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.