My canadian grandad

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by Sarah Reed
I think i have just hit a

Sarah, Sarah, Sarah... we'll have none of this talk here! All we're dealing with are the bureaucracies of several different levels of government and their associated minions, those delightful Creatures from the Dark Side known colloquially as 'Simple Servants'. There are always ways around their roadblocks! Let's start with your side of the pond - some here, David Hayward immediately springs to mind - will know how you can get your mum's documentation, which you can build upon from there. We'll sort the Canadian end eventually, too...

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

A Market Gardener would have been a nice, relaxing job post-war I would have thought...but could have included greenhouse work, veg-growing, etc. Or flowers! What is the date of the marriage certificate?

My suggestion is that you contact the Royal British Legion at British Legion Hall, which was in Victoria Grove, Bridport, and one number I found which may give you a lead is 01308 420804. I am however having terrible difficulty in finding any contact address/number for the Legion there! It may be just a small branch. They would surely know of the gentleman if he was a member, and may have his service number on file (required to join I gather from my dad).

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

To get Mum's birth certificate is going to be easy-peasy now! The Register Office for Bridport, where presumably she was born, will have the archives on file. Just give them the maiden name and date of birth and pay their fee! That certificate will give you the father's name + occupation + address.

How Grandad ended up as a Market Gardener and marrying a girl from 76 miles away I can only speculate....was she in the Women's Land Army in the Upavon region? Or in the Services? In a civvy job on an Army base? NAAFI? That said the Marriage Certificate will say what her occupation was.

I would try the Legion next and see if they can help.

[John McGillivray]

You can scratch the Lord Strathcona’s Horse off the list. There is a nominal roll in the regimental history. It lists Tprs J.T. Parker and L.P. Parker, but no E.L. Parker.

As for North Africa, the Canadians had some reinforcement units there so he may have passed through N.Africa before going to Italy to join an armoured unit as a replacement. Also the 5th Canadian Armoured Division cooled their heels in N.Africa for a while in late 1943, before going to Italy.

Did your grand dad serve with Tanks (Tank Corps?). If so then you can discount the Royal Canadian Dragoons because this was an Armoured Car Regiment; and the 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards because this was a light recce regiment which was later converted to an Infantry regiment (i.e. no tanks).

[PPS]

Sarah,

Do you know if there was ever any mention of any awards (medals, M.I.D., etc.) to your grandad?

Paul.

[PPS]

This site shows a map of camps used by the C.A.C. 1940 - 1944

http://www.firsthussars.ca/photos/ma...at-Britain.jpg

The two previously mentioned by Mark are shown on the map.

Paul.

[John McGillivray]

Here are some links for you to try.

http://www.ontrmuseum.ca/

http://www.12rbc.ca/

http://www.kingsown.ca/

http://www.ggfg.ottawa.on.ca/

http://www.8chassociation.com/

http://www.okmilmuseum.ca/okmilmuseumbcd.htm

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by John McGillivray
Also the 5th Canadian Armoured Division cooled their heels in N.Africa for a while in late 1943, before going to Italy.

Hi John;

Not to take away from Sarah's thread, but were did you get that the "5th Canadian Armoured Division cooled their heels in N.Africa for a while in late 1943, before going to Italy"?

The transports carrying the division sailed direct to Italy from the UK, docking at Naples on 8 and 10 November 1943, with the division itself going into a transit area five miles north of the port astride the road to Caserta.

Source:

- Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War, Volume II, The Canadians in Italy 1943-1945
- CMHQ Report No. 170 - OPERATION "TIMBERWOLF", The Movement of I Cdn Corps to the Mediterranean, 1943

also:

Originally posted by John McGillivray
the 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards because this was a light recce regiment which was later converted to an Infantry regiment (i.e. no tanks).

Yes, they were converted to infantry (and allocated to the Canadian Infantry Corps) effective 13 July 1944 and redesignated: 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards, C.I.C., but they were converted back to 'armour' (and allocated to the Canadian Armoured Corps) effective 15 March 1945 and redesignated: 4th Reconnaissance Regiment (4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards), C.A.C., and resumed their role as the divisional reconnaissance regiment for the 1st Canadian Infantry Division when I Canadian Corps rejoined First Canadian Army in North West Europe.

Cheers

[John McGillivray]

Originally posted by Mark W. Tonner
Not to take away from Sarah's thread, but were did you get that the "5th Canadian Armoured Division cooled their heels in N.Africa for a while in late 1943, before going to Italy"?

