Heavy Support Squadron (company) 1942

[Bill Miller]

Hello all,

I recently received the diary of a Canadian Armoured Corp Trooper. It's an interesting read and contains a few mystery's for me I hope (know) some of the more knowledgeable among this group can answer.

In July of 1942 he had been with the Calgary Tank Regiment when he was transferred to what he refers to as the

"...newly formed Heavy Support Squadron, which was an experimental group and did not turn out very well and in the fall of 1942 broke up."

He was then T.O.S. to #2 CACRU until June of 1943, then on to Italy.

The cover of this well worn little diary has a small notation that reads "1st Canadian Army Tank Brgd Heavy Support COMPANY"??

My question is what the heck is this group? Were they a separate entity unto them selves or were they part of a regiment (Calgary Tanks)? His diary doesn't elaborate at all and I can't find any references to a "Heavy Support Squadron or Company in my meager home library. :

ALSO, I can't figure out exactly what this fellow did. I don't know if he was a mechanic or driver or fitter or what. Again the diary never says, but a few clues...
In Nov. of 1944 he was transfered to the Fort Gary Horse but only stayed a week because his "trade was full up". He also makes mention of the fact that in June of 1945 when he was transfered from the 1CACR to the 29CAR he got to keep his "extra 50¢ a day"? I assume that this is some sort of "trades pay". If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them. Thanks,

Bill

[Mark W. Tonner]

Hi Bill;

In answer to your question regarding the "Heavy Support Squadron" - it was a temporary change to the brigade's orginzation which took place in June 1942, when the brigade headquarters was expanded to include a heavy support squadron having a strength of five officers and ninety-two other ranks. It was equipped with nine Churchills, each mounting a 3" 20-cwt Mark I gun which fired a projectile at a speed of 2000 feet per second and could penetrate armour 100mm thick at 200 yards. It was to be used against what were being referred to as enemy super-heavy tanks until the 17-pounder anti-tank gun came into full production. These tanks were called Churchill Gun Carriers and could be assigned when required to individual tank battalions (Re: PAC, RG 24 Volume 14062). This squadron was disbanded in March 1943. (Source: DRAGOONS OF STEEL, Canadian Armour in Two World Wars)

There is more on the Churchill Gun Carrier, in a thread on the Armour Forum, located here: Churchill w/3" gun

In regards to "I can't figure out exactly what this fellow did." - he was definitely an armoured corps trade (ie: a member of the Canadian Armoured Corps proper), I would say that he was a driver. He definitely was not a gunner, due to the fact that one of his postings was to the 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment (1 CACR - "The Kangaroos") - they were not "gun tanks", and by the sounds of it, he was with 1 CACR from their formation, through to their disbandment, interesting.

Also, somewhere along the line, he must have returned to the UK for some reason, because you say that he went through No. 2 Canadian Armoured Corps Reinforcement Unit and then on to Italy in June 1943, and yet he was posted to the Fort Garry Horse in Nov 1944, which would have meant that from Italy - he returned to the UK, for whatever reason, and then was put back into the armoured corps reinforcement pipeline, and came out in North West Europe, posted to the Fort Garry Horse and then to 1 CACR a week later. It wasn't until February 1945, that the Canadian Forces in Italy started moving to North West Europe/the UK, to be re-united with First Canadian Army (Operation GOLDFLAKE).

Hope this helps.

Cheers

[Mark W. Tonner]

Hi Bill;

If your interested in some further research into the "Heavy Support Squadron", these War Establishments for a Headquarters, Canadian Army Tank Brigade, may be useful:

- revised war establishment for a Headquarters, Canadian Army Tank Brigade - Cdn III/1940/8A/2 - effective 10th July, 1942

and

- amendments for a Headquarters, Canadian Army Tank Brigade - Cdn III/1940/8A/2 - Amendment No. 1 - effective 14th August, 1942

Contained within the above mentioned, should be the actual break down of the war establishment for the "Heavy Support Squadron".

Hope this helps.

Cheers

[Bill Miller]

Thanks a lot Mark,

That's way more info than I expected... I really appreciate that. I have a few pictures of him with Churchill tanks but not the "heavy gun" type. What really sparked my curiousity was his comment that the Heavy Support Squadron "didn't do very well".

The Diary is interesting reading. It is a rather slim, small volume and there is more detail about his love life in 4 countries and 2 continents than anything else.

How he got from Italy in 1943 to NWE in the fall of '44 is not well detailed but apparently he was wounded in Feb of '44 by a "shell splinter" near Ortona. Hospitalized, he also came down with Malaria and Dysentry... so bad, that he was sent back to England. Back in the CACRU by Fall of '44.

Again thanks for the info!!

Bill.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Mark W. Tonner
Also, somewhere along the line, he must have returned to the UK for some reason, because you say that he went through No. 2 Canadian Armoured Corps Reinforcement Unit

Bill, Mark, not a lot to add to this, other than a link to report on the The Organization of the Canadian Reinforcement Units in the UK.

Hope this helps,
Hanno


Tank Convoy
Painted in 1944 by Bruno Bobak (1923–)
"Canadian-built Ram Tanks of No. 3 Canadian Armoured Corps Reinforcement Unit on a training exercise in Surrey, England."
http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/canvas/2/cwe150e.html