The 5th Canadian Division is a formation of the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) 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 acr ...

responsible for the command and mobilization of most army units in the provinces of

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic Canad ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native En ...

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

and

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

; as well as some units in Kingston,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

. The division is recognized by the distinctive maroon patch worn on the sleeve of its soldiers. It was first created as a formation of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

. It was stood down during the war only to be reactivated through the renaming from '1st Canadian Armoured Division' to the 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. It was stood down following demobilization and was again reactivated in 2013 with the renaming of the former Land Force Area Atlantic.

First World War

The 5th Canadian Division of the

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 ...

was formed during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

under

Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Garnet Burk Hughes. The 5th began assembling in

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

in February, 1917, but was broken up in February 1918 before it was fully formed. The Division adopted a coloured formation patch identical in design to that worn by the four combatant divisions of the Canadian Corps. Its men were used as reinforcements for the other four Canadian divisions, helping to maintain the over-strength Divisions of 22,000–25,000 with more than 100,000 men total. It was reactivated in 2013.

Infantry units

13th Canadian Brigade: * 128th (Moose Jaw) Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – May 1917. Absorbed by the 15th Canadian Reserve Battalion; * 134th (48th Highlanders) Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – February 1918. Absorbed by the 12th Canadian Reserve Battalion; * 160th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – February 1918. Absorbed by the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion; * 164th (Halton and Dufferin) Battalion Canadian Infantry. May 1917 – April 1918. Absorbed by the 8th Canadian Reserve Battalion; * 202nd Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – May 28, 1918. Absorbed by the 9th Canadian Reserve Battalion; * 208th Battalion Canadian Infantry. May 1917 – January 3, 1918. Absorbed by the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Reserve Battalions. 14th Canadian Brigade: * 125th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – April 16, 1918. Absorbed by the 8th Canadian Reserve Battalion; * 150th (Carabiniers Mont Royal) Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – February 15, 1918. Absorbed by the 6th Canadian Reserve Battalion; * 156th (Leeds and Grenville) Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – February 15, 1918. Absorbed by the 6th Canadian Reserve Battalion; * 161st Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – February 15, 1918. Absorbed by the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion. 15th Canadian Brigade: * 104th (New Brunswick) Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – February 15, 1918. Absorbed by the 13th Canadian Reserve Battalion; * 119th (Algoma) Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – April 16, 1918. Absorbed by the 8th Canadian Reserve Battalion; * 185th (Cape Breton Highlanders) Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – February 15, 1918. Absorbed by the 17th Canadian Reserve Battalion; * 198th (Canadian Buffs) Battalion Canadian Infantry. April 1917 – March 9, 1918. Absorbed by the 3rd Canadian Reserve Battalion; * 199th (Duchess of Connaught's Own Irish Canadian Rangers) Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – April 1917. Absorbed by the 23rd Canadian Reserve Battalion. Attached Troops: * 164th (Halton and Dufferin) Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – May 1917. To the 13th Canadian Brigade; * 198th (Canadian Buffs) Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – April 1917. To the 15th Canadian Brigade; * 208th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – May 1917. To the 13th Canadian Brigade; * 236th (MacLean Highlanders) Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – May 1917. Disbanded on March 13, 1918. * 12 Canadian Field Ambulance

Second World War

5th Canadian Armoured Division formation sign

The 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

division during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Following its redesignation from 1st Canadian Armoured Division, the bulk proceeded overseas in one main convoy, arriving in the United Kingdom at the end of November 1941. The 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division spent two years of the war uneventfully in the United Kingdom, before finally transferring to the Mediterranean theatre in November 1943 to join the

1st Canadian Infantry Division The 1st Canadian Division (French: ''1re 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 ...

as part of

I Canadian Corps I Canadian Corps was one of the two corps fielded by the Canadian Army during the Second World War. History From December 24, 1940, until the formation of the First Canadian Army in April 1942, there was a single unnumbered Canadian Corps (Worl ...

, under command of the

British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forc ...

. The division moved without its tanks and vehicles, inheriting heavily used equipment as a legacy from the veteran British 7th Armoured Division ("''The Desert Rats''") who they relieved on the Italian Front. The majority of the vehicles were completely worn out, having first been issued in

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in t ...

or were two-wheel drive–useless in Italy. It took several months for the division to be fully equipped with new vehicles, including

M4 Sherman } The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. It ...

s. Only the

11th Canadian Infantry Brigade The 11th Canadian Infantry Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry formation of the Canadian Army which saw service in both World Wars. During the World War I, First World War, the brigade formed part of the 4th Canadian Division where it served on t ...

was committed prior to 31 January 1944.Dancocks p208-209 The 5th Armoured took part in the Italian Campaign until the end of 1944, seeing notable action on the Hitler Line after the Allied breakthrough at Cassino in May 1944 and also during ''Operation Olive'' on the

Gothic Line The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German Defense line, defensive line of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Generalfeldmarschall, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's la ...

in August 1944. During the latter battle its single infantry brigade was augmented by a second, which was raised using reinforcements and units serving in other roles. Among them was the

4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards The 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards is an inactive armoured regiment of the Canadian Militia / Canadian Army. It is currently on the Supplementary Order of Battle. Lineage Several independent troops of cavalry in the Province of Canada's vo ...