The regimental History of the GGHG by John Marteinson (p185 and p188) has them landing in Algiers on the 26th of Nov. 1943. The Regimental Vanguard boarded another ship to Phillipperville where they changed ship again before sailing to Italy. The fighting squadrons moved from the port of Algiers to a British staging camp in the Foret de Ferdinand, Algeria, where they waited until the 16th of December for ships to take them to Italy.

The LdSH history confirms the same story (p39) that the vanguard passed thought Algiers and Phillipperville on their way to Italy while the fighting squadrons spent three weeks in the British staging camp in the Foret de Ferdinand near Zeralda, Algeria.

The link below confirms also that the 8th Hussars first sailed to North Africa before going to Italy.
http://www.army.dnd.ca/8HUSSARS/Docu...arrative_e.htm

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by John McGillivray
The link below confirms also that the 8th Hussars first sailed to North Africa before going to Italy.
http://www.army.dnd.ca/8HUSSARS/Docu...arrative_e.htm

Hi John;

The 8th Hussars link didn't tell me a thing. I'll read the two other page references for the LdSH and GGHG when I get home.

Cheers

[John McGillivray]

Originally posted by Mark W. Tonner
The 8th Hussars link didn't tell me a thing. I'll read the two other page references for the LdSH and GGHG when I get home.

In the fourth paragraph

“The Regiment was stationed in England until 1943 when it sailed for North Africa. Approximately two weeks later the Regiment left for Italy, where it fought until 1945.”

http://www.army.dnd.ca/8HUSSARS/Docu...arrative_e.htm

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by John McGillivray
In the fourth paragraph

I saw/read that John, but it still doesn't tell me a bloody thing.

Cheers

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

If you require an affidavit, you may have to get something drawn up in England by a NOTARY PUBLIC, and few solicitors are Notaries. This is because it's international, but you could get a Canadian solicitor to draw it up for you.

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by John McGillivray
The regimental History of the GGHG by John Marteinson (p185 and p188) has them landing in Algiers on the 26th of Nov. 1943. The Regimental Vanguard boarded another ship to Phillipperville where they changed ship again before sailing to Italy. The fighting squadrons moved from the port of Algiers to a British staging camp in the Foret de Ferdinand, Algeria, where they waited until the 16th of December for ships to take them to Italy.

The LdSH history confirms the same story (p39) that the vanguard passed thought Algiers and Phillipperville on their way to Italy while the fighting squadrons spent three weeks in the British staging camp in the Foret de Ferdinand near Zeralda, Algeria.

The link below confirms also that the 8th Hussars first sailed to North Africa before going to Italy.
http://www.army.dnd.ca/8HUSSARS/Docu...arrative_e.htm

Hi John;

Both Nicholson in Volume II and Stacey in CMHQ Report No. 170 leave you with the impression that the whole of the 5th Armd Div landed in Italy direct. I have gone back through both unit histories for units of the 5th Armd Bde and 11th Inf Bde, and various 'Corps' histories and they all confirm that the units of the 5th Armd Div were indeed scattered between Sicily/Italy/N. Africa for a period of roughly two weeks upon arrival in the Med. prior too actually being brought together as a whole in Italy.

I should have looked at the unit/corps histories first, instead of the 'official' history.

Cheers

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by John McGillivray
You can scratch the Lord Strathcona’s Horse off the list. There is a nominal roll in the regimental history. It lists Tprs J.T. Parker and L.P. Parker, but no E.L. Parker.

Hi Sarah;

Another unit you can probably scratch is the 3rd Canadian Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (The Governor General's Horse Guards), C.A.C. - from the 1954 edition of their history The Governor General's Horse Guards 1939 - 1945, the nominal roll shows the following has having served with the regiment (between 1939 to 1945): Parker, A.C.; Parker, B.; Parker F.E. and Parker, J.T.

Cheers

[Sarah Reed]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
A Market Gardener would have been a nice, relaxing job post-war I would have thought...but could have included greenhouse work, veg-growing, etc. Or flowers! What is the date of the marriage certificate?

My suggestion is that you contact the Royal British Legion at British Legion Hall, which was in Victoria Grove, Bridport, and one number I found which may give you a lead is 01308 420804. I am however having terrible difficulty in finding any contact address/number for the Legion there! It may be just a small branch. They would surely know of the gentleman if he was a member, and may have his service number on file (required to join I gather from my dad).

