Looking for help with my Canadian father's military record
 

Hi,

The only definitions of military-unit abbreviations I have found are:
3 CACRU = 3rd Canadian Armoured Corps Reinforcement Unit and
1 CARU = 1st Canadian Armoured or Artillery Reinforcement Unit.

Does anyone know if my guesses for other abbreviations are correct:
2 CGRU – 2nd Canadian Group Repatriation Unit?
11 CDN Repat – 11 Canadian Repatriation Unit?
3 Repat – 3rd [Canadian] Repatriation Unit?
4 CRD – 4th [Canadian] Repatriation Unit?

There’s a hand written entry on one page of his record, dated 31st Aug 1945, which I think says "Awarded forfeiture of 10 days pay" – a significant sum. Can anyone suggest what sort of 'crime' might justify such a penalty?

Last question. My father's military record shows:
= he was a Trooper and qualified as a Driver i/c Class 111 (T),
= arrived in the UK on 17th March 1945,
= moved in and out of the groups indicated by the abbreviations above,
= in between times was in the Canadian Military Hospital at Bramshott, Hants, for a week, no reason given,
= and departed for home on 12th November 1946.

One of his Canadian daughters has shown me a photograph of him in uniform in Brighton, Sussex. His cap badge states Royal Canadian Ordnance Corp.

I would like to find out where my father was, where and how he met my mother and the circumstances of my conception and subsequent abandonment (I don't hold a grudge, in fact I consider myself to have been fortunate, but I would like to know - as do his other very surprised children, by another woman, in Canada). Would anyone possibly have his regiment's service file or know how I might make progress?

Thanks, in anticipation.

Chris

Hello Chris,

Great to hear you want to learn more about your father. Here in Holland there are many people like you, also trying to find out about their family history. It was back in the time the world was in great turmoil and so were family relations and records.

The founder of Maple Leaf Up, Geoff Winnington-Ball, wrote a webpage with pointers on how to research a veteran’s wartime exploits - see http://www.mapleleafup.net/locator/research.html
Here’s hoping this is of some use to you.

Regards,
Hanno

Chris, these are the corrected terms.

Could be a host of things. Does it say if he was incarcerated for the 10 days?

What is the question? It seems you have it pretty well sorted.

I've found with helping persons interpret a relative's service record that it's always easier if the record can be scanned or photographed and posted. A lot of the record will be handwritten with marginal notes inserted.

Anything I can do to help, just ask.

Cheers,
Dan.

Chris, some answers
 

Chris, some answers . . .

3 CACRU = 3rd Canadian Armoured Corps Reinforcement Unit
1 CARU = No. 1 Canadian Artillery Reinforcement Unit (Field)

2 CGRU = No. 2 Canadian General Reinforcement Unit, Type "B"
11 CDN Repat = No. 11 Canadian Repatriation Depot, Type "T"
3 Repat = No. 3 Canadian Repatriation Depot, Type "S"
4 CRD = No. 4 Canadian Repatriation Depot, Type “S”

Cheers

Thanks for the link. That will be very helpful in my reseearch.

Regards,

Chris

Thanks Dan & Mark for info. on the abbreviations. As far as I can see there is no mention of any incarceration related to the forfeiture of pay but perhaps there are cryptic clues. I'd like to attach a copy of the page in question but I afraid I don't know how to 'Enter a URL of my image'. I'll see if Google will help. Don't hold your breath!

Regards,

Chris

Find a kid between 10 and 12. They'll get it on in two minutes.

Cheers,
Dan.