–1st Canadian Division's armoured reconnaissance regiment. As with other Allied armoured divisions in the Mediterranean, local resources were used to establish an additional infantry brigade, the

12th Canadian Infantry Brigade The 5th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of most army units in the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador; as well as some unit ...

. Based on the colour of its shoulder patch, the division became known as the "Mighty Maroon Machine".Mark Zuehlke, ''The Liri Valley: Canada's World War II Breakthrough to Rome'', Douglas & McIntyre Ltd., Vancouver, 2003, p 58. The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 BU4215

The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 BU4215

In January 1945, the division, together with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, as part of

Operation Goldflake Operation Goldflake was the administrative move of I Canadian Corps (in essence, all Canadian combatant units) and the British 5th Infantry Division from Italy to Northwestern Europe during the Second World War. British-led forces had been fightin ...

, moved by truck, train, and naval transport to

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

via Livorno and

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fran ...

. After arriving on the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

, it disbanded the 12th Brigade, and re-equipped to join the

First Canadian Army The First Canadian Army (french: 1reArmée canadienne) was a field army and a formation of the Canadian Army in World War II in which most Canadian elements serving in North-West Europe were assigned. It served on the Western Front from July 19 ...

in time to participate in the final advance into Germany. In April 1945, the Irish Regiment of Canada was assigned to Operation Cleanser in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. They had to liberate the route from

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It i ...

Harderwijk Harderwijk (; Dutch Low Saxon: ) is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and city of the Netherlands. It is served by the Harderwijk railway station. Its population centres are Harderwijk and Hierden. Harderwijk is on the western ...

. This unexpectedly resulted in a fierce fight at the Battle of Otterlo.

Commanding officers

* Jun 1941 to Jan 1943 Major-General Ernest William Sansom * Jan 1943 to Oct 1943 Major-General Charles Ramsay Stirling Stein * Oct 1943 to Jan 1944 Major-General Guy Simonds * Jan 1944 to Mar 1944 Major-General

E. L. M. Burns Lieutenant General Eedson Louis Millard "Tommy" Burns, (June 17, 1897 – September 13, 1985) was a senior officer of the Canadian Army and a diplomat. He saw active service in both World War I and World War II. He served as the first commander of ...

* Mar 1944 to Jun 1945 Major-General

Bert Hoffmeister Major General Bertram Meryl Hoffmeister, (15 May 1907 – 4 December 1999) was a Canadian Army officer, businessman, and conservationist. He served with distinction during the last two years of the Second World War, becoming, in Jack Granatst ...

Organization until July 1944 and after March 1945

5th Armoured Brigade

* 2nd Armoured Regiment (Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)) * 5th Armoured Regiment (8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars) * 9th Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia Dragoons) *1st Battalion,

The Westminster Regiment (Motor) The Royal Westminster Regiment (commonly referred to as the Westies) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is currently part of the 3rd Canadian Division's 39 Canadian Brigade Group and is based in New Westminster, Brit ...

11th Infantry Brigade

11th Independent Machine Gun Company (The Princess Louise Fusiliers) The Princess Louise Fusiliers is a Primary Reserve light infantry regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces. Lineage File:Regimental Colour of the Princess Louise Fusiliers.jpg, Regimental Colour of the Princess Louise Fusiliers File:Camp_Flag_ ...

*1st Battalion,

The Perth Regiment The Perth Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is currently on the Supplementary Order of Battle. Lineage Lineage of The Perth Regiment: The Perth Regiment (Overseas Battalion) *Originated 22 Dec as 110th (Overseas) Battali ...

*1st Battalion,

The Cape Breton Highlanders , colors = Facing colour yellow , colors_label = Colours , march = Quick – "Highland Laddie" , mascot = , battles = First World ...

*1st Battalion, The Irish Regiment of Canada *

3rd Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (The Governor General's Horse Guards) Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * High ...

*11th Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon ( Lorne Scots)

Other units

17th Field Regiment, RCA 17 (seventeen) is the natural number following 16 and preceding 18. It is a prime number. Seventeen is the sum of the first four prime numbers. In mathematics 17 is the seventh prime number, which makes seventeen the fourth super-prime, as s ...

* 8th Field Regiment (Self-Propelled), RCA * 4th Anti-tank Regiment, RCA * 5th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA *"G" Squadron, 25th Armoured Delivery Regiment (The Elgin Regiment) *5th Canadian Armoured Division Engineers **1st Field Squadron, RCE **10th Field Squadron, RCE **4th Field Park Squadron, RCE **5th Canadian Armoured Division Bridge Troop, RCE *5th Canadian Armoured Divisional Signals, RCSigs *No. 5 Provost Company,

Canadian Provost Corps The Canadian Provost Corps (C Pro C) was the military police corps of the Canadian Army. The Canadian Provost Corps was authorized on 15 June 1940. The Canadian Provost Corps was amalgamated with the police forces of the Royal Canadian Navy and R ...

