Kenny Andrew Posted May 23, 2022 Share Posted May 23, 2022 Nearly 350 Canadian soldiers served with forward units in the British First Army in Tunisia for three months in order to give them combat experience. At the end of November 1942, British and American forces landed in northwest Africa. With forces ashore in Morocco and Algeria, German and Italian troops were penned into Tunisia. Following these landings, a number of Canadian officers and non-commissioned officers were offered three-month tours of duty attached to the newly arrived forces in Algeria which was designated the 1st British Army. The objective of these postings was to allow a number of small unit leaders the opportunity of seeing combat and taking that battle experience back to the Canadian Army in the U.K. before it was employed in action en masse. The British War Office arranged for 78 officers and 63 other ranks to travel to Algiers, arriving on 3 January 1943. Four other parties were dispatched subsequently, and 201 officers and 147 other ranks were eventually employed in North Africa. The men came from “practically every type of unit – armored regiments, infantry, artillery, supply and communications services and some medical officers 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve S. Posted May 23, 2022 Share Posted May 23, 2022 Thanks Kenny, very interesting. It makes sense that the Canadian troops needed on-the-job experience prior to their involvement in the Italian Campaign, and elsewhere. They had of course been very much involved in the Dieppe Raid (large beach assault) in August 1942, but many of the Canadians who landed and survived there ended up as PoWs, and thus unable to pass along the lessons learned. Interesting helmets on those despatch riders. Did British motorcyclists have similar helmets? Apparently one of my father's uncles served in that role. It's a shame we never thought to ask our seniors questions about the war back when we still could. In my case I guess it was out of respect for their privacy. If they wanted to share their experiences, I expected that they would have. I was young at the time, so I probably didn't give it much thought. Certainly not what I would now. My grandfathers probably had tales to tell, but seem to have kept them for sharing with their fellow veterans, not us kids. Bit by bit I am piecing together their likely wartime experience. Overall though, I'm mostly glad that they both managed to return home safely and raise their families. Far too many never got that chance. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve S. Posted May 24, 2022 Share Posted May 24, 2022 On 19/10/2018 at 10:58, Brodie said: Just the image to be posted here Like this one. Now it is your turn folks I wish I had some to share. Thank you for sharing yours. Those are very good colour photos, for ANY time period. My parents' photos from the 70s and 80s absolutely stink by comparison. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted November 20, 2022 Share Posted November 20, 2022 Recently discoverd near Leningrad 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted November 22, 2022 Share Posted November 22, 2022 BEF soldiers from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps sharing a packet of cigarettes after being evacuated from France. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 Polish troops standing in an assembly point in Ancenis, before their evacuation. The evacuation of that particular unit began on 16 June 1940 in Ancenis till 19 June 1940 when they reached La Rochelle to be evacuated on the British steam merchant ship SS Alderpool. Note their uniforms of the French mountain infantry, the Chasseurs Alpins. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 A Bren gunner of 13/18th Royal Hussars camouflaged in a beet field during an exercise near Arras, 16 October 1939. If you look at the war diary pages for October 1939, also posted, they would suggest this photograph was taken later than the 16th during one of the exercises the regiment took part in. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 Heaps and heaps of .303 Lee Enfield rifles handed in by soldiers back from Dunkirk at the quayside, Dover 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted January 27, 2023 Share Posted January 27, 2023 "Imprint" nach dem Angriff des japanischen Kamikaze-Piloten Mitsubishi KI-51 "Sonia" auf das Schiff HMS Sussex - Pacific, Juli 1945 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 Polish soldier, ca. 1930 Sent by Karol Paskiewicz of his grandfather 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 Hostellerie du Centre, St. Briac, 15.8.1944. I stayed in this hotel with my parents in August 1964 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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