1st Canadian (Lanark & Renfrew Scottish) LAA Regiment (Unit History)

They seem to refer to themselves as LAA

 

On the Canadian army website, it states the unit was allocated to the No. 3 Canadian Base Reinforcement Group . Do you know what that is ?

 

In April 1945 the 1st Canadian Corps was declared operational and it commenced combat operations in the Netherlands. Due to the arrival of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade and the 5th Canadian Armoured Division, the need arose to have a separate reinforcement organization to feed these formations. The headquarters of the disbanded 12th Canadian Infantry Brigade, formerly part of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division, was configured to form a headquarters for this new replacement structure. This group consisted of three reinforcement battalions and was designated the No. 3 Canadian Base Reinforcement Group (No. 3 CBRG). With the creation of this organization, the 1st and 2nd Canadian Corps each had their own reinforcement systems. No. 3 CBRG's battalions were numbered 14 through 16.

 

So the unit was used to reinforce other units?

 

Yes and no…….the Lanark and Renfrew Scottish was a “front line unit” (sometimes infantry, and sometimes AA)……

but in the Reinforcement units, men coming from Canada where placed in the Reinforcement units, and their were broken down into Reinforcement Battalions which supported each of the Front Line Regiments……so for example a Reinforcement Battalion my have men from different Regiments in them (they joined the Regiments in Canada and were trained their)…..so they “stayed” in the reinforcement unit, unit their Front Line Regiment needed “reinforcements” due to casualties, men sick, etc etc….So you will find all the different Regiments “represented” in the reinforcement unit.

So the Front Line Unit (the Lanark and Renfrew Scottish) were never “attached” to No 3 CBRU, their “reinforcement pool” was contained within No 3 CBRU

I hope my explanation makes sense?

Just a note…..men in the reinforcement pool could “volunteer” to go to OTHER Regiments that needed men….they did not have to wait and only go to their “original unit”…….the way it works, was Regiments sent in their ‘request’ for reinforcement thru their Brigade and Division almost every day. These ‘requests’ were POSTED UP each day, and the men could Choose to volunteer to go to a Regiment………but, If no one volunteered……they “TOLD” which men were going to which Regiment….

We had a saying in the Canadian Army…….” I’d rather be ASKED, than TASKED”……so the men were first “asked” which front line unit they wished to go to…..if they didn’t volunteer, they were then “TASKED” to go (no choice, you go)

Again, I hope this make sense to you?……I can explain further if you need it