December 1939 saw the Ontario Regiment’s first Christmas of the Second World War. The months since the Regiment’s mobilization on September 1 were focused on recruiting, organization and elementary training. Throughout the autumn, uniforms and equipment slowly trickled in. As the gear arrived, the Regiment’s training was expanded to incorporate the equipment. As the end of 1939 came into sight the training program was vaguely beginning to resemble that of an armoured regiment.
For half of the Regiment, the Christmas season began on December 22 with four days of leave. For the remainder, there were lectures and PT on the morning of the 23rd and the afternoon off. Christmas Eve was a Sunday and the Regiment paraded to Holy Trinity Church where Major Reverend S.C. Jarrett officiated.
Christmas Day was free for the soldiers. Christmas dinner was served to the troops in the old Williams Piano Factory barracks at noon. The menu consisted of:
Soup
Roast turkey with dressing
Roast potatoes
Creamed carrots
Christmas pudding
Custard
Apples
Sweet biscuits
Oranges
Celery
Nuts
Each soldier was given free beer and a pack of cigarettes. Soft drinks were available for the non-drinkers. Table games followed the meal. The war diary reported that “all ranks were in excellent spirits”.
It was back to military work on the morning of Boxing Day with PT and a route march. In the afternoon the Regiment attended a free movie at the Regent Theatre. The training pace remained somewhat relaxed during the rest of December. The officers spent time finalizing the training program for the new year and a signalling class began under the command of Lieutenant R.J. Donabie.
The Oshawa Citizens Committee for Assisting Troops in Training held a Christmas party at the Genosha Hotel on December 27 for the soldiers’ wives and children. The management of the Genosha offered the use of the ballroom at no charge. The Committee was formed in October through the efforts of Adelaide McLaughlin, wife of Honourary Colonel R.S. McLaughlin. The goal of the committee was to provide some comforts to the soldiers in Oshawa. A gift bag with candy and a toy were provided to each child.
The second half of the Regiment left on four days’ leave on December 29. The Officers’ Mess was open in the afternoon of December 31 and tea was served to current, former and associate mess members. On New Year’s Day 1940, the Sergeant’s Mess hosted the officers and prominent Oshawa citizens at mid-day. A New Year’s Day dinner was served to the men who had been on leave during Christmas Day. The menu was the same. That evening the Sergeant’s Mess held their traditional New Year’s dance. On January 2 the Regent Theatre hosted the Regiment for a movie again.
Military uniform items continued to arrive over the Christmas week. Fifty pairs of boots were delivered which meant every soldier finally had one set. A shipment of black berets arrived to replace the originally issued blue ones. Also arriving were enough ablution kits and boot polish kits for each man, woollen underwear (tops and bottoms) to complete the issue of two per man, and a sewing machine for the Regimental tailor. Most oddly, the war diary notes that 586 pairs of boot laces were delivered. One wonders what the soldiers were using before that.
The second group of soldiers returned from their leave on the evening of January 2 and the Regiment resumed its training schedule on January 3.
Rod Henderson
Rod Henderson is the Regimental Historian of the Ontario Regiment. He served as a Sergeant in the Regiment and is the author of “Fidelis Et Paratus: The History of The Ontario Regiment RCAC”.