Hi..new to this

Hi...I had a very emotional day yesterday ...My adopted daughter wanted to include my dad who was in WW2 in her schools Rememberence Day services. My father passed away in 2009 and threw out growing up my siblings and I would ask our dad reguarding the war but he would never discuss it. He only ever said he never wanted to relive it. II have a few photoes of my dad in uniform but mostly he disguarded them but a few still existed. My daughter needed to needed to know what medals he received etc. So I notified one of my older sisters to see if she had that information and to my surprise she informed me she had a letter my dad had wrote before his death.My heart skipped a beat as I never knew this letter ever exisited. So it was sent to me...When I read it, I then truely understand why my dad would not discuss the details of the war. He enlisted in the army in May 1943 and he was a Bren Gunner and involved in The Gothic Line..Hitler Line..to name a few. He goes on to talk about crossing the Savio River and the man next to him stepping on a mine. This letter broke my heart for my father but also gave me a look into what the men went threw. My fathers name was Donald Roscoe McAvoy. I would really like to research more infomation if possible. Thank you

 

Hello Michele and welcome to the forum

a good place to start is apply for his service records link below
https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records


regards
Clive

 

Thank you so much Clive...I appreciate your assistance. I will definitly try to optain his service records. Where my father was from Halifax will I still be able to get that information from a uk link ? Sorry I am new to all this so am unsure.

Michele

 

Clive

Won't his service records be held in Canada?

 

Hello and welcome to the forum Michelle.

Sorry for the confusion but I would think your father's service records would be held in Canada. Maybe someone will come along and post the link for you.

Found some pictures of the Regiment on this link. Scroll down to see the pictures
http://www.canadaatwar.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=3479


Lesley

 

Link here for Canadian service records.
http://www.canadaatwar.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=2887

(I am sure someone will correct me if this is wrong)

 

Thank you so much Lesley...I truely appreciate your help..

Michele

 

Donald R, McAvoy 1924 - 2009 Halifax, NS

http://genforum.genealogy.com/mcavoy/messages/454.html

Donald was a veteran of the Second World War and enlisted in May of 1943 with the West Nova Scotia Regiment. He was awarded five service medals for Campaigns in Italy, Germany and the liberation of Holland.

TD

 

ah didnt realise Canadian from info in first post

 

Michelle

Your Father obviously joined the West Novas in May of '43 as then they were in 36th brigade of the 5th Armoured Division- and
stayed with them all through the war finishing up in Germany - in late November they landed in North Africa for a short

time before landing in Italy by December '43 as the 1st Division was fighting at Ortona.

They refused to take on the vehicles and Tanks of the departed British 7th AD and so waited for new stuff from the Uk before

joining the 1st Canadian Corps and their first small Battle after Ortona.

They went quiet around Naples for a while until the "Operation Diadem" when they moved up to Prezanzano - alongside my Brigade
until they moved forward to join the battle at around Frosinone - then the Gothic Line - where they captured Coriano -

after the Gothic they along with 1st Div attacked the Savio where "Smokey" Smith was earning his V.C. as we were bogged down

and couldn't assist with our Tanks

All the Canadians finished up in Italy and went off to Belgium by February '45…The War Diaries will give you more-

and Google for 'Smokey" Smith


Cheers

 

Michelle

Should explain that I was a Member of the 145th Regiment- 21st Tank Bde -British Royal Armoured Corps and we were the main

Tank support for the Cdn 1st Infantry Division from the Hitler Line until they went off to Belgium - and so we were daily near
to the West Novas at and after Prezenzano …and were bogged down when Smokey was doing his thing…

Cheers

 

OMG Tom..you have no idea what this information means to me..In my fathers letter he mentions Hitlers Line..and Savio River...please follow my post as my children are coming home from school but would like to take parts of his letter and type them here after everything is settled with the children for the night...

Thank you so much
Michele

 

West Nova Scotia Regiment: The regiment mobilized as The West Nova Scotia Regiment, CASF for active service on 1 September 1939. The unit then embarked for Great Britain on 21 December 1939. It was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, The West Nova Scotia Regiment, CASF on 7 November 1940. It landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943, and in Italy on 3 September 1943, as part of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Infantry Division. On 19 March 1945, the battalion moved with the 1st Canadian Corps to North West Europe, where it fought until the end of the war. The overseas battalion was disbanded on 15 October 1945.[9]

For an overview of the 1st Div's operations see: http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/organization/fieldforces/casf/1stdivision.htm

 

Stolpi

Absolutely correct -I was just bit mixed up with another battalion of the 5th Ad at a later date - should have known better

really as we joined the 1st Division as Tank support after Ortona and while they were at Lucera shortly after the West Novas

and 5th AD joined the Cdn Corps. We were mainly involved with 2nd bde of the Seaforths et al but 25th Tank bde took them through
the Hitler line and we took over at Agnani and stayed with 1st Div until they left in the Feb '44 - now and again we fought with
3rd bde at the Gothic Line and afterwards - including the West Novas….

Cheers

 

Michelle

That link to the Canadians posted by Stolpi will give you the whole story on what the West Novas got unto in Italy - and

shall dig out the Diaries of the 1st Div-in case I make more errors

Cheers