My father, Don (John Donihee) Mateer, RCE

[Helen Henson]

Sas van Gent it is! Later tonight I'll pull up maps and locate those places and canals.

I've been reading your posts with Dad's records in front of me.

I bet Dad joined the 9th Field Squadron right after Ghent; the two dates I have for that transfer to that squadron are Sept 10 and Sept 17th. Your post indicated heavy shelling at Ghent, would he have been part of replacements to bring the squadron back up to strength?

I am sure he was trying to build the bridge at Moerkerkke, that matches with some things he hinted to my brother.

Now may I ask some stupid questions please?

What would the reinforcement battalions have been doing during the summer? I am sure I know what my father would have LIKED to have been doing, but I see no pictures of fine hotels and cheery pubs in Normandy at that time.

And if he landed at Juno as part of the first line of reinforcements, would not those reinforcements have been needed right then? Sappers had some hard times on that beach, didn't they? Wouldn't an extra lieutenant have come in handy for some group that was fighting? Dad was tall, quite athletic, and a VERY good engineer, in my totally biased opinion...

Thank you, both for the good information and (hopefully) for your patience!

Helen

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Helen Henson

Sas van Gent it is! Later tonight I'll pull up maps and locate those places and canals.

I've been reading your posts with Dad's records in front of me.

I bet Dad joined the 9th Field Squadron right after Ghent; the two dates I have for that transfer to that squadron are Sept 10 and Sept 17th. Your post indicated heavy shelling at Ghent, would he have been part of replacements to bring the squadron back up to strength?

I am sure he was trying to build the bridge at Moerkerkke, that matches with some things he hinted to my brother.

Now may I ask some stupid questions please?

What would the reinforcement battalions have been doing during the summer? I am sure I know what my father would have LIKED to have been doing, but I see no pictures of fine hotels and cheery pubs in Normandy at that time.

And if he landed at Juno as part of the first line of reinforcements, would not those reinforcements have been needed right then? Sappers had some hard times on that beach, didn't they? Wouldn't an extra lieutenant have come in handy for some group that was fighting? Dad was tall, quite athletic, and a VERY good engineer, in my totally biased opinion...

Thank you, both for the good information and (hopefully) for your patience!

Helen

Hi Helen;

If it is not to much trouble, could you please quote here (line-per-line) what appears on your father's Record of Service from where it says that he disembarked France on 6 June to SOS from X4 List 10 Bn to the 9th Canadian Field Squadron R.C.E., on 10 September, it may help explain what he did from 6 Jun to 10 Sep 44.

Sas van Gent is located just inside The Netherlands (slightly north-east) of Ghent, Belgium. (see attached map).

Cheers

[Helen Henson]

Of course!

Let me see if I can create and paste a table, if not I'll scan it in. Trying to type in columns is not working well for me!

Back later or in the early morning.

Thank you very much,
Helen

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Helen Henson

Of course!

Let me see if I can create and paste a table, if not I'll scan it in. Trying to type in columns is not working well for me!

Back later or in the early morning.

Thank you very much,
Helen

Hi Helen;

Don't worry about the columns, just type the line from left to right (you can leave out the last two right hand columns that deal with 'Rank' and 'Authority for entry'). Just type what is entered along each line, left to right, on a single line for each entry from the entry dealing with disembarking on 6 Jun. 44 - to the entry dealing with SOS of X4 List 10 Bn to the 9 Cdn Fd Sqn, R.C.E., on 10 Sep. 44.

Cheers

[Helen Henson]

If this is not readable, I'll scan the original. The events are out-of-order in the original document too. The ditto marks in the original refer to France.

Prior entries list LOTS of training in the U.K. Entries following are mostly hospital, but he apparently spent some time at CERU. His feet and legs got messed up with the mine; about a year later in Canada they gave up trying to make his foot work and took it off. He did fine without it!


Date.... From Whom Rec'd.... Unit......... Casualty......... ...Place.... Date....... Form or Auth.....

Blank........Blank.................CERU... .SOS to X4 List RCE .....UK... 13 May44... 113H13May44
7May44... X-4 RCE.............Blank..... TOS from CERU......... .UK....14 May 44... 18 22May44
Blank.......X4-10Bn............. RCE...... SOS to 9CdnFdSqn R.C.E. ..Fd... 10 Sep 44... 59-Sep 44
Sep44... EAR5/244.......... 9FdSqn. TOS from X4 List RCE 10Bn .France.17Sep 44.....42 7Oct44
Blank...... X4 RCE ..............Blank. Embarked UK 2Jun44. Disemb. France 6Jun44 ......32A 14Jul44
(Oc)t44.. .W3011 ..........9Fd Sqn ...SOS to X3 List RCE........ " .....30 Sep44 ...42 7Oct44
(O)ct44 ......X3............... RCE.... ..TOS from CanFdSqn RCE..Fd .....10Oct44 ........63/44


Thank you for helping...

