Maltby, Richard Gosse: my Army recollections (January 18, and February 7, 1984)
PublicInterviewer: Witzel, Morgen
ABSTRACT: Lt.-Col. Richard Gosse Maltby The Calgary Regiment (14th Armoured Regiment) Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Maltby_R_0181_01.mp3 (Reel 1, Side 1) Born on Aug. 6, 1921 in Vancouver, B.C. In 1940 he joined the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada and went into barracks behind the Seaforth Armoury. Infantry training at Currie Barracks, Calgary where he became a lance corporal. Volunteered to join The Calgary Regiment (14th Armoured Regiment) and moved to Camp Borden where the unit trained on Great War Renault tanks. Overseas to Salisbury Plain where they were issued the Matilda tank. Living conditions. Issued with Churchill tanks. Returned to Canada for officer training, first at Gordon Head, then Camp Borden. Overseas to Aldershot, then sailed to Italy as a reinforcement for the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade and rejoined the regiment near Cassino. Maltby_R_0181_02.mp3 Recounts experiences in his tank. Wounded by shrapnel when at rest outside his tank. Evacuated to No. 14 General Hospital. Convalescence at Salerno. Rejoined the regiment at Arezzo, just south of Florence. Discusses tactical situation, German troops. Acted as artillery in support of Indian divisions. Winter in the Apennines was hard, both in weather and terrain. For a time the regiment operated a farm which entailed helping themselves to livestock and feed. Moved to France and Belgium. Fought in Holland, at Arnhem, and in support of British infantry. (93:00) Maltby_R_0181_03.mp3 (Reel 1, Side 2) War winding down, German prisoners. Appointed intelligence officer. General comments on the war, wounds, friends, operational conditions. (15:00) Maltby_R_0181_04.mp3 (Reel 2, Side 1) Attended U.B.C. Became involved in the C.O.T.C. as assistant adjutant. Joined the British Columbia Regiment (militia). Regrets the demise of the C.O.T.C. progam as it provided very good training. Aided the civil authorities during the Fraser River floods of 1947. Graduated with an Arts and Commerce degree and was offered a regular commission in the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps. Heavily involved in the maintenance and expansion of Camp Wainwright, Alta. Central Ordnance Depot in Montreal (technical stores). Staff college for ten months in 1955. Posted to Eastern Command (Quebec City) as staff captain (Q). Gradually became bilingual. Involved in overseeing the maintenance of many ancient buildings. Valcartier Camp. Returned to Montreal to the Ordnance School where he had much to do with officers' professional exams. Ottawa 1960-63 in National Survival operations. Canada wide communication systems, "nuclear proof" bunkers, etc. "Fall-out" was a concern of the Defense Research Establishment and later on their "probability maps" were largely confirmed by the eruption of Mount St. Helens and the distribution of the resulting ash. The impossibility of planning for all the population was recognized, but even at reduced levels they were not financially possible. Took a large display on tour for educational purposes. Armed forces trained in survival techniques, evacuation, re entry, rescue. Maltby_R_0181_05.mp3 Difficult to get the public involved. Some quiet opposition to planning and training and had to live with the politically acceptable fact of under-funding. Technology (1984) has made such operations more difficult. Armed forces were put on the alert during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Canadian group gave lectures at the Pentagon, NORAD, and U.S Strategic Air Force headquarters. Much impressed with American military preparedness. Survival training not particularly popular with the army. Civil Defense College. Emergency Measures organizations were set up, but with considerable politicking which Col. Maltby feels was inevitable, but a pity. Canadian targets were not prime objects of Russian attack, but errors or aborted missions were a danger. Posted to London, Eng. where, because of his bilingual status, he became involved in N.A.T.O. standardization problems. Describes personnel and committees within the organization. Standardization of clothing considered in depth. Different nationalities had considerably different physical attributes; measurement systems differed, so it was not easy to resolve. Ammunition and weapon standardization difficult to create, partly due to varying manufacturing methods. It was a great experience in co-operation between military people. Arguments against standardization centered on industry, ambitions and pride, practicalities of engineering, honest disagreements. (45:00) Canadians interested in A.F.V.'s (armoured fighting vehicles), Arctic clothing, communications. Returned to Ottawa in 1966, promoted to lieutenant-colonel. Was base administration officer in Montreal for Expo '67. (05:00) Maltby_R_0181_06.mp3 (Reel 2, Side 2) Provided transportation, accommodation, security, communications to visiting forces. To make matters more difficult, integration was in full swing; regulations were in disarray. Involved in standardization of the three forces in the Montreal area. Appointed to 25 Canadian Forces Supply Depot in Montreal. Retired in 1970 to work in a consulting capacity in Pakistan and elsewhere for a period of ten years. Remains very satisfied with his military career. (20:00)
Interviewee: Maltby, Richard Gosse, b. 1921
Rank: Lieutenant-Colonel.
An interview/narrative of Richard Gosse Maltby's experiences during World War II. Lieutenant-Colonel Maltby served with the Calgary Regiment (14th Armoured Regiment) and the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps. Interview took place on January 18 and February 7, 1984.
- In Collection:
- 6 sound recordings (MP3)
- 45.50884, -73.58781
- Two original sound tape reels (ca. 225 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 4 sound cassette copies : standard, mono. in Special Collections.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- MRG_181
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/reginald-herbert-roy-fonds
- April 15, 2009
- Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 44 kHz. In .mp3 format at 56 kbps and 32 kHz. Digitized by KG, 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 2009. 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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