Carson, Robert John: my Army recollections (May 24 - June 22, 1984)

Public

Downloadable Content

Download selected audio

Interviewee: Carson, Robert John, 1914-1992

Rank: Colonel.

ABSTRACT: Col. Robert John Carson The Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers Carson_R_0026_01.mp3 (Reel 1, Side 1) Born on Sept. 13, 1914 in India where his father, a graduate of Royal Military College (R.M.C.), was serving with the Royal Engineers. Some aspects of daily life in India. His father was a railway engineer, the general manager of a railway in the Punjab and a brigadier by the beginning of World War II. Attended R.M.C. and, in a final year, graduated from Queens University with an engineering degree. Describes academics at R.M.C. (30:00) Subjected to a certain amount of hazing which, if done properly, encourages team solidarity, but must be controlled. (45:00) Carson_R_0026_02.mp3 In Aug. 1937 sent to Victoria where he was involved in maintenance and construction of armouries and military camps. Posted to Prince Rupert in Jan. 1939 to supervise the construction of coast defences at Yorke Island (in the south) and Annette Island. Describes Prince Rupert, prewar. Married there in Nov. 1939. Describes the prewar "marriage roll": young officers could not marry, since it would tend to draw their attention away from the welfare and knowledge of their troops, and for lack of financial resources. Promoted to captain, sent to Ottawa in May 1940 on coast defence planning. Obtained guns from United States armament depots. Main enemy threat to Canada was thought to be German armed merchantmen. (31:00) Carson_R_0026_03.mp3 (Reel 1, Side 2) Comments on Prince Rupert. Directorate of Engineering Services in Ottawa. Discusses use of coast defence and railway guns. Involved in the development of "plastic armour", asphalt and rock-filled squares fastened to a framework. Problems siting coast defence guns, directors, etc. (30:00) Joined 4th Battalion, Royal Canadian Engineers in Sept. 1941 as a company commander (major) and went overseas. Later became part of the 2nd Canadian Corps Troops. Describes usual organization for engineers: one field company or squadron per brigade, under control of the Commander, Royal Engineers, at divisional headquarters. Mrs. Carson interjects with remarks on wartime Ottawa, service life, and the wives' part. (45:00) Carson_R_0026_04.mp3 Mrs. Carson's impressions continue. (20:00) Col. Carson: tactical use of engineers; compares British, American, and German organization. Construction projects in England. (30:00) Discusses man management, tradesmen, etc. In July 1943 commanded 14th Field Company as 1st Canadian Corps Troops. (40:00) Involved with mine-lifting on English beaches. (50:00) Carson_R_0026_05.mp3 (Reel 2, Side 1) General military topics, veterans, pensions. Maj.-Gen. Pearkes well thought of. Military politics, postwar patronage very common in defence construction projects. Comments on the sons of Gen. A.G.L. McNaughton. Returns to 14th Field Company. Home Guard took their work very seriously. (30:00) Corps engineers played a very flexible role, often concentrating on bridging. Always necessary to schedule movement of heavy equipment. In battle, get it forward on time. Comments on Major-Generals Worthington, Kitching, Rockingham, and Lieutenant-Generals Simonds and Walsh. (45:00) Carson_R_0026_06.mp3 Returned to Canada to the Staff College, Kingston. Overseas again in Nov. 1943. Staff Officer, 2nd Canadian Corps Headquarters. Planned exercises, obtained intelligence reports, equipment requirements. Personal experiences in Holland. (30:00) In May 1944 joined 1st Canadian Army Group Royal Engineers, a planning and command structure. (40:00) Carson_R_0026_07.mp3 (Reel 2, Side 2) Sent to Normandy about one month after D-Day. Mentions river crossings, assault boats, bridging equipment. Commanded 31st Field Company in Sept. 1944. Fifty British Pioneers attached to provide extra manpower. Mine lifting: small mines often attached to large bombs. Schu mines hard to detect: searching very hard on the nerves. Walcheren, Antwerp. (35:00) Vast quantities of equipment needed because of large numbers of rivers and canals. Nijmegen. Navy, Army and Air Force Institute anecdote. (45:00) Carson_R_0026_08.mp3 Comments on the engineering qualifications of his officers and men. (10:00) Education level required to be somewhat higher than that of the infantry. Disciplinary role of the commanding officer. Work load increase as war progressed. During advance into Germany houses were blown up to provide rubble for road repairs. Reported gravel pits, lumberyards to higher authority. Several anecdotes re civilians encountered. Joined Occupation Force. (40:00) Carson_R_0026_09.mp3 (Reel 3, Side 1) Recounts experiences with "Zombies", by no means all bad. Finds fault with preference for civil service jobs given after the war to overseas veterans. Some unfairness evident. Army educational services very useful and important. Served as Deputy to Lt.-Col. R.E. Wilkins in Germany, where he stayed for about eleven months. Used prisoners of war as labour; occasionally a complete battalion of German engineers. Had a good relationship with them. Anecdotes. (25:00) Requisitioned all German municipal engineering equipment. Discusses peacetime engineering in the army and the qualities needed by an army engineer. (45:00) Carson_R_0026_10.mp3 In June 1946 returned to Canada. Stationed in Regina as commanding officer of 12 Works Company. Comments on the Interim Force and priorities as to rank. Was responsible for maintenance of bases and armouries throughout Saskatchewan with about 120 military and three hundred to four hundred civilian employees. (35:00) Peacetime soldiering. Engineer officers: few do "real" engineering. (45:00) Sometimes hard to employ all the good engineers who are available. Both peacetime projects and battlefield administration should include engineers in the early planning stages. (07:00) Carson_R_0026_11.mp3 (Reel 3, Side 2) Posted to Halifax as command engineer, responsible for the three maritime provinces. Later, a similar job in the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, and Alberta, stationed in Edmonton. Banff Cadet Camp. Considerable barrack construction in Edmonton, Calgary, and Chilliwack. Construction inspection. Before Edmonton served in Ottawa as a general staff officer, grade 1 in 1949-1950. Mentions Korea. (32:00) Carson_R_0026_12.mp3 Experiences in Ottawa, problems in Petawawa (horses on payroll) and elsewhere. (20:00) Army accounting unwieldy and far more complicated than it needed to be. (34:00)

