5th Med RCA – Battle Dress Tunic

Original Battle Dress tunic worn by Ray Burger from Ridgeway, Ontario. He served with the 5th Medium, Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) – 1st Canadian Army. Original period badged example with all badges well sunken into the fabric. The tunic is maker marked and dated 1944 (last 4 is only readable) in size 13. The tunic features printed 5th Med RCA titles , embroidered CANADA titles with 1st Canadian Army patches. A stunning original badged BD jacket. The 5th MED RCA has an interesting wartime history.

5th Medium RCA.
The regiment spent four days at the position in Rimini suffering many counter-battery attacks from German artillery. They then moved through the ruins of Rimini on the north side. The regiment remained in this position until 12 October 1944 when the advance on the front was again slowed at Savio. The regiment remained in action, doing little firing until 11 November 1944 when it moved into a rest area at Cesenatico. After spending two weeks at Cesenatico, Operation “Chuckle” began with intentions to capture Bologna and contain the 28 German Divisions in Italy. Bagnacavallo and Ravenna were eventually taken and the 5th Medium halted its advance along the Senio River which was decided would be the winter front line. The 5th Medium was eventually shifted to a new location near Godo. By 19 February 1945, the regiment came out of action and moved back to Cesenatico for movement to a new theater of action.

On 23 February 1945 the 5th Medium learned that it was leaving Italy for North-West Europe. The regiment spent a week and a half in a camp outside of Naples (Camp Lammie) before boarding the ship, Ville D’Oran, on 12 March 1945 in Naples harbour.

On 13 March 1945, at 10:30, the 5th Medium disembarked in Marseilles and was transported to a camp outside the city. The next day, in convoy, the 5th Medium moved through the Rhone Valley of France, into Belgium. On 19 March 1945, the regiment settled in the town of Waregam. After numerous cancelled movement orders, the 5th Medium eventually received orders to move into the Netherlands, outside of Nijmegen, firing on 1 April 1945 at 23:00 on targets along the Rhine and Ijssel. By 15 April 1945, the 5th Medium moved to a new position north of Valberg, remaining there until 19 April 1945 when the regiment took up its last offensive position near Barneveld.

On 26 April 1945, the regiment received orders that it would not fire again, unless in retaliation. By 2 May 1945 a local truce had been declared to allow food conveys through to the Dutch citizens. On the evening of 4 May 1945, the regiment received word that the cessation of hostilities would occur on the following day and subsequently, a double issue of rum was authorized within the regiment to all personnel.

After Victory in Europe Day on 8 May 1945, the regiment moved towards Hippo and eventually to Doorn. The last day of the regiment’s official existence was 30 June 194