A complete list...

peter simundson · #1 30-01-10, 23:17

...of all vehicles and their numbers and assignments of a typical WW2 Canadian Infantry Battalion.

In this case the Calgary Highlanders.

Peter Simundson

Jordan Baker · #2 30-01-10, 23:34

Hi Peter

That is amazing. You wouldn't happen to have the same kind of thing for the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry would you.

peter simundson · #3 31-01-10, 03:50

I wish I did. Don't have a QOR one either. But I have an early (41?) one when they were in Sussex. Have a complete tac sign list with drawings and sizes too.

Peter S

cletrac (RIP) · #4 31-01-10, 03:51

How about one for the RCHA? It'd be interesting to see what an artillery unit had.

derk derin · #5 31-01-10, 07:24

Peter,
I was looking for an ambulance in the list but didn't see one.Were ambulances attached to a battalion or were they called in as needed in a medical emergency?
Thanks,Derk.

Jordan Baker · #6 31-01-10, 13:04

Hi Peter

Sorry maybe its just me getting home from night shift, but the 1941 list you have. Was it RHLI or CH. At any rate are you able to post it up. Would be great to see. I'd assume that the tac signs would be the same for both regiments since they were both in the same division.

Thats very cool and I wish there was a list that was made for the war diaries, reading if it was sunny or not is interesting.......this is a "tad" bit more....

peter simundson · #7 31-01-10, 17:04

.....is QOR. As is the Tac Sign Group. Very different from Europe.

I'll have to look for them.

Peter S

peter simundson · #8 31-01-10, 17:15

....had a Medical Officer (Capt.) attached, who had a HUP and a driver. He also had a 15 cwt. with two drivers and his Medical Equipment and tents etc. In the Infantry Units the Band members were the stretcher bearers and medics. They did a quick patch and brought the injured man to the MO. He did a further patch and sent the troops off to Brigade either in the Unit Medical jeep, which carried three strechers or in Brigade ambulances.

The Chaplain and his team recovered the KIA for burial.

When a strecher man was killed the replacement order asked for a man with musical instrument skills. (Of course)

Peter S

horsa · #9 31-01-10, 18:19

Would love to see the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (MG) vehicle list breakdown.

Was there a date associated with the sheets you found? Seems the T-16 in the A/T gun role was held off until all of the 4.2-inch mortar platoons were equipped with the T-16. Just wondering when that would have been accomplished. Thinking it would have been August-September 1944.

Also very interesting that they differentiated the jeeps by maker. I'd have thought at the time that a Willys or Ford were both simply jeeps to them.

peter simundson · #10 31-01-10, 18:48

....is 20th June 1944. Can't comment on your thoughts about the gpw/willys thing but agree with what you're thinking.

Peter S

BCBlitz · #11 31-01-10, 19:16

Thanks for that info Peter

Now if we could only cross engine and chassis serial #'s to this list, that would be very interesting reading for us out west with CMP's

Thanks for sharing this with us all.

Gordon Yeo · #12 31-01-10, 19:50

One night many, many years ago while outside at band practice an old vet who had been in the army came across the street and said 'Here is something for you to keep'. I am a piper and it was at the Legion where we have band pracice, it was nice summers evening and we were outside with our instruments.
He then told me the story about what he had given me. It was a silver furrel off the the blow pipe of the Regimental Pipemajor of the Calgary Highlanders bagpipes. What made it so interesting was that it was all they found and recognized of the bagpipes after the 15CWT the bagpipes were on was blown up by enemy fire.
I wonder if that truck is on that list? The silver furrel is one of my treasures.

peter simundson · #13 31-01-10, 22:46

...seriously consider donating that to the Calgary Highlander's Museum.

They are a solid Unit with a great History. Their Museum Curator is an honest hard-working type (aren't we all?) who would display it and credit you.

Peter Simundson

derk derin · #14 31-01-10, 23:20

Peter,
I viewed the list again and now see " Med Section" where they had their vehicles listed. Was the HUP an ambulance version or staff car? I have pictures of the HUP ambulance that is in the CFB Shilo Museum collection of Bill Greggs vehicles.

I was also thinking of restoring my Ford jeep into a stretcher jeep as the Canadian Army seemed to use the jeep for this role alot.Do you have any pictures of your units stretcher jeep in service?Were they like any of these:

Interesting how they would use band members as stretcher bearers.
Regards,Derk.

peter simundson · #15 01-02-10, 00:57

It was his office and home.

Notice anything funny about Gregg's ambulance??? The doors are jury rigged. Not real. He had 3 HUP's at Borden. They were supposed to restore one and scrap the others. Two had cut back bodies but good parts on them.
The mechanic assigned to do it pulled the good one apart for sandblasting but mistakenly put the sliding roof and the back doors in one of the
other vehicles for storage temporarily. The good vehicle went for blasting and the mechanic went on holidays.
When he was away the other two trucks were scrapped out. Along with the hatch and good back doors.
Bill was not happy about this.

Peter S

Gordon Yeo · #16 01-02-10, 02:45

In WW1 pipers lead the regimental advance from the front and were stretcher bearers as secondary trade. The attrition rate was obvious and changes had to be made, part way throught WW1 they were held back out of the advance and only piped troops behind the lines.
In WW2 that lesson didn't have to be relearnt.

Peter
I have no definite idea why Mr. cook would come and give me the silver furrel. Yes, it probably should go to the Calgary Museum, but for now it is something special to me.
Gord

derk derin · #17 01-02-10, 19:31

Peter,
It is dissapointing to hear of HUP doors being scrapped as my HUP project never started for the reason I could never find all the pieces to make it worthwhile to start a restoration on it.I finally sold it off to another member who used it to make a Burma buggy. It was dissapointing as I really wanted to restore a HUP but am much happier now that I have a complete CMP ambulance to restore.Here is what I had for a HUP;

Derk.