Place |
Date |
Summary of Events and Information |
Field, |
1/4/42 |
Cold and bright – Rain in afternoon. The Regiment left Aldershot and marched the 12 miles to their new quarters, arriving at 1500 hrs. Arrangements for their reception had been completed by the Advance Party and they were settled in quick order. |
2/4/42 |
Warm and bright. The day was spent in cleaning up areas. Sqn. locations were plotted. Officers get plenty of exercise walking between Messes and Orderly Rooms. The Auxiliary Services were already functioning with a show for the men at Hatch House Barn. The show “In Name Only”. |
|
3/4/42 |
Warm and bright with heavy rain in evening. Sqns continue work cleaning up in Sqn areas. Several keen gardeners have already put in small lots with various seeds. A Concert Party at the Headley Village Hall was very well attended and was pronounced a great success. Tpr. Naylor of “C” Sqn sustained injuries when he fell from a top bunk and was taken to 24th Fld Amb. |
|
4/4/42 |
Fairly warm with some cloudy periods. The Commanding Officer inspected the Sqn Areas this morning. Although a big improvement has been shown further attention is needed to bring them up to “Garry” standards. Tpr. Jorgensen of “C” Sqn returning to his lines across country mistook a river for a road and arrived home somewhat damp. |
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5/4/42 |
Very bright and warm. Church Parade to churches at Headley (?????) and Bordon (Cath) . The afternoon was spent by most members of the Unit in exploring the countryside. |
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6/4/42 |
Cloudy with some showers. Normal training resumed throughout the Sqns. Classes on Browning, 37 millimetre, M3 Tank and 2 pounder. are being held. Dance was held in Headley Village Hall. The Browning was the .30 Calibre M1919 machine gun mounted on American-built tanks. The 37 milimetre gun was the secondary armament of the M3 Lee tank, mounted in the turret. The 2 Pounder (40mm) was the standard British anti-tank gun of the early war period. It was mounted in the early Canadian Ram tanks, British Valentines, and others. By 1944 it was generally replaced by the 6 Pounder (57mm). |
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7/4/42 |
Cloudy with rainy periods. Troops are beginning to feel at home in their new location and general opinion appears to be that it is preferred to Aldershot. Normal training continues. |
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8/4/42 |
Cloudy with very heavy rain and hail showers. Lieut.-General A.G.L. MacNaughton. C.B., C.M.S., D.S.O. paid a surprise visit to the Regiment and inspected the troops mounted in M.T. on Frensham C ?????. The Regimental Cross-country team under Capt. McLean went to Aldershot to compete in the Divisional Meet. While the Regiment did not gain a place they finished 10th in a field of 22 teams. All members of the team finished the course and No 202 was the lowest place in a field of 330. Tpr. Williams. R.Y. of “A” finished 17th. The course was exceptionally muddy and the race was started by Gen. McNaughton in a hailstorm. |
|
Field. |
9/4/42 |
Cloudy with rain showers. Normal Sqn. training. Boxing competition in the evening. The Regiment lost to the L.S.H. on points although they won on fights. This was due to the fact that several of the Regiment’s boxers were away so were forced to enter an incomplete team. The Commanding Officer took part in Radio Exercise “Ram”. Despite unfavourable weather conditions scheme was considered a success. |
10/4/42 |
Cloudy but clearing in afternoon. Normal Sqn training. Advanced driving training (unditching vehicles, road repairs, etc) is being instructed. The Regimental Dance Band which has been practising assiduously recently played for a Dance at Headley Village Hall. Although there was a slight scarcity of partners the evening and the Band were both successes. |
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11/4/42 |
Bright and fairly warm. Normal Sqn training. A large number of men are away on various sources. |
|
12/4/42 |
Clear and fairly warm. Sqn. training for “C” Sqn. in preparation for Brigade Quiz. The Unit was notified of 3 casualties. An unfortunate accident occurred at 60th Training Regiment. R.A.C. Tprs. Neve, A.R., Legg, A.H., and McCumber, G.P. were killed when an unexploded bomb they had found and picked up exploded. Tprs. Legg and McCumber were killed instantly. Tprs. Neve and Yaworski D.D. who was with them were taken to Tidworth Military Hospital, where Neve died shortly after being admitted. Yaworski is expected to recover. |
|
13/3/42 |
Normal Sqn. Training. Weather. Clear but becoming cloudy in afternoon. Capt. McLean proceeded to Tidworth to make arrangements with regards to yesterdays casualties. An effort is being made to train as many tracked drivers as possible with limited number of Tanks available. |
|
14/4/42 |
Cloudy. Normal Sqn. training. |
|
15/4/42 |
