1st Canadian Infantry Division
Encyclopedia
The 1st Canadian Infantry Division was a formation mobilized on 1 September 1939 for service in the Second World War. The division was also reactivated twice during the Cold War
.
The division was mobilized before the formal declaration of war, along with the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division
and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
. The division crossed the Atlantic in two main convoys at the end of 1939, with additional troops reaching the UK at the beginning of February 1940.
In 1941, the formation adopted the red rectangular battle patch insignia worn by the 1st Canadian Division
in the First World War.
Nevertheless, in the wake of the Dunkirk evacuation the Canadians were ordered to France in June 1940. Only The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment
actually arrived on the continent, and it returned almost immediately. The division trained in England for three years before transferring to the Mediterranean to take part in the assault landing on Sicily
in July 1943 which ended after just 38 days. It then landed in Calabria
on the Italian mainland and fought its way up the Italian peninsula
and squared off in the seaside town of Ortona with German fallschirmjager - crack air force paratroopers - over Christmas in 1943. Both sides suffered heavy losses in the fight for the town which a New York Times reporter had begun calling a "miniature Stalingrad", based on the ferocity of the street fighting and the casualties.
After heavy fighting through the summer, the 1st Division spent the next several months fighting, as it had the previous fall, for a succession of heavily-defended river crossings surrounded by high ground. By the time the division reached the Senio, as the icy rain began giving way to snow in the Canadian sector, a decision had been reached to transfer the entire 1st Canadian Corps, 1st Infantry Division included, to the Netherlands. By the end of March, 1945 all Canadian Army units serving with Allied Forces Mediterranean had been transferred and Operation Goldflake
, the reunion of 1st Infantry and 1st Armoured Brigade and First Canadian Army
accomplished.
The reformation in November 1989 followed the Canadian government's decision to end the Canadian Air-Sea Transportable Brigade Group
(CAST) commitment to reinforce Northern Norway. 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
, based in Quebec, was thus available for other tasks. The CAST rapid-reinforcement commitment had been encountering problems, most graphically demonstrated during Exercise Brave Lion in 1986, which prompted Canada to start formal consultations with NATO about consolidating the CAST Brigade and 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
, based in southern Germany. The two separate forces would have meant critical logistical and medical support needs would have gone unmet in case of real war. The hole thus created by the removal of the CAST Brigade Group was filled, to a degree, by the creation of a NATO Composite Force (NCF) which Canada promised a battalion group towards.
The headquarters was established, with both 4 Brigade and 5 Brigade under command, at Kingston, Ontario
, with a forward detachment at Lahr
in Germany where 4 Brigade was based. The main headquarters was intended to move gradually from Kingston to Lahr over a period of time, though this never, in the event, took place. With the division having only two brigades, it was assumed that in wartime, either a German or US brigade would be assigned to provide the necessary third manoeuvre element. Training and exercises were conducted with this in mind. Some changes were necessary to the two brigades, as 5 Brigade had only three-quarters of 4 Brigade’s personnel and equipment.
As finally envisaged, the division would have had two brigades as its fighting formations, with the support organizations held at the divisional level. Once reinforcements had arrived from Canada, each brigade would have had one small armoured regiment (two squadrons, each 20 tanks), and two four-company infantry battalions. Divisional troops would have been a mix of former 4 Brigade and 5 Brigade units along with some troops from 1 Brigade Group in western Canada. 3rd Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
was intended to have been re-equipped with the MLRS to provide general support, while a further engineer regiment, 6 Combat Engineer Regiment, was to have been formed. The Fort Garry Horse
was also to have been re-formed to provide a divisional reconnaissance capability.
As it became obvious that the Soviet threat was disappearing in the early 1990s, the future options for Canadian forces in Europe were increasingly debated. While a battalion-sized remaining Canadian force was discussed, eventually it was decided that all Canadian land forces would leave Germany by 1994. With units disbanding around them, Division Headquarters (Forward) was repatriated to CFB Kingston
on 13 June 1992, and at this time the two-brigade Germany existence of the 1st Division effectively ended.
Back in Kingston the division’s aegis was reduced to two units; a new 1st Canadian Division HQ and Signals Regiment (which incorporated Division HQ) and the 1st Canadian Division Intelligence Company (1 Cdn Div Int Coy). Its new role was to be capable of deploying a land-based, Joint Task Force Headquarters at division level or a Joint Force Headquarters consisting of navy, army and air force personnel for territorial defence, contingencies and other missions including complex international scenarios. The Division HQ would train formation HQs, plan for contingencies and command assigned forces in crisis situations. The HQ had in priority, four roles operations, training, support and planning.
