2nd Canadian Armoured Regiment in WWII

[Gilbert Collins]

Hello All: I have just joined the Army.ca board and was hoping somebody could point me in the right direction.

I am the son of a veteran Canadian soldier that fought in Italy in WWII. He was wounded at the Battle of the Mefa Crossing on May 24th, 1944. I have received his service records but there are so many short forms and terms that it is difficult to decipher. However, I did hire a researcher and I now have a pretty good time line.

What I am now seeking is to 'where to look' to find out more information on where the parent formations fought in Italy. He was in the 2nd Armoured Regiment but I am not clear on what the parent 'brigade' was or the 'division'. I have the excellent book by Mark Zuehlke called "The Lire Valley" and this has helped a lot.

If anyone can point me to some other good sources, I would welcome the help. My fathers name is Jean Louis Jolicoeur (now deceased) and is buried in Notre Dame Cemetery on Montreal Rd. in Ottawa, Ontario.

I only discovered that I am his biological son during the Covid Epidemic when I got a DNA test for paternity.

Sincerely

Gilbert Collins
Ottawa, Ontario

 

[Blackadder1916]

This may be a starting point for you.

Official history of the Canadian Army in the Second World War, Vol II The Canadians in Italy, 1943-1945

Official history of the Canadian Army in the Second World War, Vol II The Canadians in Italy, 1943-1945 - Canada.ca

Official history of Canada's Army in the Second World War (WW2). This second volume covers the Army's activities in Italy.

www.canada.ca

 

[Blackadder1916]

He was in the 2nd Armoured Regiment

It is more commonly known as Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) abbreviated as LdSH(RC). You may have better luck searching for regimental history using that title. The Regimental Museum and Archives are located in Calgary.

The Military Museums - Ldshrc

The Military Museums in Calgary, Alberta is Western Canada's largest tri-service military history, heritage, art, research, and educational institution.

themilitarymuseums.ca

Contact Us

The Strathcona's appreciate your comments and questions, please feel free to contact us via these methods.

www.strathconas.ca

 

[exspy]

Hello All: I have just joined the Army.ca board and was hoping somebody could point me in the right direction.

Gilbert Collins
Ottawa, Ontario

Welcome, Gilbert,

I concur with Blackadder1916 that the official history is a good place to start. Used copies aren't hard to find and it is available for free online.

The 2nd Armoured Regiment was created from Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) and was part of the 5th Armoured Brigade of the 5th Armoured Division. It served in Italy from January 1944 until the Canadian Corps in Italy was transferred to NW Europe in March 1945. There are several Regimental histories covering the Regiment's time in the War. "Always a Strathcona" and "Lord Strathcona's Horse: A Record of Achievement" leap to mind, but there have been many so you should be able to find used copies of these and many others also online.

The Regimental Museum is part of the "The Military Museums" in Calgary and will probably be able to steer you in the right direction with regard to their archives and such.

Finally, feel free to ask questions on here about anything to do with the Regiment and the War. There is a wealth of knowledge here just waiting to be tapped.

Good luck. Once the "khaki fever" grabs you, it never lets you go.

Dan.

 

[Gilbert Collins]

It is more commonly known as Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) abbreviated as LdSH(RC). You may have better luck searching for regimental history using that title. The Regimental Museum and Archives are located in Calgary.

The Military Museums - Ldshrc

The Military Museums in Calgary, Alberta is Western Canada's largest tri-service military history, heritage, art, research, and educational institution.

themilitarymuseums.ca

Contact Us

The Strathcona's appreciate your comments and questions, please feel free to contact us via these methods.

www.strathconas.ca

Wow! Thank you Black Adder, I will check those sources out.