I was recently given this wonderful 8″ x 26.5″ panoramic photo of the Algonquin Regiment at Camp Shilo in July 1940. The photograph was taken by Cooke of Winnipeg and is entitled 1st Anniversary Algonquin Reg’t, Camp Shilo Manitoba, July 22, 1941. I encourage you to click on the thumbnail to view it in detail.
Algonquin Regiment, Camp Shilo, July 22, 1941
The Algonquin Regiment was mobilized on May 24, 1940 however it wasn’t until July 22 that it was placed on Active Service. This photograph commemorates the 1st anniversary of this milestone. The regiment trained in Camp Borden and Current River Camp in Port Arthur (Thunder Bay) before moving to Camp Shilo on June 4, 1941.
In November they moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake where they guarded the Welland Canal and the Niagara River. In January 1942 they were given their first “overseas” assignment, Newfoundland, where they spent a year defending Cape Spear and the Torbay airport. In June 1943 they sailed for Britain where they became one of three infantry regiments serving in the 10th Infantry Brigade of the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division.
The Algonquins landed on Juno Beach on July 25, 1944 and saw action throughout the grinding NW Europe campaign, garnering 15 battle honours, beginning at Falaise in August. They fought for the next ten months, in some of the toughest battles in the Scheldt, the Rhineland, the Hochwald and the Liberation of the Netherlands. By war’s end the Algonquin Regiment had lost 372 men.
If you are able to identify any of the men in this photo please comment below.
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It must have felt to them that they were missing the war when they drew Newfoundland. But then they ended up at Juno. Their losses seem light for 10 months of the most brutal fighting.
Thanks for your comment Bernie. There is some confusion over the number of dead as some online sources claim 65 officers and 1235 men were killed. While they often cite the book “Warpath: the story of the Algonquin Regiment” these are the casualty figures (wounded, killed and missing in action). 372 men died and their names are inscribed on The Algonquin Regiment Memorial in Parry Sound (https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canada/algonquin-regiment-memorial)