1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, 1942-1945

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion

(York Sunbury Historical Society, Fredericton Region Museum Collection, Author Photo)

1997.28.62

Canadian Parachute Corps badge.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, PA-142610)

Paratroopers of the 1st Canadian Parachute battalion on a Churchill tank: Privates E. D. Aziz, P. G. Mulroy, Sergeant G. H. Jickels, Privates L. O. Fuson, J. Humeniuk, G. M. Brown, R. H. Carlton. Greven, Germany, ca 31 March-5 April 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, 3191722)

RAF Douglas Dakotas dropping paratroopers 6 Feb 1944.

Pegasus Badge.

The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Canadian Army formed in July 1942.   After the end of hostilities in Europe, the battalion was returned to Canada where it was disbanded on 30 September 1945.

By the end of the war the battalion had gained a remarkable reputation: they never failed to complete a mission, and they never gave up an objective once taken. They were the only Canadians to participate in the Battle of the Bulge and had advanced deeper than any other Canadian unit into enemy territory.  Despite being a Canadian Army formation, it was assigned to the British 3rd Parachute Brigade, a British Army formation, which was itself assigned to the British 6th Airborne Division.

On 1 July 1942 the Department of National Defence authorized the raising of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion.  The battalion had an authorised strength of 26 officers and 590 other ranks, formed into a battalion headquarters, three rifle companies and a headquarters company.  Later in the year, volunteers were also requested for the recently formed 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion, which formed the Canadian contingent of the 1st Special Service Force.

The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was Canada's original airborne unit, formed on 1 July 1942.  Volunteers completed jump training in England then underwent four months of training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and the Parachute Training Wing at Shilo, Manitoba.  Part airman, part commando, and part engineer, the paras underwent dangerously realistic exercises to learn demolition and fieldcraft in overcoming obstacles such as barbed wire, bridges, and pillboxes.  By March, Canada had its elite battalion, which returned to England to join the 6th Airborne Division as a unit of the Britain's 3rd Parachute Brigade..

Canadian Parachute Wings (before 1968).

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3302136)

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion paratroops taking part in British parachute training at the Royal Air Force Training School, Ringway, Cheshire, England, 4 Apr 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3298170)

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion paratroops getting dressed for a jump at the Royal Air Force Training School, Ringway, Cheshire, England, 4 Apr 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3579946)

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion paratroops getting dressed for a jump at the Royal Air Force Training School, Ringway, Cheshire, England, 4 Apr 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3302122)

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion paratroops preparing to make a balloon jump at the Royal Air Force Training School, Ringway, Cheshire, England, Oct 1943.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3526685)

Major P.R. Griffin (left) of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion preparing to jump from a static balloon, England, October 1943.

 (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3404622)

Private L.H. Carter of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion ready to jump from an RAF Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley bomber. Parachute Training School, RAF Station, Ringway, Cheshire, England, 4 April 1944. (Also reported as Oct 1943)

(RAF Photo)

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley, flown by RCAF aircrew serving with the RAF, used as a tow-plane for gliders and for dropping paratroops.  The Whitley was in service with the RAF at the outbreak of the Second World War.  It had been developed during the mid-1930s, and formally entered RAF squadron service in 1937.  Following the outbreak of war in Sep 1939, the Whitley participated in the first RAF bombing raid on German territory and remained an integral part of the early British bomber offensive.  By 1943, it was being superseded as a bomber by the larger four-engined heavy bombers such as the Avro Lancaster.  Its front line service included maritime reconnaissance with Coastal Command and second line roles including glider-tug, trainer and transport aircraft.  None have been preserved.

(IWM Photo, H22785)

Paratroopers inside the fuselage of a Whitley aircraft at RAF Ringway, in the UK, August 1942.  In 1940, the Whitley had been selected as the standard paratroop transport; in this role, the ventral turret aperture was commonly modified to be used for the egress of paratroopers.  Members of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion would have been jumping from these aircraft during their training in the UK at RAF Ringway.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3587138)

Sergeants D.R. Christianson and W. Irvine, Royal Winnipeg Rifles, candidates who have completed training at No.1 Parachute Training School, Royal Air Force (RAF), Ringway, England, 12 September 1942.  They planned to serve with the First Special Service Force, but both men chose to serve with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and both jumped into Normandy on D-Day.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3581038)

