The United
Kingdom had a crisis in wood supply during World War II. Pre-war domestic
production covered a small fraction of needed timber. Besides civilian
requirements, every soldier was estimated to need five trees: one for living
quarters, messing, and recreation; one for crates to ship food, ammunition,
tanks, and so on; and three for explosives, gun stocks, coffins, ships,
factories, and direct or indirect support for the fighting line.
The
Canadian Forestry Corps was created during the First World War when it was discovered that huge quantities of wood were
needed on the Western Front for use as duckboards,
shoring timbers, crates—anything that needed wood had to be provided. Who was more
experienced or qualified in the British Empire to harvest timber than the
Canadians? At first, it was thought they would harvest trees from Canadian
forests and ship them overseas. But with space at a premium aboard merchant
ships, the Canadians went to Europe and cut down forests in the UK and France.
The CFC had been disbanded at the end of WWI, but quickly reinstated for
service in the Second World War. During 1941 and 1942, thirty companies
drawn from all regions of Canada.
Canada
bore the cost of pay, allowances and pensions, all initial personal equipment, and
transport to and from the UK. The British paid for all other services connected
with equipment, work or maintenance and certain others, including medical services.
Canada covered the cost for Medical Officers and Britain paid for
hospitalization.
The main difference between the CFC of WWI and that of WWII was they considered to be combat troops. The men had 5 to 7 months military training. The decision to provide military training to these men was made in June 1940, given the danger of a German invasion prevalent at that time. As combatant troops, they received additional training on Saturdays after their week’s work in the woods. This included practice on rifle ranges and tactical exercises with other military units.
The main difference between the CFC of WWI and that of WWII was they considered to be combat troops. The men had 5 to 7 months military training. The decision to provide military training to these men was made in June 1940, given the danger of a German invasion prevalent at that time. As combatant troops, they received additional training on Saturdays after their week’s work in the woods. This included practice on rifle ranges and tactical exercises with other military units.
A member of the Canadian Forestry Corps works at a timber mill, helping a log up the runway to the sawmill. |
The corps cleared approximately 230,000 forest acres in Scotland during their stay. However, by the spring of 1943, manpower problems in the Canadian Army caused several hundred soldiers suitable for other employment to be remustered to other overseas units. In October, 1943, ten companies were repatriated to Canada (totaling close to 2,000 men) for forestry duties there. A company in Scotland disbanded in late 1943, but most of the personnel were reassigned to other companies, combat engineering units or actual combat regiments, in preparation for an all-out assault on Europe.
After the landings in Normandy in June 1944, the CFC delivered timber to the allied invasion forces in Europe. Rather than use precious cargo space in ships, logs were formed into huge rafts. 77 square timber rafts and 54 round timber rafts were created in Southampton. The huge rafts were moved with tugboats across the English Channel to the continent in the late summer of 1944. Ten companies eventually moved to the Continent to continue operations there. Six companies of the CFC were called out to hold the line during the German Ardennes Offensive in Dec 1944, when Allied reserves were stretched to the limit.
On 1 Sep 1945 the CFC was officially disbanded (forestry operations had already ceased in Scotland in June) and all 20 companies returned to Canada. In all, at its peak, the overseas strength of the corps had been 220 officers and 6,771 other ranks. A total 442,100,100 foot board measures of timber had been cut in Scotland, England, and France during their time in Europe.
You always have the most amazing and interesting topics each week! Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Connie! :)
ReplyDelete