Toronto Scottish Regiment – Pte. Davidson WIA

Original WW2 Toronto Scottish Regiment grouping that belonged to Pte. Samual Davidson with army number B-76004. Pte. Davidson was born in 1912, Newcastle UK. Enlisted in Toronto on 12 September 1939. He embarked in UK on 4 July 1944, disembarked in France on 6 July 1944 and he was Wounded in Action (WIA) on 25 July 1944 in South of Caen, Normandy (see War Diary on this page). Mentioned in his service book that he was wounded slight and stayed on duty. This grouping consist of his Tam O’ Shanter with its original cap badge and blue coloured tartan which is correct for the TSR, the regiment wore Hodden Grey kilts but they wore blue or black coloured cap badge backings! The tam has a nice blue coloured Toorie. Maker marked Brill Cap, dated 1943 in size 7. His Soldier’s Service & Pay Book, this includes 1942,1943,1944,1945. ID card’s for Mechanical Transport Drivers, his War Department Driving Permits. Discharge Certificate, wartime picture, sweet-heart with two picture of him (navy and TSR). His medals 1939-1945 Star and Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with bar for overseas service, including his uniform ribbon bar.
Very interesting and desirable grouping!

WAR DIARY 25th of July 1944. South of Caen, Normandy.
Cloudy and. mild. 4 & 5 Bdes attacked south towards Fontenay-le-Narmion end Rocquancour
Qaen at 0300 hrs. SL was road from west side of St ndre-sur-Orne to x-rds east of Troteval
MR 029661 Farm. Coy, 1 & 2 pis supporting 3 Bde, 3 & 4 pis supporting 4 Bd.e. B Coy supporting
Sheet 7/1 4 Bde, C Coy supporting .5 Bde. D Coy doing a harrassing task all day along west bank
of River Orne. .5 Bde reached Lay -sur -Orne at 0630 hrs but were pushed out. 4 Bde
(RILI) reached Verrieres 0515 hrs. Germans counter attacked with armour and forced
4 & .5 Edes back to original pos’n at St Andre -sur -Orne end Verrieres. We had hy bombin,
raid during the night, enemy dropping HE and anti -personnel bombs and incendiaries.
direct hit was scored on. office truck of C Coy at 2330 hrs. 2-15 cwts were completely
destroyed together with complete office and personal equipment. There were seven cas,
3 killed, 4 wounded. D Coy A Ech were hit by incendiaries. The small amount of AA
fire in area was ineffective and worthless.

The regiment mobilized “The Toronto Scottish Regiment (M.G.), CASF” on 1 September 1939, and the battalion embarked for the United Kingdom as a machine gun battalion of the 1st Canadian Division in December 1939. In 1940, tactical requirements for machine gun units changed, from one per brigade to one per division, the the unit was assigned as the divisional machine gun battalion of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. A detachment of the battalion took part in the Dieppe Raid on 19 August 1942. The unit was redesignated “2nd Canadian Infantry Division Support Battalion (The Toronto Scottish Regiment)” on 1 May 1943, then designated “The Toronto Scottish Regiment (M.G.)” on 1 February 1944. The unit landed with the division in Normandy on 6 July 1944, a month after D-Day, and served throughout the Northwest Europe campaign in its role as a machine gun battalion. The 1st Battalion was disbanded on 31 December 1945.

Battle Honours:
Dieppe 1942
St. André-sur-Orne
Falaise
Clair Tizon
Antwerp-Turnhout Canal
Woensdrecht
The Rhineland
Goch-Calcar Road
Xanten
Groningen
Bourguébus Ridge
Verrières Ridge-Tilly-la-Campagne
Falaise Road
Dunkirk, 1944
The Scheldt
South Beveland
The Reichswald
The Hochwald
Twente Canal
Oldenburg