Corporal N.R.V. Chapman, a member of the first group of Canadian parachute candidates, trains with the shock harness at the U.S. Army Parachute Training School, Fort Benning.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3565537)

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion training at Fort Benning, Georgia, 8 Mar 1943.  Of the 60 other ranks who arrived at Fort Benning, Georgia (via Camp Shilo, Manitoba) from Ringway, England, only 18 opted to join the FSSF.  The majority remained with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion.  These volunteers arrived at Fort William Henry Harrison, Helena, Montana, in Dec 1942.  This base as chosen as the primary training location, due to its flat terrain for airborne training and its close proximity to mountains for ski and winter training.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3581036)

The first group of Canadian parachute candidates preparing to jump from a Douglas C-47 aircraft, Fort Benning, Georgia, United States, 7-11 September 1942.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4297798)

Canadian Paratrooper landing at Fort Benning, Georgia, 1955.

The initial training was carried out at Fort Benning in the USA and at RAF Ringway in the UK.  Groups of recruits were dispatched to both countries with the intention of getting the best out of both training systems prior to the development of the Canadian Parachute Training Wing at Camp Shilo, Manitoba.  The group that traveled to Fort Benning in the United States included the unit's first commanding officer, Major H. D. Proctor, who was killed in an accident when his parachute rigging lines were severed by a following aircraft.  He was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel G. F. P. Bradbrooke, who led the battalion until the end of operations in Normandy on 14 June 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3298165)

Lieutenant-Colonel G.F.P. Bradbrooke, Commanding Officer of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, and his Deputy Commander, Major Jeff A. Nicklin, outside Battalion Headquarters, Carter Barracks, Bulford, England, January 1944.

In July 1943, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was dispatched to the UK and came under the command of the 3rd Parachute Brigade of the British 6th Airborne Division.  The Battalion then spent the next year in training for airborne operations.  Major differences between their previous American training and the new regime included jumping with only one parachute, and doing it through a hole in the floor of the aircraft, instead of through the door of a Douglas C-47 Dakota.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3302181)

Brigadier S. James L. Hill (right), Commander of the British 3rd Parachute Brigade, briefs officers of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Carter Barracks, Bulford, England, 6 December 1943.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3298167)

Paratroopers of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion training at Bulford, England, 5 Jan 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, 3612617)

Personnel of the 1st Canada Parachute Battalion getting ready to leave Carter Barracks for their D-Day transit camp, May 1944.

The Battalion served in North West Europe, including the Landing in Normandy, France with the 6th Airborne Division, during Operation Tonga, in conjunction with the D-Day landings of 6 June 1944.  They were part of the 3rd Parachute Brigade which included the 8th and 9th Battalions and the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, and the 7th, 12th and 13th Battalions of the 5th Parachute Brigade were involved, with considerable casualties.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3405879)

Paratroopers of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion in a transit camp staging area prior to D-Day, England, ca. 1-5 June 1944.

On the evening on 5 June 1944 the battalion was transported to France in fifty aircraft.  Each man carried a knife, toggle rope, escape kit with French currency, and two 24-hour ration packs in addition to their normal equipment, in all totalling 70 pounds.  The battalion landed one hour in advance of the rest of the brigade in order to secure the Drop Zone (DZ).  Thereafter they were ordered to destroy road bridges over the river Dives and its tributaries at Varaville, then neutralize strongpoints at the crossroads.  In addition, the Canadians were to protect the left (southern) flank of the 9th Battalion, Parachute Regiment during that unit's attack on the Merville Battery, afterwards seizing a position astride the Le Mesnil crossroads, a vital position at the centre of the ridge.  Lieutenant Colonel Bradbrooke issued the following orders to his company commanders:

C Company (Major H.M. MacLeod) was to secure the DZ, destroy the enemy headquarters (HQ), secure the SE corner of the DZ, destroy the radio station at Varaville, and blow the bridge over the Divette stream in Varaville. C Coy would then join the battalion at Le Mesnil cross roads.

A Company (Major D. Wilkins) would protect the left flank of 9th Btn during their attack on the Merville Battery and then cover 9th Battalion's advance to the Le Plein feature. They would seize and hold the Le Mesnil cross roads.

