CAOF 1945

Dan

A master piece you have scored a bulls eye in more ways than one

The airfield at Jever was truly a confusing place to be
First the Canadian Gunners who named it Mc Naughton (who was he?)

Then the British 11th Hussars who renamed the complex Cardigan Barracks

Then the Danish Brigade HQ and Infantry Battalion of the Danske Kommando (who did not rename the site)

and finally the RAF took possesion in 1949 to redevelope the complex as an operational airfield with concrete runways

Dan

To answer my own question

Would I be right in thinking that it was Lieutenant General Andy McNaughton , the first Commander of 1st Canadian Army and a former Gunner officer who was commemorated by the Jever name?

Peter,

Sorry for the delay in replying but I've just now woken up from fainting after reading your question; Who's McNaughton?


Andrew McNaughton began a bit of a military dynasty over here. His son Edward (who changed his surname to Leslie) was also an Artillery officer who retired a Brigadier-General.

McNaughton's grandson, Lieutenant-General Andrew Leslie (late Artillery), is the current Chief of the Land Staff (read Army).


Say, who is this Montgomery chappie I keep reading about?

Cheers,
Dan.

7 Days extra Orderly Officer for ignorance!!

Dan

One more public question you may be able to help with

HQ 2 Canadian Corps were in Bad Zwischenahn at the end of the shooting war. They clearly requisitioned the Town Hall for their use as Headquarters Office Accommodation and the German Commander of Forces based in Ostfriesland formally surrendered all troops under his command there to the Canadian Commander a few days before the final Surrender of the entire German nation

Subsequently HQ CAOF was based in the town from July 1945 to March 1946

Do you or any of your sources know the name of the associated barracks (former airfield?) where the majority of troops would have been based/accommodated? Undoubtedly it would have had a Canadian theme

Paul,

The following comes from the official history of the RCAMC; 'Seventy Years of Service - A History of the RCAMC' (1977) by Col GWL Nicholson.

Page 240: "On May 8 No. 16 General Hospital moved from St Michielsgestel to Sögel, where for nearly four months it was busy treating prisoners liberated from German concentration and military camps."

"For three weeks in May, No. 7 CGH was at Bassum, only 15 miles from the great port of Bremen, ministering to former inmates of concentration camps."

"Both Nos. 7 and 16 General Hospitals would extend their stay in Germany through the following winter, as part of the Canadian Occupation Force."

Page 241: "Besides the two hospitals the RCAMC contributed to the Occupation Force four field dressing stations (to which was added a British FDS), a field hygiene section, one company of a motor ambulance convoy, and eighteen regimental medical officers."

"The two general hospitals, No. 16 at Oldenburg and No. 7 eventually at Sanderbach, near Wilhelmshaven, treated cases likely to recover within six weeks."

Page 242: "In Holland all medical units of the 1st and 2nd Canadian Divisions had been disbanded by early October, those of the two armoured divisions ceasing to exist by the end of the year. When No. 1 General Hospital closed its doors at Nijmegen on January 18, 1946, the only Canadian hospitals left in continental Europe were the two with CAOF. The last Canadian medical unit to serve in Germany was No. 7 CGH, which on June 6 embarked at Cuxhaven for disbandment in England."

I'll keep looking to see if I can find anything else.

Cheers,
Dan.

JPW wrote:

HQ 2 Canadian Corps were in Bad Zwischenahn at the end of the shooting war. They clearly requisitioned the Town Hall for their use as Headquarters Office Accommodation and the German Commander of Forces based in Ostfriesland formally surrendered all troops under his command there to the Canadian Commander a few days before the final Surrender of the entire German nation

Subsequently HQ CAOF was based in the town from July 1945 to March 1946

Do you or any of your sources know the name of the associated barracks (former airfield?) where the majority of troops would have been based/accommodated? Undoubtedly it would have had a Canadian theme

Hello!

I'm living in this town and maybe I can answer some questions.
Don't expect too much. I'm neither a military expert nor a historian but something
between. I'm interested in the history of the town and the airfield and
the people around (on both "sides") ;-)

You asked for the name of the airfield?
It is simple "Fliegerhorst Bad Zwischenahn". It is on the west side of the Zwischenahner Meer in
the district Rostrup. After the War it was a British military hospital.

Regards,

Carsten

Carsten

Thank you very much

The team and I have gained more information on the Canadian units in the Bad Zwischenahn area in 1945

I will contact you privately in the New Year regarding certain other locations

JPW wrote:

I will contact you privately in the New Year regarding certain other locations

JPW

Ok!
But remember I'm not a contemporary witness (hope it's the right word)! I'm 42 years old!

