The 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade was a formation of the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also re ...

in both

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The brigade fought on the Western Front during the First World War, and in Sicily and Italy during the Second World War.

History

World War I

First formed on 29 August 1914, the brigade was initially made up from provisional battalions that were named after their

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of origin, but these titles were replaced with numerals before the brigade arrived in

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

on 14 October 1914. On arrival in Britain, it consisted of four infantry battalions, numbered 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th.Nicholson, p. 22. As part of the

1st Canadian Division The 1st Canadian Division (French: ) 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 ...

, the brigade fought in every major Canadian engagement on the Western Front between 1915 and 1918. Its first commander was Colonel Richard Turner. From March 1916 until the end of the war, the brigade was commanded by Brigadier-General George Tuxford. After training on Salisbury Plain in late 1914, the brigade moved as part of the 1st Canadian Division to the Western Front. During its deployment on the Western Front, the 3rd Brigade fought in the following battles and engagements on the Western Front: 1915: *

Second Battle of Ypres The Second Battle of Ypres was fought from 22 April – 25 May 1915, during the First World War, for control of the tactically-important high ground to the east and the south of the Flanders, Flemish town of Ypres, in western Belgium. The ...

** Battle of Gravenstafel: 22–23 April ** Battle of St. Julien: 24 April – 4 May (see also

Saint Julien Memorial The St. Julien Memorial, also known as The Brooding Soldier, is a Canadian war memorial and small commemorative park located in the village of Langemark, Saint-Julien, Langemark (), Belgium. The memorial commemorates the 1st Canadian Division, Can ...

) *

Battle of Festubert The Battle of Festubert (15–25 May 1915) was an attack by the British army in the Artois region of France on the western front during World War I. The offensive formed part of a series of attacks by the French Tenth Army and the British ...

: 15–25 May * Second Battle of Givenchy: 15–16 June 1916: *

Battle of Mount Sorrel The Battle of Mont Sorrel (Battle of Mount Sorrel) was a local operation in World War I by three divisions of the German 4th Army and three divisions of the British Second Army in the Ypres Salient, near Ypres in Belgium, from 2 to 13 June 1 ...

: 2–13 June *

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...

Battle of Flers-Courcelette A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

: 15–22 September ** Battle of Thiepval: 26–28 September **

Battle of Le Transloy The Battle of Le Transloy was the last big attack by the Fourth Army of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in the 1916 Battle of the Somme in France, during the First World War. The battle was fought in conjunction with attacks by the Frenc ...

: 1–18 October **

Battle of the Ancre Heights The Battle of the Ancre Heights (1 October – 11 November 1916), is the name given to the continuation of British attacks after the Battle of Thiepval Ridge from during the Battle of the Somme. The battle was conducted by the Reserve Army ( ...

: 1 October – 11 November 1917: *

Battle of Vimy Ridge The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of ...

: 9–14 April *

Battle of Arleux The Battle of Arras, also known as the Second Battle of Arras, was a British offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British troops attacked German defences near the French city of Arras on the We ...

: 28–29 April * Third Battle of the Scarpe: 3–4 May (including the capture of

Fresnoy Fresnoy () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography A tiny village situated some 20 miles (32 km) southeast of Montreuil-sur-Mer on the D109 road. Population Places of interest * C ...

) * Second Battle of 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 Drocourt-Quéant A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

: 2–3 September *

Battle of the Canal du Nord The Battle of Canal du Nord was part of the Hundred Days Offensive of the First World War by the Allies against German positions on the Western Front. The battle took place in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, along an incomplete porti ...

: 27 September – 1 October * Battle of Cambrai: 8–9 October

World War II

During

the brigade, again as part of the 1st Canadian Division, participated in the Allied Invasion of Sicily and then later fought in the Italian campaign. It was demobilized for the second time at the end of the war.

Order of battle

World War I *

13th Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada), CEF The 13th Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada) of the Canadian Expeditionary Force was an active service battalion during the First World War. History The battalion was formed from volunteers from the 5th Regiment "Royal Highlanders of Cana ...

(August 1914 – 11 November 1918) * 14th Battalion (Royal Montreal Regiment), CEF (August 1914 – 11 November 1918) * 15th Canadian Battalion (48th Highlanders of Canada), CEF (August 1914 – 11 November 1918) * 16th Canadian Battalion (The Canadian Scottish), CEF (August 1914 – 11 November 1918) World War II * * 1st Battalion, The Carleton and York Regiment * 1st Battalion, The West Nova Scotia Regiment * 3rd Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon ( Lorne Scots)

References

;Citations ;Bibliography *

History

World War I

World War II

Order of battle

References

Further reading