Canadian Troops in North Africa

Pylon1357

Yet another myth - and Strome should know better - Rommel was fired after his defeat at Medenine just before 8th Army crossed into Tunisia in late late '42.....Strome and the 1st Cdn Inf Div didn't land until 10th July '43 - in Sicily an

by that time Rommel was long gone..and brought back to be the boss of Northern Italy - where he was moved over to France to see to the West Wall - Kesselring then took over all of Italy

Cheers

 

I wish that I could recall where I got it, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that some officers from 1st Canadian Div were attached to units of 1st Army in Tunisia to gain combat experience. I suspect I got that from a Canadian official history, but can't confirm it yet.

 

An example from the war diary notes of the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers during February 1943 when they were positioned north of Bou Arada. I think I've read about others during this period.

"16th February – GRANDSTAND HILL.
Normal activity - nothing to report. Captain WJ Saul, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, reported to this Bttn for duty and was held at Bttn HQ pending posting."

More serving with the LIR during early 1943 - Captain Gale, Captain Galloway, Major Chisholm. and Captain Curry, who my Dad remembered..

“Captain Curry of the Toronto Scottish took over as E Company commander and we were moved to Stuka Farm where F Company had held the Hermann Goerring Division on 26 February."


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(edit added to llst)

 

Canadians attached 1st British Army Tunisia. Appendix A Attached 78 Div:




http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/rep-rap/doc/cmhq/cmhq095.pdf

 

These are the names of the 6 who are included in the CWGC data base and buried in Tunisia from Nov 1942 to May 1943 - seems to tie up with 6 killed in the official war history..

LETCHER, WILLIAM GRANVILLE
SergeantP/15435 02/04/1943 224th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards, R.C.A.C.Canadian 3. E. 2.TABARKA RAS RAJEL WAR CEMETERY

FALKNER, GRAEME
Major 26/04/1943 Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, R.C.I.C.Canadian D. 22.THIBAR SEMINARY WAR CEMETERY

MAY, DAVID ARTHUR
Captain 27/02/1943 Age 24 Royal Canadian Artillery Canadian 11. G. 8.MEDJEZ-EL-BAB WAR CEMETERY

HERTZBERG, OLAF MORRIS
Captain 26/02/1943 Canadian Intelligence Corps Canadian 15. A. 4.MEDJEZ-EL-BAB WAR CEMETERY

LORTIE, ARMAND
SergeantD/61768 11/03/1943 Age 21 Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal, R.C.I.C.Canadian 5. C. 5.MEDJEZ-EL-BAB WAR CEMETERY

LACROIX, ARTHUR
SergeantC/20557 05/03/1943 Age 21 Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (M.G.), R.C.I.C.Canadian Face 39.MEDJEZ-EL-BAB MEMORIAL

 

All

if Lt Col Stacey appends his signature to the presence of Canadian Officers and N.C.O's in British units of 1st Army in Algeria and Tunisia - according also to Wills - and Richards note of graves of the aforesaid officers and N.C.O's who were

KIA in that campaign ...then I must have been right in my initial posting on the subject......sheesh !


Cheers

 

Tom,

You were...I shall be at the Moro River CWGC cemetery next week and will pay approrpriate respect to the many Canadian men lying at peace there.

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Richard

You will find that 6000 Canadians died in Italy - not a huge amount compared to Britain's losses but compared with the actual populations of Canada's 11 m to Britain's 50+ m.......to-day we are told that our population has now

reached the grand total of 35M - it has taken a while but just cause for celebration - not quite on the same level as some Mid East person has just bought a three storey penthouse apartment in downtown Vancouver for $55m..guess he can see

ALL the mountains from there

Cheers

 

Gents
The program that introduced Canadian troops to combat in North Africa was not part of Operation Canloan and was not limited to Subalterns, Lieutenants and Captains. A close friend of mine tells me of an Uncle who was Canadian driver/operator who served with a British armoured Regiment in North Africa; unfortunately, he was unable to provide any info into 'who' and 'how'. The first flight of operation Canloan left Canada in Mid April 44 and arrived in time for some of the Officers to join Battalions which landed on D-Day in Fact several were attached to the 6th British airborne and landed/jumped with them.
My understanding is that all Canloans were restricted to NWE. Part of the deal allowed Canada to recall them and/or the British Army to return them if unfit; therefore they were to be kept close to home base.
I don't have the Canloan history and read it some time ago, so I do not have dates and details but am quite sure of the destination of these Volunteers.http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Canloan%3A+Canucks+with+the+Brits+in+WWII.-a030148121

