The following information is from "A Postal History of the Canol Project" by Kevin O'Reilly (1992), and is used with permission.

      The battallion was formed on January 10, 1942 as the 388th Engineer Battalion (Separate). Strength at the time it was assigned to Task Force 2600 was 26 officers and 1,238 enlisted men. On January 1, 1943, it was designated a General Service Regiment, and renamed the 388th Engineer General Service Regiment. After leaving the Northwest Territories in September 1943, they were stationed at Camp Sutton, North Carolina.

      Locations
Camp Claiborne - Louisiana
Canol - Northwest Territories
Embarras Portage - Alberta
Fort Fitzgerald - Alberta
Fort Smith - Northwest Territories
Norman Wells - Northwest Territories
Peace River - Alberta
Resdelta - Northwest Territories
Sawmill Snye - Alberta
Waterways - Alberta

Dates are expressed as month/day/year

 

Headquarters and Service (H/S) Company

Location	Arrival	Departure	Remarks
Camp Claiborne		06/?/42
Waterways	06/07/42	06/?/42
Fort Fitzgerald	06/22/42	10/42 (?)
Fort Smith	10/42	09/?/43

Company 'A'

Location	Arrival	Departure	Remarks
Camp Claiborne		06/?/42
Waterways	06/07/42	06/11/42	included 80 men from Co. 'B'
Fort Fitzgerald	06/13/42	10/42 (?)	unloading pipe, wood cutting
Fort Smith	10/42 (?)	06/43 (?)	60 men at Yellowknife sawmill, Fall 1942. March 1/43, some men reorganized as Co.'E'
Fort Fitzgerald	06/43 (?)	08/31/43	unloading pipe, wood cutting
Waterways	09/?/43	09/?/43

Company 'B'

Location	Arrival	Departure	Remarks
Camp Claiborne		06/?/42
Waterways	06/07/42	06/?/42
Fort Fitzgerald	06/?/42	06/22/42
Fort Smith	06/?/42	09/?/43	maintain Portage Road, winter road to Hay River. March 1/43, some men reorganized as Co.'E'
Waterways	09/?/43	09/?/43

Company 'C'

Location	Arrival	Departure	Remarks
Camp Claiborne		06/?/42
Waterways	06/07/42	10/09/42	pipe loading, road/railway/airport construction
Peace River	10/11/42	mid 03/43	winter road construction to Alex. Falls. Detail sent to Fort Smith fall /42, left Oct.13/42. Feb.26/43 some men to H/S Co. and new Co.'F'
Fort Smith	late 03/43	08/31/43
Waterways	09/?/43	09/?/43

Company 'C' - Detachment

Location	Arrival	Departure	Remarks
Embarras Portage	06/?/42		airport construction
Waterways	06/?/42		airport construction

Company 'D'

Location	Arrival	Departure	Remarks
Camp Claiborne		06/05/42
Waterways	06/10/42	06/30/42	loading barges, wood cutting
Fort Fitzgerald	07/03/42	07/03/42	51 men remained as part of Co.'A', to Wrigley Harbour 07/12 loading barges. Left 10/04, arrived Norman Wells 10/20/42
Fort Smith	07/03/42	07/04/42
Norman Wells	07/13/42	07/16/42	25 men remained until 10/25 unloading barges
Canol	07/16/42	08/29/42	first Camp Canol, 16 miles down river
Canol	08/29/42	08/15/43	second Camp Canol, across from Norman Wells. March 1/43, some men assigned to new Co.'F'
Waterways	09/14/43	09/?/43

Company 'D' - 1st Platoon

Location	Arrival	Departure	Remarks
Waterways		06/20/42	103 enlisted men
Sawill Snye	06/22/42	07/04/42	unloading pipe, 20 men to Yellowknife sawmill
Resdelta	07/10/42	10/06/42	unloading pipe
Canol	10/17/42		rejoined Co.'D'

Company 'E'

Location	Arrival	Departure	Remarks
Fort Smith		08/31/43	airport improvement. Formed 03/01/43 from some Co.'A' and 'B' men
Waterways	09/?/43	09/?/43

Company 'F'

Location	Arrival	Departure	Remarks
Peace River		early 03/43	formed 02/26/43 from some Co.'C' and 'D' men. One platoon at Norman Wells, left there 08/15/43
Fort Smith	late 03/43	08/31/43	airport improvements
Waterways	09/?/43	09/?/43

 

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Go to the 388th/588th Engineer Batallion

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