May 17 & 18, 1943

May 17 Went down to Hilliards and bought some surgical instruments – then met Mr. Binning at Grosvenor for lunch. He introduced me to the Wholesale Drug House and I bought the drugs I needed. Last night Mrs. Muir and I went out to watch Mr. Muir bowl.

May 18: Had lunch downtown with Mr. Muir – Mrs. Muir and I are going to the Alhambra tonight to see “DuBarry was a Lady.” Phoned the Unit today – they will meet me in Carlisle tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. – and I will go back to work again.

May 11, 13, 15 & 16

May 11: After Officer’s board this afternoon, Poop and I went down to meet a Tank train in Langholm – stepped into a little tea room and had a swell tea. Jill’s photo arrived last night.

May 13: Have finished boarding the entire Unit tonight and am absolutely exhausted. Expect to go to Glasgow early on Saturday morning – phoned Rena Ferguson tonight, but she will not be there. I have never seen it rain any harder than it has for the last two days – everything is drenched. All the Unit with the exception of HQ Sqaudron is out on the ranges and will remain for another week. Two letters from home tonight, but expecting me back, but I am afraid it will be a long time before that happens.

May 15: at 7 a.m. – Dawson drove Ralph and I into Carlise, where he caught the train for Blackpool and I caught the train for Glasgow. Arrived in Glasgow at 12:29 and made connection with train to Giffnock station. Saw Rena before she went on holiday, then came home and had a sleep. In the evening Mr. Muir and I went to the Royal Theatre to see “Tonight’s the Night”. It was a grand show. Mrs. Muir’s sister is here for the weekend – we are having a grand time.

May 16: Mrs. Muir, her sister, Mr. Muir and I went to Church this a.m. This afternoon Alex Greenshield (the man who drove me to Loch Lomond) came in to tea and spent part of the evening here. Mr. and Mrs. Bruce were in for supper and have just gone home. Tomorrow I am to meet a Mr. Binning at Grosvenor for lunch – he is a drug manufacturer and I am trying to get a supply of drugs for the Unit. I am not on leave, but do not know when I will return to the Unit. As soon as I get my work done I guess. Now to bed.

Spring 1943: Prelude to Operation Husky

In case you hadn’t seen the recent comment left by Mike Hunter, I wanted to share it as he provides a succinct and excellent background to what was occurring in the spring of 1943. Thank you Mike! And I’d be remiss in pointing out that Mike’s father, Lt-Col. Kenneth A. Hunter was my grandfather’s commanding officer in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. They were also together on Tank Landing Craft No. 8 during the Dieppe Raid.

Here’s what Mike had to say:

Some “big picture” info might be of interest to your readers.Ever since they arrived in England the Canadians have been considered to be a vital element in the “defense against invasion” strategy. Their training and their physical location (near the Channel coast) have been directed to this end. Other than Dieppe they have seen little or no action and there has been great discontent about this inactivity both at home and in England. Now (1943) the risk of invasion has virtually disappeared and everything is swinging to the offense. At the highest levels plans are afoot for the invasion of Sicily/Italy. Up until late April 1943 Canadian troops were not part of the invasion plan. On April 23, 1943, as a result of major pressure from Ottawa and from the highest levels of the Canadian military, a decision was made to replace the British 3nd Division with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and the 1st Canadian Tank Brigade. This must have been extremely upsetting for the Brits as they had already undertaken major planning and preparation. To their credit and without any apparent bitterness, they handed over all their plans and preparations to the Canadians and then helped them to initiate the activity. The Calgary Tanks, and my father’s medical unit, were small parts of the selected Canadian forces. Despite the fact that Doc Alexander has “no idea what is going on” this move to Scotland is for training in preparation for the Sicily invasion which is only a few months away. It will not be until they are on the ships that they will know where they are going. The numerous changes in personnel reflect Montgomery’s attitude of “out with the old and in with the young” (except for him of course).

