H.M.S. Quebec at Inveraray and More
"You take the high road, and I'll take the low road."
It's a long way to Inveraray. G. Harrison 2014
In the spring of 1942 the first Canadian volunteers in Combined Operations likely arrived by train in Tarbet (northwest Scotland), disembarked onto a busy platform, then hopped onto waiting lorries in order to travel the last several miles to H.M.S. Quebec on winding roads (above). There is no train to Inveraray to this day, only a newer, less-twisty highway (the high road, upper left above).
The train stops at Tarbet to this day. Photo 2014.
Tarbet's solid platform awaits modern-day visitors. Photo 2014.
Have a car waiting. No rail line to Inveraray.
Their former drill hall is now a reception centre at a caravan park and nearby stands a lovely memorial to the service of the many 1000s of servicemen and women (including Canadians) who passed through the gates at H.M.S. Quebec, the No. 1 Combined Training Centre (with a link in its name to Canadian military history).
Below the Combined Ops insignia one reads the following:
Inveraray was No. 1
Combined Training Centre 1940 - 1945.
Its purpose was to train Navy, Army and R.A.F.
personnel in assaults and landings.
Several camps were situated
on the shores of Loch Fyne.
This was H.M.S. Quebec, the Navy Base.
During the war years many famous leaders visited
including King George VI, Winston Churchill
Lord Louis Mountbatten and
King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav of Norway.
250,000 British, American, Canadians,
Free French, Polish and Norwegians all trained here.
Missing is Reggio Di Calabria, Operation Baytown,
Invasion of Italy 1943 (in Editor's opinion).
Invasion of Italy 1943 (in Editor's opinion).
Most of the photographs presented in this post relate to landing craft as seen on Loch Fyne near Inveraray, Scotland, and some veterans' stories related to that camp are also listed.
The last few focus on other training camps in the U.K.
Most of the photographs and captions that follow concerning landing crafts and training camps are located - with thousands of other useful topics and millions of photographs - at Search Our Collections at Imperial War Museum (IWM).
Please visit IWM at your leisure and if you locate more information about Combined Operations camps and landing craft training, please inform me in the comment section below.
About his time at H.M.S. Quebec - Spring, 1942, before Dieppe raid) - my father recalls the following:
On H.M.S. Quebec one night, a bunch of us wild Canadians were there along with a lot of Limeys who had since joined in at the wet canteen. Every glass of beer we drank we tossed over our shoulder against the iron radiators so we found it best to have our backs to the wall.
Please visit IWM at your leisure and if you locate more information about Combined Operations camps and landing craft training, please inform me in the comment section below.
* * * * *
A29894. Join-up panorama of HMS QUEBEC, showing part of the training
pool reserve and pier. Photo Credit - Lt. E.A. Zimmerman, IWM
A29896. Join-up panorama of HMS QUEBEC, showing part of the
training pool reserve and pier. Lt. E.A. Zimmerman, IWM.
Photo taken by G. Harrison in 2014
A29897. Part of the training pool reserve at QUEBEC.
Photo - Lt. E.A. Zimmerman, Imperial War Museum.
Photo taken by G. Harrison in 2014
About his time at H.M.S. Quebec - Spring, 1942, before Dieppe raid) - my father recalls the following:
On H.M.S. Quebec one night, a bunch of us wild Canadians were there along with a lot of Limeys who had since joined in at the wet canteen. Every glass of beer we drank we tossed over our shoulder against the iron radiators so we found it best to have our backs to the wall.
On this particular night all the English guy could play on the piano was ‘Elmer’s Tune’ and we soon got sick, sick, sick of it.
O/D Linder from Kitchener poured a glass of beer up and down the keyboard and the fight was on. Out went the lights, tables flew, and we sailors sneaked out leaving the Englishmen to fight amongst themselves.
What a sorry lot in the morning. (Page 14, "DAD, WELL DONE")
But, in the morning, it was back to work.
Nearby was the H.M.S. Chamois camp i.e., adjacent to Quebec, a short walk to the south). We moved there for a time and still used the same wet canteen. O/D Kirby of Woodstock, a very young man (possibly 17 or 18 years old), got quite drunk and on his way back to camp was challenged to show his ID card.
After he did so he went on to his barracks but then started to brood. “No 5 ft. 2 in. English guard is going to challenge me for my ID card,” he said. So, back he goes to pick a quarrel. Quite soon came an order: “You, you, and you. Take a stretcher down to the gate.” Who should come back but young Kirby, quite unconscious. The guard just slammed him over the head with the butt of his rifle. (Page 15, "DAD, WELL DONE")
Is that 'old black garters' on his bicycle (above), leaving Rosneath and its lovely estate gardens behind him in a hurry? If so, it's for good reason.
