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Courtesy of English Heritage (NMR) RAF Photography
Click the picture for a larger image
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This was Tweedsmuir Camp as seen from the air on Saturday, 29 January 1946.
Parked on the eastern edge of the 'dog-legged' parade ground are military vehicles. The black line that starts in the parade ground's north eastern corner is a column of soldiers marching off at the end of a parade. Since parades in Tweedsmuir were held in the morning of each day, it is very likely that the RAF took this photograph before noon.
The weather brought a cloudy but warm day, which was described in the 1 Canadian Repatriation Depot Diary as "almost spring like". The significant subject of concern for the Canadian soldiers on the ground was how soon they would be returned home; a process that most found prolonged and tiresome.
The intake for this day was 68 personnel, comprising 23 officers and 45 other ranks. In the evening part of draft XUK/279 left to catch trains for Southampton in order to sail to Canada. For those who remained in the camp a Maple Leaf show was staged in the gymnasium.
On the day the above photograph was taken the Canadian's tenure would last a further 1 year and 23 days. 10 months after the camp saw its last Canadian soldier, it was occupied by troops from another country - Poland. The 55 Brigade, Polish Resettlement Corps arrived on 10 December 1947 and for some Tweedsmuir would be their home for the next 10 years.
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