Rogers, Robert G.: my Army recollections (2005)

ABSTRACT: Robert Rogers Side 1 Robert Rogers enlisted at 20 in 1939, joined the First Canadian Hussars, trained at Borden. In England with little equipment his unit moved around to fool Germans, unprepared, ill-equipped; trained on Rams in England, very poor tanks, trained on infantry cooperation, then switched to Sherman tanks Training for D-Day landing in DD tanks. D-Day landing described. Rogers returns to Canada to prepare for Japanese task force. First Hussars black day June 11. German tank superiority assessed. How armoured regiments operated with infantry. How Typhoons were called down on tank targets. Living conditions in Normandy. Quality of training. Anecdote about an untrained replacement. Manpower shortage deplored. Zombies. Tactics against German tanks-tracers and Typhoons used. Infantry cooperation described. Reinforcement officers untrained in tanks. Resentment at politicians over manpower shortage. Side 2 Life before D-Day with wife. D-Day landing discussed, attack on beach defences. The black day June 11 described. Rogers returns to Canada, to RMC to prepare for invasion of Japan. Discusses quality of some COs, issues with alcohol. How RMC grads outshone others. How drunken officers got sacked. Brigadier sacked. Prewar training dismissed. Uselessness of tanks in 21st century. Wife's adventures with Red Cross in Europe. Side 1 000-enlists, trains fifth armoured div. 032-5th Div. broken up 100-officer training, arm'd training 160-In England, no gear, no tanks 200-get Ram tanks 222-get Shermans, train 280-train for D-Day landing, DD tanks 300-D-Day landing by 1st Hussars 360-Returns to Canada for Japan invasion 385-Regiment's black day, June 11, Le Mesnil-Patry 423-Pride in Sherman tanks, German tanks better 443-Lack of tank versus tank training 450-Tanks in infantry support 463-Using Typhoons against German tanks 500-Living conditions, eating 509-Replacement problem, anecdote 544-Rogers complains, nearly sacked, Zombies at Borden 565-Working with Typhoons 572-Infantry support role 600-German tank advantages 605-Spare treads on tank body 635-Manpower, new officers untrained Side 2 000-Tanks uselessness at night. 070-With wife before D-Day 093-Preparation for D-Day, maps of targets 101-D-Day landing 145-Dick Powell knocks out pill box. 160-Battle -never saw Germans, except prisoners 175-Black day, June 11, Le Mesnil Patry 222-Rogers back in Canada, RMC, preparing Sixth Division for Japan. 256-Leadership, some inadequate colonels, some drunken ones. A drunken brigadier 302-Frank White takes over: night and day 310-Pre-war Training in COTC: a joke 326-Lack of preparation repeated today 335-Officers improved in NW Europe 367-Rogers to RMC 380-Wife's adventures with Red Cross 400-Rogers in Ottawa, 44-45

Interviewee: Rogers, Robert G.

Interviewer: Weatherbe, Steve

An interview/narrative of Robert Rogers's experiences during World War II. Rogers served with the 1st Hussars of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps. Interview took place in 2005.

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Rogers, Robert G.
• Weatherbe, Steve

Subject

• Tanks (Military science)
• Operation Overlord
• World War (1914-1918)
• World War (1939-1945)
• Military history

Language

• eng

Date created

• 2005

Relation

• Part of the Military Oral History Class collection of interviews.
• Title of paper: "Challenges in Armoured Warfare". Link:  http://rusiviccda.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Challenges-in-Armoured-Warfare.pdf

Resource type

• Sound

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 2 sound recordings (MP3)

Geographic coverage

• England
• Japan

Coordinates

• 52.16045, -0.70312
• 35.68536, 139.75309

Additional physical characteristics

• Original sound recording on audio cassette also available.

Physical repository

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

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

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

Genre

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

Archival item identifier

• RRG_537

Fonds title

• Military oral history collection

Fonds identifier

• SC141

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection

Date digitized

• August 14, 2012

Technical note

• Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 44 kHz. In .mp3 format at 56 kbps and 24 kHz. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2012. 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/h792-tw81

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