What have we here? No 4

[Bill A]

This is an incredible pricture of Canadians in Normandy. Look at all the badge details. What can you see?

[Dwayne H]

..nice to see the Chaplain wearing both the Canadian Scottish and the CCS patches together.

Dwayne

[bgpipes]

Is the Padre also a qualified combat medic? apparently, in this case he is.

[Bill A]

Hi Bill, When in action the Padres often assissted the medical officer of the battalion, and were entitled to wear the Red Cross armband.

[Dwayne H]

...it also looks like the padre has the embroidered shoulder flash while the OR is wearing a printed Canadian Scottish flash.

Dwayne

[revdougal]

Chaplains of the British Army wear the Geneva Convention Armband on operations. This is a red cross on a circular white background (2" dia), stitched onto a khaki band (3 1/2" wide); there are 2 buttons to fasten, and 3(beautifully stiched) button holes for thick/thin arm. There is another which has a red cross (almost 3" across) stitched onto an off white band (3" wide), but with no means of fastening. Both bands have stamped on the outside a circular stamp "Royal Army Chaplains' Dept". Chaplains are not necessarily medically trained but ought at least to be First Aiders. I do not know when they were introduced.
Furthermore chaplains on operations carry a Geneva Convention ID Card - if captured,as they are non-combatants, and are technically NOT POWs, but serve WITH POWs. They can, under the GC, claim repatriation.

[bgpipes]

Hi Revdougal!...Why do I have the feeling that you are privy to inside information about such matters, as what is worn by chaplains of the British military forces? Cmon Rev, fess up.

[Bill A]

Thanks for the additional information revdougal. Canadian chaplains would be under the same international rules as the British chaplains during WW2.
Some further observations.
The 3 CID sign is quite evident on the Mk III helmet worn by Chaplain Seaborn. There has not been much published about divisional signs on WW2 helmets, and here is an excellent example.
The combination of the regimental shoulder title with the Canadian Chaplain Service 3 CID formation patch raises some questions. Did all regimental chaplains wear the regimental or corps shoulder title? Or did some wear the Canadian Chaplain Service shoulder title and the appropriate formation patch? If chaplains wore the regimental titles, the Canadian Chaplain Service shoulder titles were worn by far fewer individuals. That would make the shoulder titles to the CCS even scarcer.

[Bill A]

I forgot to post the photo credit.
H Captain Robert L. Seaborn, Chaplain of the 1st Battalion, The Canadian Scottish Regiment, distributing New Testaments near Caen, France 15 July 1944. LAC photo.

[QSAMIKE]

From a friend......

Padre Seaborn is known to me. I have a couple of other pictures of him including one famous one showing him praying with a soldier on a landing craft just prior to the D-Day landings.

As for the type of insignia worn, Canadian chaplains were officially supposed to only wear Canadian Chaplain Service insignia although they could adopt the regimental variations of uniform and headgear. However chaplains are also known to wear a lot of unauthorized insignia and variations from official orders. Almost all wore the chaplains cap badge but a few did wear regimental shoulder flashes. This came out of a show of "belonging" to the unit they were assigned. That, though, is also officially incorrect because chaplains were always on establishment to brigade level and not lower (i.e. battalion, battery, etc.). They were attached to a regiment, battalion, etc. for messing and shelter only. However because of the latter, they developed a strong affinity to those around them and were felt by the troops as one of them. Hence you see in this case that Seaborn was "the padre of the Canadian Scottish". In actuality, Seaborn was a chaplain assigned to the brigade to which the Can Scots were part (the 11th Canadian Infantry Brigade).

H/Capt. the Rev. Robert L. Seaborn served with the 11th Brigade and the Canadian Scottish Regiment from 1942 to war's end. He continued in the Canadian Chaplain Service to 1948. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre by France. He was an Anglican/Church of England priest.

[RAChD]

I'd love to know the source of the top picture of someone could enlighten me?
Many thanks.
Matt Gibbs

[Voltigeur]

Hi Matt,or do we call you 'Reverend" :-). Here is the address and after opening the page go to "advanced search" and then click the "army" button. The army photographs will be available to see.
Regards.
Jo

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/d...&submit=Submit

[Bill A]

To add to Jo's post, another link is:Faces of War Library and Archives Canada.

[RAChD]

Jo;
Thanks for the link, plenty of browsing to do there. You could call me Reverend, but in the Evangelical church its Pastor
Actually I'm just happy with my name
Wish I had enough time to trawl through more of these amazing photo archives.
thanks again
Matt

Originally Posted by Voltigeur

Hi Matt,or do we call you 'Reverend" :-). Here is the address and after opening the page go to "advanced search" and then click the "army" button. The army photographs will be available to see.
Regards.
Jo

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/d...&submit=Submit

[Voltigeur]

One last bit of information Matt. With Bill's address just type the word chaplain and a few good photographs will be available.
Jo