Canada arsenal in the WW2

[Higgs602]

First Canadian Parachute Battalion regularly carried Thompsons.

They were also notoriously known for using captured enemy weapons, to their advantage.

Since 1 CanPara was under British control (i.e. 6th Br Airborne Division), and since AB troops were considered "Bastard Sons",
perhaps many an officious eye was cast aside in view of their battlefield successes.

Yea they might have had some leeway in their choice of personal weapons. Take a look at these:
http://perthregiment.org/rperth6.html

You have a trooper with a SMLE in NWE 1944 and M1 Garands in the hands of several others in Germany 1945. Perhaps the FSSF guys who were folded into 1 Can Para got to keep their M1s...but that really doesn't seem like something the Americans would do

 

[Kernalvax]

The 6th parachute regiment was issued the no5 early in 45

 

[Garand]

Everyone seems to forget that Canada purchased 1,515 1943 Colt 1911A1's during World War 2 for use to 1 Can Para, Military Police, etc

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/706x418q90/857/dscf7679a.jpg

 

[Rule 303]

The 6th parachute regiment was issued the no5 early in 45

To which unit do you refer? We earlier had made reference to the 6th (BR) AB Division, not Regiment.

 

[bushwhacker]

I have also read about Canadians using Thompsons in Korea. From what I read they had a high opinion of them as compared to the Sten.

 

[purple]

The Thompsons in Korea were picked up from Chicom casualties. The US had provided large quantities of Thompsons to the Nationalist Chinese in WW2. These were subsequently seized and used by the Chicoms after they had defeated the Nationalists and driven them to exile in Formosa/Taiwan. Thompsons also showed up on the other side in Vietnam as they were provided to the North Vietnamese by China. They were very popular among US troops in Vietnam. When I did an exchange tour in the US 30 yrs ago one of my office mates used to talk about using one that he had horse traded for in Vietnam.

 

[Claybuster]

The Thompsons in Korea were picked up from Chicom casualties.

An acquaintance of mine served in Korea carried a Thompson and spoke highly of it. When asked if the Thompson was issued equipment he quietly said, "No, but the previous owner had no further need of it."

 

[cigar_man]

The hard slogging in Italy, France, and the Netherlands was done by the No. 4 Mk.1*.

and a K-98

Two Canadians of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry meet soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 2nd Armoured Division, in Elbeuf, France, 27 August 1944.

Above L-R): Corporal J.E. Juras, Private W.R. Burns (RHLI), Captain A.A. Smith, Lieutenant Clair Jones, Sergeant K.C. Lingen (RHLI), First Sergeant L.R. Huntingdon. (Canadian Film & Photo Unit photographer: Lt. Ken Bell)

Both Canadians in the photo would be dead before the war’s end.



Sergeant Ken Lingen would be killed on 17 October 1944 by a sniper near his D Company HQ in Belgium. He was a Company Sergeant Major (CSM) by then.

Private William Burns would be killed on 9 March 1945 in the last days of the bloody Rhineland offensive to capture the German Rhineland.

CSM Ken Lingen was my father's best buddy growing up.

We have been to his grave several times in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands.

 

[x westie]

First combat use of the Thompson SMG with the Canadian Army was at Hong Kong , Dec 1941, the Royal Rifles of Canada and Winnipeg Grenadiers were issued Thompson with the drum magazine

 

[Kirk1701]

and a K-98

Two Canadians of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry meet soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 2nd Armoured Division, in Elbeuf, France, 27 August 1944.

Above L-R): Corporal J.E. Juras, Private W.R. Burns (RHLI), Captain A.A. Smith, Lieutenant Clair Jones, Sergeant K.C. Lingen (RHLI), First Sergeant L.R. Huntingdon. (Canadian Film & Photo Unit photographer: Lt. Ken Bell)

Both Canadians in the photo would be dead before the war’s end.



Sergeant Ken Lingen would be killed on 17 October 1944 by a sniper near his D Company HQ in Belgium. He was a Company Sergeant Major (CSM) by then.

Private William Burns would be killed on 9 March 1945 in the last days of the bloody Rhineland offensive to capture the German Rhineland.

CSM Ken Lingen was my father's best buddy growing up.

We have been to his grave several times in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands.

Obviously this is a battlefield pickup. There's a brief film clip of a Canadian in Italy with an M1 carbine, but this was hardly the norm.

 

[Kernalvax]

To which unit do you refer? We earlier had made reference to the 6th (BR) AB Division, not Regiment.

6th british airborne is what I was meaning

 

[Kernalvax]

Aret the photos of the Canadian paras in American equipment from when the 1st Canadian parachute battalion were training with the Americans at Ft Benning in 42?

 

[enefgee]

I've never seen a C-Broad Arrow No5, but I have held a Garand marked that way, and a Thompson. Never seen a Canadian M1 Carbine either.

 

[bogusiii]

Also, for example, the Fox.

Too true:

 

[purple]

I've never seen a C-Broad Arrow No5, but I have held a Garand marked that way, and a Thompson. Never seen a Canadian M1 Carbine either.

Never say never. Page 73 of the book, " In Search of Pegasus" has a photo dated July 1946 which shows a Cdn paratrooper at Ipperwash holding a No5. The Cdn Army EMEI on the No4 rifle, dated Oct 1946, contains a sentence reading " ...parts lists of other similar equipments (Rifles C No7..., Rifles No5 and other equipments in the service using No4 Rifle parts) can refer to this instruction for identification information where items are identical, and thus prevent an unnecessary duplication of information in the various parts lists."

This doesn't prove that No5 rifles were officially adopted by the Cdn Army, nor does it say anything about markings, but it does appear to indicate that No 5 rifles were in use to some extent.