Jack Wallace of Ottawa digging in the national archives found this:
In late 1942 or early 1943, there was smoldering resentment among the Cape Breton Highlanders in Britain because some of their number had been shipped out due to, ah, incompetence.
One morning the commander of the 5th Canadian Armored Division., Major-General Ernie Sansom, was advised that one company of the Cape Bretoners had declined to appear for parade. He wasted no time confronting the rebellious (mutinous?) unit.
Sansom later reported to the army commander, General Andy McNaughton, that he had got to the source of the trouble: The Cape Bretoners, and not only those in the sit-down company, were unhappy about the new breed of officers being sent to the battalion. They were all Upper Canada Scots.
Advertisement
