Staff Weenie said:
1954 Health Services restructure fiasco? Way before my time - how old are you????
Not that old ;D . I've been collecting histories of RCAMC / CFMS units for a long time however.
In November 1954 they decided the legacy field ambulance was dead, as was mobilization.
Nobody was going to get mobilized before the Russian bombers arrived.
They changed all the units to Medical Companies and told them to train for post A-bomb Civil Defence.
That lasted a few years before Civil Defence Canada folded into EMO in 1959 and everything began to flounder.
One of the early results of the change in roll, was the mass exodus of all the WWII vets from the units.
I'll now get long winded and discuss the original numbers, as it's a subject I enjoy.
Here's the list of 1939-45 Fd Ambs:
1 Fd Amb Kingston Ont. - disbanded
2 Fd Amb Toronto Ont. - was combined in 1954 with two other Toronto units,
(7 Fd Amb and 16 Fd Amb) into the current unit. Name would not conflict if
current reserve unit became 7 Fd Amb.
3 Fd Amb Winnipeg Man. - Would not currently conflict.
4 Fd Amb Thunder Bay Ont. - Would not conflict.
5 Fd Amb Hamilton Ont. - name conflict with current 5 Fd Amb
6 Fd Amb Montreal Que. - was combined with 9 and 20 Fd Ambs, could pick
any of those.
7 Fd Amb Toronto Ont. - As per 2 Fd Amb above.
8 Fd Amb Calgary Alta. - Could be used or unused, depending on if your talking
about splitting the current unit back up.
9 Fd Amb Montreal Que. - As per 6 Fd Amb above.
10 Fd Amb Weyburn Sask. - was disbanded
11 Fd Amb Guelph Ontario - Disbanded
12 Fd Amb Vancouver BC - Oddly... is still the same.
13 Fd Amb Victoria BC
14 Fd Amb Moncton NB
15 Fd Amb London Ont. - disbanded.
16 Fd Amb Toronto Ont. - as per 2 Fd Amb above.
17 Fd Amb Ponoka AB -
18 Fd Amb Quebec City Que.
19 Fd Amb Quebec City Que.
20 Fd Amb Montreal Que. - as per 6 Fd Amb above.
21 Fd Amb Charlottetown PEI with a Coy in Sydney NS - disbanded.
22 Fd Amb Halifax NS
23 Fd Amb (Active Force) Petawawa Ont. - no conflict.
24 Fd Amb Kitchener Ont. - disbanded.
26, 26, 27 Fd Ambs - WW2 formations only.
I suspect one could very easily create:
1, 2 and 5 Reg Force.
3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 17, 18, 21, 22, 28, 52 Reserve Force.
The hard one, Hamilton would have five options (2nd 5th, 11, 15, 24 or staying 23)
Regular Force (no change at all)
1 Fd Amb , 2 Fd Amb, 5 Fd Amb
3 units (12, 28, 52) would have no change at all. 12 was originally 12, the other
two are newer, or trace back to non-field ambulance formations.
10 units could be renumbered without any numbering conflict.
Reserve Force (from West to East)
13 Fd Amb Victoria
12 Fd Amb Vancouver (already so named)
8 Fd Amb Calgary (or it could stay as is - part of Edmonton)
17 Fd Amb Edmonton
10 Fd Amb Regina and Saskatoon
3 Fd Amb Winnipeg
4 Fd Amb Thunder Bay
Hamilton (five options, 2nd 5 Fd Amb, 11, 15, 23 or 24 Fd Amb)
7 Fd Amb Toronto (option for 16 Fd Amb)
28 Fd Amb Ottawa (already so named)
6 Fd Amb Montreal (options for 9 and 20)
Sherbrooke no change from 52 Fd Amb
18 Fd Amb Quebec City (option for 19 Fd Amb)
22 Fd Amb Halifax (option for staying as 33)
21 Fd Amb Sydney (option for staying as 35)
That would result in Everyone having their original name back.
Confirming the lineage would be extremely easy. An archive request to view
the WW2 war diaries would confirm where each unit was raised. That could be completed
in a less than a week with a properly planned archive request.
The WW1 diaries are easily viewed on line, and the branch history book from 1977 is
easily referenced as well.
Glad the hear the CO's are still asking. It is a matter of pride in both the units, and the
branch history.