The Cigar Box - Introdution

Original post date: 11 May 2016


My sister was looking after my parents in their last years and now they have both gone to join our ancestors. Going through their things recently my sister came across a cigar box containing a few things my Dad kept from his WWII days. Being the family historian and record keeper, she gave the box to me.

Property of Lieutenant Thomas Ray Edward "Bud" Seale.
Enlisted:  Royal Canadian Engineers 9 Jun 1941
Transferred:  RCASC 1st Bridge Company, then 85th Bridge
Transferred:  15th Field Reg't, Royal Canadian Artillery

The cigar box is cardboard, hinged, a little scruffy and about 5½" x 8" x 2½"... not very big. The stamp on the box reads:

Canada - Number 239 - 50 Cigars Issue of 1960.

The box contains an assortment of things that meant something to my Dad.

There are lots of images for WWI stuff on the internet, not so much from WWII so I thought others may find this helpful. I will go through all these items and over a few days post what I think may be of interest, under the label "Cigar Box".

There are also a few WWII items I had previously found among my father's things that I may include in this section. 

Cigar Box - Service Medals, Badges and Ribbons

Contents of The Cigar Box - most from 1943-1945
Property of Lieutenant Thomas Ray Edward "Bud" Seale.
Enlisted:  Royal Canadian Engineers Sept 1940
Transferred:  RCASC 1st Bridge Company, then 85th Bridge 9 Jun 1941
Transferred:  15th Field Reg't, Royal Canadian Artillery

Bud was awarded these medals for his service in World War II... the ribbons are frayed and wrinkled and the medals are tarnished, but a steam iron and a little spit & polish will bring these medals back to life. Most soldiers serving oversea got these medals. Some were also awarded to those who volunteered but were rejected for medical reasons, or those that volunteered but deemed better served at home.

... they are left to right..

• 1939-1945 Star for Active Service
• France and Germany Star, for active service in France, Belgium, Holland, Germany.
• 1939-1945 Defense Medal
• Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, for active service
• 1939-1945 War Medal

The Canadian Volunteer Service Medal came in a little box with a note of thank you for his service.

Bud also received the General Service Badge

The reverse with badge number and the raised legend PENALTY FOR MISUSE 500 DOLLARS OR SIX MONTHS IMPRISONMENT. Sterling S

Reverse of card...

The men also received a booklet titled "Information Regarding Mounting and Wearing of Decorations, Campaign Stars and Medals".

Click here to see booklet in PDF

Cigar Box - Homeward Bound, Empress of Scotland

Contents of The Cigar Box - most from 1943-1945
Property of Lieutenant Thomas Ray Edward "Bud" Seale.
Enlisted:  Royal Canadian Engineers Sept 1940
Transferred:  RCASC 1st Bridge Company, then 85th Bridge 9 Jun 1941
Transferred:  15th Field Reg't, Royal Canadian Artillery

The Maple Leaf, Nov 2, 1945

 Empress of Scotland

Menu: 26 Nov 1945

Writing on back of menu

Empress of Scotland

Liverpool Nov 22/45

Halifax Nov 28/45

Menu: 27 Nov 1945

Crossing the Atlantic on the Empress of Scotland

For this photo Bud wrote:

"I do not know in this picture whether I am looking back on what was, the past four years, or looking ahead, at the rest of my life!"

Other Newspapers reporting about the homecoming on the Empress of Scotland

Montreal Gazette, Nov 10, 1945, page 1 - previous sail

Ottawa Citizen, Nov 24, 1945, page 31

Ottawa Citizen, Nov 24, 1945, page 34

Toronto Daily Star, Nov 28, 1945, page 2

Montreal Gazette Nov 29, 1945, page 13 (with photo)

Cigar Box - Farewell Message

Contents of The Cigar Box - most from 1943-1945
Property of Lieutenant Thomas Ray Edward "Bud" Seale.
Enlisted:  Royal Canadian Engineers Sept 1940
Transferred:  RCASC 1st Bridge Company, then 85th Bridge 9 Jun 1941
Transferred:  15th Field Reg't, Royal Canadian Artillery

Cigar Box - Flight Ticket

Contents of The Cigar Box - most from 1943-1945
Property of Lieutenant Thomas Ray Edward "Bud" Seale.
Enlisted:  Royal Canadian Engineers Sept 1940
Transferred:  RCASC 1st Bridge Company, then 85th Bridge 9 Jun 1941
Transferred:  15th Field Reg't, Royal Canadian Artillery




Flight ticket from Canadian Base 56 at Evere, Belgium (approx 45K south of Antwerp) to RAF military airport at Northolt, England (in NW London)

Air Ticket; Priority 3 going and return; 

Passenger will report to Cdn ATO at B56 (Evere) 

by 1400hrs on day of travel.. 25 September 1945

Name: T Seale; Rank: LT; Unit: 15 RCA

Good for return passage from B56 to Northolt

Date issued: 24 Sept; Place issued: Q(m) HQ L of C, Canmore

Looks like an address written in Dutch on the back ...
"[den hur] a Verduyn Buiten Kalkhaven [4126] 2-4-6, Dordrecht (Netherlands)"
...which is on the River Maas, where he was stationed.

