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Adams, Robert Cecil: my Army recollections (February 20, 1985)

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Rank: Battery Sergeant-Major.

ABSTRACT: Battery Sgt.-Maj. Robert Cecil Adams, (W.O.II) Royal Canadian Artillery Adams_RC_0002_01.mp3 (Side 1) Born on May 22, 1918 in Vancouver and educated at private schools in Victoria, B.C. and Port Hope, Ont. While employed by the British Columbia Electric Railway Company in Vancouver in 1936 he joined No. 111 (Coast Artillery Co-operation) Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force (reserve) at Sea Island. There he was an aircraftman, 1st class and a fitter by trade. Some of the duties and conditions extant during the Depression are discussed. He was released in 1939 and in Sept. of that year joined the 1st Searchlight Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (R.C.A.), Vancouver, and shortly thereafter transferred to the 108th Field Battery at Lethbridge, Alta. (15:00) Barrack conditions, equipment and training were all found wanting. In May 1940 he was posted to the 2nd Anti-Tank Regiment, R.C.A. at Shilo, Man., part of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. (25:00) In Aug. of that year they went overseas to Aldershot where equipment shortages continued to adversely affect training. Discipline from the point of view of a battery sergeant-major is mentioned. (40:00) Adams_RC_0002_02.mp3 (Side 2) Trained at the School of Artillery, Larkhill, Wiltshire. Participated in the defence of the south coast of England. Describes anti-tank training at Larkhill and the type of equipment in use. A late arriver in Normandy (by Liberty ship), he describes the scene on Courseulles Beach and at Carpiquet Airport. The regiment was by then equipped with seventeen-pounder self-propelled guns mounted on Valentine tank chassis. Explains the administrative job of the battery sergeant-major in "A" echelon. Recounts the heavy losses in the fight for Normandy. Later, during the manpower shortage of 1944/45, the unit acted for a short time as infantry. Heavy fighting on the Dutch/German border. Guns were regained in the spring of 1945 for the advance over the Rhine. Returned to Canada and civilian life in 1945. (35:00)

Interviewee: Adams, Robert Cecil, 1918-1992

Interviewer: Gray, Grant

An interview/narrative of Robert Cecil Adams's experiences during World War II. Battery Sergeant-Major Adams, W.O. II served with the Royal Canadian Artillery. Interview took place on February 20, 1985.

In Collection:
Contributor Subject Language Keyword Date created Relation
  • Part of the Reginald H. Roy collection of interviews.
Resource type Rights statement Extent
  • 2 sound recordings (MP3)
Geographic Coverage Coordinates
  • 60.10867, -113.64258
  • 49, 0
  • 54.75844, -2.69531
Additional physical characteristics
  • One original sound tape reel (ca. 75 min.) : 3 3/4 ips, 2 track, mono. 5 in. ; 1 sound cassette copy : standard, mono. in Special Collections.
Physical Repository Collection
  • Canadian Military Oral History Collection
Provider Genre Archival item identifier
  • ARC_002
Fonds title Fonds identifier Is referenced by Date digitized
  • March 30, 2007
Technical note
  • Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 22 kHz. In .mp3 format at 64 kbps and 22 kHz. Digitized by JW, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Transferred from audio reel to audio cassette between 1987-1997. Interview migrated to digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2007. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
Rights
  • This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
DOI
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file details SC141_MilitaryOralHistory_GenericThumbnail
file details Adams_RC_0002_01.mp3
file details Adams_RC_0002_02.mp3