Bright and clear. Cool. Normal Sqn. training. Bicycling is fast becoming the hobby and means of transportation of a number of officers and other ranks. |
|
16/4/42 |
Bright and clear. Warm. Voting commenced on Canada’s Plebiscite to release Premier form any promise made prior to election. Capt. J.M. Bowie. appointed officially as Unit Adjutant. Tprs. Legg, McCumber and Neve were buried in Brookwood Cemetery with full military honours. Lieut. Burns was in charge of the Burial Party and Sgt. Langlois commanded the firing party. Capt McNeill officiated. Sgt. Blackman and three trumpeters from H.Q. Sqn played the “Last Post” and “Reveille”. |
|
Field. Headley. |
17/4/42 |
Bright and clear. Normal Sqn training in our own area. An “Alert” was sounded at 0200 hrs and the “All Clear” went at 0400 hrs. No enemy aircraft over Unit Area. |
18/4/42 |
Bright and clear. Ground is drying and mud has disappeared. Afternoon allotted to Sports. Baseball and Softball is very promising. The local residents are very interested but find it hard to understand. An “Alert” was sounded at 0215 hrs and Sqn guards turned out. 5 bombs were dropped at some distance away to the South-West. |
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19/4/42 |
Bright and clear. Protestant and R.C. Church Parades. “C” Sqn. took their Brigade Quiz. Major-General E.W. Sansom, D.S.O., Brigadier. T.J. Rutherford, E.D. and Brigadier and Mrs Bradbrook were guests of the R.H.Q. Officers Mess. |
|
20/4/42 |
Bright and clear. Preparations for the demonstration for the C-in-C of the Ary at Frensham Common were begun. Capt. Cahill, the Brigade R.C. Padre commenced 4 day stay with the Regiment, allowing one evening per Sq. |
|
21/4/42 |
Dull and foggy. Preparations for the Frensham Common demonstration. Dinner was served in the field and was thoroughly enjoyed by all troops. Y.M.C.A provided equipment for sports at Noon and during breaks as well as serving tea twice during the day. Also a large stock of Canadian Chocolate bars were available. Gen. Sansom made a tour of inspection through the Brigade at 1500 hrs. Training classes were carried on as usual throughout the afternoon. |
|
22/4/42 |
Bright with occasional cloudy periods. Preparations were being made throughout the Regiment for the big inspection at the end of the week. Tailors within the Unit were hard at work putting on the Divisional Colour patches and steel helmets were also repainted with new flashes. All Vehicles were cleaned up. |
|
23/4/42 |
Very bright and warm, becoming cloudy in the evening. The Unit moved to Frensham Common for a final practice before the C-in C’s inspection. Different Activities featured by the Unit are Physical training, Field Cooking, Signal Training for Driver Operators. R.A.P., Field Dentistry and Intelligence Office in the Field. A model sand table was also on show and Soap Making by divisional recipe. |
|
Field. Headley. |
24/4/42 |
Cloudy and windy. Cool in morning. Becoming warm in afternoon. Unit moved to Frensham Common at 0900 hrs. At 1500 hrs Stand to was sounded by Garry Trumpeters on the arrival of Their Majesties the King and Queen. After the Royal Salute was given Their Majesties made a tour of the Brigade in the field. Their Majesties displayed keen interest in the many phases of Armoured Corps Training which were being carried out. After the Inspection the entire Brigade doubled over to the Circle around their Majesties car and three cheers were given led by Brigadier Rutherford. Then the Westminster Band played “Rule Britannia” and as the Royal Visitors moved off Lt-Col. Gianelli of the L.S.H. led the Brigade in cheering. |
25/4/42 |
Bright and clear. Classes in Map Reading, 37 mm. Task system etc being resumed by the Sqns that have not taken the Brigade Quiz. |
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26/4/42 |
Bright and fairly warm. Church Parade to Headley Church for B and C Sqns. H.Q. continued pre-Quiz training. |
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27/4/42 |
Bright but cooler. “A” Sqn took Brigade Quiz. Brushing up in HQ. Sqn continued. |
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28/4/42 |
Bright and warm. Strong easterly wind. Normal Sqn trng. H.Q. continued preparation for Quiz with evening classes for personnel who are employed during the day. |
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29/4/42 |
Bright but cool. Normal Sqn. training. H.Q. Sqn took Brigade Quiz. 1st phase of exercise Ram II. A softball game was played against the GGHG [Governor General's Horse Guards] which we won 8-3, first league game of season. |
|
30/4/42 |
Bright but remaining cool. Normal Sqn training. Lt-Col. Locks former C.O. GGHG and now commanding #3 CACRU at ????? lectured to officers of the Regiment on the Reinforcement Unit. Each Armoured Unit of the Div. has a Squadron at #3 CACRU and a Unit call for men will result in them receiving men from their own reinforcement Squadron, all things being equal. |
Fort Garry Horse Regiment War Diary index
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