B Company (Major C. Fuller) was to destroy the bridge over the river Dives within two hours of landing and deny the area to the enemy until ordered to withdraw to Le Mesnil cross roads.

The Battalion landed between 0100 and 0130 hours on 6 June 1944, becoming the first Canadian unit on the ground in France.  For different reasons, including adverse weather conditions and poor visibility, the soldiers were scattered, at times quite far from the planned drop zone.  By mid-day, and in spite of German resistance, the men of the battalion had achieved all their objectives; the bridges on the Dives and Divette in Varaville and Robehomme were cut, the left flank of the 9th Parachute Battalion at Merville was secure, and the crossroads at Le Mesnil was taken.  In the following days, the Canadians were later involved in ground operations to strengthen the bridgehead and support the advance of Allied troops towards the Seine River.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3225422)

Privates E. Hlady, and J.S. Kelly, Sapper S. Abbey and Company Sargeant-Major G.G. Shimpton, 1 Canadian Parachute Battalion, man Bren guns against German aircraft, 4 Apr 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3215223)

Lieutenant-Colonel G. Fraser Eadie inspecting "C" Company, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Kolkhagen, Germany, 24 April 1945.

On 23 August 1944 Lieutenant Colonel Bradbrooke was appointed to the General Staff at Canadian Military Headquarters in London with Major G. Fraser Eadie taking temporary control of the battalion.  Three days later, on 26 August 1944, the 6th Airborne Division was pulled from the line in Normandy.  27 officers and 516 men from the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion took part in the Battle of Normandy and the unit suffered 367 casualties.  Of those casualties, 5 officers and 76 men were killed or died or wounds.  The unit had to be re-organized and retrained in order to regain its strength and combat-readiness.  The Battle of Normandy had brought a major change to the way the war was fought.  Airborne troops needed new training to prepare for an offensive role, including street fighting and capturing enemy positions.  On 6 September the Battalion left Normandy and returned to the Bulford training camp in the United Kingdom.  While there, Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Nicklin became the battalion commander.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3527074)

General Sir Bernard Montgomery decorating Captain John P. Hanson, "C" Company, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, with the Military Cross, France, 16 July 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3533720)

General Sir Bernard L. Montgomery decorating Lance-Corporal Russell A. Geddes, 6 Platoon, "B" Company, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, with the Military Medal in the Normandy beachhead, France, 16 July 1944.

In December 1944, the Battalion was again sent to mainland Europe.  On Christmas Day they sailed for Belgium, to counter the German offensive in the Ardennes, in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge.

On 2 January 1945, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was again committed to ground operations on the continent, arriving at the front during the last days of the Battle of the Bulge.  They were positioned to patrol during both day and night and defend against any enemy attempts to infiltrate their area.  The Battalion also took part in a general advance, taking them through the towns of Aye, Marche, Roy and Bande.  The capture of Bande marked the end of the fight for the Bulge and the Battalion's participation in the operation.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3526680)

Paratroopers of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion preparing for a patrol, Bande, Belgium, 15 January 1945.

The Battalion was next moved into the Netherlands in preparation for the crossing of the River Rhine.  They were active in carrying out patrols and raids and to establish bridge heads where and when suitable . Despite the heavy shelling of the Canadian positions, there were very few casualties considering the length of time they were there and the strength of the enemy positions.  During this time, the Battalion maintained an active defence as well as considerable patrol activity until its return to the United Kingdom on 23 February 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3191613)

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion paratroops taking part in a mass drop from C-47s, 6 Feb 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3586536)

Three paratroopers of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Carter Barracks, Bulford, England, 13 February 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3565512)

Lieutenants Joseph Philippe Rousseau (left) and Joseph Maurice Rousseau, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, at a transit camp near Down Ampney, England, 13 February 1944. Both officers were later killed in action, Philippe on 7 June 1944 and Maurice on 20 September 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3565514)

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Lieutenants Joseph "Philippe" Rousseau (left) and Joseph "Maurice" Rousseau, c1944.

Both jumped over Normandy on D-Day.  Many paratroopers were killed before touching the ground, but the two brothers landed on French soil and fought heroically.  Sadly, a few hours later, Philippe was killed in action.  He was only 23 years old. Three months later, on 20 September 1944, his older brother Maurice was fighting in Igney (northeastern France) when he was mortally wounded by enemy fire, and died at the age of 25.  These two Canadian paratroopers are now resting side by side, at the Ranville War Cemetery in Normandy.

