Queens Own Cameron Highlanders (British Army)

[David Dunlop]

Did this British Army Regiment ever serve in Belgium, or Holland, during World War Two? I think they were in France and active with the retreat to Dunkirk in 1940, but wondered if they returned to Europe post D-Day.

David

[Tony Mathers]

5th Cameronians - 51st Highland Division 1944 - Europe
6th, 7th Cameronians - 52nd Lowland Division 1944 - Europe
9th Cameronians - 15th Division 1944 - Europe

[David Dunlop]

Hi Tony.

I think the Cameronians were a different unit entirely from the QOCH. THey wore the Douglas tartan and had the claim to fame of being the first Rifle Regiment of any of the Highland Regiments in the British Army.

Some of the QOCH Regiment fought with Australian units in and around Borneo I think, but I do not know if they ever got back to Europe before the war ended.

David

[Tony Mathers]

You are correct - sorry I was a bit hasty... . not sure which division they were in but appears they are around in 1945.

Wiki:

Four battalions of the Cameron Highlanders served in World War II, and ten representative battle honours were chosen to be borne on the King's Colour:

Saint-Omer-La Bassée (a battle on the retreat to Dunkirk, May 1940)
Reichswald
Rhine
Keren
Sidi Barrani
El Alamein
Akarit a Wadi in Tunisia
Gothic Line
Kohima
Mandalay

The 4th Battalion was sent to the West Indies in 1942, with a company detached to the Bermuda Garrison (including future Major Donald Henry "Bob" Burns, MC, who would subsequently be a Second-in-Command of the Bermuda Regiment, Town Crier of St. George's, and Guinness world record holder for loudest human speaking voice).

[David Dunlop]

Thanks for this reply, Tony. It does confirm that by 1945, the QOCH were definitely in Germany. I just need to figure out the route they took to get there, particularly if the Regiment travelled through Belgium and Holland to get there.

The reason is a Scottish uncle of mine who I met in 1960. He and my Dad hit if off because Dad had served with the QOCH of Canada during the war, and my uncle still had his Cameron kilt, which Dad had tried on in in my Aunt and Uncles back garden. My uncle talked very little about his wartime service, but did say he had been a paratrooper and had badly injured one or both ankles jumping into either Belgium or Holland. Back in 1960, I was just a kid. This was interesting information. End of story.

This past weekend I was looking into the family history about this part of my family and finally confirmed his full name. Running this past the Internet, I found his wartime service records with the QOCH are available to me for order. This confirmed he was indeed a member of the Cameron's from the start of the war to 1946. I will likely get a bit more info once I order the file.

I was going to leave it at that, but a few more pages of possible leads were still on line so decided to look some more. Was mildly shocked to find a 1945 London Gazette PDL noting he had been to St. James Palace for presentation of the George Medal by King George VI. my uncle was ID'd in the article by his relevant Regimental, name, rank and service number, but the citation which I expected to also see published to explain the circumstances of his nomination for the George Medal was completely missing. Found that a big odd. Looked at a few more pages of possible information, and was totally gobsmacked to find yet another reference to him in the British National Archives in Kew. It confirmed he was a member of the QOCH, but also, that he was a Secret Agent for the SOE and this file is presently sealed until 2031.

Now his comments in 1960 about being a paratrooper make more sense than if he had just been an average member of the QOCH. It also might explain why the citation is missing from the London Gazette. A lot more digging to do, but this will explain my recent postings about the Gazette and why I am curious about the movements of the QOCH in the latter stages of the war. I am mildly suspicious my uncle may have been injured jumping into Belgium or Holland near the end of the war and that his award had something to do with his SOE activities.

David