Question of the Hour

[3rd Herd]

Carrier Pigeons?

Right answer:
"In 1920 military aviators of the newly formed Canadian Air Force (CAF) began using pigeons for aircraft to ground communications. Pigeons served in the RCAF until May 1946." http://www.c-and-e-museum.org/chap4_e1.htm

and one of the hero's of Dieppe. "The pigeon "Broadsword" was the third pigeon released (from HMS Fernie), the first two having been hit by German fire. Broadsword's handler was a signalman who had taken the three week RCAF pigeon handlers' course specially for this operation."

 

[3rd Herd]

What short lived policy carried out by the Canadian army was curtailled as "it was taking us to close to the monster we are trying to defeat"

 

[geo]

Oooooh.... sounds intriguing
(Ist thought would be domething to do with Psyops AKA propaganda)...


Whups.... shackling of german prisoners at dieppe.......

Nor was the suffering over for the Canadians taken prisoner in the raid.  From papers seized from the enemy, the Germans discovered that the Canadians had been planning to shackle their prisoners to make them easier to control, which was in contravention of the laws of war.  They therefore immediately clapped shackles on their Canadian prisoners, and for some this humiliation would continue for 18 months.  Canada would do the same for a few months with its German prisoners of war.  In December 1942, however, they abandoned this practice, which was taking them much too close to the monster they were trying to defeat.

http://www.cmhg.gc.ca/cmh/en/page_662.asp

 

[3rd Herd]

Well done Geo, sorry no psych ops but in the myth or reality realm:

What proposed war would have these results:
"The attack on Canada calls for assaults on Ottawa and Montreal, the Welland Canal, London, Sault Ste Marie, the CPR north of Lake Superior, the CPR at Winnipeg and the Fraser River. Heavy artillery would also be set up on the St Lawrence below Montreal."

 

[geo]

Hmmmm...

The Battle of the Windmill: fought in November 1838 in the aftermath of the Upper Canada Rebellion. Loyalist forces of the Upper Canadian government defeated an invasion attempt by Patriot Hunter insurgents based in the United States.

 

[3rd Herd]

No, a little later in history though.

 

[Michael OLeary]

Sounds like one of the hypothetical defence plans from the 1920s, more Staff College exercise than reality based threat.

 

[armyvern]

Well done Geo, sorry no psych ops but in the myth or reality realm:

What proposed war would have these results:
"The attack on Canada calls for assaults on Ottawa and Montreal, the Welland Canal, London, Sault Ste Marie, the CPR north of Lake Superior, the CPR at Winnipeg and the Fraser River. Heavy artillery would also be set up on the St Lawrence below Montreal."

A proposed war with Great Britain:

http://www.forces.gc.ca/dhh/downloads/cfhq/cfhq002.PDF

edit: Mike O: Yep, Staff College stuff, that's exactly where I pulled it up!!

 

[3rd Herd]

Sounds like one of the hypothetical defence plans from the 1920s, more Staff College exercise than reality based threat.

You are two for two Micheal, 2nd place to Geo.

Report No.2, Historical Section, Canadian Forces Headquarters:Canadian-American Defence Relations
1867-1914, Plans for Invasion of Canada

"United States Plans for Invasion of Canada
46. A series of War College papers dealing with attacks on Canada.
(a) USNA, war Dept, GS, War Plans Div, Classified Gen Correspondence, 1900-1920,
Box 20, File 8364-5, Maj J.M. Shaw, USMC, "Military Geography of the Provinces
of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia," n.d.
(i) This paper was prepared by a War College student of the class of 1912-1913.
(ii) The author says the US should immediately take the offensive in the West in the
event of war, destroying railway communications at Winnipeg and over the
Fraser River, followed by an occupation of the main towns."

Source: http://www.forces.gc.ca/dhh/downloads/cfhq/cfhq002.PDF

Edit to add:

"Buster Brown gained infamy after his death as the author of “Defence Scheme No. 1,” drafted in late 1920 and early 1921. This document laid out a defensive plan that called for a pre-emptive Canadian attack on the United States in the event of looming conflict. Buster Brown prepared this document in his role as Director of Military Operations and Intelligence (DMO & I) at National Defence Headquarters at the behest of his superiors, and it is arguably typical of military plans, prepared for a possible worst case, and admittedly unlikely to be used. This said, his ardent defence of its content, particularly the military personnel and materiel requirements that it entailed, has
caused him to be personally associated with it."