Following this action, the Battalion took part in a short reinforcement stint in Belgium and the Netherlands.  On 7 March 1945, the Battalion returned from leave to start training for what would be the last major airborne operation of the war, Operation Varsity, the crossing of the Rhine.

The 17th US Airborne and 6th British Airborne divisions were tasked to capture Wesel across the Rhine River, to be completed as a combined paratrooper and glider operation conducted in daylight.

The 3rd Parachute Brigade was tasked to clear the DZ and establish a defensive position road at the west end of the drop zone and, to seize the Schnappenburg feature astride the main road running north and south of this feature.

The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was ordered to seize and hold the central area on the western edge of the woods, where there was a main road running north from the Wesel to Emmerich, and to a number of houses.  It was believed this area was held by German paratroopers.  "C" Company would clear the northern part of the woods near the junction of the roads to Rees and Emmerich.  Once this area was secure, "A" Company would advance through the position and seize the houses located near the DZ.  "B" Company would clear the South-Western part of the woods and secure the battalion's flank.  Despite some of the paratroopers being dropped some distance from their landing zone, the Battalion managed to secure its objectives quickly.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3573886)

Major J.A. Nicklin, Second in Command, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, at Battalion Headquarters, Carter Barracks, Bulford, England, 5 January 1944.

The battalion lost its commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Nicklin, who was killed during the initial jump on 24 March 1945.  Following the death of Nicklin, the last unit commander was Lt. Col. G. Fraser Eadie until the Battalion's disbandment.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3231582)

Lieutenant-Colonel Fraser Eadie, Commanding Officer of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, displaying the American Silver Star decoration which he has just received, Wismar, Germany, 20 May 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3405879)

Paratroopers of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion in a transit camp staging area prior to D-Day, England, ca. 1-5 June 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3526682)

Lieutenant-Colonel G. Fraser Eadie (left), Commanding Officer, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, talking with Major J. Simpson, Officer Commanding the regiment's "C" Company, Kolkhagen, Germany, 24 April 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3225425)

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion troops and transport line the streets waiting for a bridge to be built, Northwest Europe, 4 April 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3302135)

Regimental Sergeant-Major W.J. Clark of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion with Johnny Canuck, the battalion's mascot, Carter Barracks, Bulford, England, 4 April 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3619792)

Personnel of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion having a beer at a local inn, Lembeck, Germany, 29 March 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3533722)

Corporal Lewis G. Wiseman (left), 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, talking with a store owner and his family, Lermbeck, Germany, 29 March 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3524465)

A Forward Observation Group of the Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) attached to the 6th Airborne Division, Wismar, Germany, 20 May 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3226553)

Major-General E.L. Bols, G.O.C. 6th Airborne Division, addressing personnel of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, 22 March 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3524473)

6th British Airborne Division, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion Captain John Russell Madden, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, supervising the loading of a Universal Carrier into an RAF General Aircraft Hamilcar Mk. I glider, in preparation for Operation Varsity (Rhine Drop), England, 18 Mar 1945.

(IWM Photo, E 59364A)

Crossing the Rhine 24 -31 March 1945, Douglas C-47 Dakota transport aircraft release hundreds of paratroops and their supplies over the Rees-Wesel area to the east of the Rhine.  This was the greatest airborne operation of the war.  Some 40,000 paratroops were dropped by 1,500 troop-carrying planes and gliders during Operation Varsity, part of Operation Plunder.

The airborne assault over the Rhine, Operation Varsity, was the largest single airborne operation in the history of airborne warfare and also involved the US 17th Airborne Division.  Five battalions of the 6th Airborne Division took part.  The first unit to land was the  The brigade suffered a number of casualties as it engaged the German forces in the Diersfordter Wald, but by 11:00, the DZ was almost cleared of German forces.  The key town of Schnappenberg was captured by the 9th Battalion in conjunction with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion.  Despite taking casualties, the brigade cleared the area of German forces, and by 13:45, the brigade reported it had secured all of its objectives.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3226564)

Crossing the Rhine River by Allied Airborne Forces, 24 March 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3227293)

Lance-Corporal Gordon A. Comeau, 7 Platoon, "C" Company, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, and Corporal Lewis G. Wiseman dug in for protection against German shellfire and mortar fire, Bergerfurth Wald, Germany, 24 March 1945.

