Operation Gauntlet and Canadian Signals

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CMHQ Historical Report #56 - Operation Gauntlet
Operation Gauntlet, also known as the Spitzbergen Raid, Exercise Heather and Special Force 111, was an Allied Combined Operation during the Second World War from 25 August until 3 September 1941. Canadian, British and Free Norwegian Forces landed on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago, 1,050 km (650 miles) south of the North Pole.[1] The Signals components of the Canadian force involved in Operation Gauntlet were elements of "K" Section, 1st Canadian Infantry Divisional Signals (1 Div Sigs) who's role it was to support 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade.

The intent of this page is to address the aspects of the operation pertaining to the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. For a detailed description of the overall operation, a good source of information can be found at Wikipedia and in CMHQ Historical Report #56 (at right).

Dates

Dates published in the unit War Diary[2] are:

SOS to Force 111 wef 6 Aug 41
TOS from 1 Div Sigs wef 7 Aug 41
Embarked wef 17 Aug 41
Disembarked web 9 Sep 41
SOS to 1 Div Sigs wef 9 Sep 41
TOS from Force 111 wef 10 Sep 41

Canadian Signals Participants

The following Signals officers and other ranks participated in the operation:[2]

A/Capt W.H.T. Wilson
Lt M.H.F Webber
Sergt R.L. Halling
Corpl M.L. Weber
Corpl W.S. Robertson
L/Cpl D.A. Pettapiece
L/Cpl J. Yule
Sigmn F. Blackburn
Sigmn W.H. Brown
Sigmn R.J. Brousseau
Sigmn R. Davidson
Sigmn A.T. Davis
Sigmn J.H.M. Dehler
Sigmn A.J.W. Donovan
Sigmn L.J. Durocher
Sigmn J.F.E. Durocher
Sigmn R. Edelstein
Sigmn R.P. Fisher
Sigmn T.A. Gray
Sigmn R.W. Green
Sigmn R.C. Grimes
Sigmn A.C. Hall
Sigmn G.E. Knight
Sigmn H.J. Lavine
Sigmn W. Metcalfe
Sigmn C.A. McCarville
Sigmn G.W. McFarlane
Sigmn L.D. O'Keefe
Sigmn P.A. Orkin
Sigmn C.A. Patterson
Sigmn H. Richards
Sigmn H. Roy
Sigmn C.A. Sylvain
Sigmn R.C. Tranter

Photos and Related Material

  • Capt Wilson during Spitzbergen Raid

  • Ottawa Evening Journal 9 September 1941

  • The Evening Citizen Ottawa 9 September 1941

  • The Evening Citizen Ottawa 9 September 1941

  • The Ottawa Journal 9 September 1941

  • The Gazette Montreal 11 September 1941

See Also

References and Notes

  1. ↑ Wikipedia - Operation Gauntlet
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 1 Divisional Signals War Diary, October 1941. Part II Order No. 49, 17 Oct 1941.