1st Canadian Division

1st Canadian Division 1st Canadian Infantry Division 1st Canadian Division
1re Division du Canada (French)
1st Canadian Infantry Division formation patch
Active	1914–1919 1939–1945 1954–1958 1989–1999 2010–present
Country	Canada
Branch	Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914–1919 Canadian Army 1939–1945, 1954–1958 Land Force Command 1989–1999, 2010–2011 Canadian Army 2011–2015 Canadian Joint Operations Command 2015–present
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Part of	Canadian Joint Operations Command
Nickname(s)	"The Old Red Patch"
Motto(s)	Agile, Versatile, Ready
Engagements	World War I Second Battle of Ypres Battle of the Somme Battle of Vimy Ridge Battle of Passchendaele World War II Allied invasion of Sicily Battle of Ortona Moro River campaign Hitler Line Battle of Rimini Operation Chesterfield Western Allied invasion of Germany Liberation of Arnhem
Website	www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/operations/military-operations/conduct.html Chris Vokes Harry Wickwire Foster Roméo Dallaire David Fraser

The 1st Canadian Division (French: 1^re Division du Canada) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short notice, and is staffed and equipped to meet Canada’s military objectives to counter any potential threat.

Formed during the

Following the war, the division was stood down, only to be re-mobilized as a formation on 1 September 1939 as the 1st Canadian Infantry Division for service in the Second World War. The division was part of the Allied campaign to invade Sicily, as well as their campaign on the Italian mainland, where they are associated with such notable battles as Ortona, the Liri Valley and the Gothic Line. The division reunited with the First Canadian Army in 1945 to participate in the liberation of the Western Netherlands before the end of the war in Europe.

The division was also reactivated twice during the Cold War: from 1953 to 1958, and again from 1988 to 1992.

In 2010, the division was reactivated for a third time. While the four divisions (2nd to 5th) of the Canadian Army are responsible for command of units within their respective

First World War

The First Contingent of the

Early in 1915, it was evident that the Canadians would soon be going to France. The division paraded in drill order for an inspection by His Majesty King George V; thereafter, units boarded troop ships at Avonmouth and during mid-February, the entire division crossed the rough Channel to St. Nazaire. After a brief period in reserve near Hazebrouck, the Canadians relieved the 7th British Division in the Fleurbaix sector near Armentières on 1–3 March. General Alderson then became responsible for 6,400 yards (5,900 m) of front line on the left flank of the First Army (General Sir Douglas Haig).^{[citation needed]}

The division moved to the Ypres Salient in April, and faced its first real test during the defence of St. Julien beginning on 22 April. The Canadians withstood German attack — aided, for the first time on the Western Front, by the use of poison gas — and finally retired to secondary positions on 26 April, where they held on until 4 May. The Second Battle of Ypres, as the overall action came to be known, cost the infantry brigades some 5,506 men.^{[citation needed]}

Two weeks later, the division was in action again at Festubert. Aiding in a diversionary offensive by the British armies, the Canadians suffered 2,204 casualties for gains of only 600 yards (550 m). Another futile attack was launched at Givenchy-en-Gohelle in June 1915, after which the division moved to Ploegsteert.

The Canadians began a long period of static warfare which would last them throughout the winter. In September, the arrival of the

The Battle of the Somme opened on 1 July 1916, the costliest day in the history of the British Army, with over 19,000 British soldiers killed and 38,000 wounded. The Canadian part in the battle, which was to last through to November, did not begin until September at Battle of Pozières and lasted through to October. It was on the Somme that the red patch was first worn as an identifying device—two inches by three inches and worn on both sleeves, this rectangle identified the wearer as belonging to the 1st Division. The insignia was also painted on steel trench helmets, and adorned with geometric shapes of different colours to further identify the soldier's specific battery, brigade, battalion or other subunit.^{[citation needed]}

The division began to prepare for the historic assault on

• 5th Battalion (Western Cavalry), CEF. August 1914 – 11 November 1918;
• 6th Battalion (Fort Garrys), CEF. August 1914 – December 1914 (Became Canadian Cavalry Depot);
• 7th Canadian Battalion (1st British Columbia), CEF
  . August 1914 – 11 November 1918;
• 8th Canadian Infantry Battalion (90th Regiment), CEF
  . August 1914 – 11 November 1918;
• 10th Battalion (Canadians), CEF. January 1915 – 11 November 1918.

3rd Canadian Brigade:

• 13th Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada), CEF. August 1914 – 11 November 1918.
• 14th Battalion (Royal Montreal Regiment), CEF. August 1914 – 11 November 1918.
• 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders of Canada), CEF. August 1914 – 11 November 1918.
• 16th Canadian Battalion (The Canadian Scottish), CEF
  . August 1914 – 11 November 1918.