Navy 'drill hall' remains at site of H.M.S. Quebec. Photo 2014.
But, in the morning, it was back to work.
A29898. Casting air valve seatings in the foundry at HMS QUEBEC.
Lt. E.A. Zimmerman, Imperial War Museum.
A29900. The transporter which takes the landing craft from the water to
the beach at HMS QUEBEC, Inveraray. Lt. E.A. Zimmerman, IWM.
A29901. The wake from the Admiral's barge, a high speed launch,
in Loch Fyne. Lt. E.A. Zimmerman, Imperial War Museum
Before leaving Loch Fyne behind us in the wake, here is a short story about an experience of one fine young Canadian matelot, Al Kirby of Woodstock, Ontario, who had one pint too many after a sit down at H.M.S. Quebec's wet canteen in 1942. (As told by my father, Doug Harrison):
After he did so he went on to his barracks but then started to brood. “No 5 ft. 2 in. English guard is going to challenge me for my ID card,” he said. So, back he goes to pick a quarrel. Quite soon came an order: “You, you, and you. Take a stretcher down to the gate.” Who should come back but young Kirby, quite unconscious. The guard just slammed him over the head with the butt of his rifle. (Page 15, "DAD, WELL DONE")
A29904. View of Nissen huts and the Castle at HMS JAMES COOK, Glen
Calach. (See map below for location) Lt. E.A. Zimmerman, IWM.
Map as found at combinedops.com
A29905. View from the top of the castle of HMS JAMES COOK,
showing the living quarters etc. Lt. E.A. Zimmerman, IWM.
A29911. The cinema (left) and canteen at HMS BRONTOSAURUS,
Rothesay. Lt. E.A. Zimmerman, IWM.
A29915. South end view of the dockyard at Rosneath, with landing
craft moored. Lt. E.A. Zimmerman, Imperial War Museum.
A29916. The main workshops at HMS ROSNEATH.
Lt. E.A. Zimmerman, IWM.
A29919. Section of B Huts at Rosneath.
Lt. E.A. Zimmerman, IWM.
A29921. Rosneath Castle at HMS ROSNEATH.
Lt. E.A. Zimmerman, IWM.
Is that 'old black garters' on his bicycle (above), leaving Rosneath and its lovely estate gardens behind him in a hurry? If so, it's for good reason.
Doug Harrison, Canadian in Combined Ops writes the following:
About leave. When I was in southern England I put in for Glasgow and received two extra days for travelling time. But I never really saw Glasgow. I went, paid off a grudge, and immediately put in for the return trip to London.
Do I have a reason for such odd behaviour? Yes.
One day at Rosneath camp in Scotland, we ratings were all fallen in ranks, when out comes black garters and he says, “Any one of you guys a fast runner?” I stepped one pace forward. “Okay, run over there,” says black garters, “get a wheel barrow, shovel, fork, hoe, and go with this man and clean up that big estate garden.”
What a hell of a shock and what a hell of a job. It had been left for years. I made up my mind then that I would get back at black garters, and I connived to do it while on a leave, and I damn well did.
About Rosneath camp. It was where many chaps came down with impetigo and they were put on Gentian violet, the colour of an elderberry stain.
About Rosneath camp. It was where many chaps came down with impetigo and they were put on Gentian violet, the colour of an elderberry stain.
O/S Art Bradfield, of Bradfield Monuments in Simcoe (Ontario), went to Dieppe in pajamas - under his uniform - the only man to go to Dieppe in pajamas, and he got out of bed in Rosneath to do it. (Page 38, "DAD, WELL DONE")
Art Bradfield, no longer in PJs, appears in above photo, post-Dieppe.
Photo Credit - Len Birkenes, Canadian in Combined Ops.
Please link to Photographs: Training on Landing Crafts (11).
Unattributed Photos GH
Interesting that the last photo was at Brighton. My Dad was a RN Commando stationed at Brighton in Fox Group. Regards
ReplyDeleteMr. Rickles, thank you for visiting the "wee blog" and leaving a comment. I recently read an excellent book re RN Commandos (The Beachhead Commandos by A. Cecil Hampshire; unfortunately, it has a small index w no listing of Fox Group), and learned that the Canadians who volunteered for Combined Operations (as in the last photo; their first action was at Dieppe) underwent the same training, at HMS Quebec, on Loch Fyne (near Inveraray) and at another camp on Loch Long. Do you know where your father trained, or what his duties were, and where duty took him, any photos? I am interested in putting an entry or two on my site re Beach Commandos, something that involved Canadian servicemen as well. Any information you are willing to provide would be much appreciated. Cheers, Gord Harrison, London Canada
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