Canadian 2pdr portees in Sussex

[Tony Smith]

Well, This story is a long but interesting read if you have some time to spare. Of note, is the comment:
"After the Dunkirk evacuation, the war took on a much more serious tone. Our Engineers left, to be replaced by a battery of 2pdr anti-tank guns of the Royal Canadian Artillery. This was a Portee battery where the guns were carried in the back of 15cwt Chevrolet trucks. Their garage and mess hall was situated in what is now Alfriston Motors garage. We soon discovered the delights of Canadian bacon with maple syrup, Sweet Caporal cigarettes and many other Canadian goodies."

While the Author was later a Driver, Armoured, in the British Army, and would therefore identify any 101"wb Portees as 15cwts, these actually sound like CGT Portees. Which unit would they be?

Read on, it's an interesting story as he later becomes part of the 1st Canadian Army's push through Holland and into Germany.

[jim sewell]

Good read , thanks Tony.
Regards
Jim S.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

The # 42 Cab Portees would have arrived in 1941....I am guessing May onwards. Does that suggest that they used 2 pdrs in C15s or C15As en portee?

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

Which unit would they be?

Hi Tony;

This may help: -

The only 'Anti-Tank' assets, Royal Canadian Artillery available in the UK immediately following Dunkirk was the 1st Anti-Tank Regiment, R.C.A., C.A.S.F., consisting of the:

27th Anti-Tank Battery, R.C.A., C.A.S.F.
51st Anti-Tank Battery, R.C.A., C.A.S.F.
57th Anti-Tank Battery, R.C.A., C.A.S.F.
90th Anti-Tank Battery, R.C.A., C.A.S.F.

The only other Canadian 'Anti-Tank' assets available at that time would have been:

- the 1st Infantry Anti-Tank Company, C.A.S.F, of the 1st Infantry Brigade, C.A.S.F.
- the 2nd Infantry Anti-Tank Company, C.A.S.F., of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, C.A.S.F.
- the 3rd Infantry Anti-Tank Company, C.A.S.F., of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, C.A.S.F.

all of the 1st Division, C.A.S.F.

All of these assets would have been equipped with the 2pdr A/Tk gun at that time.

Cheers

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I have just checked the official figures and see that the Soiuthampton CMD assembled 132 anti-tank 15-cwt trucks in 1940, starting say April 1940. This suggests that there could have been C15s used but I wonder if in fact they had MCC or Bedford MWs instead? I just cannot get my mind around the availability of CMPs in say June/July 1940...production was not that great, but ramping up. However we know that British vehicles were supplied before and after Dunkirk, and the 50 F15s lost in France had to be replaced with say MWs. That said it is clear that at some stage they became available and were issued, so it may be a slight telescoping of time scale in the mind as a result of long-term recall? Were the British vehicles loaned and then handed-back, only to be sent out to the Mid-East in due course?