Canadian Sappers in Greece - 1941

[dapaterson]

Has anyone consulted the History of the RCE (http://www.cmea-agmc.ca/books_History_e.asp)?  It's in 3 volumes, and volume 2 has a reasonably good overview of the WWII years (though, as with all official histories, many of the more interesting details were excised to avoid offence / hide offences; I recall a throw-away line mentioning that the 4th Fd Coy RCE had one of the best collections of vehicle spare parts, scrounged from unknown sources, and was dismayed when those vehicles were lost to enemy action.  The history of the QM "acquiring" those parts would no doubt fill another volume, but alas, I fear the statute of limitations precluded publishing those details)

 

[Old Sweat]

OS I reposted your query over at ARRSE and a couple war gaming/mil history sites I check. (grognards are often fanatical historians). So far only one possible lead came up on ARRSE

Someone there suggested this history of the Kent Corps written by their CO.

XD Operations: Secret British Missions Denying Oil to the Nazis

It is available via Amazon:

http://www.amazon.ca/XD-Operations-British-Missions-Denying/dp/1844151360/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243259018&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.ca/XD-Operations-British-Missions-Denying/dp/1844153134/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1243258962&sr=8-3

I ordered this book back in May and it arrived today. The following refers to demolitions in the Port of Salonika:

The remaining few hours were devoted to evacuating as many refugees as possible from the port and, as usual on these occasions many pathetic scenes were witnessed. . .

  Final arrangements for demolition were complete, except in the case of one oil installation where the manager had pro-Axis sympathies. Up to this point nothing could be done, but now the course was clear and, after ten minutes brisk engagement by our chaps, the place was in their hands, all the defenders having either been killed or driven off.

  As the Germans entered the town, they [the 'chaps'] managed to blow up or fire all their objectives. The petrol refineries were left ablaze from end to end . . .

From my point of view, this seems to settle the issue. British, not Canadian, sappers demolished the facilities at Salonika.

 

[Danjanou]

I Came across another interesting, but probably not related , operation involving both the RCE (3 Field Company, RCE from 1st Div) and the Kent Fortress Engineers. Both were involved in Operation Gauntlet the raid on Spitzbergen in Aug 1941.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Gauntlet

Yes I know the link is Wiki but sometimes it’s a good start for obsure info.

 

[Old Sweat]

There is a chapter on the Spitzbergen operation in the book.

Just a short comment on the book, as I have not yet read it completely. The author seems to have an aversion to dates and I am not sure the chapters follow a logical sequence. For example, Spitzbergen, which took place in August 1941, is two chapter ahead of the Greek expedition which was in early 1941.

The book would have benefitted from a rigourous editing.

 

[Danjanou]

The book would have benefitted from a rigourous editing.

I could say the same about the one I’m reading now Mark Zuelhleke’s Terrible Victory, First Canadian Army and the Scheldt Campaign: September 13- November 6, 1944.

Overall not too bad, not too in depth but then not monotonous and dry either. About on par with his other works and a decent enough primer.

It  is though full of small and irritating errors. I never knew my old regiment the Toronto Scottish had 3” mortars and a special .50 cal Vickers. I have to call the museum in FYA and tell them to bin the .303 Vickers and 4.2” Heavy Mortar as obviously they’re wrong. RM Arty also appear to employ the heavy feared 3.5mm AA gun, much superior to the older imperial 3.5” version.  :

 

[OpieRWestmrR]

...this seems to settle the issue. British, not Canadian, sappers demolished the facilities at Salonika.

Thanks for following through with all of that, OS.