My father, Don (John Donihee) Mateer, RCE

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Helen Henson

Just like everyone else, we had a father who did not talk to his children about the his WWII service.

We've gotten Dad's service records, but I still need help!

He was SOS from "C.E.R.U." on May 13, 1944 and transferred to "X4 List R.C.E." He embarked U.K. on June 2, and landed in France June 6. Later, on September 10. he was SOS from X4 List 10 Bn to the 9th Canadian Field Squadron R.C.E.

However, he didn't stay with that squadron long, as his jeep hit a land mine on September 30. We were never quite clear about whether that happened in Holland or Belgium. He was wounded and SOS to "X3 List R.C.E." He returned to England and came home to Canada in early 1945.

We are requesting the war diaries of the 9th Field Squadron, but it seems that most of the time Dad spent that summer was with somebody else!

What would X4 List, and X4 List 10 Bn be? I have a funny feeling that engineers were assigned all over, and that it will be very difficult to figure out what our father (a lieutenant) would have been doing. He did say, when we went across a Bailey bridge, that he had built those during the war.

Can anyone help, please? And whether or not, thanks for this site! It is wonderful...

Helen Henson

Hi Helen;

Welcome to the forum.

Basicly, you Dad was:

- Struck-off-Strength (13 May 44) of No. 1 Canadian Engineers Reinforcement Unit (in the UK) upon posting to the X4 List R.C.E. - X4 meant that your Father was a reinforcement and in this case, a reinforcement for the Royal Canadian Engineers.

- You say he landed in France on 6 June 44 - this meant that he landed as a '1st Line Reinforcement' (R.C.E.) and he was held on strength of No. 10 Canadian Base Reinforcement Battalion (of No. 2 Canadian Base Reinforcement Group). No. 10 C.B.R.B. was the first 'Reinforcement Battalion' to land behind the assault troops, holding a mixture of 'all arms' reinforcements.

- by the looks of it, from what you wrote, he spent the summer and into Sep 44 being held on strength of No. 10 Canadian Base Reinforcement Battalion, as a reinforement for the Royal Canadian Engineers, before, on 10 Sep 44, being Struck-off-Strength of No. 10 Canadian Base Reinforcement Battalion (X4 List (Reinforcement)) upon posting to the 9th Canadian Field Squadron, R.C.E. of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division, with whom he served until being wounded (30 Sep 44) and Struck-off-Strength of the Squadron and Taken-on-Strength of the X3 List (Hospital). On approx 30 Sep 44, the 'Divisional Enginners' (of which 9th Canadian Field Squadron, R.C.E. were a part) of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division, were operating in the area about Bergen-Op-Zoom, The Netherlands.

The Library and Archives Canada references for the 9th Canadian Field Squadron's War Diary for North-West Europe are:

Reference: RG24 , National Defence , Series C-3 , Volume 14768
Serial : 917 , Access code: 90
File Title: 9th Field Squadron, Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers
Outside Dates: 1942/07-1945/03
Finding Aid number: 24-60

Reference: RG24 , National Defence , Series C-3 , Volume 14769
Serial : 917 , Access code: 90
File Title: 9th Field Squadron, Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers
Outside Dates: 1945/04-1945/12
Finding Aid number: 24-60

I hope the abovementioned helps.

Cheers

P.S. ... I'm not a Sapper, nor have I ever been one ...