Canadian unit designation help

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JoeW
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Canadian unit designation help

#1

Post by JoeW » 09 Jan 2017, 18:16

I acquired a piece of war memorabilia with a notation on the back that the item was recovered from Cuxhaven on May 1, 1945 by the 2/23 Brigade Canadian Infantry. Of course it would have occured during occupation as a surrender had occurred. But I do not understand the unit designation nor can I find information on it. I would appreciate any assistance.

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Kingfish
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Re: Canadian unit designation help

#2

Post by Kingfish » 09 Jan 2017, 21:18

The Canadian 2nd infantry division included as part of its OOB the 23rd anti-tank battery

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Canadian_Division

Also from the same link:
By 13 April, the division had been shifted eastward to guard the flanks of a British assault on Bremen,[73] and the following day I Canadian Corps liberated Arnhem. On 2 May, the 2nd Division took Oldenburg, solidifying Canadian positions throughout the Netherlands
Bremen and Oldenburg are south and SW of Cuxhaven respectively, so that puts the division in the general vicinity of the port.
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Rob Stuart
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Re: Canadian unit designation help

#3

Post by Rob Stuart » 10 Jan 2017, 00:29

"2/23 Brigade Canadian Infantry" is a very peculiar designation. It most likely does not refer to the 23rd Anti-Tank Battery, since this unit would presumably be referred to as "23 AT Bty RCA", or something close to this. I do not know what unit it was meant to refer to.

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Kingfish
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Re: Canadian unit designation help

#4

Post by Kingfish » 10 Jan 2017, 01:22

Rob Stuart wrote:"2/23 Brigade Canadian Infantry" is a very peculiar designation. It most likely does not refer to the 23rd Anti-Tank Battery, since this unit would presumably be referred to as "23 AT Bty RCA", or something close to this. I do not know what unit it was meant to refer to.
It may be that whomever added the notation didn't use the standard military naming convention (might not have been a member of the military), and instead wrote "2/23" as shorthand for 2nd division/23rd AT bty.
The gods do not deduct from a man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing.
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Rob Stuart
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Re: Canadian unit designation help

#5

Post by Rob Stuart » 10 Jan 2017, 01:31

Kingfish wrote:
Rob Stuart wrote:"2/23 Brigade Canadian Infantry" is a very peculiar designation. It most likely does not refer to the 23rd Anti-Tank Battery, since this unit would presumably be referred to as "23 AT Bty RCA", or something close to this. I do not know what unit it was meant to refer to.
It may be that whomever added the notation didn't use the standard military naming convention (might not have been a member of the military), and instead wrote "2/23" as shorthand for 2nd division/23rd AT bty.
If so then why would they add "Brigade Canadian Infantry"? Anti-tank units belonged to the artillery and not to the infantry.

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Kingfish
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Re: Canadian unit designation help

#6

Post by Kingfish » 10 Jan 2017, 01:57

Rob Stuart wrote:
Kingfish wrote:
Rob Stuart wrote:"2/23 Brigade Canadian Infantry" is a very peculiar designation. It most likely does not refer to the 23rd Anti-Tank Battery, since this unit would presumably be referred to as "23 AT Bty RCA", or something close to this. I do not know what unit it was meant to refer to.
It may be that whomever added the notation didn't use the standard military naming convention (might not have been a member of the military), and instead wrote "2/23" as shorthand for 2nd division/23rd AT bty.
If so then why would they add "Brigade Canadian Infantry"? Anti-tank units belonged to the artillery and not to the infantry.
Maybe to the untrained eye the person sees every Canadian solider in Cuxhaven as part of the infantry.

This impression was probably reinforced by the fact that in the last days of the war there was almost no need for AT defense, so soldiers of the AT, LAA and the like were employed as infantry.
The gods do not deduct from a man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing.
~Babylonian Proverb

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