Headquarters 1st Canadian Division was transformed on 1 April 2000 into Canadian Forces Joint Headquarters and 1st Canadian Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment was united with 79th Communications Regiment to form the Canadian Forces Joint Signal Regiment. Both units, who remained headquartered in Kingston, were assigned as elements of Canadian Expeditionary Force Command
as the deployable command headquarters for all large Canadian overseas deployments.
to ensure the hard-won lessons there are not lost to future generations of soldiers.
Headquarters 1st Canadian Division is part of the Canadian Army
administratively and remains at Canadian Forces Base Kingston using existing infrastructure and base support. It is expected to reach full operational capability by 2012. Major-General David Fraser
, former Commandant of the Canadian Forces College in Toronto and the first Canadian commander of the Multi-National Brigade (Regional Command (South)) in Afghanistan, was designated as the first commander of the newly reactivated 1st Canadian Division.
1st Cdn Div HQ officially was stood up on 7 October 2010 at Kingston, with Defence Minister
Peter MacKay
acting as the reviewing officer.
Canadian Armoured Corps
Royal Canadian Artillery
Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
1st Canadian Armoured Brigade
– originally a part of 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, joined in 1943.
Royal Canadian Corps of Signals
Royal Canadian Engineers
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps
Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps
Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps
Royal Canadian Postal Corps
Royal Canadian Dental Corps
Canadian Provost Corps
In July 1944, the divisional reconnaissance battalion, the 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards, converted to infantry and transferred to 12th Infantry Brigade of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division, to be replaced by The Royal Canadian Dragoons
. The Princess Louise returned to its original mechanized role in Northwest Europe in March 1945, and The Royal Canadian Dragoons became the armoured car regiment of I Canadian Corps
.
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
The division was mobilized before the formal declaration of war, along with the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division
2nd Canadian Infantry Division
The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the First Canadian Army, mobilized on 1 September 1939 at the outset of the Second World War. It was initially composed of volunteers within brigades established along regional lines, though a halt in recruitment in the early months of...
and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
3rd Canadian Infantry Division
The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Canadian Army from 1940 to c.1945.- History :The formation of the division was authorized on 17 May 1940...
. The division crossed the Atlantic in two main convoys at the end of 1939, with additional troops reaching the UK at the beginning of February 1940.
In 1941, the formation adopted the red rectangular battle patch insignia worn by the 1st Canadian Division
1st Canadian Division
Formed in August 1914, the 1st Canadian Division was a formation of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The division was initially made up from provisional battalions that were named after their province of origin but these titles were dropped before the division arrived in Britain on October 14,...
in the First World War.
Formation history
All elements of the division were far from completely equipped on mobilization: of the artillery and machine guns on hand, most were obsolete, and the troops lacked steel helmets. Only gradually did a full complement of more modern weapons, equipment, and transport begin reaching the division in 1940.Nevertheless, in the wake of the Dunkirk evacuation the Canadians were ordered to France in June 1940. Only The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment
The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment
The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. The regiment is headquartered in Belleville, Ontario, with companies in Peterborough and Cobourg....
actually arrived on the continent, and it returned almost immediately. The division trained in England for three years before transferring to the Mediterranean to take part in the assault landing on Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
in July 1943 which ended after just 38 days. It then landed in Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
on the Italian mainland and fought its way up the Italian peninsula
Italian Peninsula
The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula is one of the three large peninsulas of Southern Europe , spanning from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname Lo Stivale...
and squared off in the seaside town of Ortona with German fallschirmjager - crack air force paratroopers - over Christmas in 1943. Both sides suffered heavy losses in the fight for the town which a New York Times reporter had begun calling a "miniature Stalingrad", based on the ferocity of the street fighting and the casualties.
After heavy fighting through the summer, the 1st Division spent the next several months fighting, as it had the previous fall, for a succession of heavily-defended river crossings surrounded by high ground. By the time the division reached the Senio, as the icy rain began giving way to snow in the Canadian sector, a decision had been reached to transfer the entire 1st Canadian Corps, 1st Infantry Division included, to the Netherlands. By the end of March, 1945 all Canadian Army units serving with Allied Forces Mediterranean had been transferred and Operation Goldflake
Operation Goldflake
Operation Goldflake was the administrative move of I Canadian Corps from Italy to North-West Europe during the Second World War. British-led forces had been fighting in Italy since the invasion of Sicily in July 1943...
