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Mysterious Canadian Paratrooper

Article about: I bought a group of medals and documents. Canadian Artilleryman served in an Anti Tank Regiment. Relatives told me that he participated in operation Fustian and was dropped off into Sicily.

  1. #1

    Default Mysterious Canadian Paratrooper

    I bought a group of medals and documents.
    Canadian Artilleryman served in an Anti Tank Regiment.
    Relatives told me that he participated in operation Fustian and was dropped off into Sicily.
    In the soldiers service book there are some notes that I cannot understand about that time.
    Maybe somebody know what these abbreviations mean:
    Embarked UK 28-6-43
    SOS bdn Army (UK) 28-6-43
    ToS bdn Army (M) 29-6-43
    Disembarked 13-7-43 - and this the actual date of the operation Fustian.
    Thank you all in advance for your interest and would appreciate any information.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Mysterious Canadian Paratrooper   Mysterious Canadian Paratrooper  

    Mysterious Canadian Paratrooper   Mysterious Canadian Paratrooper  

    Mysterious Canadian Paratrooper   Mysterious Canadian Paratrooper  


  2. #2

    Default

    Struck off Strength "Cdn' (Canadian Army) UK
    Taken on Strength 'CDN' (Canadian Army) Mediterranean

    Disembarked means arrival in theater- so not likely involvement in operations but arrival in the area of active operations.

    The Regimments condensed History from Wiki:
    "The regiment mobilized The Edmonton Regiment, CASF for active service on 1 September 1939. It was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, The Edmonton Regiment, CASF on 7 November 1940; and as the 1st Battalion, The Loyal Edmonton Regiment on 7 July 1943. On 22 December 1939, it embarked for Great Britain. "D" Company participated in the expedition to the Norwegian island of Spitzbergen on 25 August 1941, and the battalion landed in Sicily on 10 July and Italy on 3 September 1943, as part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Infantry Division. The unit landed in France on 15 March 1945 as part of OPERATION GOLDFLAKE, on its way to the North West Europe theatre of operations, in which it fought until the end of the war. The overseas battalion disbanded on 15 October 1945.[3]

    Leonforte, July 1943. According to Mitcham and von Stauffenberg in The Battle of Sicily, The Loyal Edmonton Regiment allegedly killed captured German prisoners.[5][page needed]
    On 1 June 1945, a second Active Force component of the regiment was mobilized for service in the Pacific theatre of operations, as under the 3rd Canadian Infantry Battalion (The Loyal Edmonton Regiment), CASF. The battalion disbanded on 1 November 1945.[3]"

    There is nothing in what you have show here to indicate that he was parachuted or paratroop qualified 'Dropped' colloquially can mean delivered. 'I dropped my son off at school' versus parachuted in.

  3. #3

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    Here are pictures of this soldier during the operation in Sicily.
    Do you think the one on the right is their commander - he looks like paratrooper (by his boots and uniform..)
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Mysterious Canadian Paratrooper   Mysterious Canadian Paratrooper  


  4. #4

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    No! The back of the picture explains exactly who they are and what’s going on - your guy Lewis was part of a light artillery unit in the 49th. They are wearing standard infantry hot climate khaki working dress. There is no parachute association at all in the service details supplied.

  5. #5

    Default

    I can only concur, there is nothing Can Para related that you have shown. By and large Canadian paratroopers wore Corcoran jump boots, the boots shown in the photo are standard ammo boots with socks turned down and as already stated they are all wearing standard hot climate working dress.

  6. #6

    Default

    I agree also. Nothing airborne related here at all. The caption on the photograph identifies them as an anti-tank platoon of the "Loyal Eddies" (Loyal Edmonton Regiment).

    SOS and TOS dates are important points of record because they affect entitlement and qualification periods for everything from pay and allowances to medals and awards. Embarkation / Disembarkation dates have similar connotations.

    It would be interesting to know why you think there is a "para" connection?

    Regards

    Mark
    Last edited by Watchdog; 04-06-2021 at 03:20 PM. Reason: Typo
    "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

  7. #7

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    When I was buying the stuff of this guy the seller who was also the guy's relative told me the story of this soldier. He was dropped into Sicily on a glider that fell into the water. This was his most vivid memory of the war.
    He did not talk about Ortona battle, him fighting enemy tanks. How can somebody imagine such a scary story? The seller gave me contacts for the other relatives (the inheritance was split between relatives). I bought another part of it.. and the person confirmed that he heard the same story, the most remembered from his war experience. Usually one unit is wearing the same uniform - that's the rule. And in this picture the difference caught my eye. Also the tall Sergeant on the right is wearing special patches that look like paratroopers ones. No similar patches on other guys' uniforms. Also his height can be a sign of him being a paratrooper. I also think he's got a different belt. And he is wearing tall boots (very like the paratrooper's) and totally different from other guy's boots. Could someone know about the paratroopers' Rolls to find out if this Sergeant had been a paratrooper (his name is on the back of the photo).Thank you dear friends for your interest in this topic and any help you can provide!
    Attached Images Attached Images Mysterious Canadian Paratrooper  Mysterious Canadian Paratrooper 

  8. #8

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    Again - no - your imagining things, stories are not always true, people make stuff up soldiers are no different. Your tale is from someone selling you a fairy tale ,not Lewis’s account, the Sgt is wearing the unit shoulder title for the 49th over the red rectangle which is the formation patch for the 1st Canadian Division, 2nd infantry brigade in Italy c. 1943-44. No Canadian regular infantry were delivered by gliders or by parachute.

  9. #9

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    1st Bn R. Edmonton Regt were not airborne and did not deploy on Operation Husky (Invasion of Sicily) by glider. They were "dropped" by landing craft from the sea.

    Their chain of command was;

    1. Allied 15th Army Group
    2. British 8th Army.
    3. British XXX Corps.
    4.1st Canadian Infantry Division.
    5. 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade.
    6. 1st Battalion Royal Edmonton Regiment.

    Within 8th Army on Op Husky the airborne Anti Tank element was 1st Airlanding A/T Battery Roayal Artillery whose next higher echelon was British 1st Parachute Brigade and they were the anti-tank element in Op Fustian (Capture of Primisole Bridge a battle honour of the British Parachute Regiment) not The Loyal Edmonton Regiment.

    Again there is nothing airborne related in the picture you show. Also the men are apparently unarmed and are not dressed for combat which suggests that the action is finished rather than just a lull in the battle. The gun behind them is I believe a 17 Pdr QF Anti tank gun.

    The boots you refer to are ordinary ankle boots worn with puttees and socks rolled at the top. See the attached picture of the Loyal Edmonton Regt arriving in Sicily, again, very clearly not airborne troops.

    Once again, sorry there is no paratroop or airborne connection here.

    It is an interesting picture but always remember the collectors maxim "Buy the item not the story"
    I hope you did not pay a premium based on the "Para" suggestion.

    Regards

    Mark

    Mysterious Canadian Paratrooper

    PS I can see why you think the arm patch look like a "DZ" flash but it isn't because the DZ flash would not be worn on this uniform. Also if you look at the top of the sleeve you can just make out a shoulder title. Probably this one;
    Mysterious Canadian Paratrooper
    Last edited by Watchdog; 02-05-2021 at 10:36 AM. Reason: Typo
    "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

  10. #10

    Default

    Thanks a lot for the new information and photos! And you are right, I paid extra for two sets of medals belonging to two brothers and some war trophies. All because they did not know a real price and asked so low - I just thought it was not fare.

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