JAMIESON, James

NAME                  JAMIESON           James
RANK                  Private                                                                                                                                                                          1st Canadian Army - I Canadian Corps - 1st Canadian Infantry Division - 3rd Infantry Brigade REGIMENT         Carleton and York Regiment
                            “for the fatherland”
                            Royal Canadian Infantry Corp                                                                                                  Born                    May 18, 1918 - Toronto - Ontario                                                                                    Residence           Toronto - Ontario                                                                                                                      Died                     April 22, 1945          26 years   11 months
Cemetery            Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery - Groesbeek - Gelderland - Netherlands
                            XIV H 11
Wife                     Mrs. Rebecca Jamieson - Toronto                                                                                              Son                     Master Robert Jamieson - Toronto                                                                                                  Daughter             Miss Marlene Jamieson - Toronto                                                                                        Parents               Mr. James and Rebecca Jamieson - Acton - Ontario                                                              Sister                  Mrs. Margaret McVay - Acton - Ontario 

James was born on May 18, 1918 in Toronto. He was employed, before he enlisted as a silk knitter for 5 years with Rennie Industries and during that time took a correspondence course with a Technical School for 3 years. He was raised in the United Church and attended Chalmers United Church - Mount Dennis. His schooling took him to the end of Grade XI in 1936.

Canada

James enlisted into the Canadian Army in Toronto on March 2, 1943. Upon enlistment he stood 5' 8" tall, weighed 141 pounds and had a medium complexion with blue eyes and fair hair. With the rank of Private he was assigned to No. 2 District Depot in Toronto to "R" Wing No. 7 Company. Three weeks later on March 20 he was posted to No. 20 Basic Training Centre in Brantford. At the beginning of June he was posted to No. 10 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Borden. In the middle of August he was posted to No. 14 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Aldershot - New Brunswick. During his training in Canada he had trained on the Rifle and Light Machine Gun and received Class II certification.

Overseas

Private Jamieson on September 13 was Struck off Service of the Canadian Army in Canada and that same day departed from Canada for overseas. The following day at sea he was Taken on Service with the Canadian Army overseas. He disembarked in the United Kingdom on September 19 and the next day reported to No. 5 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit. On November 5 he was then posted to No. 1 Canadian Signallers Reinforcement Unit.                                                                                                                                                                 Between November 6, 1943 - February 15, 1944 he was attached to the Regimental Signals School and qualified as a Regimental Signaller. He was then Taken on Service on March 15 with No. 4 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit.

In the Field  

Private Jamierson was Struck off Service of the Canadian Army overseas and embarked from the United Kingdom. He was Taken on Service the following day with the Canadian Army in the Mediterranean Theatre. He disembarked in Italy on April 9 On May 29 the Carleton and York Regimenr Took him on Service. on June 27 he qualified as a Signaller - Infantry "C". During his time in Italy he was with the Regiment during the Hitler Line, the Melfa Crossing, the Gothic Line, the Lamone Crossing, the Rimini Line, San Fortunato and the Naviglio Canal. On March 16, 1945 Regiment embarked from Italy and two days later on March 18 the Regiment arrived in France.                                                                                                                                                                Once in Europe they were ordered to secure the crossings over the Ijssel River south of Deventer and then occupy Apeldoorn along with the high ground to Arnhem.
On the 21st of April, there were patrols conducted under cloudy and rainy skies. A platoon from “A”
Company with carriers and anti-tank guns helped clear wooded areas west of Nijkerk where the Royal 22nd
Regiment was having difficulty clearing out some 200 German soldiers. Later on the evening of the 21st
“D” Company set up an ambush patrol in the same woods and on the morning of the 22nd joined the forward
platoon from “A” Company in the area of the woods. During that evening the Carleton and York Regiment moved forward and tried to bypass any points of resistance but even so they ran into considerable opposition such as road blocks, small arms fire and self propelled guns. By the late evening they were in position on the approaches to the Eem northwest of Amersfoot. During the evening they cleared out the village of Brand as well. Private Jamieson was either attached to “C or D” Companies.
April 22nd was cloudy and cool in the morning and then later in the afternoon it became more dull with rain
and that night it was cold and cloudy. At 09:11 hours “D” Company reported taking fire from German bazookas.
By 14:00 hours “B” Company had relieved “D” Company. The Regiment was ordered to clear the area to
the river. “D” Company was moving to consolidate - “C’ Company was close to the river and following a
road - “A” company was clearing out the nearby woods. “B” company began to move forward with a troop of tanks and two anti-tank guns and then “C’ company was to pass through “B” Company. At 17:12 hours a large number of German troops were discovered in the axis of “B’ Company. At 17:16 hours “A & B” Companies began to move forward. At 19:35 hours “C” company came under very heavy German machine gun fire and were meeting enemy road blocks. The regiment was now southwest of Nijkerk. Then at 22:17 hours on the night of April 22nd the Regiment began to move forward to get closer to the canal. In doing so met very heavy enemy resistance and the result was the left flank was now open and totally exposed. This was the fight that took the life of Private Jamieson. He was originally buried on April 23 in the Langemoord Cemetery.

During June of 1946 his wife Ruth of Toronto and his mother Rebecca of Acton received the Memorial Cross.  In late 1949  his wife received the medals awarded to James and these included the 1939-45 Star, the Italy Star - the France and Germany Star, the War Medal, the Defence Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and clasp.

James is honoured and remembered on the Carleton and York Regimental Memorial located in Fredericton - New Brunswick. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Chalmers United Church in Mount Dennis, in the Books of Remembrance located in the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa and on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.