The History of the Third Canadian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (3LAA)

It has been a long time (too long) since I was on the forum. I just saw the post from steelem77 and as the individual is only a recruit, I won't be able to send a message (if the old rules still apply). I might be able to make some connections to the children of 3LAA Veterans. Unfortunately, most have passed on now, and there were only a few Veterans at the last of the 16th Battery reunions I attended a few years ago. One of the graves I went to at Dieppe War Cemetery was that of Gunner Kenneth M. Stuart.

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Hi macrusk, I am such a newbie to this forum and so very grateful I came across all this terrific information you have posted! I am the grand-daughter of a WW2 LAA bdr and have actively been seeking any and all information I can possibly find about his service. He was also part of the 3LAA, so your posts have certainly assisted in this puzzle of his service. Reality is, I am also looking for anyone whom may still be alive that may have known him, his name was Lawrence Patrick McDonald. Information on WW2 is so hard to come by, and seeing as I have never had the honor to meet him in person as he passed away before my birth, I am also wondering if you would have any recommendations on places to search for information besides the genealogy package I have from Library and Archives Canada?

 

Of course, if the rules still apply you may not be able to message me back either Wonder if I post 5 times on this thread if it would "unlock" for me? Anyone know?

 

Hi Mamma44802 If your Grandfather has been dead for over 20 years, you should be able to request a copy of his entire service file from Library and Archives Canada. The genealogy package is light on some of what we want to know such as exactly where they served, and possibly the names of others they knew. Try an ATIP request. Mine failed, but I've known others to have success.

For general information, also have a look at the Gunners of Canada books by Nicholson if you can find it as it describes much about the experiences of the gunners as well as notes bits about the various batteries of the 3LAA.

You could also check with the Canadian War Museum as they have a research room. Do you know which battery your Grandfather was in?

 

I just discovered that one of the members of the unit is buried nearby, at Wijnegem Communal Cemetery:

Norman Walter Gilliland
Battery Quartermaster Sergeant
M/61002 Royal Canadian Artillery
3rd Lt AA Regt
Killed In Action September 24, 1944

So that makes it in the general area of Schilde/Sint Job near the kempisch Kanaal supporting 4th or 5th Infantry Brigades.

Any information would be very much appreciated!

Here is a link to a picture of his grave:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12907868

Niko.

 

I just stumbled across this after I received my Gpa's package from Canadian Archives -- what a great thread. Thanks so much ! My grandpa was William Charles Hewson - Originally enlisted with the 15th out of Winnipeg -- I guess it soon was redesignated the 38th.

 

Yes that is him

 

Tiffany - Along with the history book of the 3LAA, I also have a book by Nicholson called "The Gunners of Canada" which has a large section on WWII and has a bit of history on nearly every unit in the Royal Canadian Artillery. If you want to have a sense of what it was like to be a member of a gun crew in WWII you should read George Blackburn's "Guns of Normandy" "Guns of Victory" and "Where the Hell Are the Guns". These are about the 4th Field Artillery Regiment, but it was part of the 2nd Divisions Artillery, just like the 3LAA. The 3LAA was often in the same location as the Royal Regiment of Canada, and were with them at Dieppe. The 15th/38th was out of Winnipeg as you mention, by any chance are you in Manitoba? If so, the Artillery Museum is in Shiloh so it may be worth contacting the historian there. That is where I got my copy of the 3LAA history book. I was at the Canada War Museum and looked at the original folio of the history and it matches exactly. According to what I saw on the British War Records site there are actual regimental diaries (what was probably used as a source for what I typed/copied) of which they have a copy and you could check to see if Library and Archives Canada has one. I have been very lax at doing my military research of late, and will be hoping to get access/copies of some of these other records. Another location is a website called the Directorate of Heritage and History - which has been making digitized copies of the many documents compiled by C.P. Stacey during the Second World War and used by him to compile the History of the Canadian Army in WWII. I would also recommend looking at some of the books by Dennis Whitaker, Terry Copp, and Mark Zuehlke as they cover the larger actions of the Canadian Forces but also zero in on specifics at times regarding units and individuals.

Bob Sudbury, son of Archie Sudbury, had the 3LAA 16th Battery history books. My understanding was that after the last 16th Battery reunion he was going to donate by splitting between the Bessborough Armouries in Vancouver and the Equimault Armory in Victoria. You could look online or with the RCA Historian to see if there may be an archives in Winnipeg for the Battery or its successor which may have photos or documents. Try possibly putting an advertisement in the Legion Magazine to see if you can find any Veteran of the Regiment who may have been in the same Battery, or Troop as your Grandpa. Good Luck!!!