W Force Newfoundland WW2

[DavidS]

According to Six Years of War:

"on 14 June [1940] the Canadian Chiefs of Staff Committee recommended... that an infantry battalion... be dispatched for ground protection [of Gander airfield] as soon as possible. The Newfoundland Government's consent was sought and obtained and... the unit selected was the 1st Battalion of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada...

"It remained in Newfoundland, however, only until August, when it was relieved by The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada... . As things turned out, the forces sent to Newfoundland were but the vanguard of larger bodies, and Canadian troops garrisoned the island throughout the war."

As for the Nfld. Reg. itself, Six Years of War says:

"The active components of Newfoundland's own forces was called until March 1943 the 'Newfoundland Militia'. In that month Newfoundland acts were passed changing the name of the active force to 'Newfoundland Regiment' and applying the term 'Newfoundland Militia' to the former Auxiliary Militia or Home Guard. The Newfoundland Regiment assumed various local protective functions and in addition manned the Bell Island battery. Its strength on December 1943 was 26 officers and 543 other ranks." Mazeas just lists the badge as "pre-1949".

Tripp says Newfoundland Area Defenses, as at 1943 greatest strength were: Le Regiment du Joliette, Pictou Highlanders and Lincoln and Welland Regiment (relieved on May 11, 1943 by Le Regiment de St. Hyacinthe), and 4 RCA regiments/batteries, headquartered at St. John's, plus the Goose Bay Defenses -- the New Brunswick Rangers and one RCA battery.

In addition to Tripp's listings, Six Years adds a "W" Force with "two infantry battalions... plus two companies of the 1st Airfield Defense Battalion (Le Regiment de Chateauguay) and one of the Veterans Guard...".

Of "W" Force, it also says "It had been a major-general's command since 25 December 1941, when Major-General L.F. Page took over the command of 'Combined Newfoundland and Canadian Military Forces in Newfoundland'."

In my arrangement, I planned on using Tripp's Atlantic Command unit orbats, so maybe the Newfoundland Regiment badge would best got there with the Canadian Newfoundland Defenses, seeing as it looks like they were under Canadian command as part of the overall Atlantic defense force.

[Bill A]

DavidS posted this on the Newfoundland badge string. It merits some discussion on its own, as there were significant Canadian forces in the Dominion of Newfoundland during the war. Mark Tonner has once again done yoeman service and provided a list of the Canadian Infantry regiments who served with W Force over the period of its existence. There were no armoured units posted to W Force. In addition to these infantry regiments, there were the corps units sent to W Force.

1st Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, C.A.S.F. (22 Jun 40 to Aug 40)
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, C.A.S.F. (Aug 40 to Nov 40)
The Victoria Rifles of Canada (Nov 40 to Sep 41)
The Royal Rifles of Canada (Nov 40 to Aug 41)
The Prince Edward Island Highlanders (26 Jul 41 to 3 Mar 43) (1st Battalion, The Prince Edward Island Highlanders, C.I.C.
from 3 Sep 42)
The Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment (15 Aug 41 to 19 Feb 42)
The Lincoln and Welland Regiment (28 Sep 41 to 7 May 43) (1st Battalion, The Lincoln and Welland Regiment, C.I.C. from
3 Sep 42)
The Algonquin Regiment (7 Feb 42 to 6 Feb 43) (1st Battalion, The Algonquin Regiment, C.I.C. from 3 Sep 42)
1st Battalion, Le Regiment de Joliette, C.I.C. (Jan 43 to Feb 44)
1st Battalion, The Pictou Highlanders, C.I.C. (Mar 43 to Aug 43)
1st Battalion, Le Regiment de St. Hyacinthe, C.I.C. (Apr 43 to Sep 44)
Le Regiment de Montmagny (1st Battalion, Le Regiment de Montmagny, C.I.C. from 3 Sep 42)
Le Regiment de Quebec (1st Battalion, Le Regiment de Quebec, C.I.C. from 3 Sep 42)
1st Airfield Defence Battalion (Le Regiment de Chateauguay (Mit.)), C.I.C. (two Companies only - 43-44) (1st Airfield
Defence Battalion (Le Regiment de Chateauguay), C.I.C. from 1 Jan 44)