, the reunion of 1st Infantry and 1st Armoured Brigade and First Canadian Army
First Canadian Army
The First Canadian Army was the senior Canadian operational formation in Europe during the Second World War.The Army was formed in early 1942, replacing the existing unnumbered Canadian Corps, as the growing number of Canadian forces in the United Kingdom necessitated an expansion to two corps...
accomplished.
Cold War
A 1st Canadian Division Headquarters was reactivated twice during the Cold War, in 1954 (disbanding in 1958) and in November 1989 (disbanding in 1999).The reformation in November 1989 followed the Canadian government's decision to end the Canadian Air-Sea Transportable Brigade Group
Canadian Air-Sea Transportable Brigade Group
The Canadian Air-Sea Transportable Brigade Group, or CAST, was a Canadian Forces battle group dedicated to the rapid reinforcement of Norway in the event of a land war in Europe. The Group was based on a mechanized infantry brigade, supported by two Rapid Reinforcement Fighter Squadrons equipped...
(CAST) commitment to reinforce Northern Norway. 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group is a Canadian Forces brigade group that is part of Land Forces Quebec Area of the Canadian army. It is based at CFB Valcartier, near Quebec City in Quebec, Canada...
, based in Quebec, was thus available for other tasks. The CAST rapid-reinforcement commitment had been encountering problems, most graphically demonstrated during Exercise Brave Lion in 1986, which prompted Canada to start formal consultations with NATO about consolidating the CAST Brigade and 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group was a formation of the Canadian Army, then Mobile Command of the unified Canadian Forces. The formation served as the main forward deployed land element of Canada's armed forces, and was stationed in West Germany from 1957 until it was disbanded in...
, based in southern Germany. The two separate forces would have meant critical logistical and medical support needs would have gone unmet in case of real war. The hole thus created by the removal of the CAST Brigade Group was filled, to a degree, by the creation of a NATO Composite Force (NCF) which Canada promised a battalion group towards.
The headquarters was established, with both 4 Brigade and 5 Brigade under command, at Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, with a forward detachment at Lahr
Lahr
Lahr is a city in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany, approximately 38 km north of Freiburg in Breisgau and 100 km south of Karlsruhe...
in Germany where 4 Brigade was based. The main headquarters was intended to move gradually from Kingston to Lahr over a period of time, though this never, in the event, took place. With the division having only two brigades, it was assumed that in wartime, either a German or US brigade would be assigned to provide the necessary third manoeuvre element. Training and exercises were conducted with this in mind. Some changes were necessary to the two brigades, as 5 Brigade had only three-quarters of 4 Brigade’s personnel and equipment.
As finally envisaged, the division would have had two brigades as its fighting formations, with the support organizations held at the divisional level. Once reinforcements had arrived from Canada, each brigade would have had one small armoured regiment (two squadrons, each 20 tanks), and two four-company infantry battalions. Divisional troops would have been a mix of former 4 Brigade and 5 Brigade units along with some troops from 1 Brigade Group in western Canada. 3rd Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
The Royal Canadian Horse Artillery is the name given to the regular field artillery units of the Canadian Army. RCHA units are the senior units of the Canadian land field force, with a history dating back to the birth of Canada as a nation...
was intended to have been re-equipped with the MLRS to provide general support, while a further engineer regiment, 6 Combat Engineer Regiment, was to have been formed. The Fort Garry Horse
The Fort Garry Horse
The Fort Garry Horse is a Canadian Army Reserve Armoured Regiment based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is currently part of Land Force Western Area's 38 Canadian Brigade Group.- History :...
was also to have been re-formed to provide a divisional reconnaissance capability.
As it became obvious that the Soviet threat was disappearing in the early 1990s, the future options for Canadian forces in Europe were increasingly debated. While a battalion-sized remaining Canadian force was discussed, eventually it was decided that all Canadian land forces would leave Germany by 1994. With units disbanding around them, Division Headquarters (Forward) was repatriated to CFB Kingston
CFB Kingston
Canadian Forces Base Kingston is a Canadian Forces Base located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.CFB Kingston is home to the Communications and Electronics Branch of the Canadian Forces. The base also hosts the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics...
on 13 June 1992, and at this time the two-brigade Germany existence of the 1st Division effectively ended.