Dambusters 70th anniversary

Saturday (May 11) the Bomber Museum of Canada in Nanton, AB is commemorating the 70th anniversary of The Dambusters. 

According to the museum the Dambusters pulled off “one of  the most daring and tactically demanding air operations in history,
the legendary Dambusters Raid utilized a bouncing bomb released at an altitude of sixty feet to destroy enemy hydroelectric dams.
A brilliant tactical success was achieved but eight of the nineteen Lancaster bombers did not return. Of the 133 airmen who flew on the raid, 53 were killed
and three became Prisoners of War. Of the thirty Canadians who flew, only fifteen returned safely to base. Albertans were prominent,as seven of the thirty Canadians were from our province”

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and it offers the opportunity to climb into the museum’s Lancaster bomber and to hear the roar of its Bristol Hercules engines. It’s a remarkable sound and a remarkable plane.

An interview on CBC Radio Calgary about the Dambusters can be found here.

Lancaster in flight. Bomber Command Museum of Canada.

A FULL DAY EVENT FEATURING:

-Lancaster Engine Runs and Cockpit Tours

-Aviation Art Exhibit -“The Dambusters –The Legendary Raid in Art”

-Book Launch: “Big Joe McCarthy –The RCAF’s American Dambuster”

-Commemorative Program and Display Opening

-Special Guests including a wartime 617 Squadron Veteran and Family Members of several Canadian Dambusters

-Bristol Hercules (14 Cylinder Radial; Sleeve-Valve) Bomber Engine Run-ups

-Premiere of the video: “Dambuster Terry Taerum”, a Calgary Dambuster

-Replay of 50^th Anniversary Speech by Canadian Dambuster pilot Ken Brown CGM

-Special Display of Dams Raid items from the Museum’s Archives

 

CHECK:  http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/event2013dambuster70.html for details, updates, and timing.

VISIT:  http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/damsraid.html for background information and Dams Raid articles.

CONTACT:  library@bombercommandmuseum.ca  (403-646-2270)

 

 

May 7 & 9, 1943

May 7: All week we have been reboarding the entire Regiment. What a job – 60-70 men per day, on top of all our other routine work, certainly makes a full day. I still can’t exactly remember the name of this place – I believe it is Langholm, or something like that. Famous Mess meeting last night – St. George’s Mess dinner tomorrow night. WE haven’t had any entertainment for so long – we are just crazy about it.

May 9: Mess dinner last night – everybody present. A lovely lunch, then everybody sat round in the lounge until quite late. Only seven of the same men who were with us at the first St. George’s dinner were present tonight. Johnnie Cross, Tom Ward and Jack McKinly Kee, struck off strength today. Had a long talk with John this afternoon, he is being sent back to Canada I believe. Had a wire from John Begg a couple of days ago. It is colder than the devil here today. The reboard still goes. on.

May 2 & 3, 1943

May 2: 6:30 a.m. up, dressed, shaved –everything packed up in readiness to throw on the Carrier when it comes. The room certainly looks bare and uninviting. We entrain at 9 a.m. and pull out at 10 a.m. We have been on the south coast for sixteen months, so are glad to be getting away to another part of the country – especially Scotland.

May 3: Arrived in this little camp just north of Solway Firth in Scotland at 5:30 a.m. today after a more or less tedious trip from Worthing. Was greatly amused at the leaning Church tower in Chesterfield. This little camp is in a hollow with quite high hills all around it. It is positively filthy. Stoney Richardson becomes O.C. H.Q. Squadron and Pim Watkings 2ic tonight. Tom Ward is gone and I guess Johnnie Cross will be going back soon. Bob Taylor is now O.C. “B” Squadron.

Battle of the Atlantic (1940-1943)

The Battle of the Atlantic (1940–1943).

Interesting post (with photos) at Library and Archives Canada Blog about the Battle of the Atlantic and the convoys that were so essential to the war effort.

