Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group

Nicholson Mechanical Transport Mobilization, page 27-28

Canadian vehicles, both motor and horse-drawn, came under criticism front the War Office, the main objection being the difficulty of supplying spare parts in the field for so many different makes, particularly since these parts would in most instances have to come from North America . Two of the types of motor truck brought over by the First Contingent had developed serious defects, and it was decided to hold these in England for use by subsequent Canadian forces. They were replaced by 51 British lorries (somewhat surprisingly – in view of the earlier strictures by the War Office - representing no less than six different makes!). Further shortcomings were found in the horse-drawn wagons. Their serviceability was questioned and they were not suited for ride-and-drive work with the British service pattern harness - a breast harness that was considered much better for military purposes than the Canadian type (which used a collar requiring in­dividual fitting and had no means of quick release). New British general service wagons for the Division were shipped direct from factories in the United Kingdom , a change that necessitated the substitution of British harness for the Canadian pattern. Water carts and a number of other vehicles of special type were issued from British stocks to replace Canadian patterns or to complete establishment.  

Posted by Brett Payne: Thu Apr 20, 2006 10:57 pm    Post subject: I extracted the following from "Wait for the Waggon : The Story of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps," by Arnold Warren, published in 1961, p. 101 (The Evolution of Supply and Transport, 1913-1918)

At the end of March 1915 a CASC Training Depot with a strength of 18 Officers and 158 other ranks left Canada for England, where it was located at Shorncliffe. In addition to carrying out training, it accommodated reinforcements arriving from Canada and casualties ready to return to active service. In July, when the CASC took over the supply of all Canadian troops in England, it was reorganized into a Training Company and an Operating Company on order to handle this work.

Drafts sent to France by the Training Depot went first to a Base Depot at Le Havre where they were taken on strength of an Army Service Corps Pool. If urgently required, they went directly from the Pool to operational units. Otherwise, they were sent from the Pool either to a Base Mechanical Transport Depot at Rouen, or to a Base Horse Transport and Supply Depot at Le Havre, both British units, where they received further training until required in the field. Thousands of MT Drivers, including many Canadians, were trained at the former Depot.

Later, two additional CASC Training Depots were opened in England at Bramshott and Witley. However, it was learned that this led to an undesirable diversity of training. They were closed in April 1918, leaving only Shorncliffe.