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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1942-06-25, Page 6FACESIX TITE SITAFORTI-1 NEWS THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 1942 Military District No. 1 Proud Of Its Record In Recruits And Units k(By Lieut, Bruce M, Pearce) For Military purposes Canada it 4ivided into eleven districts. No. 1 Diserict comprises the eleven coun- ties of southwestern Ontario, namely Bruce, Elgin, Essex, Huron, Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, Oxford, Perth, Waterloo, Wellington. It is the smallest,most compae listrict of the eleven, It is one of th most thickly -settled, Military Distrie No. 2, with Toronto as its headqua 'cera, and Military District No. 4 wi Montreal as its centre, may show greater population, but in propo tion to area, Military District No, is easily the most populous. Recruiting Record. Moreover, from the standpoint o :recruits for Canada's army, M.1), No 1 is one of the most productive dis tricts in the Dominion. In this war as in the last, M.D. 1 has a record o which to be proud. Let's take a look at the geograph ical layout of M.D. 1. Bounded o the south by Lakt Erie, on the wes by Lake Huron and Lake St. lair and on the north by Georgian Bay,, and watered by a fine network of rivers and streams, this section of Ontario is naturally one of the richest agri- cultural areas in the Dominion. It is also an important centre of industry, Including many vital war plants. While M.D. 1 containsno metrop- olis such as Toronto, Montreal or Winnipeg, it boasts ten thriving cit- ies, including London with more than 77000 people and Windsor with upwards of 100,000 in city and en- virons. The other cities are Kitchen- er, Chatham, Stratford, Woodstock, St. Thomas, Sarnia, Guelph and Galt. There are 77 towns and villages in the eleven counties in M.D. 1 where newspapers are kublished, a record among the military districts of Can- ada. As one of the oldest -settled parts of the country, with a high percen- tage of native-born citizens of Brit- ish stock, it is natural that patriotic should attain a high standard in M.D. 1, as reflected in enlistment figures as well as in Victory oan and War Savings campaign. It is conceded, too, that M.D. 1 has been fortunate in the calibre of its military leaders and is regarded as a model with re- spect to co-operating in nationwide projects and all undertaking connect- ed with the war effort, Tram and Convoy The first two months of 1942 pro- vided typical examples of the driving force furnished by M.D. 1 for Cana- da's war program. In quick succes- sion came a district -wide recruiting campaign, the Canadian Army Train and a district mechanized convoy. The first had a prominent role in boosting the number of Active Ser- vice recruits close to the 1000 -mark for January, while the stimulus of train and convoy were of noteworthy significance in the District's fine showing in the Victory Loan cam- paign. In February, too, the Canad- ian Fusiliers (City of London Regi- ment) was mobilized as an Active Service Unit, to be followed early in March by mobilization of the Scots Fusiliers with headquarters at Kit- chener and the Oxford Rifles at Woodstock. Just what does Military District No, 1 comprise? First, its headquar- ters is located in: the City of London. Beaded by Brigadier D. .1. MacDon- ald D.S.O., M.C., District Officer Commanding, its staff consists of about 35 senior and junior officers, engaged in widely diversified branch- es of the service but all combining in the common effort of providing the requisite leadership for military ac- ivities throughout the district. The branches include Supply and Transport, Engineers, Paymaster, Medical, Intelligence, Audit, Auxil- ary Services. Records, Dental, Pro- vost, Chaplain, Reserve Unit Officers and Women's Army Corps. Then there are numerous General Staff fficers and the A.A.&Q.M.G. branch Assistant Adjutant and Quarter - Master General). District Headquarters, located in he old Customs building on Rich- mond street and overflowing into of- fices on the opposite side of the treet, is really, the hub around which the wheel of military activity n M.D. 1 turns, Its spokes radiate ut into the District, connecting it with District Depots, Military Train - ng Centres, Active and Reserve rmy units, and keeping it in close ouch with a maze of associated mil- tary affairs, m,portant Links Some of the outstanding compos-, nt parts of M.D. 1 may be summer- � c zed as follows: No. 1 District Depot i ly Wolseley Barracks on Carling s Ii eights, where the majority of the Aetive recruits in the district are en- eted and trained for a few weeks m afore going to Basic Training is t e t th a r• 1 f f n t 0 s 0 A a t e t li Centres, and No. 1 District Depot (Windsor Detachment) which per- forins a similar function in the Wind- sor area; the three Basic Training Centres at Kitchener, Chatham and Guelph, the Central Mechanization Depot and the Mechanics' Training Centre at London, two vitally impor- tint links in the program of building Canada's meehanized army; the Woodstock Advanced. Driving and Maintenance School, unique in Can- ada, where skilled drivers and main- tenance experts from units across Canada receive advanced