Interviewer: Cross, James L.

Rank: Major.

An interview/narrative of Charles E. C. MacNeil's experiences during World War II and the Korean War. Major MacNeil served with the Canadian Scottish Regiment and Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Interview took place on January 28 and March 11, 1982.

Interviewee: MacNeil, Charles E. C., b. 1912

ABSTRACT: Maj. Charles E.C. MacNeil Canadian Scottish Regiment Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry MacNeil_C_0100_01.mp3 (Side 1) Born in Suffolk, England on Nov. 23, 1912. Emigrated to western Canada in 1913, educated in Victoria, B.C. Joined the Canadian Scottish Regiment in June 1930. In Sept. 1937 commissioned as a second lieutenant, promoted to lieutenant in Sept. 1939. Guard duty at the Esquimalt Graving Dock, camp at Otter Point, Mary Hill, Macaulay Point. Gives account of rail trip to Debert, N.S. where the camp was initially in very poor condition. Much sickness; an unhappy situation. Trained as ski troops which was enjoyable, but their equipment was barely adequate. Overseas to Aldershot. Experienced several moves, defended the south coast of England. Battle drill course. (30:00) Promoted to captain. Liaison officer at Divisional headquarters. In May 1943 Lieut.-Col. Cabeldu took command. Combined operations in Scotland. Amphibious exercises on the south coast of England. Commanded a company in a reinforcement unit. Rejoined the regiment as one of the reinforcement officers. Present at D-Day, although landed after the first waves ashore. (45:00) MacNeil_C_0100_02.mp3 Moved inland, called up to become second-in-command of a company. Fairly quiet at first, but on the night of July 6, during an attack on Caen, he was wounded by shrapnel. Evacuated to a field near the beach, then to England, and after a month in hospital he was returned to a reinforcement unit. Returned to Canada to A-37 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Petawawa. Some confusion evident in the immediate postwar army. In Oct. 1946 posted to the P.P.C.L.I. in Calgary, then to Alaska as an observer to Operation Frigid, a six-month involvement in testing Arctic equipment of every kind. Appointed chief instructor in Arctic conditions at Churchill, Man. Much emphasis on survival. Comments on equipment and the necessity, in case of fire, of quick release from a sleeping bag. Many bags are still not adequate in this regard. (38:00) MacNeil_C_0100_03.mp3 (Side 2) Returns to a discussion on training in England; 1st Battalion, Canadian Scottish Regiment in Victoria. Appointed to command a company of the Royal Canadian Regiment. Arctic exercises. School of Infantry, Camp Borden. (15:00) Then to 3rd Battalion, P.P.C.L.I. at Fort Lewis, Wash.; lack of equipment for training. Sent to Korea; good morale of Canadian troops. (30:00) In 1953 was acting C.O. of the battalion. MacNeil_C_0100_04.mp3 Major attack by the Chinese on the night of May 2/3. Naech'on feature, Hill 355. Accidentally bombed by the U.S. Air Force. Truce. Flew back to Canada to attend the Canadian army staff college at Kingston in 1954. (45:00) Staff appointments included G-2 (G.S.O. II) at Churchill, Man. In 1956 he was an exchange officer with the Australian army. Lectured on Arctic equipment. Observed jungle warfare. Instructor in tactics (especially nuclear) at Camp Borden. Exercise TOXIN, nuclear war exercise, including most of the Canadian government from Ottawa. Retired in Dec. 1961. (18:00)

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• MacNeil, Charles E. C., b. 1912
• Cross, James L.

Subject

• Operation Overlord
• Canada. Canadian Army. Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
• World War (1914-1918)
• Military history
• World War (1939-1945)

Language

• eng

Date created

• March 11, 1982

Relation

• Part of the Reginald H. Roy collection of interviews.

Resource type

• Sound

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 4 sound recordings (MP3)

Geographic Coverage

• England
• British Columbia--Victoria

Coordinates

• 52.16045, -0.70312
• 48.4359, -123.35155

Additional physical characteristics

• One original sound tape reel (ca. 150 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 2 sound cassette copies : standard, mono. in Special Collections.

Physical Repository

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Genre

• oral histories (literary genre)
• reminiscences
• sound recordings
• interviews

Archival item identifier

• MCEC_100

Fonds title

• Reginald Herbert Roy fonds

Fonds identifier

• SC104

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/reginald-herbert-roy-fonds

Date digitized

• July 10, 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 AN, 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

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/f84j-1e19

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