Nicholson The History of the Canadian Army 1939-1945
Chapter XVIII
Canadian Soldiers in Many Roles, 1939-1945

Canadian Officers in the British Army

At various times in the course of the war Canadian soldiers fought in the Armies of Canada's Allies. We have seen, for instance, Canadians gaining battle experience with the British Army in North Africa, and serving with United States and other forces in the Pacific as preparation for a final campaign against Japan which was fated never to take place. In addition, a large group of Canadian officers were lent to the British
Army and fought with distinction in various British regiments during the final campaigns.

This "Canloan" scheme, as it came to be called, had its origin in discussions held by Major-General H. F. G. Letson, the Canadian Adjutant General, during a visit to England in October 1943. At this time the British Army was seriously short of junior officers (especially infantry officers) for the impending campaign in North-West Europe, and the suggestion was made that Canada could help meet this situation. Partly as a result of the disbandment of two Home Defence divisions, she had some officers to spare, and in the end she provided 622 infantry officers and (in accordance with a special request) 51 officers for the Royal Army Ordnance Corps--673 "Canloan" officers in all. By agreement between the two countries, the officers continued to be paid by the Canadian Government at Canadian rates. When in battledress they wore all the badges of their respective British units, plus "Canada" badges; when in "service dress they were permitted to wear Canadian uniforms and badges.

The officers volunteering for this duty were carefully "screened" in Canada by Selection Boards. Those approved received a special four-week course designed to bring them up to the standard of officers leaving the Canadian Reinforcement Units in the United Kingdom. The first group of Canloan officers arrived in Britain on 7 April 1944, and the remainder followed during the next few months. The great majority were lieutenants, but a few captains were included.

The Canadians were immediately posted to British units; wherever possible, to the regiment, if any, with which the officer's Canadian unit was allied. Many of them were in action on the Normandy beaches on D Day, and virtually all of them saw very active service during the weeks that followed. There is no doubt that in general they acquitted themselves extremely well; this is attested by the reports made on individuals as well as by statistics for the group as a whole.

The Canloan officers suffered heavy casualties. The total in all categories amounted to 465, including 101 killed in action, five presumed killed, 20 died of wounds, one died of sickness and one from accident, and 310 wounded, while 27 became prisoners of war. One hundred and twenty-six fatal battle casualties out of 673 officers was a high proportion, but not exceptionally high for a group almost all of whom were junior officers in fighting infantry battalions. The excellence of the service rendered by the Canloan officers is witnessed not only by the losses they suffered but also by the honours they won, which include 41 Military Crosses and one bar. Although they were originally lent only for service in North-West Europe or the Mediterranean, authority was ultimately granted for them to volunteer for other theatres, and a number offered themselves for duty in South-East Asia.

The Canloan scheme may be accounted decidedly successful; the gallant young officers lent to the British forces under its terms did their country credit and made a distinguished and significant contribution to the military effort of the Commonwealth and the winning of the war.


Matt

 

Matt

Amazing that I and many others - including Bexliy's Father - called the Canadian Officers and N.C.O's we met in British units in North Africa - CANLOAN people in 1943 ..long before they were trained and landed in the Uk in1944

how time flew in those days

Cheers

 

Tom
Do you suppose that the conjures of code-words, stole the moniker from the men on the ground, when they launched Operation Canloan Oct 43
Matt

 

Matt

more than likely as the Tunisian campaign finished on May 12th '43 - with the Canadians loaned people in British regiments

Cheers

 

No new information, but yesterday, I got hold of Strome Galloway's account of his time with the London Irish Rifles in Tunisia from Feb to April 1943...I, of course, have a vested interest in this period and his diary entries definitely help to underpin some of the experiences described by my father in respect of 26th Feb 1943 at Stuka Ridge (Spike Milligan has also written a version).

Here's a picture of what Galloway describes as the "Q List" Officers' group when they returned to England in May 1943... no doubt there's a few recognisable faces.

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