Organization July 1944 until March 1945

5th Canadian Armoured Brigade

*2nd Armoured Regiment (Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)) *5th Armoured Regiment (8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars) *9th Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia Dragoons)

11th Canadian Infantry Brigade

*1st Battalion, The Perth Regiment *1st Battalion, The Cape Breton Highlanders *1st Battalion, The Irish Regiment of Canada *11th Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon ( Lorne Scots)

12th Canadian Infantry Brigade (raised in August 1944)

* 12th Independent Machine Gun Company (The Princess Louise Fusiliers) *1st Battalion,

(from 1st Canadian Infantry Division) *

The Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment german: Ich Dien, lit=I serve la, Nemo Me Impune Lacessit, lit=No one provokes me with impunity , march = Quick: " The Highland Laddie" , battles = Fenian RaidsFirst World WarSecond World War , battl ...

(from Corps anti-aircraft assets) *

*12th Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon ( Lorne Scots)

Other units

*17th Field Artillery Regiment *8th Field Artillery Regiment (Self-Propelled) *4th Anti-tank Regiment *5th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment *"G" Squadron, 25th Armoured Delivery Regiment (The Elgin Regiment), Royal Canadian Armoured Corps *5th Canadian Armoured Division Engineers **1st Field Squadron, RCE **10th Field Squadron, RCE **4th Field Park Squadron, RCE **5th Canadian Armoured Division Bridge Troop, RCE *5th Canadian Armoured Divisional Signals, RCSigs *No. 5 Provost Company,

Land Force Atlantic Area

Land Force Atlantic Area (LFAA) was created on 1 September 1991, taking command of what was previously the militia areas and the Regular Force Army units and formations in Atlantic Canada. At that point in time, the Militia Areas ceased to exist, and the subordinate Militia Districts were reorganised. and http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?topic=3223.0 Later that decade, the reserve force districts were again reorganized into two Canadian Brigade Groups. LFAA was the formation responsible for

operations in the Canadian provinces of

, and

and was headquartered at Canadian Forces Base Halifax.

Organization of LFAA (2010)

Regular Force * 2nd Battalion,

The Royal Canadian Regiment , colors = , identification_symbol_2 = Maple Leaf (2nd Bn pipes and drums) , identification_symbol_2_label = Tartan , identification_symbol_4 = The RCR , identification_symbol_4_label = Abbreviation , mar ...

: Oromocto (transferred to command of 2 CMBG in 2012) * 4 Air Defence Regiment, RCA : Oromocto, New Brunswick (Transformed into 4th Artillery Regiment (General Support), RCA in 2013) *

4 Engineer Support Regiment 4 Engineer Support Regiment (french: links=no, 4e Régiment d'appui du génie) is a regiment of the Canadian Military Engineers headquartered at CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick. It is tasked to provide general engineer support to the whole of the C ...

: Oromocto * 3 Military Police Unit :

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...

* LFAA Training Centre : Oromocto * Canadian Forces Base Gagetown : Gagetown, New Brunswick Reserve Force *

36 Canadian Brigade Group 36 Canadian Brigade Group (french: 36e Groupe-brigade du Canada) is a reserve component brigade of the Canadian Army, which Commands reserve units in 5th Canadian Division for Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. It was created in 1992 by mergi ...

* 37 Canadian Brigade Group * 5 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group: Gander, Newfoundland * 3 Intelligence Company: Halifax, Nova Scotia

5th Canadian Division Re-Activation

In 2013, LFAA was re-designated the 5th Canadian Division and inherited the wartime heritage of the formation. The division continues to be headquartered at CFB Halifax and commands most Canadian Army units in the Atlantic provinces.

Organization of 5th Canadian Division (2020)

Lodger units supported by 5 CDSG

Combat Training Centre * Royal Canadian Armoured Corps School *Royal Canadian Artillery School *Royal Canadian Infantry Corps School *Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering *Tactics School 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group *2nd Battalion,

Notes

References

* * Groningen, J. Niemeijer "History of 17th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, 5th Canadian Armoured Division" by (J. Niemeijer Groningen, 1946) * Zuehlke, Mark, "The Liri Valley: Canada's World War II Breakthrough to Rome", Douglas & McIntyre Ltd., Vancouver, 2003

External links

*
Canadian Forces Recruiting
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Canadian Division 5 Divisions of Canada in World War I Infantry divisions of Canada Military units and formations established in 1917 1917 establishments in Canada Canadian 5th Armoured Division Canadian World War II divisions Military units and formations of the British Empire in World War II

First World War

Infantry units

Second World War

Commanding officers

Organization until July 1944 and after March 1945

5th Armoured Brigade

11th Infantry Brigade

Other units

Organization July 1944 until March 1945

5th Canadian Armoured Brigade

11th Canadian Infantry Brigade

12th Canadian Infantry Brigade (raised in August 1944)

Other units

Land Force Atlantic Area

Organization of LFAA (2010)

5th Canadian Division Re-Activation

Organization of 5th Canadian Division (2020)

Lodger units supported by 5 CDSG

See also

Notes

References

External links