The outcome of this operation was the defeat of the I. Fallschirmkorps in a day and a half.  In the following 37 days, the Battalion advanced 285 miles (459 km) as part of the British 6th Airborne Division, encountering the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp on 15 April 1945 and taking the city of Wismar on 2 May 1945 to prevent the Soviets from advancing too far West.  It was at Wismar that the battalion met up with the Red Army (the only Canadian army unit to do so during hostilities, other than a Canadian Film and Photo Unit detachment).  The armistice was signed on 8 May and the battalion returned to England.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3524486)

Personnel of the 8th Royal Scots linking up with personnel of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion after crossing the Rhine River, Bergerfarth, Germany, 25 Mar 1945.

With victory in Europe and the Pacific War ending in August, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, the Battalion sailed for Canada on the Isle de France on 31 May 1945, and arrived in Halifax on 21 June.  They were the first unit of the Canadian Army to be repatriated and on 30 September the battalion was officially disbanded.  The battalion was perpetuated in the infantry commandos of The Canadian Airborne Regiment (1968-1995), whose colours carried the battle honours: Normandy Landing, Dives Crossing, The Rhine, and North-west Europe 1944–1945.

During the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalions jumps into Normandy on D Day, two-thirds of its sticks were dropped miles from the DZ.  This unit displayed all the major characteristic initiatives and flexibility of airborne troops along with more than its share of bravery right through to the end of the war.  On the cessation of the hostilities in Europe, Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, wrote to the Canadian Chief of the General Staff, now Lieutenant General JC Murchie, to say, “I realize that circumstances have made it inevitable that the Battalion should now cease to form part of the 6th Airborne Division, but I should like to tell you how sorry we are to lose this magnificent battalion, which has taken such a
distinguished part in the great battles of the past year.  I know how high is the regard and affection of all ranks of the 6th Airborne Division for their Canadian Parachute Battalion."   (Ken Joyce, Into the Maelstrom: The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion : History - Insignia - Uniforms Hardcover – 2007, p. 29-33; and C.P. Stacey, Appendix A, Historical Section G.S. Report No. 26, 23 Aug 1949)

Corporal Frederick George Topham, a medical orderly in the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, was awarded the Victoria Cross, for action he took part in east of the River Rhine, near Wesel, Germany, on 24 March 1945.  His citation reads:

Department of National Defence, Ottawa. 3rd August, 1945.

THE CANADIAN ARMY.

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS to: —

No. B.39039 Corporal Frederick George TOPHAM, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion.

On 24th March, 1945, Corporal Topham, a medical orderly, parachuted with his Battalion on to a strongly defended area east of the Rhine.  At about 1100 hours, whilst treating casualties sustained in the drop, a cry for help came from a wounded man in the open.  Two medical orderlies from a field ambulance went out to this man in succession but both were killed as they knelt beside the casualty.

Without, hesitation and on his own initiative, Corporal Topham went forward through intense fire to replace the orderlies who had been killed before his eyes.  As he worked on the wounded man, he was himself shot through the nose.  In spite of severe bleeding and intense pain, he never faltered in his task.  Having completed immediate first aid, he carried the wounded man steadily and slowly back through continuous fire to the shelter of a wood.

During the next two hours Corporal Topham refused all offers of medical help for his own wound.  He worked most devotedly throughout this period to bring in wounded, showing complete disregard for the heavy and accurate enemy fire.  It was only when all casualties had been cleared that he consented to his own wound being treated.

His immediate evacuation was ordered, but he interceded so earnestly on his own behalf that he was eventually allowed to return to duty.

On his way back to his company he came across a carrier, which had received a direct hit.   Enemy mortar bombs were still dropping around, the carrier itself was burning fiercely and its own mortar ammunition was exploding.  An experienced officer on the spot had warned all not to approach the carrier.

Corporal Topham, however, immediately went out alone in spite of the blasting ammunition and enemy fire, and rescued the three occupants of the carrier.   He brought these men back across the open and although one died almost immediately afterwards, he arranged for the evacuation of the other two, who undoubtedly owe their lives to him.

This N.C.O. showed sustained gallantry of the highest order.  For six hours, most of the time in great pain, he performed a series of acts of outstanding bravery and his magnificent and selfless courage inspired all those who witnessed it.

