When I was a child {Aunt Wendy} I heard about my uncle (being a ski instructor in Vancouver) had been sent up 'north' to train soldiers during the war. I understood he was in the Air Service but not much else. I asked Bert (his brother)about him and he sent the following:
"He volunteered to a Canadian Military call to form a 'specialized winter- mountain training group' to prepare troops from Scotland in 'Mountain Warfare'
This was all High Level War Room foresight in keeping our war options open - after landing troops into France & fighting the Germans in North Africa & Italy, it appeared they may have to cross the Alps to put more pressure on the Germans.
So Hugh & 50 others ended up in the Jasper area in Nov. 1943 to train a unit of the 'Lord Lovat Scouts'{bottom of page} renowned for their fearsome reputation for 'Stalking and Spotting' (S A S) since turn of the Century.
When the call came the Scouts were sent to Naples & attached to the 10th Indian Division as their 'recce mountain regiment' while British troops moved up Italy."
- very interesting, there is a mention about the Jasper training of the Scouts, including climbing Mount Columbia, the second highest peak in the Rockies at well over 12,000 feet.
In the picture, Uncle Hugh is in the second row from the back, five from the left.(picture was removed)
After the ski troop training he went to Petawawa, Ont with the Canadian Army Engineers for training on bridge building & moving - got posted to Nanaimo where he was in the office & did a lot of drafting, before discharge after the War.
Is this our Hugh
Aitken, Hugh 34954, Private 29th Coy., 9th Bn. I.Y. The men of the 5th and 9th battalions fought off an attack on a column, losing ... The 5th battalion of Imperial Yeomanry was left with 28 dead and 34 wounded. During the Boer Wars in south Africa, the Denbighshire Yeomanry contributed volunteers for service as the 29th Squadron (Denbighshire) of the Imperial Yeomanry. This formed part of the 9th Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry, which was made up of several Welsh regiments including the 30th Pembrokeshire; the 31st Montgomeryshire; the 49th Montgomeryshire; the 89th Montgomeryshire and the 88th Welsh Yeomanry. The battalion first arrived in Africa during March and April of 1900.
~a good skier, hiker, camper and anything else outdoors.
"He volunteered to a Canadian Military call to form a 'specialized winter- mountain training group' to prepare troops from Scotland in 'Mountain Warfare'
This was all High Level War Room foresight in keeping our war options open - after landing troops into France & fighting the Germans in North Africa & Italy, it appeared they may have to cross the Alps to put more pressure on the Germans.
So Hugh & 50 others ended up in the Jasper area in Nov. 1943 to train a unit of the 'Lord Lovat Scouts'{bottom of page} renowned for their fearsome reputation for 'Stalking and Spotting' (S A S) since turn of the Century.
When the call came the Scouts were sent to Naples & attached to the 10th Indian Division as their 'recce mountain regiment' while British troops moved up Italy."
- very interesting, there is a mention about the Jasper training of the Scouts, including climbing Mount Columbia, the second highest peak in the Rockies at well over 12,000 feet.
In the picture, Uncle Hugh is in the second row from the back, five from the left.(picture was removed)
After the ski troop training he went to Petawawa, Ont with the Canadian Army Engineers for training on bridge building & moving - got posted to Nanaimo where he was in the office & did a lot of drafting, before discharge after the War.
Is this our Hugh
Aitken, Hugh 34954, Private 29th Coy., 9th Bn. I.Y. The men of the 5th and 9th battalions fought off an attack on a column, losing ... The 5th battalion of Imperial Yeomanry was left with 28 dead and 34 wounded. During the Boer Wars in south Africa, the Denbighshire Yeomanry contributed volunteers for service as the 29th Squadron (Denbighshire) of the Imperial Yeomanry. This formed part of the 9th Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry, which was made up of several Welsh regiments including the 30th Pembrokeshire; the 31st Montgomeryshire; the 49th Montgomeryshire; the 89th Montgomeryshire and the 88th Welsh Yeomanry. The battalion first arrived in Africa during March and April of 1900.
~a good skier, hiker, camper and anything else outdoors.
