and only used the armoured trucks to keep up with the armoured troups inbetween battles?

Thanks,
Julian

I stand to be corrected but I don't think C15TA's ever made it to Italy, at least not issued to Canadian troops. Even when the 1st Corps (comprised of the 1st Infantry & 5th Amoured Divisions and the 1st Armoured Brigade) moved to Holland for the last months of the war they tended to bring along their own vehicles (one example of this is that Mk.1* carrier production after 1943 went to Italy and Mk.II* to NW Europe. As a result Mk.1* carriers are only seen in NW Europe at the end of the war after the 1st Corps arrived there to join the rest of the Canadians in the 1st Army).

Photo evidence would suggest C15TA's were not widely available and/or issued to battalions in the Canadian 1st Army.

[Julian Weber]

You may be right. I invested quite some time already researching this, but have no evidence so far. But - and I know this is not much- in a Flames of war rulebook it says that Canadian Motor Platoons can choose to take C15TAs, which got me interested in the first place.

So you are suggesting that the only battlefields that the C15TA saw in WW2 was the Scheldt and Holland?

[Ed Storey]

Here is an Op GOLDFLAKE image at Marseilles of a Canadian C15TA.

IMG_0081 copy.jpg

[Julian Weber]

Thank you so much. Operation Goldflake was a good hint. Found another one:

https://legionmagazine.com/en/wp-con...Feb13-1945.jpg

Caption says: "Armoured truck of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division crossing the Guillotiers Bridge over the Rhone River during Operation Goldflake."
Source: https://legionmagazine.com/en/2012/0...te-february-2/


Do you have more info, Ed? What is the source of your picture?

[Ed Storey]

Library and Archives Canada (LAC).

[Julian Weber]

Another one from R.V. Lury;

By 6 June (1944), 596 C15TAs had been received by CAOS (Canadian army overseas) and, by early September, sufficient C15TAs were on hand that first Canadian Army could begin replacing its White Scout Cars and US half-tracks.
...
By 3 January 1945, CAOS had received 918 C15TAs, of which 445 had been issued to units in Italy and 465 in Northwest Europe.

That plus the goldflake pictures to me is enough evidence that there should've been enough to equip A Motor battalion and if it was A battalion, my best guess would still be the Westies.

I will still look out for something more conclusive but at least I feel confident enough that it is not going to be a dead end.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Julian Weber

Thank you so much. Operation Goldflake was a good hint. Found another one:

ttps://legionmagazine.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/PA-142073_Feb13-1945.jpg

Caption says: "Armoured truck of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division crossing the Guillotiers Bridge over the Rhone River during Operation Goldflake."
Source: https://legionmagazine.com/en/2012/0...te-february-2/

The current URL of this article: https://legionmagazine.com/on-this-date-february-2/

IMG_6450.jpeg
Armoured truck of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division crossing the Guillotiers Bridge over the Rhone River during Operation Goldflake.
13 February 1945
PHOTO: BARRY G. GILROY, DND, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA PA-142073

I read that most if not all bridges in Lyon over the rivers were demolished by the retreating German Army in September 1944. The pont de la Guillotière was no exception. But the US Army Engineers were able to lay a Bailey bridge over the collapsed section so it could be used again. This French webpage describes the destruction of the bridges in Lyon: https://museemilitairelyon.com/2021/...lyon-detruits/

The caption led me to the record at the LAC: http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redire...01520&lang=eng, sadly there is "No digital object". But the Context of this record lead me to a pdf file containing a few pictures which could be the one in question. The photo sown above is on the right side, it is also featured in Gregg’s book. The photo on the left shows another C15TA towing the largest trailer I have seen behind one.

General Motors 15cwt. armoured truck of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division crossing the Guillotiers Bridge over the Rhone River during Operation 'Goldflake'
Date: c.a.20 Mar 1945
1 Can Corps en route through France.jpg