Cigar Box - Liberation of Antwerp

Contents of The Cigar Box - most from 1943-1945
Property of Lieutenant Thomas Ray Edward "Bud" Seale.
Enlisted:  Royal Canadian Engineers Sept 1940
Transferred:  RCASC 1st Bridge Company, then 85th Bridge 9 Jun 1941
Transferred:  15th Field Reg't, Royal Canadian Artillery



Souvenir cartoon cards liberation of Antwerp September 1944.
Set of 9 Cards, each 6" x 4¼", printed by Ebinger, Antwerp
Signed either Eginger or Bing, and dated.
Cards are blank on the back.

Cards were in this envelope

Click here to view pdf of all cards 

Cigar Box - Liberation of Paris

Contents of The Cigar Box - most from 1943-1945
Property of Lieutenant Thomas Ray Edward "Bud" Seale.
Enlisted:  Royal Canadian Engineers Sept 1940
Transferred:  RCASC 1st Bridge Company, then 85th Bridge 9 Jun 1941
Transferred:  15th Field Reg't, Royal Canadian Artillery


Postcard booklet of 10 photos of the Liberation of Paris August 16-26 1944
Booklet is bound and is 6¼" x 4¼".
The postcards are perforated at the binding edge for easy removal from the booklet.

Liberation of Paris 19-16 August 1944

10 real photographs

General de Gaulle in head of the Official Procession on the Champs-Elysées

26th of August 1944

American troops parade in the Champs-Elysées 

Trying to open flat for scanning would break the binding, so I won't scan any others.

Other photos are:

• Barricade Rue St Jacques
• German prisoners passing before the Town Hall
• French girls welcome to American troops
• General Bradley and General Koenig at the Unknown Soldier's tomb
• General Koenig with General Leclerc's troops at the Triumphal Arch
• The crowd, Avenue de l'Opera
• General Leclerc's troops parade in the Rue Rivoli
• American Artillery - Place de la Concorde

Cigar Box - Snap Shot Sets

Contents of The Cigar Box - most from 1943-1945
Property of Lieutenant Thomas Ray Edward "Bud" Seale.
Enlisted:  Royal Canadian Engineers Sept 1940
Transferred:  RCASC 1st Bridge Company, then 85th Bridge 9 Jun 1941
Transferred:  15th Field Reg't, Royal Canadian Artillery

For a small sum one could pick up small sets of "Snap Shots"

London Under Fire: Set B of 12 cards (3¼" x 2¼")

Published by Photochrom Co; London and Tunbidge Wells (Passed by censor)

Left: Moorgate Station, Top right: Whitecross St, Bottom right: St Bride's Church

Brussells in Colour: set of 12 cards "Snap-Colour" (4" x 2¾")

Published by Les Editions d"Art LAB, Bruxelles 

Left: Porte de Hal, Top right: Hotel de Ville, Bottom right: Palais de Roi

Cigar Box - Billeted in Neede

Contents of The Cigar Box - most from 1943-1945
Property of Lieutenant Thomas Ray Edward "Bud" Seale.
Enlisted:  Royal Canadian Engineers Sept 1940
Transferred:  RCASC 1st Bridge Company, then 85th Bridge 9 Jun 1941
Transferred:  15th Field Reg't, Royal Canadian Artillery

Summer 1945 - Billeted in Neede, Netherlands at the home of the town architect and his wife and three children.

Waterpolo Matches - June and July 1945

Note:  Photos were taken with a small 1½ x 5½ x 1½ camera Bud found in a Hockshop in London. It was the type that you pull the cover down and then pull out the bellows. The prints were 1½ x 2¼, and the film was available in Canada so his parents could send some in their care packages.

The Cigar Box - Leave in Paris

Contents of The Cigar Box - most from 1943-1945
Property of Lieutenant Thomas Ray Edward "Bud" Seale.
Enlisted:  Royal Canadian Engineers Sept 1940
Transferred:  RCASC 1st Bridge Company, then 85th Bridge 9 Jun 1941
Transferred:  15th Field Reg't, Royal Canadian Artillery



After many long months of battles....

