Canucks by the Sea … (Book launched … thank you)

[Michael Ockenden]

Eastbourne Local History Society has just brought out a new edition of 'Canucks by the Sea - The Canadian Army in Eastbourne during the Second World War', incorporating fresh information and pictures which came to light since the original publication in November 2006.

The friendly ‘occupation’ of this south coast town by the Canadian Army got into full swing in July 1941, and continued until the run-up to D-Day in 1944. The situation in Eastbourne – training, collateral damage, strafing by the Luftwaffe, exercises with the Home Guard, billets, brawls, pubs, dances, girl friends, war brides, family friends, concert parties, NAAFI, cafés, air raids, accidents, suicides – was echoed in many other towns along the south coast. Canadians today can thus get a flavour of what life was like in Britain for their fathers, uncles and grandfathers.

The following units are referred to, some at length and others more briefly:
1 Cdn School of Artillery (O’seas) RCA, 1, 2 Special Wireless Units RCCS, 1, 2, 6, 11 LAA Regts RCA, 2 Anti Tank Bde, 2, 4, 5, 8, 19, 23 Fd Regts RCA, 3, 7 Fd Coys RCE, 4 Arm Div Sigs, 9 Fd Amb RCAMC, Calgaries, Chaudières, Concert Parties: Bandoliers, Forage Caps, Kit Bags, Tin Hats, Edmontons, Essex Scottish, Hastings & PER, Irish Regt, Maisonneuves, North Shore NB Regt, Perths, PPCLI, QOR, Queens Own Camerons, Royal Canadian Regt, Royal Highland Regt (Black Watch of Canada), Royal Montreal Regt, Royal Regt of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Saskatoon LI, Seaforths, Toronto Scottish, Westminster Regt.

Compiled from the recollections of veterans, local residents, war brides, regimental histories and official War Diaries, ‘Canucks by the Sea’, ISBN 978-0-95476474-6, by Michael Ockenden, has 187 pp with 79 illustrations, some in colour. See the ‘local books’ section for purchases from Canada, which can be made via credit card from http://www.meadsbooks.com. (Incidentally, this bookshop, at 24 Meads Street, is at the heart of a district of Eastbourne which was ‘home from home’ for hundreds, if not thousands, of Canadian soldiers during WW2.)