Ex-POW on Japan's apology

Thank you to those who went to Hong Kong. I went to the Yokohama Commonwealth Cemetary to pay my respects with my family.

Canadian Military Heritage Minutes

What many of the young Canadian men and women did for Canada, freedom and peace.

Osborn of Hong Kong (1941)

My grandfather was not in this battle, but this was the first time Canadians were in combat.

Tankfest 2013 with The Mighty Jingles!

 This video shows various versions of both German and Allied armor. This video was posted by Bohemian Eagle. My grandfather would have been responsible for resupplying Canadian tanks with their equipment.

D-day plus 2 off Juno beach

 This scenario is another push by the Canadians off the beaches to drive further into the Normandy countryside. Ian played the Germans this time. I was able to take out his artillery, but his Stug III tank destroyers were able to halt my Shermans.

First blood drawn: 9th Canadian Brigade vs 21 Panzer Division

I am still attempting to upload a video about this little action. Since my 1/72 figures and viechles are back in Canada, one has to improvise.
I have thus decided to use www.juniorgeneral.org topdowns to model some actions.


The first one I decided to use was the 9th Canadian Bde. advancing off the beaches.
21 Panzer group was waiting in an ambush. Three German Panzergrenadier battalions were waiting in woods, while a lone 88mm gun and an A/A battery took on the advancing Canadians. 3 Panzer regiments of Panzer III and IV. The Panzers first blunted the Canadian advance. Drawing them in, the Germans began to quickly pick off both infantry and tanks. Eventually the North Novas were able to pin down the German machine-gunners while the Highland Light Infantry hit then in the flank. The Stromount, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders held the road junction. A pair of Sherman Fireflys eventually took out the 88mm gun. With that, the remaining Germans fell back. The Canadians capture the hill and were off beach.

Home from the Wars (1946)

 Another heritage minute from the CRB foundation. My grandfather was one of the veterans who benefited from his service, eventually establishing King's Bedford Limited, a quality clothing store, in Bedford, Nova Scotia. He retired in 1979. And lived until 2005.

German Engineers in Normandy

Revell made an excellent set of German Engineers for WW2. I have modelled assault pioneer units with these. Thanks to www.plasticsoldierreview for the visuals
In addition, within the various infantry sets, there are a few figures with mines, and flamethrowers. These will be fielded as engineering sections within the battalions which I will field on my table top battlefields.

Osprey Publishing - Luftwaffe Field Divisions 1941–45

Osprey Publishing - Luftwaffe Field Divisions 1941–45




This volume I used as the basis of modelling the 16th Luftwaffe Feld Division

Tankies: Tank Heroes of World War II, Episode 2 of 2

The Second part to this very interesting documentary. This one deals with 5th RTR in the Normandy campaign.

16th Luftwaffen Feld Division

The Luftwaffen Feld Divisions were units fielded by the surplus personnell of the Luftwaffen.


Many of these units had been sent to the eastern front to fight the Russians. The 16th was sent as a garrison division for France, in particular, Normandy.
It's composition was made up of:  3 Jager regiments: LWJR 31, 32, 46
                                               LW Pioneer Battn 16
                                               LW Panzerjager: Stug III, PaK 38, PaK 40 as anti-tank batteries.

The artillery I have modeled with a 105mm Flak gun

Their equipment was that of second rate units. I  have built them with anti-aircraft guns, PaK 40 guns



The artillery support consists of a battery of  2x37mm guns, and a 105mm A/A, anti-tank gun made by Fujimi. The recce element for this division is made up of a company of bicycling riding members modeled by the fellows on bikes!

21st Panzer Division

The 21st Panzer Division was a regular German army panzer division which took part in the battle for Normandy against the British and Canadian army. For the Canadians, the majority of action was against the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Division.
figures and artillery shots from plasticsoldierreview.com
2 Panzergrenadier Regiments The 125th and the 192nd I have modeled on Matchbox WW2 infantry which I bought in Calgary at www.pmhobbycraft.ca and Valiant Minatures Classic German Infantry which I was able to buy at a used hobbyshop in Akihabara, Tokyo.



The armor I shall add later once I can access www.matchboxkits.org


The armor my father and I have modelled include 2 Panzer regiment made of
Panzer IV X2
1 Hertzer, 1 Jagdpanther
2x Panther tanks, 2 Tiger tanks (15mm)
    2 x37mm PaK which while no longer good as an anti-tank weapon, could be used for infantry fire support. 
1 battery of 88mm guns, modeled with 2 15mm units.