Back in Kingston the division’s aegis was reduced to two units; a new 1st Canadian Division HQ and Signals Regiment (which incorporated Division HQ) and the 1st Canadian Division Intelligence Company (1 Cdn Div Int Coy). Its new role was to be capable of deploying a land-based, Joint Task Force Headquarters at division level or a Joint Force Headquarters consisting of navy, army and air force personnel for territorial defence, contingencies and other missions including complex international scenarios. The Division HQ would train formation HQs, plan for contingencies and command assigned forces in crisis situations. The HQ had in priority, four roles operations, training, support and planning.
Headquarters 1st Canadian Division was transformed on 1 April 2000 into Canadian Forces Joint Headquarters and 1st Canadian Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment was united with 79th Communications Regiment to form the Canadian Forces Joint Signal Regiment. Both units, who remained headquartered in Kingston, were assigned as elements of Canadian Expeditionary Force Command
Canadian Expeditionary Force Command
Canadian Expeditionary Force Command is an operational element of the Canadian Forces for operations outside of Canada....
as the deployable command headquarters for all large Canadian overseas deployments.
Reactivation
On 19 May 2010, Chief of the Defence Staff, General Walt Natynczyk, announced that the Canadian Forces will once again stand up 1st Canadian Division at Kingston, Ontario. The role of 1st Canadian Division is to provide the Canadian Forces with a rapidly deployable joint command and control capacity in order to allow for a comprehensive approach to operations. Taking the place of the CFJHQ, 1st Cdn Div HQ will absorb those returning staff from the war in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
to ensure the hard-won lessons there are not lost to future generations of soldiers.
Headquarters 1st Canadian Division is part of the Canadian Army
Canadian Forces Land Force Command
The Canadian Army , previously called Land Force Command, is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. The current size of the Army is 19,500 regular soldiers and 16,000 reserve soldiers, for a total of around 35,500 soldiers...
administratively and remains at Canadian Forces Base Kingston using existing infrastructure and base support. It is expected to reach full operational capability by 2012. Major-General David Fraser
David Fraser (Canadian)
David Fraser is a major-general of the Canadian Forces. He was the commander of the Multinational Brigade for Regional Command South in Afghanistan's southern provinces in 2006...
, former Commandant of the Canadian Forces College in Toronto and the first Canadian commander of the Multi-National Brigade (Regional Command (South)) in Afghanistan, was designated as the first commander of the newly reactivated 1st Canadian Division.
1st Cdn Div HQ officially was stood up on 7 October 2010 at Kingston, with Defence Minister
Minister of National Defence (Canada)
The Minister of National Defence is a Minister of the Crown; the Canadian politician within the Cabinet of Canada responsible for the Department of National Defence which oversees the Canadian Forces....
Peter MacKay
Peter MacKay
Peter Gordon MacKay, PC, QC, MP is a lawyer and politician from Nova Scotia, Canada. He is the Member of Parliament for Central Nova and currently serves as Minister of National Defence in the Cabinet of Canada....
acting as the reviewing officer.
1939–1945
HQ- 1st Canadian Infantry Division Defence and Employment Platoon (Lorne Scots)
Canadian Armoured Corps
- 4th Reconnaissance Regiment (4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards)4th Princess Louise Dragoon GuardsThe 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards is an inactive armoured regiment of the Canadian militia.-Lineage:The Regiment's history dates back to Ottawa in the early 1870s and its membership in Canada's militia...
Royal Canadian Artillery
- 1st Field Regiment, R.C.H.A.
- 2nd Field Regiment
- 3rd Field Regiment
- 1st Anti-Tank Regiment
- 2nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
- 12th Canadian Meteorological Section
Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
The Infantry Branch is the organisation to which all Canadian infantry regiments belong. This was originally named "Canadian Infantry Corps"....
- The Saskatoon Light Infantry (M.G.) – Machine gun battalion
- 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade:
-
-
- The Royal Canadian RegimentThe Royal Canadian RegimentThe Royal Canadian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the Primary Reserve...
- The Hastings and Prince Edward RegimentThe Hastings and Prince Edward RegimentThe Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. The regiment is headquartered in Belleville, Ontario, with companies in Peterborough and Cobourg....
- 48th Highlanders of Canada48th Highlanders of CanadaThe 48th Highlanders of Canada is a Canadian Forces Primary Reserve infantry regiment based in Toronto, parading out of Moss Park Armoury. The regiment is part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group....
