Canadian Active Service Force

The Canadian Active Service Force (CASF) was the field force raised by the Canadian Army in the Second World War. Legally, it was distinct from the Permanent Active Militia and the Non-Permanent Active Militia, and a soldier had to be attested for service. The CASF had its own standards for enlistment and began recruiting on 1 Sep 1939. The term CASF was deleted in late 1940, and the term Canadian Army (Active) was used to represent full-time military units. The Canadian Active Service Force was officially mobilized on 1 Sep 1939. The Canadian government had decided not to place the emphasis on military involvement in the Second World War on ground forces, and instead of committing to a 60,000 man Army corps, instead authorized a single division for overseas service, with a second division to be raised and kept in Canada, only to be used "if necessary." The infantry brigades were mobilized from existing Militia units, keeping their names, badges and traditions (unlike the practice in the First World War, where Canadian Expeditionary Force units were raised as numbered battalions, often from several Militia units). All three Permanent Force regiments were represented in the order of battle of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. Both divisions had three infantry brigades, each with three rifle battalions and a machine gun battalion, and each brigade was organized along regional lines. This organization was changed substantially over the next two years, with the machine gun battalions being reallotted on a scale of one per division rather than one per brigade, as well as reorganization of the rifle battalions of the 5th and 6th Brigades in 1940.

Corps and Army Troops

(Artillery Brigades retitled Regiments from 21 December 1939)

• The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank) - Associated with 1st Canadian Division

• The Ontario Regiment (Tank) - Associated with 2nd Canadian Division

• The Royal Canadian Dragoons

• Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)

• The Perth Regiment (MG)

• The Westminster Regiment (MG)

• No. 1 Infantry Base Depot CASF (The Lorne Scots)

• No. 1 General Base Depot CASF (The Sherbrooke Regiment)

1st Army Field Brigade, RCA

• 27th, 51st, 57th, 90th Field Batteries

Disbanded 1 October 1939 - Batteries to 1st Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA.

2nd Army Field Brigade, RCA

• 18th, 20th, 23rd, 108th Field Batteries

Disbanded 1 October 1939 - Batteries to 2nd Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA.

3rd Army Field Brigade, RCA

• 9th, 15th, 29th, 40th Field Batteries

Retitled 11th Army Field Regiment, RCA - 12 February 1940

4th Army Field Brigade, RCA

• 61st, 71st, 107th, 113th Field Batteries

Retitled 8th Army Field Regiment, RCA - 12 February 1940

5th Army Field Brigade, RCA

• 12th, 45th, 97th, 100th Field Batteries

Retitled 21st Army Field Regiment, RCA - 1 June 1940 (7th Army Field 15/8/40 and 7th Medium 2/11/43)

1st Medium Brigade, RCA

• 3rd (PF), 2nd, 7th, 23rd Medium Batteries

2nd Medium Brigade, RCA

• 1st, 8th, 11th, 57th Medium Batteries

Retitled 2nd Heavy AA Regiment, RCA - 24 May 1941

Royal Canadian Artillery Units

• 1st Survey Regiment, RCA (1st (P), 2nd (Q) Survey Batteries)

• 1st (Yorkton) Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, RCA

• 4th Anti-Aircraft Battery, RCA (PF)

• 14th Anti-Aircraft Battery, RCA (To Coast Defence)

Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers Units

• 1st Workshop and Park Company, RCE

• 12th, 13th, 14th Field Companies, RCE

• 1st Corps Field Park Company, RCE

• 1st Corps Field Survey Company, RCE

• 5th, 9th Army Troops Company, RCE

• 1st Quarrying Company, RCE

• 1st, 2nd Road Construction Companies, RCE

• 1st Railway Operating Company, RCE

• 2nd Railway Operating Company, RCE (Formation Delayed)

• 1st Railway Construction Company, RCE (Never activated. Later disbanded.)

• 2nd Railway Construction Company, RCE

• 1st Railway Workshop Company, RCE

• 1st Boring Section, RCE

• No. 1 Engineer Base Workshops, RCE (Never activated. Later disbanded.)

• No. 1 Engineer Store Base Depot, RCE (Never activated. Later disbanded.)

