Please Does Anyone Remember Hayhill Army Camp?

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by servicepub
The War Diary for the Canadian Mechanization Depot (Serial 3408) spanning the period of June 1941 to June 1946 can be found at the National Archives RG 24, Volumes 16172-16174. This would have the location of the Canadians.
In a document I ws reading yetserday it was revealed that Lt-Gen McNaughton was informed that , at the current rate of assembly, it would take 9 years for the crated vehicles of Canadian origin to be assembled. He ordered that an additional shift be added and that work proceed over the weekends. It was further 'suggested' that the Windsor Tank regiment be used to assemble as most of their personnel came from the automotive industry. This tasking upset the soldiers of the Windsors as they were being paid Army wages to do autoworkers jobs.

Hi Guys;

Found this, its from the website of the Windsor Regiment: http://www.windsorregt.ca/history.html, who back than were Serial 1424 - 30th Reconnaissance Regiment (The Essex Regiment), C.A.C.

After arrival in the U.K., July, 1943:

"The CO was called to the office of General McNaughton where he was informed that the Regiment had a special assignment. There was a large amount of unassembled military vehicles that needed to be put together. So as luck would have it, the men of the Essex Regiment (Tank), many of whom joined the army to escape the auto plants, found themselves as overseas auto workers. They would be paid $1.30 a day while their friends on the assemble lines in Windsor were getting $5.00 to $6.00 a day for the same work. They became Number 1 Canadian Armoured Corp Company Canadian Equipment Assembly Unit. On April 6, 1944, the active unit was disbanded and the personnel became reinforcements for other regiments in the European Theater."

Cheers