Nice Christmas Days!

Regards,

Carsten

Current state of play is that thanks to a truly international effort involving Canadian and German as well as British contributors and contacts I now have virtually a complete ORBAT/LOCSTAT (including the logistic units) and the two British Artillery Brigades under command (4 AGRA and 31 Anti Aircraft Brigade) for the entire existence of the CAOF.

Sadly owing to technical problems with this site I cannot publish details but as ever am very happy to answer any queries via a pm or Forum topic.

Next step is to establish details of 2nd Canadian Infantry Division who were the predessors of the CAOF (have also a fair amount of info on the original 3rd Canadian Infantry and 4th Armoured Divisions who stayed only briefly on in Germany in May/June 1945 after the German Surrender).

I'm not sure If I understand everthing but it's good to read some news here!
And maybe somebody has some Fotos from the allied occupation.
In an old chronik I read from Peter Holmes from England who visit our town in the 80s.
His Lancaster is going down here and he was arrested.
And from Rudy Zimmermann who fly the Komet here. After the war he go to Canada.
Now he's a Canadian.

Carsten

A small add on for B/Gen. Leslie. I had him as Base Commander (Col.) in Shilo in 63/64. He was a bit of a martinet, would dawn coveralls to crawl under vehicles for the Base Commanders Parade. Then last time I saw him, was in Ottawa during the FLQ Crisis at N.D.H.Q. where our Sigs Sqn was doing security. He was over from Cyprus on business. Not often one gets to point his F.N. at a B/Gen. and demand I.D. (he was in civilian dress). The story goes he changed his name to Leslie (his maternal grandmother) for the inheritance. His brother ended up in Mexico involved in some shady medical business. General McNaughton was an out standing Gunner, who came up with some advanced thinking in the use of Artillery in WW 1 and gun Location (If I remember properly). Unfortunately in WW 2 then General Montgomery didn't see eye to eye with him, so he was pushed out from Commanding the Cdn. Army in the U.K. On returning to Canada he ended up in politics and was Minister of Defence.

I stand to be corrected if my memory is at fault.

Hardrations

I believe you are correct though other sources say Gen McNaughton lost is job when he was unfairly blamed for the Dieppe Disaster. Incompetence by the Planners not lack of Bravery by the Canadians involved was the real cause. On return to Canada he was then involved in an other row over Conscription and the employment of Canadian servicemen/women overseas which cost him the chance obeing the first Canadian born Governor General

I think it started before Dieppe. There was a big exercise prior to Dieppe run by Monty with the Canadian Army and it was well fouled up. So Monty had his steely eye on the General then. Also we here in Canada blame Mountbatten for dumping us in Dieppe.

Hardrations

Other source claim that Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, another individual who flourished under Churchill's patronage, as Head of the Dieppe Planning Team was far more responsible.

War Diary 3 Cdn Inf Div CAFO Starts at Amersfoot and moves to BAD Zwischenhahn Jul 45

http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_t10539/195?r=1&s=2

War diaries : T-10541 (1582 pages) May 1946 Bad Zwischenhahn 3 Cdn Inf Div CAFO

http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_t10541/24?r=0&s=3

Find more here:

http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_t10539/187?r=0&s=1 (lots of ration states and some paperwork after Image 185)

CAOF Map coverage 1:100,000 Grid: Nord de Guerre (should connect with War Diaries)

http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/central_europe/txu-pclmaps-oclc-6624264-emden-l1.jpg

http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/central_europe/txu-pclmaps-oclc-6624264-wilhelmshaven-l2.jpg​

Enjoy

Bad Zwischenahn - airfield now a Golf Course !

https://forgottenairfields.com/airfield-bad-zwischenahn-343.html

A War Diary for 1945:

https://blackwatchwardiary.blog/1945-2/

Pborn4 wrote:

A War Diary for 1945:

https://blackwatchwardiary.blog/1945-2/

Pborn4, thanks for the link I have been able to update the Black Watch entry, the DIV HQ location statement had a different GR for VE day! BTW (CAOF) was not used until 15 Jun 46, when 3rd Canadian Infantry Division (CAOF) was formed to replace 2nd Canadian Infantry Division in Germany; CAOF was added then to distinguish it from the existing 3rd Canadian Infantry Division in Holland.

Unit war diaries are always welcome, as my research is normally based on higher formation documentation from Kew, purchased through a UK based Research Company.