- 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon (Lorne Scots)
- 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade:
- Princess Patricia's Canadian Light InfantryPrincess Patricia's Canadian Light InfantryPrincess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers...
- The Seaforth Highlanders of CanadaThe Seaforth Highlanders of CanadaThe Seaforth Highlanders of Canada is a light infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The regiment is subordinate to 39 Canadian Brigade Group, Land Forces Western Area...
- The Loyal Edmonton Regiment
- 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon (Lorne Scots)
- 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade3rd Canadian Infantry BrigadeFirst formed on 29 August 1914, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade was a formation of the Canadian Army in both World War 1 and World War II. The brigade fought on the Western Front during the First World War, and in Sicily and Italy during the Second World War.-History:The brigade was initially...
:
- 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade
- Royal 22e RégimentRoyal 22e RégimentThe Royal 22nd Regiment is an infantry regiment and the most famous francophone organization of the Canadian Forces. The regiment comprises three Regular Force battalions, two Primary Reserve battalions, and a band, making it the largest regiment in the Canadian Army...
- The Carleton and York RegimentThe Royal New Brunswick RegimentThe Royal New Brunswick Regiment is a reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces based in New Brunswick. It consists of two battalions, both of which are part of 37 Canadian Brigade Group. The regiment as it is now, was formed in 1954 by the amalgamation of the Carleton and York Regiment,...
- The West Nova Scotia RegimentThe West Nova Scotia RegimentThe West Nova Scotia Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces, twenty fourth in the order of precedence. It has seen active service in both the Great War and World War II...
- 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon (Lorne Scots)
- The Royal Canadian Regiment
-
1st Canadian Armoured Brigade
1st Canadian Armoured Brigade
1 Canadian Army Tank Brigade, later known as 1 Canadian Armoured Brigade, was composed of the 11th, 12th and 14th Canadian Armoured Regiments and saw service in the Italian campaign and in north-west Europe during the Second World War.-History:...
– originally a part of 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, joined in 1943.
- 11th Armoured Regiment (The Ontario Regiment)
- 12th Armoured Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment)
- 14th Armoured Regiment (The Calgary Regiment)
Royal Canadian Corps of Signals
Royal Canadian Corps of Signals
The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals was a corps of the Canadian Army. Major Wallace Bruce Matthews Carruthers established the corps in 1903, making it the first independent Signal Corps in the British Empire...
- 1st Canadian Divisional Signals
Royal Canadian Engineers
- 1st Canadian Field Company
- 3rd Canadian Field Company
- 4th Canadian Field Company
- 2nd Canadian Field Park Company
- 1st Canadian Bridging Platoon
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
For successor see Logistics BranchThe Royal Canadian Army Service Corps was an administrative and transport corps of the Canadian Army....
- 1 Canadian Infantry Brigade Company
- 2 Canadian Infantry Brigade Company
- 3 Canadian Infantry Brigade Company
- 1 Canadian Infantry Divisional Troops Company
- No. 83 Company – originally a part of 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, joined in 1943.
Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps
Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps
The Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps was an administrative corps of the Canadian Army. The Militia Medical Service was established in 1899. The Militia Medical Service was redesignated the Canadian Army Medical Corps in 1904. The Canadian Army Medical Corps was redesignated The Royal Canadian...
- 4th Canadian Field Ambulance
- 5th Canadian Field Ambulance
- 9th Canadian Field Ambulance
- 2nd Canadian Field Hygiene Section
- No. 2 Light Field Ambulance – originally a part of 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, joined in 1943.
Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps
Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps
The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps was an administrative corps of the Canadian Army. The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps RCOC can trace its roots back to the Canadian Stores Department. Formed in 1871, the Canadian Stores Department was a civil department of the Canadian Government...
- 1st Canadian Infantry Divisional Ordnance Field Park
- 1st Canadian Mobile Laundry and Bath Unit
- No. 1 Army Tank Brigade Sub-Park – originally a part of 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, joined in 1943.
- 1st Tank Brigade Workshop – originally a part of 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, joined in 1943.
Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade Workshop
- 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade Workshop
- 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade Workshop
- No. 1 Infantry Troops Workshop
Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps
Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps
The Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps was an administrative corps of the Canadian Army with its own cap badge, and other insignia and traditions. It was established in 1906 as the Canadian Army Pay Corps. It was responsible for administering all financial matters.The Canadian Army Pay Corps began...