Get a Leave Pass - 24 Mar 1945

Hop on a plane...

See the sights...

Postcard - Paris - Perspective des septs ponts 1945

Just for interest, here is a colour panorama photo of the Seven Bridges of Paris.

See a show...

Cigar Box - Remembering the Fallen

Contents of The Cigar Box - most from 1943-1945
Property of Lieutenant Thomas Ray Edward "Bud" Seale.
Enlisted:  Royal Canadian Engineers Sept 1940
Transferred:  RCASC 1st Bridge Company, then 85th Bridge 9 Jun 1941
Transferred:  15th Field Reg't, Royal Canadian Artillery

One of the important battles of WWII involved Canadian and British troops at Hochwald Forest. Once they pushed through enemy lines during the Battle of Hochwald Gap they were part of the historic crossing of the Rhine, and on to final actions at Westphalia and Oldenburg.

The regiment held a memorial service for those who had fallen from Aug '44 to Mar '45.

15th Canadian Field Regiment Memorial Service - pdf

One of his friends killed at Hochwald Forest was Gunner Raymond Tatlow

Born 8 Oct 1921 / Service #L101577
Died 28 Feb 1945 - this is his temporary grave.

Cigar Box - Notices to Soldiers and to Civilians

Contents of The Cigar Box - most from 1943-1945
Property of Lieutenant Thomas Ray Edward "Bud" Seale.
Enlisted:  Royal Canadian Engineers Sept 1940
Transferred:  RCASC 1st Bridge Company, then 85th Bridge 9 Jun 1941
Transferred:  15th Field Reg't, Royal Canadian Artillery

Notice to All Ranks: Dealing with Civilians

Notice to the Civilian Population (English and German)

Non-Fraternization Letter, March 1945

Cigar Box - Proud Parents of a Lieutenant

Contents of The Cigar Box - most from 1943-1945
Property of Lieutenant Thomas Ray Edward "Bud" Seale.
Enlisted:  Royal Canadian Engineers Sept 1940
Transferred:  RCASC 1st Bridge Company, then 85th Bridge 9 Jun 1941
Transferred:  15th Field Reg't, Royal Canadian Artillery



This newspaper was actually in the box that the cigar box was in. It is a full edition of the Montreal Herald dated Wednesday, November 1, 1944.

Inside, on page 6 was an item about Bud getting his commission after Officer Training.

The image for the paper was taken from this photo of Bud enjoying the English sunshine and reading the Montreal Herald.

Cigar Box - Postcards - A German Family

Contents of The Cigar Box - most from 1943-1945
Property of Lieutenant Thomas Ray Edward "Bud" Seale.
Enlisted:  Royal Canadian Engineers Sept 1940
Transferred:  RCASC 1st Bridge Company, then 85th Bridge 9 Jun 1941
Transferred:  15th Field Reg't, Royal Canadian Artillery



Bud picked up a few things while in Germany, some of which he sold years ago.
Below are 2 examples of WWII German propaganda postcards, with artist's renditions of high ranking military men.

Note:  
If anyone is related to this Weber family or know the people in the photographs, you may contact me.


Both postcards were sent after D-day by a german soldier...

Obergefreiter (Lance Corporal) Eduard Weber
Osterrönfeld / Rendsburg

to his wife and children, and addressed...

Cacilia Weber
23 Meppen Emsland
Kossen Jarmen

Unfere Panzerwaffe - Generalfeldmarschall Rommell

Feldpost (field post office) Rendsburg

16/6/44

My Dear, now it happened, since the last 24 hours the revenge has started. Tomorrow I will write a long letter. I am fine, what I think of you also. The weather is very bad now and that’s all I can tell. I have to talk of I. to you. Your post has arrived completely, that was fine. Many greetings (and kisses) your father and husband.

Unfere UsBootsWaffe - Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien

Feldpost (field post office) Rendsburg

24/6/44

My Dear Ones, many happy greetings for the Sunday. Just was your letter arriving and the postman urgently wants to leave, so only this short notice, I will answer the letter later. Nothing new from here. Here is everything fine and I am satisfied. I hope it’s the same with you. From father and mother I got a letter also, which I also will answer soon. Weather is fine, and tomorrow in Rends (Rendsburg) the fair is starting. If it’s possible I will go there. Greetings and kisses your father and husband.

With the postcards were these three photographs. Could one of these couples be Eduard and Cacilia Weber? 

This officer looks like the same one as in the above photo on the left?

Note:  
Postcards were kindly translated by a gentleman at the FB group German Genealogy