4th Canadian Brigade:

• The brigade was dispersed in January 1915.
• 9th Battalion, CEF. August 1914 – January 1915. To the Canadian Training Depot.
• 10th Battalion (Canadians), CEF. August 1914 – January 1915. To the 2nd Canadian Brigade.
• 11th Battalion, CEF. August 1914 – January 1915. To the Canadian Training Depot.
• 12th Battalion, CEF. August 1914 – January 1915. To the Canadian Training Depot.

Pioneers:

• 1st Canadian Pioneer Battalion. March 1916 – February 1917. Became the 9th Canadian Railway Battalion.
• 107th Canadian Pioneer Battalion. March 1917 – May 1918. Absorbed by the 1st Canadian Engineer Brigade.

Attached troops:

• 17th Battalion, CEF. August 1914 – January 1915. To the Canadian Training Depot
  .
• 18th Battalion Canadian Infantry
  . August 1914 – September 1914. Disbanded.
• Newfoundland Companies. October 1914 – December 1914. Left the division and was made up to battalion strength. The
  British 29th Division
  in September 1915.

• Second Battle of Ypres
  • Battle of Gravenstafel
    — 22–23 April
  • Battle of Saint Julien —24 April – 4 May (see also Saint Julien Memorial
    )
• Battle of Festubert — 15–25 May
• Second Battle of Givenchy
  — 15–16 June

1916:

• Battle of Mount Sorrel
  — 2–13 June
• Battle of the Somme
  • Battle of Flers-Courcelette
    — 15–22 September
  • Battle of Thiepval
    — 26–28 September
  • Battle of Le Transloy — 1–18 October
  • Battle of the Ancre Heights — 1 October – 11 November

1917:

• Battle of Vimy Ridge — 9–12 April
• Battle of Arleux
  — 28–29 April
• Third Battle of the Scarpe — 3–4 May (including the capture of Fresnoy
  )
• Battle of Hill 70 — 15–25 August
• Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) — 26 October – 10 November

1918:

• Battle of Amiens — 8–11 August
• Actions round Damery — 15–17 August
• Battle of the Scarpe — 26–30 August
• Battle of Arras — 21 August – 3 September
• Battle of Drocourt-Quéant
  — 2–3 September
• Battle of the Canal du Nord — 27 September – 1 October
• Battle of Cambrai — 8–9 October
• Pursuit to Mons — 10 October – 11 November

After the cessation of hostilities on 11 November 1918, the 1st Division was selected to form part of the occupation forces on the right bank of the Rhine, and General MacDonnell took the salute on 13 December when his veterans crossed the bridge at Cologne with fixed bayonets. During April 1919, the troops embarked and returned to Canada for demobilization. The total casualties of the infantry battalions were 52,559, of which 15,055 (nearly the original strength of the entire division) were fatal.^{[citation needed]} Twenty-four soldiers of the division were awarded the Victoria Cross.

Second World War (1939–1945)

The division was remobilized in September 1939, designated as the 1st Canadian Division, before Canada's formal entrance into the

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 disastrous

After this, the division was rested and many months of static warfare ensued. The division then went on to break out of the Eighth Army's bridgehead with the second wave in the spring offensive, Operation Diadem, the Fourth Battle of Monte Cassino. The 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards, the reconnaissance (or 'recce') regiment serving with the 1st Canadian Division, was the first of the Eighth Army's units to cross the Hitler Line in May 1944, below Pontecorvo in its armoured cars.

After heavy fighting in front of the

HQ

• 1st Canadian Infantry Division Defence and Employment Platoon (
  Lorne Scots
  )

Royal Canadian Armoured Corps

• 4th Reconnaissance Regiment (4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards)

• 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

• The Saskatoon Light Infantry (M.G.)
  – Machine gun battalion
• 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade:
  • The Royal Canadian Regiment
  • The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment
  • 48th Highlanders of Canada
  • 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon (
    Lorne Scots
    )
• 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade:
  • Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
  • The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
  • The Loyal Edmonton Regiment
  • 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon (
    Lorne Scots
    )
• 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade:
  • Royal 22^e Régiment
  • The Carleton and York Regiment
  • The West Nova Scotia Regiment
  • 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon (
    Lorne Scots
    )

1st Canadian Armoured Brigade

• 11th Armoured Regiment (The Ontario Regiment)
• 12th Armoured Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment)
• 14th Armoured Regiment (Calgary Regiment)

Royal Canadian Corps of Signals

• 1st Canadian Divisional Signals

• 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

• 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

• No. 4 Canadian Field Ambulance
• No. 5 Canadian Field Ambulance
• No. 9 Canadian Field Ambulance
• No. 2 Canadian Field Hygiene Section
• No. 2 Canadian Light Field Ambulance – originally a part of 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, joined in 1943.

Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps

• 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.