Interviewer: Bell, Chris

An interview/narrative of Robert John Carson's experiences during World War II. Colonel Carson served with the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers. Interview took place on May 24, June 1, 8, 15 and 22, 1984.

In Collection:
Contributor Subject Language Keyword Date created Relation
  • Part of the Reginald H. Roy collection of interviews.
Resource type Rights statement Extent
  • 12 sound recordings (MP3)
Geographic coverage Coordinates
  • 60.10867, -113.64258
  • 51.5, 10.5
Additional physical characteristics
  • Three original sound tape reels (ca. 505 min.) : 1 7/8, 3 3/4 ips (reel 3, side 2 for 32 min., then 1 7/8 ips), 2 track, mono. ; 6 sound cassette copies : standard, mono. in Special Collections.
Physical repository Collection
  • Canadian Military Oral History Collection
Provider Genre Archival item identifier
  • CRJ_026
Fonds title Fonds identifier Is referenced by Date digitized
  • May 15, 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

This page supports the Zotero and Mendeley browser extensions simply click on the extension widget in your browser to save the objects citation.

Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details SC141_MilitaryOralHistory_GenericThumbnail Public
file details Carson_R_0026_01.mp3 Public
file details Carson_R_0026_02.mp3 Public
file details Carson_R_0026_03.mp3 Public
file details Carson_R_0026_04.mp3 Public
file details Carson_R_0026_05.mp3 Public
file details Carson_R_0026_06.mp3 Public
file details Carson_R_0026_07.mp3 Public
file details Carson_R_0026_08.mp3 Public
file details Carson_R_0026_09.mp3 Public