Scoggins, Pte. C.J.

21Oct41.

"Sirs, My father joined the US Marine Corps in late 1939, but was injured

during training, shortly after graduation.  He and two friends hitched to

Detroit from Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, crossed the border to Canada and joined

the Canadian Army.  Initially, he took his training with the Essex Scottish,

and later was reassigned to the Perth Regiment.  He shipped to England with

them and mainly pulled shore watch duty.  Upon change of guard, the soldier

being relieved would hand off his helmet, gear and rifle to his

replacement...not enough gear to go around.  Following Pearl Harbour,  and

prior to D Day, he transferred to the 101st Airborne, then in England.

Anyway, I am trying to assemble all of his old uniforms from as many

original pieces as possible.  I've all but completed the American outfits,

since he managed to hang on to much of them.  However, his Canadian things

were stolen in the States after the war.  As you might imagine it is

difficult to find anyone with much knowledge (let alone the equipment

itself) in Oklahoma.

My purpose in contacting you is to see if you could put me in touch with

someone that would be able to help me obtain appropriate headgear, battle

dress and information regarding tartan, shoulder flashes, etc.  I've got old

pictures but they are, of course, black and white.  I've also tried to find

certain things in "Canuk", but without success.  Dad is still living, but

details get fuzzy after 60 years and three services.

Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you very

much.

Sincerely,

Jeff  Scoggins

Edmond, Oklahoma 73013

USA"

"Dad left home and joined the Corps in mid 1939 and was discharged in early

1940 due to an eye injury.  He rturned to Pauls Valley, OK, where he and a

friend named Jack Bills decided to go down to the University of Oklahoma and

try out for the wrestling team.  They didn't make it, but Jack got a

scholarship to Stanford, I believe.  Anyway, Dad said he  was going to

Canada to enlist and Jack said that he was going with him.  They were joined

by another friend named J. C. Neighbors from Pauls Valley, and decided to

hitch hike to Quebec to join the Foreign Legion, of all things.  After some

thought and debate (I'm sure it was very intelectual and deep among three

teenagers..two 17 and one 18) they decided to go to Canada and fly

Spitfires.  Dad pawned his watch and bought them a bus ticket which got them

halfway to Detroit where they crossed the border and went to the recruiting

office in Windsor.

There they met the Recruiter from the Essex Scottish....and recruiters are

recruiters in any army from any time.  They told the three that flight

school was no problem, but the acceptance process would take a couple of

months.  In the meantime, they could go through Infantry Training, get paid

and  wear these great uniforms.  When there papers came through they would

be sent to flight school.  Dad (A239020) and Jack (A23901) said OK, but J.

C. said no thanks, and went back south to stay with his brother in Chicago

until the mysterious papers came through.  They went to basic and advanced

infantry training outside London, and attempted to drain the county of all

its stock of LaBatts and Canadian Cream.

Then one day that RSM showed up and informed them that the Perth Regiment

needed a draft of replacements for overseas duty.  A list of names were

read, and they were now in Company C, The Perth Regiment.  As you can

imagin, there were cries of "What about Flight School", and "They can't do

this to us", heard through the night. Kilts, etc. were taken from them, and

they shipped out soon after. J.C. Neighbors  got his flight school papers

and flew Spitfires.  He was killed over England in 1943 trying to land his

badly shot up Spitfire.

Dad made a point to mention a young Canadian named Johnny Aufrett..a good

friend killed in Italy. Also, an instructor in Infantry Training who had

only one eye.  He lost track of him, but said he was a good man. I'm going

to pull out old scrapbooks and try to find some Perth pictures, but dad said

he didn't know anyone who owned a camera, so he's not sure if he has

any...I'll keep looking for more U.S. personnel info. I know there are more

Canadian pictures if I can find them.

Shortly after Pearl harbor U.S. citizens serving in the Canadian Army were

given the option of transfering to the U.S. Army.  Sanchez stayed, and Dad

and Jack Bills transferred. The two were assigned to an M.P. outfit in

London.  Acouple of months later, on a Saturday night London street patrol,

Dad saw a guy jump out of a three story hotel window holding a handkerchief

over his head like a parachute.  It turned out to be a 101 trooper.  Anyway

Dad knew a nurse who said she  could get him into see Col. Sink, Regimental

C.O. of the 506th.  He reported to him and Sink asked him why in the hell

would you give up what you are doing to be a paratrooper.  Dad told him that

he couldn't go back to Pauls Valley and tell his father that he had done

nothing but raid whorehouses and break up fights during the war (he said

there were times later when fist fight and whorehouse duty looked pretty

good in retrospect). Jack Bills stayed in the M.P.s.

Anyway, he went to jump school in England, and landed somewhere around St.

Come du Mont.  Wounded  outside Carentan, he was evaced to England

(picture).  He returned to his unit in time for Market Garden, landed

outside of Son, was hit in late October  in Opheusden and evaced to Petit

Mormolon, France...Then to England.  Back to the unit in November '44, and

got trucked to Bastogne in late December...hit in Noville and evaced to

France...then back to England (picture).

Rejoined the unit and finished the war in Bertchesgarten(picture).

Like I said probobly more than you wanted to know, but there it is.  Thanks

for the info on the book and the reunion.  I'll sure tell Dad, and I mailed

the pictures this morning.

Sincerely, Jeff"