- 1st Canadian Field Cash Office
Royal Canadian Postal Corps
Royal Canadian Postal Corps
For successor see Logistics BranchThe Royal Canadian Postal Corps was an administrative corps of the Canadian Army. The Canadian Postal Corps was redesignated the Royal Canadian Postal Corps on 20 Jun 1961. The crest of the Royal Canadian Postal Corps consists of a horn, with a Queen's Crown on...
- 1 Canadian Infantry Division Postal Unit
Royal Canadian Dental Corps
Royal Canadian Dental Corps
The Royal Canadian Dental Corps was an administrative corps of the Canadian Army. The Canadian Dental Corps was authorized on 31 Aug 1939. The Regular and Reserve components of the Canadian Dental Corps were collectively redesignated The Royal Canadian Dental Corps on 15 Jan 1947...
- 1st Canadian Dental Company
Canadian Provost Corps
Canadian Provost Corps
The Canadian Provost Corps was the military police corps of the Canadian Army. The Canadian Provost Corps was authorized on 15 Jun 1940. The Canadian Provost Corps was amalgamated into the Canadian Forces in 1968.-Canadian Military Police Corps:...
- No. 1 Provost Company
In July 1944, the divisional reconnaissance battalion, the 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards, converted to infantry and transferred to 12th Infantry Brigade of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division, to be replaced by The Royal Canadian Dragoons
The Royal Canadian Dragoons
The Royal Canadian Dragoons is an armoured regiment of the Canadian Army. It is one of three armoured regiments in the Regular Force and forms part of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps....
. The Princess Louise returned to its original mechanized role in Northwest Europe in March 1945, and The Royal Canadian Dragoons became the armoured car regiment of I Canadian Corps
I Canadian Corps
I Canadian Corps was one of the two corps fielded by the Canadian Army during World War II. From December 24, 1940 until the formation of the First Canadian Army in April 1942, there was a single unnumbered Canadian Corps...
.
Current
- 1st Canadian Division Headquarters
- 4 Engineer Support Regiment4 Engineer Support Regiment4 Engineer Support Regiment is a regiment of the Canadian Military Engineers located at CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick. It is tasked to provide general engineer support to the whole of the Canadian Forces....
- 4th Air Defence Regiment, RCA
- 21 Electronic Warfare Regiment
Battles
- Italian CampaignItalian Campaign (World War II)The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
- Allied invasion of SicilyAllied invasion of SicilyThe Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
- Allied invasion of ItalyAllied invasion of ItalyThe Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
- The Moro RiverThe Moro River CampaignThe Moro River Campaign was a military campaign during the Second World War fought between units of the British 8th Army and the LXXVI Panzer Corps of the German Tenth Army . Lasting from 4–26 December 1943, the campaign occurred primarily in the vicinity of the Moro River in eastern Italy...
- Motta MontecorvinoMotta MontecorvinoMotta Montecorvino is a town and comune of the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy....
- OrtonaBattle of OrtonaThe Battle of Ortona was a small, yet extremely fierce, battle fought between a battalion of German Fallschirmjäger from the German 1st Parachute Division under Generalleutnant Richard Heidrich, and assaulting Canadian forces from the 1st Canadian Infantry Division under Major General Chris Vokes...
- Winter LineWinter LineThe Winter Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt. The primary Gustav Line ran across Italy from just north of where the Garigliano River flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, through the Apennine Mountains to the...
-
-
- Hitler LineHitler LineThe Hitler Line was a German defensive line in central Italy during the Second World War. The strong points of the line were at Aquino and Piedimonte. In May 1944, the line was re-named the Senger Line, after General von Senger und Etterlin, one of the generals commanding Axis forces in the area...
- Bernhardt LineBernhardt LineThe Bernhardt Line was a German defensive line in Italy during World War II. Having reached the Bernhardt Line at the start of December 1943, it took until mid-January 1944 for U.S. 5th Army to fight their way to the next line of defenses, the Gustav Line. The line was defended by XIV Panzer Corps...
- Gothic LineGothic LineThe Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
- Gothic Line
- RiminiBattle of Rimini (1944)The Battle of Rimini took place in between 13 and 21 September 1944 during Operation Olive, the main Allied offensive on the Gothic Line in August and September 1944, part of the Italian Campaign in the Second World War. Rimini, a town on the Adriatic coast of Italy, anchored the Rimini Line, a...
- Lamone Crossing
- The Western FrontWestern Front (World War II)The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
- Liberation of the Netherlands
- The Western Front
- Hitler Line
-