Boehm, Carl Rice: my Army recollections (May 30, and June 8, 1978)
ABSTRACT: Col. Carl Rice Boehm, M.B.E. Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Boehm_C_0001_01.mp3 (Side 1) Born on July 9, 1905 in Toronto (d. May 2, 1988). A graduate of the University of Toronto, he was a mining engineer by profession. He joined 2 Army Field Workshop, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (R.C.O.C.), Toronto, in Nov. 1939 and was commissioned the following month as a lieutenant. Proceeded overseas in Jan. 1940 to Aldershot, Eng. where barrack conditions were less than ideal. Describes work, training and a course at the Armoured Fighting Vehicle Training Establishment at Bovington. Appointed to command the Light Aid Detachment (L.A.D.) of the 3rd Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (see note re 1st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1 R.C.H.A.)), and then a number of L.A.D.'s from Divisional Headquarters. Transferred to 5th Canadian Armoured Division as Deputy Assistant Director of Ordnance Services where he had to deal with major problems of the Canadian-built Ram tanks. Engines required much more regular maintenance than expected and, due to a faulty run-out, the recoil system of the main armament had to be rebuilt before it could be used. Boehm_C_0001_02.mp3 Posted to the 1st British Army in North Africa for three months battle experience. Upon return he was able to recommend a much greater degree of tactical flexibility in the use of Canadian workshops and support group ordnance companies. The lack of armoured recovery vehicles was an important item to be rectified. He discusses what became the standard Canadian ordnance tactic: leave workshops static as long as possible, then leapfrog rearmost unit as far forward as the tactical situation permitted. They later became adroit at sending small specialist detachments where the need was greatest. Boehm_C_0001_03.mp3 (Side 2) In March 1943 returned to England where he was appointed Assistant Director of Mechanical Engineering at Headquarters Canadian Army, Leatherhead. Promoted to lieutenant-colonel in Apr. 1943. The duties of the mechanical engineering branch of the service included standards of efficiency, operational layouts of workshops, modification of equipment, correcting failures, upgrading, etc. States the problems of repairing and re-equipping the 1st Canadian Infantry Division for the invasion of Sicily. Joined the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (R.C.E.M.E.) on the formation of that corps in 1944. He was involved in the preparation for the invasion of Europe, but was in hospital on D-Day. Discharged and reached Normandy on July 25, 1944. Boehm_C_0001_04.mp3 Recounts the conversion of seventy-six Priests (self-propelled 105-mm. guns, M-7's) into armoured personnel carriers (Kangaroos) in four days in preparation for Operation Totalize. In part they had to make up their own armoured plate: two soft steel sheets with the space between sand-filled. When they pirated some beached landing craft for steel the Navy became upset! Later, during the France/Germany campaign, as many as 250 tanks were repaired and restored to battle in one week by the 1st Canadian Army workshops. Briefly discusses civilians encountered, enemy troops, and Operation Veritable (crossing the Rhine). He was on rotation leave in Canada when the war ended and joined Army Headquarters in Ottawa in May 1945. Promoted to colonel in 1946 and appointed Director of the R.C.E.M.E. in 1948. He produced a plan for his corps for the future Canadian Army (see R.C.E.M.E. Quarterly, Apr. 1950) which eventually reduced the corps from 181 active and militia units to twenty-nine. During the 1950's there was considerable co-operation with industry for the proper use of manpower upon mobilization. This was particularly successful in Hamilton, Ont. Retired on Oct. 10, 1958. Note re 1 R.C.H.A.: William S. Thackray was unable to confirm the story of the "extra" gun from senior artillery officers. 1 R.C.H.A. did bring back a British gun from France in 1940 in lieu of one damaged in a road accident. In a telephone conversation with Boehm on Feb. 22, 1988 Thackray came to the conclusion that, although Boehm recalled it as an "extra", it was in fact an unauthorized substitute which various other accounts confirm.
Interviewee: Boehm, Carl Rice, 1905-1988
Interviewer: Main, Chris D.
Rank: Colonel. Medals and Honours: Order of the British Empire (MBE)
An interview/narrative of Carl Rice Boehm's experiences during World War II. Colonel Boehm, M.B.E. served with the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Interview took place on May 30 and June 8, 1978.
- In Collection:
- Canada--Canadian Army--Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps--Army Field Workshop, 2nd
- Canada--Canadian Army Overseas
- World War, 1939-1945--Manpower
- Military training camps--England--Aldershot
- World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy
- Kangaroo (Armoured personnel carrier)
- Canada--Canadian Military Headquarters (London, England)
- Canada--Canadian Army--Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps
- Priest (Self-propelled gun)
- Canada--Canadian Army--Field Regiment, 3rd--Light Aid Detachment
- Weapons--Maintenance and repair
- Great Britain--Army--Army, First
- Boehm, Carl Rice, 1905-1988--Interviews
- World War, 1939-1945--Equipment and supplies
- World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Africa, North
- Operation Veritable, 1945
- Canada--Canadian Army--Ordnance and ordnance stores
- World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Italy--Sicily
- World War, 1939-1945--Mechanical engineering--Equipment and supplies
- Canada--Canadian Army--Drill and tactics
- Military readiness
- Operation Husky, 1943
- Canada--Canadian Army--Army, First--Headquarters (Leatherhead (England))
- Canada--Canadian Army--Canadian Infantry Division, 1st
- Armored personnel carriers
- Operation Totalize, 1944
- Ram (Tank)
- Military training camps--England--Bovington
- Industrial mobilization
- D-Day, 1944 (Normandy invasion)
- Canada--Canadian Army--Organization
- Canada--Canadian Army--Mobilization
- Armored vehicles, Military--Maintenance and repair
- Canada--Canadian Army--Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- Tank destroyers
- Tanks (Military science)--Maintenance and repair
- Canada--Canadian Army--Canadian Armoured Division, 5th
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Canadian
- Canada--Dept. of National Defence--Headquarters
- Artillery, Self-propelled
- 4 sound recordings (MP3)
- 54.75844, -2.69531
- 49, 0
- 60.10867, -113.64258
- One original sound tape reel (ca. 180 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 2 sound cassette copies : standard, mono. in Special Collections.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- BCR_001
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/reginald-herbert-roy-fonds
- May 8, 2007
- 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
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