2nd Canadian Division
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Canadian Division was an infantry
formation that saw service in the First World War. A 2nd Canadian Infantry Division
was raised for the Second World War.
following the arrival of a large contingent of soldiers from Canada. The Division remained in Great Britain only a short time before embarking for France
in September 1915. It joined the 1st Canadian Division
to form the Canadian Corps
. The division was under the command of Major-General R.E.W. Turner
, and its members spent a long and bitterly cold winter in a Belgian
section of the front between Ploegsteert Wood
and Saint-Eloi, south of Ypres
. Infantry units as well as artillery units of the 2nd Canadian Division served in both France and Flanders
until Armistice Day
.
: (Formed after the original 4th Brigade was dispersed)
5th Canadian Brigade:
6th Canadian Brigade
Pioneers:
1917:
1918:
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
formation that saw service in the First World War. A 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...
was raised for the Second World War.
History
The formation of the 2nd Canadian Division began in May 1915 in BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
following the arrival of a large contingent of soldiers from Canada. The Division remained in Great Britain only a short time before embarking for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in September 1915. It joined 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,...
to form the Canadian Corps
Canadian Corps
The Canadian Corps was a World War I corps formed from the Canadian Expeditionary Force in September 1915 after the arrival of the 2nd Canadian Division in France. The corps was expanded by the addition of the 3rd Canadian Division in December 1915 and the 4th Canadian Division in August 1916...
. The division was under the command of Major-General R.E.W. Turner
Richard Ernest William Turner
Lieutenant General Sir Richard Ernest William Turner VC, KCB, KCMG, DSO was a Canadian army officer during the Boer War and World War I, and a recipient of the Victoria Cross...
, and its members spent a long and bitterly cold winter in a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
section of the front between Ploegsteert Wood
Ploegsteert
Ploegsteert is a village in Belgium located in the municipality of Comines-Warneton in the Hainaut province. It is approximately 2 kilometres north of the French border. Created in 1850 on part of the territory of Warneton, it includes the hamlet of Le Bizet....
and Saint-Eloi, south of Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
. Infantry units as well as artillery units of the 2nd Canadian Division served in both France and Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
until Armistice Day
Armistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
.
Infantry Units
4th Canadian Brigade4th Infantry Brigade (Canada)
The 4th Infantry Brigade was a First World War Canadian Army brigade. It was part of the 2nd Canadian Division.- World War I History :...
: (Formed after the original 4th Brigade was dispersed)
- 18th (Western Ontario) Battalion Canadian Infantry. October 1, 1914 - November 11, 1918;
- 19th (Central Ontario) Battalion Canadian Infantry19th (Central Ontario) Battalion, CEF-History:The 19th Battalion, CEF, or Canadian Expeditionary Force, was originally raised at Exhibition Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on 6 November 1914....
. October 19, 1914 - November 11, 1918; - 20th (Central Ontario) Battalion Canadian Infantry20th Battalion, CEFThe 20th Canadian Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force was composed of volunteers from militias in central Ontario. The unit participated in the Battle of Flanders, Somme, Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, Passchendaele, and the Last Hundred Days. Three members of the battalion were awarded the Victoria Cross...
. October 1914 - November 11, 1918; - 21st (Eastern Ontario) Battalion Canadian Infantry. October 19, 1914 - November 11, 1918.
5th Canadian Brigade:
- 22nd (Canadien Francais) Battalion Canadian Infantry. October 21, 1914 - November 11, 1918;
- 24th (Victoria Rifles) Battalion Canadian Infantry. October 22, 1914 - November 11, 1918;
- 25th (Nova Scotia) Battalion Canadian Infantry. October 28, 1914 - November 11, 1918;
- 26th (New Brunswick) Battalion Canadian Infantry26th Battalion, CEFThe 26th Canadian Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force was composed of volunteers from the province of New Brunswick....
. November 2, 1914 - November 11, 1918.
6th Canadian Brigade
- 27th (City of Winnipeg) Battalion Canadian Infantry. October 21, 1914 - November 11, 1918;
- 28th (North West) Battalion Canadian Infantry. October 19, 1914 - November 11, 1918;
- 29th (Vancouver) Battalion Canadian Infantry29th Battalion, CEFThe 29th Battalion, CEF was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force which actively served on the Western Front during the First World War from 1915 until the signing of the Armistice on 11 November 1918....
. October 24, 1914 - November 11, 1918; - 31st (Alberta) Battalion Canadian Infantry31st Battalion, CEFThe 31st Battalion, CEF was raised as one of the four fighting battalions destined for the 6th Brigade, 2nd Division Canadian Expeditionary Force, on 15 March 1915...
. November 16, 1914 - November 11, 1918.
Pioneers:
- 2nd Canadian Pioneer Battalion. March 1916 - June 1917. To the 2nd Canadian Engineer Brigade.
Battles and Engagements on the Western Front
1916:- Actions of the St. Eloi Craters - March 27 - April 16
- Battle of Mount Sorrel - June 2–13
- Battle of Flers - Courcelette - September 15–22
- Battle of Thiepval - September 26–28
- Battle of Le TransloyBattle of Le TransloyThe Battle of Le Transloy was the final offensive mounted by the British Fourth Army during the 1916 Battle of the Somme.-Prelude:With the successful conclusion of the preceding Battle of Morval at the end of September, the Fourth Army of Lieutenant General Henry Rawlinson had finally captured the...
- October 1–18 - Battle of the Ancre HeightsBattle of the Ancre HeightsThe Battle of the Ancre Heights was a prolonged battle of attrition in October 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. Lieutenant General Hubert Gough's Reserve Army had finally managed to break out of the positions it had occupied since the start of the Somme fighting and Gough intended to maintain...
- October 1 - November 11
1917:
- Battle of Vimy RidgeBattle of Vimy RidgeThe Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought primarily as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps, of four divisions, against three divisions of the German Sixth Army...
- April 9–14 - Attack on La Coulotte - April 23
- Battle of Arleux - April 28–29
- Third Battle of the Scarpe - May 3–4
- Battle of Hill 70Battle of Hill 70The Battle of Hill 70 was a localized battle of World War I between the Canadian Corps and five divisions of the German Sixth Army. The battle took place along the Western Front on the outskirts of Lens in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France between 15 August 1917 and 25 August 1917.The primary...
- August 15–25 - Second Battle of Passchendaele - October 26 - November 10
- Battle of Cambrai (1917) - November 20 - December 3
1918:
- First Battle of Arras - March 28
- Battle of Amiens - August 8–11
- Actions round Damery - August 15–17
- Battle of the ScarpeBattle of the Scarpe (1918)The Battle of the Scarpe was a World War I battle that took place during the Hundred Days Offensive between 26 and 30 August 1918.-26 August:The Canadian Corps advanced over 5 kilometers and captured the towns of Monchy-le-Preux and Wancourt.Lt...
- August 26–30 - The Pursuit to the Selle - October 9–12
- Passage of the Grande Honelle - November 5–7