Canadian Logistics term - NW Europe

[Tom from Cornwall]

Hi,

I am researching Canadian ops in September 1944 and trying to understand what effect the logistics situation had on the speed of the operations to clear the Scheldt estuary to enable the Allies to use Antwerp. Can anyone help me by explaining the following terms -

Source: 1st Cdn Army Admin Plan - 20 Sep 44

"FUTURE

6 Number 9 Cdn Army Rdhead – vicinity GHENT – ANTWERP – MALINES is not intended to be a fully sealed rdhead. It will rather be the necessary adjunct to the Corps FMCs – comprising mainly ord, rfts, pw installations."

I imagine that they are talking about a supply dump stocked by road transport - but what does "fully sealed" mean.

BTW further to previous discussions about British trucks being out of use at this time due to engine problems, the same source quotes, from a discussion with 2 Cdn Corps on 11 Sep 44:

"12. While REME spares are short, no load carriers are off the road due to shortage. Pet and Amn are higher in priority than Ord with 2 Cdn Corps. "

Thanks in advance

regards

Tom

[JonS]

Rdhead - roadhead. Point at which corps-level assets take over responsibility for moving supplies forward
FMC - Field Maintenance Centre. Installation that holds stuff to supply fighting units.
ord - ordnance. Bits and bobs that aren't fuel, ammo, or food.
rfts - reinforcements. Fresh warm bodies to replace al the broken ones.
pw - prisoner of war

Dunno what 'fully sealed' specifically means. To be honest, it doen't sound terribly important, more of a convieniece issue.

Jon

[Michael Emrys]

I have a hunch that "fully sealed" means paved, i.e., an all-weather road or parking surface.

Michael

[JonS]

that was my guess too.

[Tom from Cornwall]

Michael and JonS,

Thanks for the replies guys, but I think it has something to do with the type of stores the dump contains and who they can be issued to - will keep on looking through the stuff I copied at the National Archives.

Regards

Tom

[JonS]

Tom, on re-reading it, and particularly linking it to the next sentence ('necessary adjunct') I'm inclined to revise my position and agree with you that it isn't about the type of roads. I have a sense of different ways "fully sealed" could be used to mean things, but nothing I'm prepared to lend much weight to.

Do you have Forty's "Handbook of the British Army"? That has a failry long section on logistics arrangements (though AFAICT that book is based in very large part on the 1942 or '43 US Army handbook, so may be out of date with regards to late 1944 terminology).

Incidentally, going back to the 'roadhead' thing: At that time almost all stores were still coming over the beaches. I don't know exactly when or how far forward the rail line got into action, but somewhere between the beaches and Brussels there'd be a railhead, and fwd of that the roadhead (as specified in your post). Different levels in the chain of command are responsibles for moving supplies fwd over the lines of communications, from the War Department organising movement of 'stuff' from factories to the ports in Britian (or Canada) until eventually you have Pte Snooks grabbing a couple of boxes of 303 ammo, some new socks, and a hot feed from the Pn Sgt at Pn HQ and walking back to his foxhole. In between are a series of ****heads, and supply installations that decrease in size as they increase in mobility.

[Jon G.]

Although not fully relevant to the questions posed, captain Peter Richardson's blurb about corps route network development is interesting to read. His use of the word 'sealed' does point to the nature of road surfaces.

I haven't found anything directly relevant in the Canadian Journal of Military History but it's a terrific resource regardless.

[Michael Emrys]

Another possible interpretation of "not...fully sealed" in this instance might have something to do with with the level of security of the installation, but I don't personally place high odds on it.

Michael

[JonS]

Michael,
yes one of my thoughts was along those lines, triggered I think to the way the south coast of England was described as being 'sealed' prior to NEPTUNE. I also don't place particularly good odds on that interpretation.

Tom,
is there any chance that "sealed" is a typo for "scaled"? In other words, Number 9 Cdn Army Rdhead is not intended to be a full scale Army roadhead covering all items of supply, but a smaller thing to cater mainly for ord, rfts, and pw. Maybe?

Jon

[Tom from Cornwall]

JonS

I don't think it is a typo as it is repeated in quite a few of the different logistic plans that the 1st Canadian Army HQ PLans Section were coming up with.

BTW thanks to all for your advise and suggestions. Logistics is a bit of a cinderella subject in military history but clearly had a major effect on operations that often is not considered.

Thanks again

Tom

[Gooner1]

Think 'fully sealed' is likely to be a security term. I don't know how light-fingered the locals were but the Army had certainly acquired something of a reputation.


"... is not intended to be a fully sealed rdhead. It will rather be the necessary adjunct to the Corps FMCs – comprising mainly ord, rfts, pw installations."

With less desirable commodities than fuel and food, a lower degree of security needed?