1st Canadian Infantry Division

Divisional Artillery

• 1st Canadian Cavalry Regiment (1st Hussars)

1st Field Brigade, RCA

• A,B,C Batteries, RCHA (PF), 54th Field Battery

2nd Field Brigade, RCA

7th, 8th, 10th, 35th Field Batteries

3rd Field Brigade, RCA

19th, 77th, 92nd, 109th Field Batteries

1st Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA

• Received Btys of 1st Army Field Bde on 1 October 1939

Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers

• 1st, 3rd, 4th Field Companies, RCE

• 2nd Field Park Company, RCE

1st Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The Royal Canadian Regiment

• The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment

• 48th Highlanders of Canada

• The Toronto Scottish Regiment (MG)

2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade

• Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry

• The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada

• The Edmonton Regiment

• The Saskatoon Light Infantry (MG)

3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade

• Royal 22e Régiment

• The Carleton and York Regiment

• The West Nova Scotia Regiment

• The Royal Montreal Regiment (MG)

2nd Canadian Infantry Division

• The Fort Garry Horse

Divisional Artillery

4th Field Brigade, RCA

• 2nd, 14th, 26th, 53rd Field Batteries

5th Field Brigade, RCA

• 5th, 73rd, 28th, 89th Field Batteries

6th Field Brigade, RCA

• 13th, 21st, 91st, 111th Field Batteries

2nd Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA

• Received Btys of 2nd Army Field Bde on 1 Oct 1939.

Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers

• 2nd, 7th, 11th (Lambton) Field Companies, RCE

• 1st (Lambton) Field Park Company, RCE

4th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The Royal Regiment of Canada

• The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment)

• The Essex Scottish

• The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (MG)

5th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• 1st Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada

• Le Régiment de Maisonneuve

• Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal

• Le Régiment de la Chaudière (MG)

6th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The Calgary Highlanders

• The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada

• The South Saskatchewan Regiment

• The Winnipeg Grenadiers (MG)

Expansion - May 1940

In the wake of the debacle in France, where German troops were performing well beyond the expectations of the Allies, additional formations were mobilized for the CASF on 24 May 1940.

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Units Mobilized 24 May 1940

Corps and Army Troops

3rd, 4th Pioneer Battalions, RCE - Formation Delayed 3rd, 4th Road Construction Companies, RCE - Not Formed

Internal Security Formations

• 16th/22nd Saskatchewan Horse

• The Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment

• The Royal Rifles of Canada (Mobilized late Jun 1940)

• The Victoria Rifles of Canada (Mobilized in Jul 1940)

• The Midland Regiment (Northumberland and Durham)

• The Kent Regiment

• The Algonquin Regiment

• The Edmonton Fusiliers (MG)

13th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The Dufferin and Haldimand Rifles (Mobilized Jul 1940)

• The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Mobilized 23 Jun 1940)

• The Lincoln and Welland Regiment (Mobilized 23 Jun 1940)

3rd Canadian Infantry Division

• 12th Field Regiment, RCA (16th/43rd, 11th/69th Field Batteries)

• 13th Field Regiment, RCA (44th/62nd, 22nd/78th Field Batteries)

• 14th Field Regiment, RCA (32nd/34th, 66th/81st Field Batteries)

• 3rd Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA (4th, 94th, 52nd, 105th Anti-Tank Batteries)

• 6th, 16th, 18th Field Companies, RCE

• 3rd Field Park Company, RCE

7th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The North Nova Scotia Highlanders

• The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa M-G (Had mobilized 1939.)

• 1st Battalion, The Canadian Scottish

• 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

8th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment

• Le Régiment de la Chaudière Regiment (Had mobilized 1939.)

• The Regina Rifles

• 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

9th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders

• The Queen's Own Rifles

• The Highland Light Infantry of Canada

• 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

4th Canadian Infantry Division

• 15th Field Regiment, RCA (41st/102nd, 3rd/47th Field Batteries)

• 16th Field Regiment, RCA (24th/75th, 87th/88th Field Batteries)

• 17th Field Regiment, RCA (60th/76th, 37th Field Batteries)

• 4th Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA (98th, 24th, 52nd, 105th Anti-Tank Batteries)

• 8th, 9th, 10th Field Company, RCE

• 4th Field Park Company, RCE

10th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The British Columbia Regiment

• The South Alberta Regiment

• The Royal Winnipeg Rifles

• 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

11th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The Lake Superior Regiment

• The Irish Regiment of Canada

• The Elgin Regiment

• 11th Canadian Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

12th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The Governor General's Foot Guards

• The Canadian Grenadier Guards

• The Grey and Simcoe Foresters

• 12th Canadian Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

Artillery Units

• 5th Light AA Battery, RCA - Formed in UK

• 3rd Light AA Regiment, RCA (38th, 16th, 17th Light AA Batteries) - Mobilized 28 Sep 1940

Other Units Mobilized in 1940

• 1st Motorcycle Regiment (Royal Canadian Dragoons/Lord Strathcona's Horse) - 6 Jul 1940

• 2nd Motorcycle Regiment (The Governor General's Horse Guards) - 24 May 1940

• 3rd Motorcycle Regiment (17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars) - 6 Jul 1940

• 4th Motorcycle Regiment (8th Princess Louise's New Brunswick Hussars) - Jul 1940

• 5th Motorcycle Regiment (The British Columbia Dragoons) - 24 May 1940

1st Canadian Armoured Brigade

• HQ 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade - 13 Aug 1940