training; the Ford, Chrysler, and General Mo- tors Army Trades Schools in Wind- sor, which are serving a somewhat similar purpose; the Benlnett Bar- racks at Listowel, where the Canad- ian Fusiliers (A) are housed; the Polish recruiting depot at Windsor and the Netherlands training centre at Stratford. This .summary does not take into account the summer training camps in the Thames Valley for Reserve units nor the London military hos- pitals which are performing a not- able work. Nor does it elaborate up- on such institutions as the Active Service Club in London, where hun- dreds of soldiers, sailors and airmen come daily for relaxation and enter- tainment. For this institution the Citizen's Auxiliary War Service com- mittee, headed by prominent Lon- doners, is largely responsible. It has its counter part in every city and town throughout the District,. where various auxiliary organizations are doing noble work. But this resume will suffice to in- dicate that Military District No. 1 is ably upholding its right to Number One position in Canada's military organization. It is setting a pace that if matched by the other military dis- tricts will produce maximum results for Canada's war program. Spare Parts For United Nations Armies c ra fought a battle in "civvies." And the battlefield was a little office in K Street, Washington, D.C. These experts have made it poss- ible for Britain to say that whenever in the future—tomorrow if you like, —a United States fighting unit goes into battle side by side with British allies, in any part of the world, the British base ordnance depot will be able at a moment's notice to supply any individual equipment replace- ments the American forces want. It doesn't matter in the least if British orces don't use a certain type of gun which the Americans use, Brit - in has the spares down to the last crew,waiting to supply American eeds. Does that sound a simple job? Be- ause it isn't. It is a feat which roves that the Nazis, with all their rganizing ability, haven't got a hing on the United States and Bri- ain. The American forces have tanks, guns, planes, rifles, ammunition— ost of it quite different from that sed in the British army. But if the nited States forces should go into etion next week in Libya, they will ghb with the full knowledge that ritish supply experts won't let them own, and—vitally important this— means that American forces can e drafted to various parts of the orld without the necessity of sett - ng up huge supply depots. Britain lready has such depots in most heatres of war, which can serve oth forces. This careful planning started a ear ago—six months before the nited States entered the war. And started, oddl3r enough, on the day certain sergeant dressed in civvies as arrested as he was walking own the strand, famous London horoughfare. He had just been giv- n a couple of days leave before em- arking for the United States, A ilitary policeman stopped him. "Ever been in the army, chum?" 'It's all right," replied the ser - cant with dignity. "I'm leaving on special mission soon." The policeman mentioned some- hing about telling it to the marines, efore the man was clapped behind ars. And since the mission was at hat stage secret, it took the highest the high at the British War Office o get that Sergeant out. The next week he set sail for the United States, with a number of offi- ers—also in mufti—who immediate - on their arrival established them - elves in a little office in K Street. Washington, D.C. Promptly at nine o'clock orning the little group of ns" started work on their eley Noel Barber, editor of the Overseas Daily Mail). British ordnance experts have just won one of the greatest battles of UnitZed Nations' organization which this war has produced. It has taken a year of solid work in which colon- els, majors, sergeants and privates have put away their uniforms and every "civil- books oblongs or *mows. flmnuas ,. ' OTTAWA. To the Citizens of Canada. r It has been decided to mark the period from June 29th to July 5th, 1942, as "Army Week". The purpose is to give the people of Canada an opportunity of express- ing their pride in the Canadian Army..and honouring the Gen- tlemen in Battledress, the Nursing Sisters and the Members of the Canadian Women's Army Corps. During Army Week, citizens will have an unusual opportunity of seeing the Army at work. Each day has been set aside for some specific purpose. Monday, June 29th, for instance, has been made "Soldier's Day" when the public will be invited to send gifts and parcels to the men overseas and when they can entertain the men at dances and other special entertainments. The next day, June 30th, is "Civilians' Day", when civilians will be asked to prepare meals on a food ra- tion system and restaurants will serve meals identical to those served to Canadian soldiers. On Dominion Day there will be garrison parades and apeoial military demonstrations. The End, 3rd and 4th of July Will equally be devoted to enabling Canadians to learn at first hand vaxious phases of Army as- ' tivities. Army Week Will wind up on Sunday, July 5th, when the public will be invited to attend church services in Army camps and barracks, and special prayers will be offered for the members of the Armed