When I was a child {Aunt Wendy} I heard about my uncle (being a ski instructor in Vancouver) had been sent up 'north' to train soldiers during the war. I understood he was in the Air Service but not much else. I asked Bert (his brother)about him and he sent the following:
"He volunteered to a Canadian Military call to form a 'specialized winter- mountain training group' to prepare troops from Scotland in 'Mountain Warfare'
This was all High Level War Room foresight in keeping our war options open - after landing troops into France & fighting the Germans in North Africa & Italy, it appeared they may have to cross the Alps to put more pressure on the Germans.
So Hugh & 50 others ended up in the Jasper area in Nov. 1943 to train a unit of the 'Lord Lovat Scouts'{bottom of page} renowned for their fearsome reputation for 'Stalking and Spotting' (S A S) since turn of the Century.
When the call came the Scouts were sent to Naples & attached to the 10th Indian Division as their 'recce mountain regiment' while British troops moved up Italy."
- very interesting, there is a mention about the Jasper training of the Scouts, including climbing Mount Columbia, the second highest peak in the Rockies at well over 12,000 feet.
In the picture, Uncle Hugh is in the second row from the back, five from the left.(picture was removed)
After the ski troop training he went to Petawawa, Ont with the Canadian Army Engineers for training on bridge building & moving - got posted to Nanaimo where he was in the office & did a lot of drafting, before discharge after the War.
Is this our Hugh
Aitken, Hugh 34954, Private 29th Coy., 9th Bn. I.Y. The men of the 5th and 9th battalions fought off an attack on a column, losing ... The 5th battalion of Imperial Yeomanry was left with 28 dead and 34 wounded. During the Boer Wars in south Africa, the Denbighshire Yeomanry contributed volunteers for service as the 29th Squadron (Denbighshire) of the Imperial Yeomanry. This formed part of the 9th Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry, which was made up of several Welsh regiments including the 30th Pembrokeshire; the 31st Montgomeryshire; the 49th Montgomeryshire; the 89th Montgomeryshire and the 88th Welsh Yeomanry. The battalion first arrived in Africa during March and April of 1900.
~a good skier, hiker, camper and anything else outdoors.
"He volunteered to a Canadian Military call to form a 'specialized winter- mountain training group' to prepare troops from Scotland in 'Mountain Warfare'
This was all High Level War Room foresight in keeping our war options open - after landing troops into France & fighting the Germans in North Africa & Italy, it appeared they may have to cross the Alps to put more pressure on the Germans.
So Hugh & 50 others ended up in the Jasper area in Nov. 1943 to train a unit of the 'Lord Lovat Scouts'{bottom of page} renowned for their fearsome reputation for 'Stalking and Spotting' (S A S) since turn of the Century.
When the call came the Scouts were sent to Naples & attached to the 10th Indian Division as their 'recce mountain regiment' while British troops moved up Italy."
- very interesting, there is a mention about the Jasper training of the Scouts, including climbing Mount Columbia, the second highest peak in the Rockies at well over 12,000 feet.
In the picture, Uncle Hugh is in the second row from the back, five from the left.(picture was removed)
After the ski troop training he went to Petawawa, Ont with the Canadian Army Engineers for training on bridge building & moving - got posted to Nanaimo where he was in the office & did a lot of drafting, before discharge after the War.
Is this our Hugh
Aitken, Hugh 34954, Private 29th Coy., 9th Bn. I.Y. The men of the 5th and 9th battalions fought off an attack on a column, losing ... The 5th battalion of Imperial Yeomanry was left with 28 dead and 34 wounded. During the Boer Wars in south Africa, the Denbighshire Yeomanry contributed volunteers for service as the 29th Squadron (Denbighshire) of the Imperial Yeomanry. This formed part of the 9th Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry, which was made up of several Welsh regiments including the 30th Pembrokeshire; the 31st Montgomeryshire; the 49th Montgomeryshire; the 89th Montgomeryshire and the 88th Welsh Yeomanry. The battalion first arrived in Africa during March and April of 1900.
~a good skier, hiker, camper and anything else outdoors.
Gravesite Details
Cremated, Brother has ashes; spread on some of Hugh's favourite peaks & places between Vancouver & Whistler near Squamish. Cairn of remaining ashes placed Dec 25th 2019