12th SS Panzer Division

The 12th SS (Hitlerjugen) was one of the formations 3rd Canadian Div faced in Normandy.
The Waffen SS may have a mystical image, but what its members did to Canadian troops, and to civilians is not honorable.
The 12th SS were made up of young German teenagers who had been raised on Nazi propoganda. Normandy would be their battleground, and their cemetary.
Some members were so young that rather than being issued with tobbaco and alcohol, they were given candy!
The Panzergrenadiers I have built with Valiant Classic German Infantry, 

I've been working on this unit The last several years and have swapped out units for use with others.

 

2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade in WW2 1940-45

Canadian Armoured Divisions did not fight as a cohesive unit, but rather as infantry support.


The Third Canadian Division was supported by The First Hussars, The Sherbrooke Fusiliers, The Fort Garry Horse which made up the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade.


For my battlefields, my armoured regiments are represented by  2 X Sherman MkIII and a Sherman Firefly.


The Recce units are represented by armored cars such as Humber Mk II and a Daimler Mk II
For visuals see  www.matchboxkits.org

Tankies: Tank Heroes of World War II, Episode 1 of 2

 Another BBC documentary

thanks for 993ti for posting this. A good documentary presented by a former Royal Tank Regiment officer, and with veterans telling their stories.

15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, British Army

44th (Lowland) Infantry Brigade

Sepaintedn article 44th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

• 8th Royal Scots
• 6th Royal Scots Fusiliers     
• 6th King's Own Scottish Borderers

46th (Highland) Infantry Brigade

See main aryicle 46th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

• 9th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
• 2nd Glasgow Highlanders
• 7th Seaforth Highlanders
• 

227th (Highland) Infantry Brigade

See main article 227th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

• 10th Highland Light Infantry
• 2nd Gordon Highlanders
• 2nd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
• 

Supporting units

• 64th (Queen's Own Royal Glasgow Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery to March 1942
• 102nd (Northumberland Hussars) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery – 1944–45
• 1st Middlesex (Machine Gun).
• 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment 1943–1946
• 1st Commando Brigade (19 April 1945 to end of WW2)

This division served close to the Canadian army in the operations areound Caen. I have modeled them with 8th Army figures to distinguish them from the Canadians I have modeled. Sure they are wearing shorts, but hey, you can't have everything. All shots courtsey of plasticsoldierreview
My own shots of Matchbox 8th Army paint

The 3rd Canadian Division 1940-45

Third Division is the division my grandfather was attached to.
As well, many young men and women from Nova Scotia were also attached to this division. Thus, I have recreated this division for my wargamming units. I shall be upgrading the pictures to this group shortly 


7th Canadian Infantry Brigade:
The Royal Winnipeg Rifles modeled with 10 figures
The Regina Rifle Regiment modeled with 10 figures
1st Battn, Canadian Scottish Regiment modeled with 10 figures, 3 of which wear balmorals


8th Canadian Infantry Brigade:
The Queens Own Rifles modeled with 10 figures
Le Régiment de la Chaudière modeled with 10 figures
The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment modeled with 10 figures


9th Canadian Infantry Brigade:

The Highland Light Infantry of Canada modeled with 10 figures, 3 of which have balmorals

The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders 10 figures, 3 balmorals 

The North Nova Scotia Highlanders 10 figures, 3 balmorals

This was Canadian's own Highland Brigade.

Divisional Troops

• 7th Reconnaissance Regiment (17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars) modeled with 3 armored cars
• The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Machine Gun) modeled with 3 Vickers Machine-gun groups (8 figures one bren gunner in balmoral)

• 3rd Canadian Divisional Signals, R.C. Sigs modeled with a radio truck
• No. 3 Defence and Employment Platoon (Lorne Scots) modeled by an infantry squad with a  single balmoral wearing soldier.
• No. 4 Canadian Provost Company, Canadian Provost Corps
• No.14, No.22, No.23 Field Ambulance, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps modeled with soldiers carrying wounded.

• Divisional Royal Canadian Artillery
  • 12th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA: modeled with 2X 25pdr guns
  • 13th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA modeled with 2 X 5.5"  (140mm) guns as the medium battery
  • 3rd Anti-tank Regiment, RCA: modeled with a 6pdr gun battery of 2 guns with tows
  • 4th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment, RCA: modeled with a Bofors 20mm gun and 2 M3 Half-tracks with .50 Quad guns

• Divisional Royal Canadian Engineers: these are modeled with a Bailey bridge set and various bulldozers and trucks.
  • 6th Field Company, RCE
  • 16th Field Company, RCE
  • 18th Field Company, RCE
  • 3rd Canadian Field Park Company, RCE
  • 3rd Canadian Divisional Bridge Platoon, RCE (I have a Churchill bridge layer for this)

RCAF forward air observers modelled by Airfix figures

The figures on bicycles I'd use as the forward air observer.