Note: His medals are currently held in the Army Museum at the Halifax Citadel, Nova Scotia.

Most of the data presented here has been drawn from Wikipedia, with extracts from:

• John A. Willes, Out of the Clouds: The History of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, 1995.
• Dan Hartigan, A Rising of Courage: Canada's Paratroops in the Liberation of Normandy, Calgary, Drop Zone Publishers, 2000.
• Bernd Horn & Michael Wyczynski, Tip of the Spear: An Intimate Account of 1 Canadian Parachute Battalion, Dundurn Press 2002.
• Gary Boegel, Boys of the Clouds: An Oral History of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion 1942–45, Trafford, 2005

2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion

Background

The initial idea for these Airborne forces was based on a plan submitted by Geoffrey Pike, a British inventor working for the British Combined Operations.  Pyke devised a plan for the creation of a small, élite force capable of fighting behind enemy lines in winter conditions.  This was to have been a commando unit that could be landed, by sea or air, into occupied Norway, Romania and/or the Italian Alps on sabotage missions against hydroelectric plants and oil fields.  Allied commandos were to be parachuted into the Norwegian mountains to establish a covert base on the Jostedalsbreen, a large glacier plateau in German-occupied Norway, for guerrilla actions against the German army of occupation.

In May 1942, the concept papers for Plough were scrutinized by Lieutenant Colonel Robert T. Frederick, a young officer in the Operations Division of the U.S. General Staff.  Frederick was given the task of creating a fighting unit for Project Plough and was promoted to Colonel to command it.

(Author Photo)

M29 Weasel on display inside the Camp Mabry Military Museum, Austin, Texas.

The Airborne units needed a suitable oversnow vehicle.   In April 1942, since no suitable vehicle existed, the U.S. government therefore asked automobile manufacturers to look into such a design.  Studebaker subsequently created the T-15 cargo carrier, which later became the M29 Weasel.  

The T-15 snowmobile vehicle was capable of carrying four men, and was used by the FSSF in the Aleutians.  A larger vehicle known as the T-24 (later standardized as the M29), was used by the Force in Italy, although in limited numbers.

In January 1944, 12 of the 100 T-24 Weasels the Force had brought to Italy were uncrated for the first time.  The Force found it preferred mules in much of the terrain it found in Italy, due to the rugged hills they were forced to operate in.  A few Weasels were used by the Canadian Army in Europe.

(NWT Archives Photo, Henry Busse, N-1979-052-4716)

Canadian Armoured Snowmobile Mk. I, "Penguin".

In Canada the Department of Munitions and Supply was asked to develop a snowmobile, and did produce an effective vehicle, the Canadian Armoured Snowmobile Mk. I.  The "Penguin" was originally open topped with a two-man crew, a driver in front and commander in the rear.  An aluminum cab gave more room and could be heated.  With these modifications the Penguin gave good service in the Army's post-war Arctic exercises.  This photo is of one of 15 Penguin snowmobiles, on Operation Muskox, which took place on Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories in 1946.  They travelled in the dead of winter from Churchill, Manitoba up through the Arctic.  Three machines were diverted to Cambridge Bay where the RCMP supply vessel St. Roch was frozen in for the winter.  One of the three Penguins, No. 8, was commanded by Captain Bob Inglis, Canadian Army. They ended up in Edmonton, Alberta.  Machine No. 8 survived and was sent to the Bombardier Museum but because they didn't build it, they scrapped it.  (Colin MacGregor Stevens)

In July 1942, the Canadian Minister of National Defence, James Ralston, approved the assignment of 697 officers and enlisted men for Project Plough, under the guise that they were forming Canada's first airborne unit, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3586336)

Colonel the Honourable J.L. Ralston, Minister of National Defence, inspecting paratroopers of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Chobham, England, 3 August 1943.

Due to a decision to raise an actual Canadian parachute battalion, the Canadian volunteers for Project Plough were also sometimes known unofficially as the "2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion".  The Canadian element did not officially become a unit until April–May 1943, under the designation, 1st Canadian Special Service Battalion.  On 1 May 1943, the commander of the Canadian contingent began signing the unit's war diary as the CO of the "1st Canadian Special Service Battalion."