Foroes. on that day, damps will be open to the public and demonstrations and diaplays,of barracks and camps will be arranged. As Minister of National Defence, I am intense- ly proud of the men and women in khaki and of the women in Nursing Service blue who are serving Canada. I am sure that my fellow Canadians feel just as I do. I extend a moat tor.. dial invitation to all of you.to express this well deserved appreoiation by joining in the events of Army Week. Yours very truly, and files and statistics. Very few people in the United States capital knew that the quiet little body of men were really members of the British armed forces --until the dsr the United States entered the war. Then there was a startling change. Out came the khaki and red tabs, the sergeant's stripes, the salutes. The "K Street Campaign" was no longer a secret. This is what the technical experts did—and it was a fine job, on which may well hinge victory or defeat wherever United States and British troops fight side by side: Their first problem was to find a method of identifying and obtaining from common depots the stores which both armies would use. Offic- ers and NCO's traveled all over Can- ada and the States, staying for months in huge factories. They had to see that wherever there was a British depot, it was supplied with American • equipment, spares and maintenance parts. They had to do more than that, for ordnance depots in all theaters of war had to be taught everything about American spares and parts, their names, their catalogue num- bers and so on. For instance, take a simple word like "tube." In the Bri- tish Royal Army Ordnance Corps a tube is—well, a long thing with a hole all the way through it. In the United States, it can mean one of two very different things—a radio valve or a gun barrel. But there were more difficult pro- blems. Some units' stores may have been designed in the United States and be a common supply for both armies—such as the Browning ma- chine gun. But other equipment may be a British ordnance design made in an American factory—the famous 26 -pounder field gun is an example.. Spare parts for that gun are no good for the American forces. Other equipment is never used by the Bri- tish armies, but has to be there for the American forces. It is essential that these supplies should be ready whenever they are needed, for muddle in replacement and delay in getting spares to the battlefield has to be avoided at all costs. It is quite conceivable that a Britishspare part sent to repair Am erican equipment might cause en- ough delay to lost a bottle. And that is why the little group of experts went to Washington, and why they are staying there still, to see that any new developments are covered in the same way. Farre Horse Corning Back as Farm .Power It ,now looks due to conditions caused by the war as it horses are going to return to the farm as an indispensable source of farm power. J. W. Ste, Marie, of the Dominion, Exp. Staticut, Leunoxville, Que., says that in recent years due to the in- creased use of tractors there has been decreased interest in the breed- ing of mares and the raising of foals. Now with gas rationing, the difficul- ties of getting tractor parts and rub- ber tires, it would be a good thing to give more attention to the breeding of horses, This is the time of the year for breeding mares, says Mr. Ste. Marie. The nearest Dominion Experimental Farm or representative of the pro- vincial department of agriculture will be glad to tell farmers of the good pure-bred stallions in their localities. If a farmer does not have good mares that can be bred and knows that some of his work horses will, have to be replaced in a year or so, he should get in touch with the sec- retary of one of the horse -breeding clubs in his district and get a wean- ing or yearling colt. To Continue to Pay Freight on Grains The Dominion Government will continue indefinitely the present pol- icies of paying freight from Fort William east on feed grains shipped from the Prairie Provinces to other sectins of Canada, according to an announcement made on June 5 in the House of Commons by Hon.. James G. ardiner, Minister of Agriculture. Feeds on which the Dominion is now paying freight to Eastern Can- ada distribution pointe include the following grains, whole or ground: Western wheat, oats, barley, rye, No. 1 feed screenings and No, 2 feed screenings, and also bran, shorts, and middlings derived from the milling of Western wheat. Feed moved under these free -freight policies now must be distributed as feed for Canadian live stock or poultry. AUCTIONEER F. W. AHRENS, Licensed Auction• eer for Perth and Huron Counties Sales Solicited. Terms on Application. Farm Stock, chattels and real estate prope*ty. R. R. No. 4, Mitchell, Phone 634 r 6. Apply at this office. HAROLD JACKSON Licensed in Huron and Perth coun- ties. Prices reasonable; satisfaction guaranteed. For information, write or phone Harold Jackson, phone 14 on 661; R. R. 4, Seaforth. Counter Check Books • We lire Selling Quality Books Books are Well Made, Carbon is Clean and Copies Readily. All styles, Carbon Leaf and Black Back. Prices as Low as You Can Get Anywhere. Get our Quotation on Your Next , Order. • The Seaforth News SEAFORTH, ONTARIO,