Canadians in Hampshire (UK) before D-Day

[Andrew Whitmarsh]

Hello, I am the curator of the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth, England. We are the UK's only museum whose sole purpose is to tell the story of the Normandy Landings, and related matters.

For next year's 60th anniversary of D-Day, we will be putting on an exhibition about this area's role in D-Day. I know that many Canadian troops were stationed in Hampshire in 1944, but it is difficult to find out details. Can anyone help us? We are interested in information such as what the camps were like, what training was done in the months/weeks before D-Day, friendships between the Canadian troops and local people, and the process of the troops moving to the ports and boarding the invasion fleet. We would be particularly interested in making contact with Canadian veterans.

Some of the units that seem to have been based here before D-Day are:

Units from 7th, 8th and 9th Brigades of 3rd Canadian Division (Highland Light Infantry of Canada, Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders, North Novia Scotia Highlanders, Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa, 1st Canadian Scottish, 1st Queens Own Rifles of Canada, Regt. de la Chaudiere); and from 2nd Independent Canadian Armoured Brigade (6th, 10th and 27th Canadian Armoured Regiments).

They would have been based to the north of Portsmouth (or north - east/west). Shedfield and Wickham seem to have been a major site for Canadian camps. Some of the Canadian troops may have boarded ships or landing craft from Portsmouth or Southsea, while others (especially vehicles) will have left from Gosport, on the other side of Portsmouth Harbour.

Thank you for any suggestions.

Best wishes,

Andrew Whitmarsh

Military History Officer
Portsmouth Museums & Records Service
email: andrew.whitmarsh@REMOVEFORNOSPAMport...VEFORNOSPAM.uk
website: www.ddaymuseum.co.uk
City Museum and Records Office, Museum Road, Portsmouth PO1 2LJ, UK.