Source: http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/caj/documents/vol_08/iss_1/CAJ_vol8.1_16_e.pdf

 

[armyvern]

You are two for two Micheal, 2nd place to Geo.

Report No.2, Historical Section, Canadian Forces Headquarters:Canadian-American Defence Relations
1867-1914, Plans for Invasion of Canada

"United States Plans for Invasion of Canada
46. A series of War College papers dealing with attacks on Canada.
(a) USNA, war Dept, GS, War Plans Div, Classified Gen Correspondence, 1900-1920,
Box 20, File 8364-5, Maj J.M. Shaw, USMC, "Military Geography of the Provinces
of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia," n.d.
(i) This paper was prepared by a War College student of the class of 1912-1913.
(ii) The author says the US should immediately take the offensive in the West in the
event of war, destroying railway communications at Winnipeg and over the
Fraser River, followed by an occupation of the main towns."

Source: http://www.forces.gc.ca/dhh/downloads/cfhq/cfhq002.PDF

Interestingly enough, para 48 of the same document calls for the same thing WRT a War with Great Britain. I guess that would refer to a proposed American war with Great Britain.

 

[3rd Herd]

What is described as the "most important assignment of the Canadian military in the inter war years" and who was it's author.

 

[3rd Herd]

Hints:
General strike and the taking over of trains. Where did the passengers come from?

 

[foresterab]

Will have to dig more but off the top of my head I assume it deals with the Winnipeg Strike and the great depression.  Also the use of armed police to break the strike which resulted in several deaths.  The trains were taken over by unemployed Canadians with the goal of travelling to Ottawa to protest.

More to follow tonight after I get home and have time to investigate.

 

[3rd Herd]

Will have to dig more but off the top of my head I assume it deals with the Winnipeg Strike and the great depression.  Also the use of armed police to break the strike which resulted in several deaths.  The trains were taken over by unemployed Canadians with the goal of travelling to Ottawa to protest.

More to follow tonight after I get home and have time to investigate.

You are on the right "track" so to speak.

 

[rmacqueen]

Nor was the suffering over for the Canadians taken prisoner in the raid.  From papers seized from the enemy, the Germans discovered that the Canadians had been planning to shackle their prisoners to make them easier to control, which was in contravention of the laws of war.  They therefore immediately clapped shackles on their Canadian prisoners, and for some this humiliation would continue for 18 months.  Canada would do the same for a few months with its German prisoners of war.  In December 1942, however, they abandoned this practice, which was taking them much too close to the monster they were trying to defeat.

I knew one of the Canadians who was captured at Dieppe and shackled in retaliation.  He had some very interesting stories about Canadian antics in the camps and the stuff they put over on the Germans including the shackling.

 

[3rd Herd]

Unanswered so here is the answer:

"...including McNaughton's work camps for the unemployed of the early 1930's, "perhaps one of the most important assignments carried by the Canadian military during the years between the two wars."

Source:
Eayrs James, In Defence of Canada:From the Great War to the Great Depression. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 1964(pg.124)

Libarian,
this makes up for the line question awhile back. ;D

 

[3rd Herd]

Okay an easy one:

Why was the Spainish Divison which fought on the Eastern Front in the employment of the Germans known as the "Blue Divison" ?

 

[larry Strong]

Flying of the cuff here...IIRC because their shirts were blue.

 

[geo]

Because the soldiers could not use official Spanish army uniforms, they adopted a symbolic uniform comprising the red berets of the Carlists, khaki trousers used in the Spanish Legion, and the blue shirts of the Falangists - hence the nickname, "Blue Division". This uniform was used only while on leave in Spain; in the field, soldiers wore the Heer field gray uniform with a shield on the upper right sleeve bearing the word "España" and the Spanish national colors.

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

 

[3rd Herd]

You are correct Larry, but Geo included a source although it is the dreaded "wiki". I say dreaded because the blue shirts of the Falangists was worn under their wehrmacth uniforms. The blue collar was visible under the grey, hence the nickmane "Blue Division".

"Since Spain was not at war with USSR, the question arose of what uniform to use and the status of the soldiers captured under international law. Spanish uniforms could not be used even in transport, so the troops received the red berets of the Carlists, khaki trousers used in the Foregin Legion, and the blue shirts of the Falangists. Since the Falangists refused to wear the Carlists red berets, the blue shirt became the identifying symbol".

Source:

Kleinfeld,Gerald R.,Tambs,Lewis A. ' North to Russia: The Spanish Blue Division in World War II'. Military Affairs, Society for Military History 1973