Help researching Canadians in Sussex

[Jo Grocott]

Hi everyone. I am currently volunteering at Michelham Priory in East Sussex, England and have been researching the activities that took place there during WW2.

We know that the following brigades were stationed there during the war, and we are trying to look further into their activities:

5th Canadian Infantry Brigade (4 Jul 1941 to 11 Aug 1941 and again 14th Oct 1941 to 31st Jul 1942)
8th Canadian Infantry Brigade (1st Aug 1942 to 9th Aug 1942)
9th Field Ambulance RCAMC (9th Aug 1942 to 14th Apr 1943)
5th Field Ambulance RCAMC (14th Apr 1943 to 5th May 1943)

We would like to confirm if either the 5th or 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade were involved in the Dieppe raid?
Also, can anyone give me more details on what the role of the Field Ambulance RCAMC was? Were they assisting with Canadian casualties / British army casualties / civilian population? We know that 8 members of the 9th Field Ambulance RCAMC were killed in the nearby town of Eastbourne on the night of the 11th August 1942 in an air raid, and we were wondering if they would have come from Michelham to assist in the air raid, or if the group may have been split up with some based at Michelham and some at Eastbourne?

Any information at all about the activities of these brigades during this time would be most useful.

I look forward to hearing your replies.

[servicepub (RIP)]

Jo,
You may wish to read this thread and speak wit the author. http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ght=eastbourne
Clive

[Mark W. Tonner]

Jo;

Some information and answers regarding your questions:

1. - Below are the file references for the War Diaries of the units you have stated that you would like to “look further into their activities,” copies of which are held by your National Archives (Kew, Richmond, Surrey), in the United Kingdom:

- for the 5th Infantry Brigade (4 Jul 1941 to 11 Aug 1941 and again 14th Oct 1941 to 31st Jul 1942):
WO 179/385 - Headquarters, 5th Infantry Brigade - War Diaries for Jan to Aug 1941
WO 179/386 - Headquarters, 5th Infantry Brigade - War Diaries for Sep to Dec 1941
WO 179/1139 - Headquarters, 5th Infantry Brigade - War Diaries for Jan to Dec 1942

- for the 8th Infantry Brigade (1st Aug 1942 to 9th Aug 1942):
WO 179/1143 - Headquarters, 8th Infantry Brigade - War Diaries for Jan to Dec 1942

- for No. 5 Field Ambulance (14th Apr 1943 to 5th May 1943):
WO 179/2188 - No. 5 Field Ambulance, RCAMC - War Diaries for Jan to Dec 1943

- for No. 9 Field Ambulance (9th Aug 1942 to 14th Apr 1943):
WO 179/1395 - No. 9 Field Ambulance, RCAMC - War Diaries for Jan to Dec 1942
WO 179/2191 - No. 9 Field Ambulance, RCAMC - War Diaries for Jan to Dec 1943

2. - In regards to Dieppe, the only elements of the 5th Infantry Brigade involved in the Dieppe raid were:

- from the 1st Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada: four officers and one-hundred and seven other ranks.

- and from The Calgary Highlanders: one officer and twenty-one other ranks.

- the 8th Infantry Brigade was not involved with the Dieppe raid, they were a component part of the 3rd Canadian Division.

3. - A Field Ambulance consisted of a headquarters and two bearer companies. The headquarters of a Field Ambulance provided the administration for the unit and also formed an Advanced Dressing Station which could accommodate approximately one-hundred to one-hundred and fifty casualties. Bearer companies consisted of three sections, with each section consisting of one officer and twenty-two other ranks, which provided stretcher bearers and ambulance cars, and could also provide a Casualty Collecting Point forward of the Advanced Dressing Station.

Cheers

[Jo Grocott]

Thank you so much for this information. I had no idea that there were copies of the war diaries at Kew. I will have to make another trip up there soon!

[Jo Grocott]

Originally Posted by servicepub

Jo,
You may wish to read this thread and speak wit the author. http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ght=eastbourne
Clive

Thanks for this, but I have already contacted this author - and he pointed me here!

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Jo Grocott

Thank you so much for this information. I had no idea that there were copies of the war diaries at Kew. I will have to make another trip up there soon!

Jo;

The National Archives (Kew) - Series reference: WO 179, contains copies of the Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian (United Kingdom) Forces (Dominion Forces) War Diaries, for the Second World War.

Cheers

[Jo Grocott]

Does anyone have an pictures of Field Ambulance RCAMC personnel, equipment or vehicles during this period? It would be really interesting to see what their uniform looked like and what they were working with.

Thanks.

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Jo Grocott

Does anyone have an pictures of Field Ambulance RCAMC personnel, equipment or vehicles during this period? It would be really interesting to see what their uniform looked like and what they were working with.

Thanks.

Hi Jo;

Have a look here: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/d...&submit=Submit

Click on each photo for a larger image.

Cheers