Posted by Michael O'Leary from Owen Sound ON Canada on January 01, 19100 at 13:58:07:
In Reply to: The RCR WW11 CO's posted by John G Tomlinson on January 01, 19100 at 13:04:18:
Following a rough experience at the LAMONE CROSSINGS (losses totalled 8 officers and 98 other ranks killed wounded and missing), The RCR constituted an "X" Company from the remnants of "B" Coy, "C" Coy and all spare presonnel that The Support Coy and "B: Echelon couls provide, "including drivers, messmen, cobblers and armorer's assistants." (Early Dec 1944) (p. 175)
"On January 3rd that omnium gatherum X Company disappeared and was replaced by a reconstituted C Company under command of Majot T.D. Jotcham, a former Patricia Officer." (p 180)
8 April 45 - Major A.S.S. Galloway (the Bn 2IC) was struck off strength. "Major F.J.C. Darton replaced him and in turn was replaced by major D.T. Jotcham." (p 188)
"The slate of officers at termination of hostilities was as follows:
Commanding Officer - Lt.-Col. W.W. Reid, DSO, ED; Second-in-Command - Major T.D. Jotcham; ..." (p 192)
May 1945
"... The Regiment was able to devore itself to the tasks of concentrating and disarming the prisoners.
The plan consisted of five phases in an operation order over Major Jotcham's signature ..." (p 194)
Throughout this period the Commanding Officers identified by the Regimental History are Lt.-Col. Ritchie (2 Jun 44 - 8 Dec 44) and Lt.-Col. Lt.-Col. Reid, DSO, ED (9 Dec 44 - 8 Jun 45). It is not unusual for officers to have held acting command due to injury of the CO or for brief intervals before a new CO arrived, but they were not necessarily apppointed or recognized as the "Commanding Officer." Galloway, for example, held command three times (IIRC) during his nearly continuous service from Jul 43 to Apr 45 with The Regiment in operations, but the Regimental History only lists him once for a 20-day period in Dec 43/Jan 44.
As you can see by the above notes, the REgimental History of The RCR also does not explicitly state whether or not Major Jotcham held command.
M. O'Leary