The Canadian Army in
the
The Canadian Army in
the
The 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade, as the first component of 1st Canadian Infantry Division, embarked for the United Kingdom on 17 December 1939 and arrived at Greenock, Scotland on 25 December. It moved to Aldershot on arrival, but was sent to Northampton on 29 May 1940. It returned to Aldershot on 8 June 1940. The brigade moved to France on 12&13 June 1940 and left there on 16-17 June for Aldershot. When the division moved to Oxford on 18&19 June 1940, the brigade remained at Aldershot until 16 July 1940, when it rejoined the division in the Guildford-Westerham area of Surrey. The brigade was rotated to the coast of Sussex for coast defence duties. By the autumn of 1941, it moved to the Sussex coast and remained with the division in Sussex until 3 June 1943, when it prepared to embark for Sicily. It embarked on 25 June and landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943.
2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade embarked for the United Kingdom on 22 December 1939 and arrived at Greenock, Scotland on 30 December. It moved to Aldershot on arrival. A force of two battalions of the brigade (PPCLI and Edmonton Regiment) were selected for possible operations against Trondheim in Norway. This force left Aldershot on 18 April 1940 and moved to Dunfermline, Scotland on 19 April, but it was not used and returned to Aldershot. The brigade was sent to Northampton on 29 May 1940. It returned to Aldershot on 8 June 1940. It moved to Oxford on 18&19 June 1940 with the division, but left there on 2 July 1940 for Guildford-Westerham area of Surrey. The brigade was rotated to the coast of Sussex for coast defence duties. The brigade (less the Seaforths) was mobilized for operations against Spitzbergen by 3/4 August 1941. It moved to Glasgow on 5&6 August from Surrey, but by 16 August most were returned to Surrey. Details of the brigade (some Edmontons, Saskatoon LI and 3rd FC, RCE) left for Spitzbergen on 19 August and returned to the Clyde on 7/8 September. By the autumn of 1941, it moved to the Sussex coast and remained with the division in Sussex until 3 June 1943, when it prepared to embark for Sicily. It embarked on 28 June and landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943.
3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade embarked for the United Kingdom
on 8 December 1939 and arrived at Greenock, Scotland on 17 December. It
moved to Aldershot on arrival, but was sent to Northampton on 29 May 1940.
It returned to Aldershot on 8 June 1940. The division moved to Oxford on
18&19 June 1940 and then to the Guildford-Westerham area of Surrey on
2 July 1940. The brigade was rotated to the coast of Sussex for coast defence
duties. By the autumn of 1941, it moved to the Sussex coast and remained
with the division in Sussex until 3 June 1943, when it prepared to embark
for Sicily. It embarked on 27 June and landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943
2nd Canadian Infantry Division arrived on 2 August 1940. I Canadian Corps HQ was finally needed in the United Kingdom on 25 December 1940. 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade embarked for the United Kingdom on 23 July 1940 and arrived at Gourock, Scotland on 2 August. [The Royal Regiment of Canada left 9 June 1940 for Halifax and then served on Iceland from 16 June 1940 to 31 October 1940. It arrived at Greenock, Scotland on 3 November 1940 and rejoined the brigade at Aldershot. The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa left Canada on 30 June 1940 and arrived in Iceland on 7 July 1940, where it remained until 27 April 1941.] The brigade moved to Aldershot on arrival. It moved to Surrey on 7 September 1940 and came under command of VII Corps to replace the recently departed New Zealand contingent. The brigade did its turn on the Sussex coast until the autumn of 1941, when the Canadian Corps moved into the Sussex coast, with 2nd Division replacing 55th British Division in East Sussex in July and August 1941. The brigade moved to the Isle of Wight on 18 May 1942 to prepare for Dieppe and landed there on 19 August 1942. It returned to Sussex and remained in Sussex through June 1943. It landed in France on 5 July 1944. 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade with the Calgary Highlanders, embarked for the United Kingdom on 27 August 1940 and arrived at Gourock, Scotland on 4 September. [1st Black Watch was sent to Newfoundland on 21 June 1940 and remained there until 11 August 1940. It rejoined the brigade at Halifax on 13 August. Les Fusiliers Mon-Royal left the brigade on 7 July 1940 and arrived in Iceland on 9 July 1940. It officially left the brigade on arrival in the United Kingdom] The brigade moved to Aldershot on arrival. Starting in September 1940, the brigade did its turn on the Sussex coast until the autumn of 1941, when the Canadian Corps moved into the Sussex coast, with 2nd Division replacing 55th British Division in East Sussex in July and August 1941. It remained in Sussex through June 1943. It landed in France on 7 July 1944. 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade embarked on 16 December 1940 and arrived on 25 December 1940 in the United Kingdom. It moved to Aldershot on arrival and was joined there by Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal from Iceland on 3 November 1940. The brigade did its turn on the Sussex coast until the autumn of 1941, when the Canadian Corps moved into the Sussex coast, with 2nd Division replacing 55th British Division in East Sussex in July and August 1941. The brigade moved to the Isle of Wight on 18 May 1942 to prepare for Dieppe and landed there on 19 August 1942. It returned to Sussex and remained in Sussex through June 1943. It landed in France on 7 July 1944.
During 1941, two additional divisions arrived in the United Kingdom:
the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
(7th, 8th and 9th 
Canadian Infantry Brigades) on 29 July and the 5th Canadian Armoured Division (1st, 2nd
Canadian Armoured Brigades and 5th Support Group) in November. They were
preceded by the 1st Canadian Army Tank
Brigade on 30 June. The 1st Canadian
Anti-Aircraft Brigade was created in the United Kingdom on 1 October
1941. 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade left Halifax on 24 August 1941
and arrived in Gourock, Scotland on 1 September 1941. It moved to Aldershot
on arrival. Soon after arrival, the division moved to the south of England
and remained there until it landed in France on 6 June 1944. 8th Canadian
Infantry Brigade left Halifax on 21 July 1941 and arrived in Gourock,
Scotland on 29 July 1941. 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade left Halifax
on 21 July 1941 and arrived in Gourock, Scotland on 29 July 1941. In September
1941, the 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade left Warminster for Surrey.
Shortly after arriving in Surrey, the regiments were sent to the coast.
(11th-Brighton, 12th-Worthing, and 14th-Seaford). The 1st Canadian Anti-Aircraft
Brigade was formed at Colchester in Essex and all the Light Anti-Aircraft
Regiments came under command as they arrived in the United Kingdom. It later
moved to the south of England as part of Army Troops of 1st Canadian Army
with 2nd Heavy AA Regiment, RCA and 7th, 11th Light AA Regiment, RCA. It
was disbanded on 1 March 1944.
The final major formation to arrive in the United Kingdom was 4th Canadian Armoured Division. This division had been formed from 4th Canadian Infantry Division in the Maritimes on 26 January 1942 and consisted of 3rd and 4th Canadian Armoured Brigades and 4th Canadian Support Group on arrival in the United Kingdom in August and September 1942. The 1st Canadian Army was raised in England on 1 April 1942 and by September 1942 most of its formations had arrived in the United Kingdom.
II Canadian Corps was formed on 14 January 1943 in the United Kingdom to complete a two-corps army. The only other formation that arrived in the United Kingdom after June 1942 was 2nd Canadian Army Tank Brigade in June 1943. After its arrival, the Canadian Army underwent its final reorganization in the United Kingdom. Three further formations were sent in 1944 and 1945, but these were disbanded and used as reinforcement pools for existing formations. These formations were 13th (June 1944), 14th (January 1945), and 15th (January 1945) Canadian Infantry Brigades.
Return to the Canadian Army 1939-40