The 4th
Canadian Division refers to two organizations raised during the 20th
Century. This article refers to the
division raised as a formation in the First World War.
The 4th
Canadian Division was formed in the United Kingdom in April 1916.
The 4th Division was accepted by the War
Office on the proviso that 18 reserve battalions be created in England
as a source of reinforcements for the 36 battalions of the three
divisions extant in the Canadian Corps. The 4th Division was therefore
created from units already overseas, or imminently arriving, on 26 April
1916. Selection was tentatively made by representatives from both the
Canadian Training Depot and the War Office.1
The 10th Brigade,
commanded by Brig.-Gen. W. St. P. Hughes, consisted of the 44th
Battalion (from Winnipeg), the 46th (South Saskatchewan), the 47th
(New Westminster, Vancouver and Victoria) and the 50th (Calgary). In
the 11th Brigade (Brig.-Gen. V.W. Odlum) were the 54th (Kootenay,
British Columbia), 75th (Toronto-Hamilton-London), 87th (Montreal)
and 102nd (North British Columbia) Battalions. The 12th Brigade was
commanded by Lord Brooke, who had previously led the 4th Brigade in
France. One of its battalions - the 38th, from the Ottawa district -
had previously served in Bermuda, relieving the R.C.R. The other
three units were the 72nd, 73rd and 78th Battalions, from British
Columbia, Montreal and Winnipeg respectively.2
The
formation embarked for France in August 1916, during the actions on the
Somme. The Division served in France and Flanders thereafter until the
Armistice. The division did not have its own artillery until June
1917 when units were redistributed.3
The Division
began to prepare for the historic assault on Vimy Ridge, and took the
left flank of the Canadian Corps on 9 April 1917 when the assault went in.
Stiff fighting on the 4th Division front led to heavy casualties, and
some German positions managed to hold out from the 4th Division for
three
days.
The Division
participated in the monumental battle of Hill 70 in August 1917 with Passchendaele following in mid-October, and into November.
Order of
Battle
Pioneers
Canadian
Machine Gun Corps
In early
1918, infantry machine gun companies were consolidated into Machine Gun
Battalions, one per division. At first the battalion had three
companies, and in May 1918 this increased to four, with a total
complement of 96 Vickers Guns.
 |
10th Machine Gun Company |
 |
11th Machine Gun Company |
 |
12th Machine Gun Company |
 |
16th Machine Gun Company |
Militia
Regiment Parentage
The following
is a list of the Militia Regiments in Canada that provided soldiers for
the numbered infantry battalions.
| 10th
Canadian Brigade |
44th (Manitoba/New
Brunswick) Battalion. |
67th Regiment (Carleton Light
Infantry) |
| 46th (South
Saskatchewan) Battalion |
60th Rifles of Canada
95th Saskatchewan Rifles |
| 47th (British
Columbia/West Ontario) Battalion. |
104th Regiment (Westminster Fusiliers
of Canada) |
|
50th
(Calgary) Battalion |
103rd Regiment (Calgary Rifles) |
| 11th
Canadian Brigade |
54th (Kootenay)
Battalion |
|
| 75th (Mississauga)
Battalion |
Toronto area |
| 87th (Canadian
Grenadier Guards) Battalion |
1st Regiment (Canadian Grenadier
Guards) |
| 102nd (North British
Columbia) Battalion |
68th Regiment (Earl Grey's Own Rifles) |
| 12th
Canadian Brigade |
38th (Ottawa)
Battalion |
42nd Lanark and Renfrew Regiment
59th Stormont and Glengarry Regiment
43rd Regiment (The Duke of Cornwall's Own Rifles) |
| 51st (Edmonton)
Battalion. |
101st Regiment (Edmonton Fusiliers) |
| 72nd (Seaforth
Highlanders) Battalion |
72nd Regiment (Seaforth Highlanders of
Canada) |
| 73rd (Royal
Highlanders) Battalion. Disbanded. |
5th Regiment (Royal Highlanders of
Canada) |
| 78th (Winnipeg
Grenadier) Battalion |
100th Winnipeg Grenadiers |
| 85th (Nova Scotia
Highlanders) Battalion |
95th Victoria Regiment (Argyll
Highlanders) |
| 87th (Canadian
Grenadier) Battalion. |
1st Regiment (Canadian Grenadier
Guards) |
Battles and
Engagements
-
France and
Flanders
-
Le Transloy
1-17 Oct 1916.
-
Ancre
Heights 17 Oct-11 Nov 1916, including the capture of Regina Trench.
-
Ancre 13-18
Nov 1916.
-
Vimy 9-14
Apr 1917.
-
Actions
South of the Souchez River. 3-25 Jun 1917.
-
Capture of
Avion. 26-29 Jun 1917.
-
Hill 70
15-25 Aug 1917.
-
Passchendaele 26 Oct-10 Nov 1917.
-
Amiens 8-11
Aug 1918.
-
Actions
near Damery. 15-17 Aug 1918.
-
Drocourt-Quéant 2-3 Sep 1918.
-
Canal Du
Nord 27 Sep-1 Oct 1918.
-
Valenciennes. 1-2 Nov 1918, including the capture of Mont Houy.
-
Passage of
the Grande Honelle. 5-7 Nov 1918.
Insignia
Beginning
in mid-1916, the Division adopted a system of coloured Battle
Patches which were worn on both sleeves of the Service Dress jacket
as well as the greatcoat. A rectangle 2 inches tall by 3 inches wide
in green was adopted to distinguish the 4th Division from other
formations of the Canadian Corps. Coloured geometric shapes used in
combination with the divisional patch distinguished individual
formations, units and sub-units within the division. The markings
were also seen painted on steel helmets, vehicles and used as road
signs. The diagram below is a representative list only.
Notes
-
Nicholson, Gerald
W.L. Official History of the
Canadian Army in the First World War: Canadian Expeditionary
Force 1914-1919 (Queen's Printer Ottawa, ON, 1964)
p.118
-
Ibid
-
Ibid