Helen

[Helen Henson]

Was concentrating on columns and missed your post. I don't see any entries between those two.

Not much help, I'm afraid.

Thanks,
Helen

[Helen Henson]

It (he?) says...

"Served with 9 Squadron 4 Division in France, Belgium and Holland till wounded by a mine."

Could he have been with them without actually being taken on service? If so, maybe the war diaries, which my brother has ordered, will help.

Thanks,
Helen

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Helen Henson

It (he?) says...

"Served with 9 Squadron 4 Division in France, Belgium and Holland till wounded by a mine."

Could he have been with them without actually being taken on service? If so, maybe the war diaries, which my brother has ordered, will help.

Thanks,
Helen

Hi Helen;

From what I've found, your father's Struck-off-Strength (from 10 CBRB) to the 9th Cdn Fd Sqn date of 10 Sep 44 is accurate. On approx 7 Sep 44, Lieutenant R.B.W. Pyke of the 9th Cdn Fd Sqn was wounded and evacuated, this is probably the officer casualty that your father replaced, there was not another officer casualty that required to be evacuated suffered by the 9th Cdn Fd Sqn until early on the morning of 14 Sep 44, by which time your father would have already have been with the Squadron. At this time (approx 7 to 10 Sep 44), 9th Cdn Fd Sqn were located in the area of Moerbrugge, Belgium, engaged in bridging the canal at this point (Moerbrugge). The 9th Cdn Fd Sqn had crossed into Belgium on the morning of 7 Sep 44. Why the entry of his Taken-on-Strength of 9th Cdn Fd Sqn says 'France', I have no idea, because the 9th Cdn Fd Sqn had been in Belgium (approx. 7 Sep 44) since before his SOS date from 10 CBRB of 10 Sep. You father did indeed serve in FRANCE, BELGIUM and HOLLAND (where he was wounded), but he served in France with 10th Canadian Base Reinforcement Battalion, No. 2 Canadian Base Reinforcement Group and in Belgium and Holland with 9th Canadian Field Squadron, R.C.E., 4th Canadian Armoured Division.

I'll do some more digging and let you know where 10 CBRB (and your father) where located from landing on 6 June to your father being sent forward to the 9 Fd Sqn, on approx 10 Sep 44. I know were they were from mid July onwards, but from 6 Jun to that point ... I'll have to look ...

Cheers

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Helen Henson

Was concentrating on columns and missed your post. I don't see any entries between those two.

Not much help, I'm afraid.

Thanks,
Helen

Actually what you wrote is "much help"... Thanks

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Helen Henson

If this is not readable, I'll scan the original. The events are out-of-order in the original document too. The ditto marks in the original refer to France.

Prior entries list LOTS of training in the U.K. Entries following are mostly hospital, but he apparently spent some time at CERU. His feet and legs got messed up with the mine; about a year later in Canada they gave up trying to make his foot work and took it off. He did fine without it!


Date.... From Whom Rec'd.... Unit......... Casualty......... ...Place.... Date....... Form or Auth.....

Blank........Blank.................CERU... .SOS to X4 List RCE .....UK... 13 May44... 113H13May44
7May44... X-4 RCE.............Blank..... TOS from CERU......... .UK....14 May 44... 18 22May44
Blank.......X4-10Bn............. RCE...... SOS to 9CdnFdSqn R.C.E. ..Fd... 10 Sep 44... 59-Sep 44
Sep44... EAR5/244.......... 9FdSqn. TOS from X4 List RCE 10Bn .France.17Sep 44.....42 7Oct44
Blank...... X4 RCE ..............Blank. Embarked UK 2Jun44. Disemb. France 6Jun44 ......32A 14Jul44
(Oc)t44.. .W3011 ..........9Fd Sqn ...SOS to X3 List RCE........ " .....30 Sep44 ...42 7Oct44
(O)ct44 ......X3............... RCE.... ..TOS from CanFdSqn RCE.." .....10Oct44 ........63/44


Thank you for helping...

Helen

This is fine Helen, Thank you.

Cheers

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Helen Henson

Blank.......X4-10Bn............. RCE...... SOS to 9CdnFdSqn R.C.E. ..Fd... 10 Sep 44... 59-Sep 44

Hi Helen;

If you take a closer look at the above mentioned line on the Record of Service, the date in column (e) 'Date of Casualty' actually reads '16 Sept 44' - not 10 Sept 44. The date of '16 Sept 44' for his being SOS X4 List 10 Bn to 9 Fd Sqn RCE, is reflected again on his Statement of Service (Form M.F.M. 1 & 2 (a)) under the column 'Effective Date".

Also on the Record of Service, under column (d) 'Place of Casualty', the letters 'Fd' stand for the word 'Field'.

Cheers