• 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

• 1st Canadian Field Cash Office

Royal Canadian Postal Corps

• 1 Canadian Infantry Division Postal Unit

Royal Canadian Dental Corps

• 1st Canadian Dental Company

Canadian Provost Corps

• No. 1 Provost Company

In July 1944, the divisional reconnaissance battalion, the 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards, converted to infantry and transferred to the 12th Canadian Infantry Brigade of the

• Italian Campaign
• Allied invasion of Sicily
• Allied invasion of Italy
• The Moro River
• Motta Montecorvino
• Ortona
• Winter Line
  • Hitler Line
  • Bernhardt Line
• Gothic Line
  • Rimini
  • Lamone Crossing
• The Western Front
• Liberation of the Netherlands

Cold War

In the post-war reorganization of reserve units, a "Headquarters 1st Infantry Division" (later re-designated "Headquarters 1st Division") was authorized on 1 April 1946. It remained dormant, however, and was formally disbanded on 21 July 1954. In the meantime, a new Headquarters 1st Canadian Infantry Division had been authorized as part of the Canadian Army Active Force on 16 October 1953, and this headquarters was established the following December.

Major-General J.M. Rockingham, CB, CBE, DSO and bar, ED, took command of the 1st Division on 1 September 1954. His Division contained the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade, stationed in Germany, the 2nd at Edmonton and the 3rd at Valcartier, with normal supporting arms and services.

The life of this division was short as on 5 December 1957, the Minister of National Defence announced in the House of Commons that the divisional headquarters would be reduced to nil strength.^{[citation needed]} Shortly thereafter, General Rockingham was transferred to Quebec Command and on 30 April 1958, the Headquarters of 1st Canadian Infantry Division was disbanded.

In 1988, a new era for the division began when the Government of Canada announced the intention to consolidate its military commitments to Europe in the Central Region.^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]} 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) to which Canada promised a battalion group.

The headquarters was established, with both 4 Brigade and 5 Brigade under command, at

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.^{[citation needed]} With units disbanding around them, Division Headquarters (Forward) was repatriated to CFB Kingston on 13 June 1992, and at this time the presence of the 1st Division in Germany effectively ended. Though continuing to provide command and control capability for any multi-brigade deployment, emphasis was shifted to the joint role where the Division HQ would provide command and control of CF or multinational forces in humanitarian, UN, NATO or coalition operations. Subsequently, the successful December 1992 deployment of the Division Headquarters to Somalia in this role validated the need for this capability in the Army.

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 79 Communication Regiment to form the Canadian Forces Joint Signal Regiment.^{[citation needed]} 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.

Division structure in 1989

• 1 Canadian Division (Forward),
  West Germany^[8]
  • 1st Canadian Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment, CFB Lahr
  • C Sqn Royal Canadian Dragoons, CFB Gagetown (25 ×
    M577, 2 × Bergepanzer
    )
  • 119 Air Defence Battery,
    ADATS, 10 × Javelin
    , 12 × M113)
  • 22 Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Engineers, CFB Gagetown
  • 1st Canadian Division Intelligence Company, CFB Kingston
  • 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade, CFB Lahr
    • 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron, CFB Lahr
    • M577, 6× Bergepanzer
      )
    • 1st Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment, CFB Lahr (2× M577, 65× M113, 11× Lynx, 18× M113 TUA with TOW, 24× M125 with a 81mm mortar)
    • 3rd Battalion,
      Royal Canadian Regiment, CFB Baden-Söllingen (2× M577, 65× M113, 11× Lynx, 18× M113 TUA with TOW, 24× M125 with a 81mm mortar
      )
    • 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, CFB Lahr, (2× M577, 26× M109A4, 46× M113, 24× M548)
    • AEV, 14× M113, 6× M548, 6× Biber
      bridgelayer)
    • 444 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (detached from 1 Canadian Air Division), CFB Lahr (CH136 Kiowa, UH1N)
    • 4 Service Battalion, CFB Lahr (4× M113, 2× Bergepanzer, 6× MTV-R)
    • 4 Field Ambulance, CFB Lahr
    • 4 Military Police Platoon, CFB Lahr
    • 127th Air Defence Battery (detached from 4th Air Defence Regiment,
      ADATS, 15× Javelin
      , 5× M113)
  • 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade, CFB Valcartier
    • 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron
    • 12^e Régiment blindé du Canada, (38× Cougar, 23× Lynx)
    • 2nd Battalion,
      Royal Canadian Regiment, (48× Grizzly
      , 11× Lynx)
    • 2nd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment, (48× Grizzly, 11× Lynx)
    • 3rd Battalion, Royal 22^e Regiment, (48× Grizzly, 11× Lynx)
    • 5^e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada, (2× M577, 25× M109A4, 46× M113, 24× M548)
    • 5 Combat Engineer Regiment
    • 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, (CH136 Kiowa, UH1N)
    • 5 Service Battalion
    • 5 Field Ambulance
    • 5 Military Police Platoon

Reactivation

On 19 May 2010, Chief of the Defence Staff, General

On 1 April 2015, 1st Canadian Division was transferred from the Canadian Army to Canadian Joint Operations Command.

See also

• First Canadian Army (World War II)
• 2nd Canadian Division
• 3rd Canadian Division
• 4th Canadian Division
• 5th Canadian Division

References

Citations