Introduction and help.

[David Dunlop]

Hello again, Rick.

I thought I would post the five ‘Normans’ for you that I found in the Manitoba Dragoons. Perhaps the Last names might cross reference with some of the other information you have been able to find in your Mum’s records.

Capt. Norman B. Keith
Lieut. Robert Norman Caswell
Lieut. A. Norman Hurd
Tpr. Norman Budd
Tpr. Norman N. Gooding

That particular Christmas card was (obviously) a Regimental item that would have been distributed to all Ranks. Bear in mind at that time, very little Military Mail (or any other Mail for that matter) was Air Mail. International Surface Mail was the standard and in the Commonwealth, the Royal Mail Ships the top delivery specialists. Even though they were fast, mail still took a while and it is very likely those cards were distributed in October, 1944 in order to be assured a 5 to 6 week delivery time to Family and Friends before Christmas. That would mean your Mum’s and Norman’s paths must have crossed at some time prior to October, 1944,

At that time, the Manitoba Dragoons would have been somewhere in Belgium, having arrived in the coastal area around Ostende around 8 September and eventually working their way to Bergen-Op-Zoom around 28 October. They did not land in NW Europe until arriving at Courseulles, France 8-9 July 1944.

Something to keep an eye out for in your Mum’s things would be a wartime Address Book. These were quite small. Typically 3” x 4” or smaller, often hard bound and were treasured gifts from friends or family. It was the key to your communications while away from home for an extended period. After the war, they would still be in use, commonly getting filled with more family and friends addresses. This often masks the earlier wartime entries, so if you run across one, do take the time to check each name out carefully. They can be goldmine of information.

Good luck!

David