Hi david .

My other grandad ( on my father' side) is a secretary / member of the Lyme Regis British Legion (about 10 miles from Bridport) and he is going to ask someone he knows if they can find out any info for me.
When he gets some news i will let you know.

[Sarah Reed]

Originally posted by PPS
Do you know if there was ever any mention of any awards (medals, M.I.D., etc.) to your grandad?

Hi Paul , no i don't know if my grandad had any medals etc.

As you all know i have only just found out about him being a p.o.w in ww2 so have yet to go down this road.

Hopefully when i do get his service records hopefully it might say something on there.

[PPS]

Sarah,

I have just noticed that a new member, Mike C, has a book about Canadian Armour in the Italian Campaign.

May be he could give you some information on any units that your grandead might have been in.

Paul.

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by PPS
Sarah,

I have just noticed that a new member, Mike C, has a book about Canadian Armour in the Italian Campaign.

May be he could give you some information on any units that your grandead might have been in.

Paul.

Hi Paul;

The information Sarah is looking for will not be found within the above mentioned book, a copy of which I also have.

Cheers

[PPS]

Thanks for that Mark, it was just a thought.

Paul.

[Sarah Reed]

Thanks paul and Mark for help.

I am still doing some reaserch and not getting very far.

I did find a book with a list of men who were in pow camps during ww2, in the book there is a E.L Parker listed so i need to try and see if there is a connection there,but i am not having much luck at the moment.

I am also having problems of trying to find out what regiment he was in . The websites dont give to much away do they.

[PPS]

Sarah,

Which book did you find the name in?

Which camps does it cover? Is it just Europe, or are there other areas?

Paul.

[Sarah Reed]

Originally posted by PPS
Sarah,

Which book did you find the name in?

Which camps does it cover? Is it just Europe, or are there other areas?

Paul.

Hi paul, the book was a list of pow soldiers names during the second world war.(not quite sure of it's name , i found it in the reference library.)
The camps are in Germany only. ( It does not say what camp just a number.)

It gives a list of men , what camp no, there army no, plus rank they were.

[PPS]

Although it is open to criticism at times, Wikipaedia has an article that lists POW Camps by number with their location.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._Camps_in_WWII

There is also:-

http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/pow/pow.html

The second one might be of more use as it lists Italian camps as well.

What was the camp number, if you can remember?

Paul.

[PPS]

Sarah,

On the marriage certificate that you have for your Grandad, does it give an occupation for his father

Paul.

[PPS]

Sarah,

Are there any siblings that you know of? Especially older ones because they may give a lead in the available census records.

And have you possibly identified a place of birth for Eric and/or siblings

Paul

[Sarah Reed]

Hi Paul ,


I have found out that Eric was born in Toronto. I have also rang the registry people there and because of red tape and with me not being next of kin they won't give out the information that i require.
The lady that i spoke to did give me an address for the vital statistic place for me to ask them for help. But when i looked at the website it says don't write to them as they don't do researchs and also they only go up to 1910 where as i want 1918.
Because i was so young when Eric died i Dont know if he did have any siblings.
When i spoke to someone in the family they said that a relative Of Eric's had killed his wife and children then himself , this i think happened quite recently.
I still need to find out what regiment he was in and that is where i have got stuck as the web sites dont give out alot of information unless you know what you are looking for.
going back to the registry office apparently in ten years time the information that i require will become available with out all the red tape because he would have been born over 100 yrs ago and it then becomes public knowledge.

[PPS]

Sarah,

If you have not already seen or tried this site, it may be of help.

http://www.british-genealogy.com/for...ad.php?t=19121

Paul.

(also posting this on Anthea's thread)

[PPS]

Originally Posted by Sarah Reed

Hi Paul ,

When i spoke to someone in the family they said that a relative Of Eric's had killed his wife and children then himself , this i think happened quite recently.
I still need to find out what regiment he was in and that is where i have got stuck as the web sites dont give out alot of information unless you know what you are looking for.

Sarah,

Do you have any idea where this might have happened?

Was it here in the UK or somewhere else?

Paul.

[Sarah Reed]

Originally Posted by PPS

Sarah,

If you have not already seen or tried this site, it may be of help.

http://www.british-genealogy.com/for...ad.php?t=19121

Paul.

(also posting this on Anthea's thread)

Thanks for the link paul , no i had not seen this website .