Canadian Troops and Sailors Train for a Significant Exercise
Likely for the Dieppe Raid, Held in August, 1942
IWM (H 21363)* - Canadian troops in an assault landing craft (LCA)
during a combined operations exercise, July 1942.
*IWM (H 21363) - Numerically (and thematically), the above photo is definitely part of the set of photographs entitled TRAINING FOR COMBINED OPERATIONS, and also attributed to the same two "official photographers", i.e., Lts. Arthur James Tanner and Walter Thomas Lockeyear. But it alone in the set shared below comes under a different heading, i.e., DOMINION AND EMPIRE FORCES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1939-45.
Q: Could this mean if I search for other photographs under the "different heading" I'll find another batch re Canadian soldiers and sailors taken at the same time (July, 1942) by Tanner and Lockeyear?
A: Yes! Stay tuned to Part 3 in this series of posts. : )
Q: Could this series of posts lead to other related sets of photographs from Imperial War Museum (IWM)?
A: Could do!**
Introduction:
This is the second-part of what has turned out to be a three-part-series of photographs (taken in July 1942) found at the Imperial War Museum related to Canadian soldiers (and sailors, some of which may not only be members of the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) but also volunteer members of Combined Operations) in preparation (likely) for the upcoming Dieppe Raid (Operation Jubilee*, scheduled for August 19, 1942.
*Operation Rutter, a raid on the French port of Dieppe scheduled for July 7, 1942 (approx.) was cancelled - "due to bad weather," and/or perhaps after German aircraft spotted and bombed the preparation area and assembled landing crafts - on the south coast of England just prior to the launching of the Canadian and British forces. Would these photos be related to that operation? I would say there is a very slim chance, not very likely due to Rutter's early July date.
The final exercise prior to assault landing at Dieppe.
Photo: Library and Archives Canada (LAC) 4341223
More details about Operation Rutter can be found here. More details re Rutter - click here.
Below you will find more photographs from IWM re training for Combined Operations, as well as a lead (!) to other related photographs (and maybe more after that!!):
IWM (H 21361) - Canadian troops embarking in landing craft for the exercise.
IWM (H 21362) - These Canadians are wearing "Mae Wests"
life belts as they embark in landing craft for the exercise.
IWM (H 21364) - Canadians in landing craft about to set off on the exercise.
IWM (H 21365) - Troops listening to an impromptu concert
aboard ship during a break in the exercise .
IWM (H 21366) - Troops listening to an impromptu concert
aboard ship during a break in the exercise .
IWM (H 21367) - Troops listening to an impromptu concert
aboard ship during a break in the exercise .
IWM (H 21368) - Troops listening to an impromptu concert
aboard ship during a break in the exercise .
IWM (H 21369) - Troops listening to an impromptu concert
aboard ship during a break in the exercise .
IWM (H 21370) - Two of the officers with the new Sten Gun during the exercise.
(Note the 'CANADA' shoulder patch here and below)
IWM (H 21371) - Lieut. Colonel G. Hedey Basher (centre) at the exercise.
IWM (H 21372) - Lieut. Colonel G. Hedey Basher (right) with one of his officers.
IWM (H 21373) - Lt. Col. "Cece" Merritt talking to two
of his officers during an exercise (screen shot GH)
More information about Lt. Col. "Cece" Merritt follows:
Charles Cecil (“Cece” or “Cecil”) Ingersoll Merritt was born on November 10, 1908, in Vancouver.
He graduated from Royal Military College of Canada in 1929. He later worked as a lawyer in Vancouver.
On July 1, 1937, in Belleville, Ontario, he married Grace Graham Bone. She was born on November 3, 1913, in Ontario. Her father was Jamieson Bone. Her mother was Florence Graham.
During the Second World War, Cece served as a lieutenant colonel with the Canadian military. While commanding his battalion during the Dieppe raid on August 19, 1942, he was captured by enemy forces. He won a Victoria Cross for “matchless gallantry and inspiring leadership.”
After the war, he served one term as a Member of Parliament for the riding of Vancouver-Burrard. In 1949 he returned to the practice of law.
Grace died on August 5, 1990, in Vancouver. She was buried in Ocean View Cemetery in Burnaby, British Columbia
Cece died on July 12, 2000, in Vancouver. He was buried in Ocean View Cemetery in Burnaby.
Source - Vancouver West End history
Charles Cecil (“Cece” or “Cecil”) Ingersoll Merritt was born on November 10, 1908, in Vancouver.
He graduated from Royal Military College of Canada in 1929. He later worked as a lawyer in Vancouver.
On July 1, 1937, in Belleville, Ontario, he married Grace Graham Bone. She was born on November 3, 1913, in Ontario. Her father was Jamieson Bone. Her mother was Florence Graham.
During the Second World War, Cece served as a lieutenant colonel with the Canadian military. While commanding his battalion during the Dieppe raid on August 19, 1942, he was captured by enemy forces. He won a Victoria Cross for “matchless gallantry and inspiring leadership.”
After the war, he served one term as a Member of Parliament for the riding of Vancouver-Burrard. In 1949 he returned to the practice of law.
Grace died on August 5, 1990, in Vancouver. She was buried in Ocean View Cemetery in Burnaby, British Columbia
Cece died on July 12, 2000, in Vancouver. He was buried in Ocean View Cemetery in Burnaby.
Source - Vancouver West End history
If there are other sets of photos that have some connection to Canadians in Combined Operations I will share them in another entry. Interested or curious readers can check out the collections by using the links attached to the names of the photographers directly above.
FYI A set of photos (i.e., e.g., H21340 - H21349) re Sten gun practice precede this set re Training For Combined Operations, July 1942. Though I did not see any Canadian sailors/members of Combined Ops in that set I did recall being in possession of the following, i.e., photos of gun-wielding Canadians in Combined Ops, from the collection of LS Joe Spencer (RCNVR/Combined Ops):
ALC 269 returning to Southampton from Newhaven, with Charley
Sheeler and Joe Spencer after the Dieppe Raid, Aug. 20, 1942
Charley Sellick (left) and Jim Ivison, July or August, 1943,in Sicily re Operation HUSKY
Jack Trevor, Sicily. Pistols were likely purchased at an AMGOTstore after the fall of Italy in September, 1943
About sailors in possession of pistols after the surrender of Italy my father wrote the following:
Sometimes we went to Italy and to Allied Military Government of Occupied Territory depot (AMGOT). (They later changed that name because in Italian it meant shi-!) While a couple of ratings kept the man in charge of all the revolvers busy, we picked out a lot of dandies. If he caught us we were ready. We had chits* made out, i.e., “Please supply this rating with sidearms,” signed Captain P. T. Gear or Captain B. M. Lever, after the Breech Mechanism Lever on a large gun. "Dad, Well Done" Page 36
Please click here to view previous post - Photographs: Training For Combined Operations, July 1942 (1)
Unattributed Photos GH
*The 'chits' were forgeries, with officers' names applied by a stamp carved out of a dried potato
Questions or comments re this entry can be addressed to GH at gordh7700@gmail.com
Please click here to view previous post - Photographs: Training For Combined Operations, July 1942 (1)
Unattributed Photos GH
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