I have, as seen below a lot of info on Sgt. Houlette,I am trying to get the citation for his MID will there be any more than the quoted" For distinguished service?" I might be me ,but I cannot seem to get into the London Gazette for the said date , Any help will be appreciated. . Sergeant Howard Maurice Houlette, Royal Canadian Engineers. Known as Indian Joe Enlisted; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on 30 September 1939. Served In; Canada, United Kingdom, Central Mediterranean Area, Continental Europe. Discharged (presumably in the U.K.); 15 November 1945.(He stayed in UK) Decorations; 1939-45 Star. France And Germany Star. Italy Star. The Defence Medal. Canadian Volunteer Medal And Clasp. 1939-45 War Medal with Mentioned in Despatches (M.I.D.). MID was gazetted in the London Gazette on 4 April 1946.....'For Distinguished Service'.
THE CANADIAN ARMY. The KING has been graciously pleased to approve that the following be Mentioned in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North West Europe: — SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 4 APRIL, 1946 1719 M73I2 Sergt. Howard Maurice HOULETTE. Well I managed to get into the Gazette (No problem,don't know what I was doing wrong) It is just a general mention listed with hundreds of others. Will i need Sgts Houlettes full service history to get the actual incident that earned a Mention? Will this be held by the MOD or in Canada ? Would M7312 be his service number?
redtop, I stuck his name in the Archives Canada search function and it gave me this: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/medals/001099-119.01-e.php?person_id_nbr=67948 One result from using the R/A number (2004-01505-5) in search is this page: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/public_mikan/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=213286 After that I was just running around in circles. So it's there, but no guarantee there will be more details. Regards ...
Thanks for that Cee. I am going round in circles to ,will keep plugging away something usually pops out.
redtop, The only other info I came across was some family history which I'm sure you have. With a French name like Houlette I thought there might be a connection to the Métis, but looking closely at the family history that isn't apparent. So you have to wonder where the name "Indian Joe" came from Item 55 on the following page may be of interest to those following. He is said to have been with the 1st Battalion Engineers. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/o/u/David-L-Houlette-NC/GENE2-0009.html Regards ... Edit
"Courage and Service: Second World War Awards to Canadians" is a pretty comprehensive reference based on archival research and includes no more details than the dates it was gazetted. Not uncommon for MiDs. Only deeper research into unit records might uncover more and by that I mean awards documentation and the like (which may not have been preserved) rather than War Diaries, etc.
Thanks Kevin ,I have yet to find out what unit of the Canadian Engineers he served with,I know his unit was originally involved in strengthening the defenses in Southern England but obviously that involved many units.
M7312 is his regimental number and indicates he originally enlisted in Alberta with 9th Army Troops RCE. Not familiar with that unit and there is a decent chance that he transferred within the RCE at some point.
Thanks klambie I have found (With help from the Canada at War Forum) that he was serving with 33rd field coy in 1945 , 33rd do not appear to have left UK and were re organised in 1944,as Sgt Houlette served in Italy and Germany it must have be with or attached to another unit.
Well I did keep plugging away and the attached list turned up .and I was wrong about the 33rd not going overseas it would seem. It is a list of place names that seem to progress From Tilbury across Normandy then up through Belgium ,Holland and finally Germany. I have had to double up on the scans as the list is longer than A 4,and will type out pertinent points as it is a poor scan and may be unreadable.. This may be a list the movements of 33rd Canadian Field Coy RCE.after D Day that Sgt.Houllete kept and then annotated. The only date(16/2/45) is set against the Reichwald Forest Mallville Bridge F.F.B. 1476 ft. 32 hours Contract ? Bridge 1746 Ft. Would a unit visit that many places?Are the bridges mentioned known ?and what was the significance(if any) of 16/2/45?
Still finding my way around site. The Reichwald Forest Date Must be during Operation Veritable and will study Map put up by Owen to try to tie in locations