Quote:
Originally posted by John McGillivray
"I was told some time ago by Chrissie's cousin (a 15th Field veteran) that their 'sister' regiment in 4th Canadian Armoured Div. was the 19th, and that they had Sextons, but not what date they came into use."
The 19th Army Field Regiment was never part of the 4th Cdn Armoured Div. The SP Arty Regt in 4CAD was the 23rd Field Regt (SP).
The 19th Field Regt (SP) was originally the SP Regt in the 5th Cdn Armoured Div. However, because it training was not advanced enough in the fall of 1943, it switch places with the 8th Army Field Regiment when 5CAD was sent to Italy. It became the 19th Army Field Regiment and was part of the 2nd Cdn AGRA.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Dave Cox
You are quite correct. I've checked back on a letter that he sent by email a few years ago, and on some other files. This is the reference to the 19th that I 'misremembered':
Would you believe that I never knew the SP was called a Sexton.. We just referred to it as "The SP" Of course, the main reason for that is my Regiment, which was the 15th Field Regt., did not have those. We used the regular towed 25 pounder and the Quad vehicle. They sure were an excellent weapon. The 19th Field Regt had SP's though and one day, when 2 of them got separated from their own moving column, they wandered into a real battle in one of the small towns we were trying to take and I am sure they saved our necks..
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John/Dave;
John - you are right, the 19th Army Fd Regt (S.P.), was never part of the 4th Cdn Armd Div Arty - but, on numerous occasions, they were 'under command' of the C.R.A. 4th Cdn Armd Div - two examples: Phase II of Operation
TOTALIZE (Aug 44) and Phase II of Operation
SWITCHBACK (Oct 44)
Dave - when Chrissie's cousin referred to the 19th as a 'sister' regiment, the context of that statement isn't really to far off the mark, when you consider how many times the 19th was 'under command' of the C.R.A. 4th Cdn Armd Div during various operations throughout the campaign in North West Europe - 1944-45, which would more or less find the 15th and 19th working side by side, so to say.
Cheers
