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Sketches of the Restigouche

The Graphic

        THE NORTH SHORE IN CANADA
THE MAKING OF A BATTALION (Part Three)

        ROYAL VISIT

        Shortly after the first Battalion Exercise on 4th September, preparations began for a visit from Their Majesties, the King and Queen. For this occasion, which took place on Guard of Honour for the Brigade. During the Inspection Their Majesties spoke to many of the men in the ranks.

        FLEET

        After finding its feet in the Aldershot Barracks area the Unit moved to Fleet on the 16th October. Shortly after this they were inspected by General Sir Allan Brook- at that time C-in-C Home Forces. A short period of training in the Fleet District ended with another move- this time to Chaplewood Manor. Here the Regiment Began it's training in Assault Landing Craft. This was a new phase and one of which the Unit was to excel. The lessons learned from training with these crude unit-made mock-ups were to prove a great value later on when exercises were carried out under battle conditions.

        It was not, " all work and no play". Sports, at which the North Shore had always done well, were a prominent feature of the training programmes. During the fall and winter months a hockey team was formed that eventually won the 3rd Divisional Championship. Here, in Chaplewood Manor, the Regiment spent its first Christmas away from home. But it could look back with pride on the progress it had made towards forming a formidable fighting team. That feeling took some of the sting from the realization that home was far away- and would remain so for a long time to come.

        REPUTATION IN THE MAKING

        1942 marked the beginning of a long series of large-scale exercises that were to test endurance and military skill to the full. Names like Exercise, "Hardener", Exercise, "Tiger", (in which the Unit marched 152 miles in 12 days under simulated battle conditions) were the chief topics of conversation during the first six months of this memorable year.

        Other exercises, of an equally arduous nature, followed. On many occasions the endurance and performance shown by the men drew compliments from the high information commanders.

        Several moves were made during the year. For a short time the Regiment was at Hailsham. Then, in the Autumn, Shoreham-on-Sea became home for the Regiment. While at Shoreham the training became more realistic than ever. Assault Landing Craft were available and the unit carried out many exercises with the Navy- landing on the beaches along the coast to scale the cliffs and hillsides of Sussex.

        During the period spent at Shoreham the Battalion was "alerted" for Dieppe. News of this bold raid on the enemy held coast had broken in the morning and caused great excitement throughout the country. Two companies were sent out to assist in the evacuation of the wounded and the off-loading supplies from the assault barges which were returning from the beaches of France. This memorable 19thAugust 1942 turned everyone's thoughts to the training then going on. It was noticeable that on future amphibious exercises the men went "all out" to perfect themselves- to take every advantage of the lessons learned on the bloody beaches of Dieppe by their brothers-in-arms of the Second Division.

        LIEUTENANT-COLONEL CALKIN LEAVES THE REGIMENT

        In the month of September another concerning the age of commanders had been formulated so it became necessary for Lieutenant-Colonel Calkin to relinquish his post. He was succeeded by the then Second-in-Command, Major D.B. Buell, who was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

        Just before Christmas, of this year, another move was made. This time it was to Hassocks, although two companies were detached to Rottingdean.

        Enemy activity was not uncommon along this stretch of the coast and bombing and straffing attacks were often made on areas in which the unit was living. The North Shore\s first casualty as a result of enemy action came on 18thDecember when Private G.W. Stronach was killed during a raid by a Dornier 217 which came over in daylight

        To be continued..... (THE REGIMENT GOES TO SEA)

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