South Alberta Sherman III

[John McGillivray]

Tony Viste made an interesting post on the ML forum below:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/47208...de+disbandment

This may explain this photo. It is from Donald Graves book “South Albertas” (p200) It is NAC PA-132019 and shows A-4 Troop of the SAR at Putte Belgium in early September 1944. The Sherman III in the photo still wares the number “52” on the AoS on the right rear of the tank. This was the AoS of the Strffordshire Yeomanry of the 27th Armoured Brigade. So it appears that at least one ex-27AB Sherman III reached SAR of 4CAD.

[John McGillivray]

I did a little more digging and it looks like the information contained in Donald Graves’ book is wrong. In early Sept. the town of Putte was still in German hands, so the South Albertas could not have being in it. Putte was only liberated by the Essex Scottish around the 4th of October.

A search on the National Archives of Canada site shows photo PA-132019 with the caption “Squadron Leader Walter S. Dunlop, Command Chaplain in Protestant Chapel RCAF Station Rockcliffe” So the photo number is wrong.

If you search for the name “Putte” on the NAC site you do find a number of photos of the Fort Garry Horse in Putte on the 6th of October, 1944.

So it appears that the tanks in the photo I posted belong to the Fort Garry Horse in Putte on the 6th of October, and not to A-4 troop of the SAR.

So that is why one should always check more than one source for information. Sorry about that.

[wim sikkelbein]

After reading John's topic on the Sherman III I was wondering:

Did the South Alberta regiment use the Sherman III in NWE specifically the Netherlands?





The missing lynx table by Tony Viste only shows reassignments to the "c" company Elgin regiment which is:
C Sqn = Forward Delivery Squadron for 2 Cdn Armd Bde.
Fort garry horse etc.

So what about "d" company Elgin regiment for 4th Cdn Armd Div.?
The south Alberta regiment etc?

Wim

[wim sikkelbein]

John,

The photo might be right for the south alberta regiment only it would not be "putte belgium" but "putte the netherlands" and not early but late september.

According to Donald E. Graves "South Albertas" they moved from the scheldt estuary trough the mainland of zeeland into noord-brabant towards bergen op zoom in september. This way they could have had this picture taken at putte (in the netherlands) which lays between antwerp and bergen op zoom.

Wim

[John McGillivray]

I’ve went back and checked through Donald Graves’ book, and I can’t find any evidence that the South Alberta Regiment was ever in either Putte Belgium or Putte Holland. Putte Belgium is located southeast of Antwerp and appears to be outside of the area of Operations of First Canadian Army. As you noted Putte Holland is north of Antwerp close to the Belgium- Dutch border. This town was liberated by troops from the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, supported by the Fort Garry Horse on the 4th of October or soon after. There are a series of photos taken there between the 6th and the 11th of October on the NAC web site showing the Fort Garry Horse were in that town.

http://search-recherche.collectionsc...DigitalImages=

One of the photos is PA-130219 dated the 6th of October. I think that this photo, like the others, show FGH tanks.

http://mikan3.archives.ca/pam/public...396262,3334101

The South Albertas were in Ailly France , near the Somme river between the 3rd and 6th of September. They moved to St. Omer on the 6th and then to the Oostcamp - Moerbrugge area in west Belgium between the 8th and the 12th. They were in Maldegem Belgium on the 12th, and tried unsuccessfully to force a crossing over the Leopold Cannel at Moerkerkke on the 13th. Between the 14th and the 24th of Sept. SAR was clearing the areas between the Leopold and Ghent-Terneuzens Channels. From the 24th of Sept to the 9th of October the Regiment was south of the Scheldt with their RHQ at Hulst Holland. On the 9th of Oct. SAR moved through Antwerp to Camp Brasschaet Belgium (RHQ and B Sqn) with A Sqn at Brecht and C Sqn at Calmpthout. They were in Huijbergen Holland on the 23th and in Bergen Op Zoom by the 27th.

[wim sikkelbein]

I've taken a closer look at the map and discovered this:
from antwerp 9km north lays brasschaat
from brasschaat 24km north lays brecht
from brasschaat 20 km north lays kalmthout
from kalmthout 8 km west lays putte
when the sar advanced from the triangle brasschaat kalmthout brecht in north-west direction they entered holland near huijbergen.

this suggests they were close to putte but did not move trough the town.

I should have taken a better look at the map before posting my reply

Wim