Here’s what Doc Alexander had to say about crossing the Atlantic in June 1941:http://docalexander.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1485&action=edit&message=10

June 21: 12 noon – The convoy pulled out into the harbour. Six or seven troop transports – two Battle ships and a lot of Destroyers.
June 22: Nothing much to report – early this morning all the ships were in formation which was really very beautiful. We are all very happy to see the Battleships and Cruisers stick close. I am on duty as SMO – a lot of minor aliments and one case of Lobar Pneumonia. Everything going fine.
June 23: Very foggy during the night. Fog horns going constantly and ships making very little progress. Fog raised during forenoon and all ships visible. Nothing of importance. Very cold, climbed in bed and spent the afternoon – 5 p.m. Will now have to go on deck. Ralph is happy –is thrilled to tears. John Begg and I go for a stroll on deck and enjoy our first sight of the Land of the Midnight Sun.
June 24: Terribly cold today – we are told we have sailed up the coast of Newfoundland and are now on the southern coast of Greenland heading towards Iceland. Somewhere in the district where the Hood was sunk. Two of our destroyers have gone back. Our convoy consists of Pasteur, Brittania, Andes, Windsor Castle, two other transports – Battleship Repulse and Ramillies, and three Destroyers – their formation is very beautiful, but what a lovely target. John, George and I went on deck at midnight to find it broad daylight. Charlie Page is the Chief Flat Foot on board. A plane has been flying over us today. June 25: Still going strong – all boats in place – smooth sailing sea, nothing unusual taking place. Met a freight convoy bound towards home today. Hear all sorts of stories about Russian successes over Germany. Medical inspection today. One case of meningitis on board.
June 26: Scenery as unfamiliar as ever – no idea where we are, but rumour says we are south of Ireland. It also says a boat was sunk in the convoy right ahead of us. All the boys in good spirits but kind of bored. Very cold and windy on deck. No darkness at night at all, so guess we are near the Arctic Circle, but you can’t prove it by me. 11:45 p.m. Still as bright as day – eight more Destroyers of the Iceland Patrol joined us at supper time. Very strong wind blowing – sea becoming quite rough. George, Timmy and I have just made a tour of the decks and will now go to sleep. Our convoy consists of nineteen ships – eleven destroyers, one battle cruiser, one battleship and six large troop transports. The most impressive and thrilling sight I have ever seen.
June 27: Fine misty rain today – not nearly so cold or windy. One battleship, Ramilles, and three destroyers left our convoy at noon today, bound so we are told to Iceland to refuel. George, Timmy and I spent most of the morning on deck, looking at the various antics of these boats – nothing else to see. Saw some driftwood and a life raft drift by – some unfortunate somewhere. We are now in our seventh day out to sea. Amateur concert tonight – Ralph is taking part. Expect an air craft carrier to join our convoy tomorrow. At 12:25 a.m. George (Friar Tuck), Stanton, Poopdeck Payne and I danced the dance of the fairies on the sports deck in bright sunlight.
June 28: Very foggy and misty. Dutch cruiser joined our convoy. All making good time. Went to Sgt. Mess entertainment in evening. After – John B., Charlie Page, Col. And I went up on deck for an hour – joined by George and Timmy. Turned in at 1 a.m.
June 29: Starting of 9th day at sea. I think our ship has a flat tire. Very rough a.m. Supposed to be off north coast of Ireland, but I don’t know. We hope to be in sight of land soon. Are also watching out for German planes but have seen none yet. Expect to land tomorrow. Chas. Page and I went to Church and did everything wrong. Sited the Hebrides Islands at 12 noon – 12 midnight John, Charlie, Timmy, the Col. And I stood on deck and watched as we pulled into the outer harbour at Greenock.
June 30: Up at 6:30 a.m. As we pulled through the boom and entered the inner harbour. It is crowded with vessels. It is now 12 midnight and we are going to bed. The first draft of our Unit leaves at 10 a.m. Tomorrow to entrain for some new camp in Wiltshire. We leave at 2 p.m. For the same destination.