While its members remained part of the Canadian Army, subject to its code of discipline and paid by the Canadian government, they were to be supplied with uniforms, equipment, food, shelter and travel expenses by the U.S. Army.  It was agreed that a Canadian would serve as second in command of the force and that half of the officers and one third of the enlisted men would be Canadian.

Lieutenant Colonel McQueen, formerly in command of The Calgary Highlanders in the United Kingdom, had returned to North America to accept the position of senior Canadian in the Force.  He broke his leg in parachute training on 13 August 1942 and left the Force shortly afterwards, going to Washington, D.C. in a liaison role for the force.  He later commanded The Lincoln and Welland Regiment in Normandy.   Lieutenant Colonel Don Williamson of The Dufferin and Haldimand Rifles took over as senior Canadian and executive officer (second-in-command) of the FSSF.  Approximately half the leadership positions in this force were occupied by Canadians, with about 1/3 of the unit's personnel drawn from the Canadian Army.

The combat force was to be made up of three regiments.  Each regiment was led by a lieutenant colonel and 32 officers and boasted a force of 385 men.  The regiments were divided into two battalions with three companies in each battalion and three platoons in each company. The platoon was then broken up into two sections.  Following initial training period in Montana, the FSSF relocated to Camp Bradford, Virginia, on 15 April 1943, and to Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, on 23 May 1943.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3579997)

Private Tom J. Phelan, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, who was wounded on 16 June 1944 at Le Mesnil, rides his airborne folding bicycle at the battalion's reinforcement camp, England, 1944.  Note he is armed with a Sten gun with wooden stock.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3298166)

Sergeant Gordon Davis of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, riding a Welbike lightweight motorcycle used by airborne forces, Carter Barracks, Bulford, England, 5 January 1944.

(Author Photo)

Welbike lightweight motorcycle used by airborne forces, on display in the New Brunswick Military History Museum, 5 Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3231124)

Company Sergeant-Major W.I. Blair of "C" Company, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Bulford, England, with .45 calibre Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP) M1911, 5 January 1944.  The paras also used the 9-mm Browning automatic pistol.

(Author Photo)

USA, .45-cal M1911 Pistol (Serial No. 1796958), NBMHM, 5 CDSB Gagetown, New Brunswick.

(Author Photo)

Canada, 9-mm Browning Hi-Power Pistol, (Serial No. 4T1374), New Brunswick Military History Museum, 5 Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, New Brunswick.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3852579)

Members of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Private L.J. Goulet from Sudbury, Ontario and R.E. Heath from Windsor, Ontario, riding a motorcycle on March 1945 during the Battalion advance through Lembeck, Germany.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3588776)

Lieutenant G. Murray Williams of Headquarters Company, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, riding a Norton Model 1G-H motorcycle during the battalion's advance from Lembeck through Coesfeld, Germany, 30 March 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 35160970)

Parachute training at the A35 Canadian Parachute Training Centre, Camp Shilo, 15 Feb 1944.

 (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3516165)

Parachute training at the A35 Canadian Parachute Training Centre, Camp Shilo, 20 Mar 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3516167)

Paratrooper with Sten gun preparing for a jump at the A35 Canadian Parachute Training Centre, Camp Shilo, 20 Mar 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3607643)

Lieutenant Tom Brier, 1 Canadian Parachute Battalion, wearing American Parachute equipment, Helmet, 7-5 Parachute Assembly and reverse, Jump Boots, Parachute Jackett and Pants.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3516169)

Paratrooper with Sten gun preparing for a jump at the A35 Canadian Parachute Training Centre, Camp Shilo, 20 Mar 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3592064)

Canadian parachute-qualified personnel armed with .303 Lee Enfield rifles, shortly before they were posted to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion undertaking winter infantry training at A-35 Canadian Parachute Training Centre (Canadian Army Training Centres and Schools), Camp Shilo, Manitoba, Canada, 20 March 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3592070)

Canadian parachute-qualified soldier armed with a portable infantry anti-tank (PIAT) weapon, undertaking winter infantry training at A-35 Canadian Parachute Training Centre (Canadian Army Training Centres and Schools), Camp Shilo, Manitoba, Canada, 20 March 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3405881)

Private L.H. Johnson and Sergeant D.R. Fairborn of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion with a PIAT anti-tank weapon, Lembeck, Germany, 29 March 1945.

(Author Photo)

Portable infantry anti-tank (PIAT) weapon, private collection, Fredericton, New Brunswick.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3298173)

1st Canadian parachute Bn snipers in ghillie suits, during an inspection by King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Elizabeth, Salisbury Plain, England, 17 May 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3526696)

H.M. King George VI meeting Major D.J. Wilkins, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Salisbury Plain, England, 19 May 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3405882)

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Greven, Germany, 4 April 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 5053653)

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3592068)

Canadian parachute-qualified personnel armed with .45 cal Thompson SMG and .303 Lee Enfield rifles on the range.  They were posted to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion undertaking winter infantry training at A-35 Canadian Parachute Training Centre (Canadian Army Training Centres and Schools), Camp Shilo, Manitoba, Canada, 20 March 1945.

(Author Photo)

.45 calibre Thompson M1A1 submachine gun (SMG), on display in the New Brunswick Military History Museum, 5 Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, New Brunswick.  The M1 and M1A1 had a barrel without cooling fins, a simplified rear sight, provisions only for box magazines, employed a straight blowback action and the charging handle was on the side of the receiver.

(Author Photo)

.45 calibre Thompson 1928M1 submachine gun (SMG), with 30-round box magazine, on display in the New Brunswick Military History Museum, 5 Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, New Brunswick.  This version has a barrel with cooling fins, and the charging handle is on top of the receiver.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3591161)

Corporal D.L. Harris, a member of the first group of Canadian Army personnel selected for parachute training, wrestling with a parachute canopy deployed by a wind machine, August 1942.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3574085)

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion paratroopers preparing to board a Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 560), "The Gremlin Castle", No. 165 Squadron, RCAF, at Rivers, Manitoba, 11 Aug 1943.

(DND Photo)

Canada's first military Jumpmasters, standing in front of a Lockheed Lodestar at Rivers, Manitoba, 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3643717)

Lockheed Lodestar, RCAF (Serial No. 555), No. 164 (Transport) Squadron, RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario, 23 Nov 1943.

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(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3591141)

Lieutenant-General Kenneth Stuart (left), Chief of the General Staff, talking with Lieutenant Al Liddiard, who explains the deployment of a reserve parachute's suspension lines, S-14 Canadian Parachute Training School (Canadian Army Training Centres and Schools), Camp Shilo, Manitoba, 13 September 1943.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3591145)

Marchpast of the first class of parachute candidates to graduate from the S-14 Canadian Parachute Training Centre, Camp Shilo, Manitoba, 13 September 1943.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3405883)

Sergeant D.F. Wright of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Kolkhagen, Germany, 30 April 1945.

CANLOAN Officers serving with the British 6th Airborne Division during the Second World War

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3231889)

CANLOAN officers serving with the 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment (British Army), London, England, ca. October 1944.  6th Airborne Division.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3591583)

Lieutenant McWilliams, 21 June 1944. Lieutenant D.I. McWilliams, of Toronto, photographed in Ottawa on 21 June 1944.  He wears Canadian Service Dress with Canadian parachute wings, the red, white and blue fourragere (braided shoulder cord/lanyard), and the arrowhead FSSF insignia.  He wears a Sam Browne cross belt, and his cap, of Canadian design, bears the cap badge of the Canadian Parachute Corps.  His collar badges are also for the Canadian Parachute Corps,  as well as the American collar badges of the First Special Service Force.  Research published by Ken Joyce has shown that some officers had attempted to obtain badges of the Canadian Parachute Corps, having no time to design their own Force badges.  The Corps, however, was nominal - it did not exist in reality, and the Force was so informed by National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa.  The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion nonetheless used the badges of the non-existent corps as its insignia, (as were parachute school staff in Canada), and so a number of Force officers purchased the insignia directly from the manufacturer (William Scully) in Montreal.

The 1st Special Service Force has its own page on this website.

Canadian Airborne Regiment

The Canadian Airborne Regiment (CAR) traces its origin to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion (1 Can Para Bn) and to the First Special Service Force (FSSF) which was administratively known as the 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion.  The CAR bears battle honours on its Regimental Colours from both units, including Normandy Landing, Dives Crossing and Rhine in the case of the former, and Monte Camino, Monte Majo, Monte La Difensa/Monte La Remetanea, Anzio and Rome in the case of the latter.

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion

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