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8th Canadian Division
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8th Canadian Division
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Authorized:
15 June 1942
Disbanded: 15 October 1943 |
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The 8th Canadian
Division was an active formation of the Canadian Army that
served as a home defence organization in the Second World War.
Mobilization
In July 1941 the Cabinet
War Committee authorized the formation of three brigade groups into a
6th Division for the purposes of home defence. By November 1941, while
planning for the upcoming year, the Chief of the General Staff,
Lieutenant General Crerar, did not feel any "factor in the existing situation warranting
the mobilization of an additional division", but noted in his
recommendations for the 1942 Army Programme that if conditions worsened,
he would recommend the completion of the 6th Division and mobilization
of the brigade groups of a 7th. By February 1942, after the attack on Pearl Harbor
and British possessions in the Far East,
Canadian entry into the war against Japan, and the disaster at Hong
Kong, it was felt that the situation warranted mobilization and on 16
March 1942, Lieutenant General Stuart, the new CGS, recommended formally
that the Minister of National Defence proceed. On 20 March 1942, in
light of the fact that the Combined Chiefs of Staff had revised
estimates of scales of scales of attack on the Pacific Coast to include
what they believed was a possible raid by as many as two Japanese
brigades, the Chief of the General Staff recommended the completion of
the 7th Division and formation of the brigade groups of an 8th.1
 As
early as 11 March, even before the mobilization of the new divisions
had been authorized, a decision had been taken to dispose three
brigade groups in Pacific Command, against the possibility of raids
on an increased scale; and in the course of the spring troops moved
west until at the end of May there were 13 infantry battalions in
the Command. Six more arrived in June. The original plan was to use
the 6th Division on the Atlantic Coast, where it would replace the
4th when the latter went overseas; but almost immediately this
arrangement was changed, and the 7th Division was sent to Debert and
Sussex as general reserve for the Atlantic Command. The 6th and two
brigade groups of the 8th were now to be general reserve for Pacific
Command and Western Canada. The 8th's third brigade group would go
to Valcartier as mobile reserve for Eastern Canada. On 17 June 1942,
in the midst of a further flurry of excitement in British Columbia
resulting from the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands, the
War Committee authorized the completion of the order of battle of
the 8th Division. When the two new divisional headquarters were
formed, the 6th Division (commanded by Major- General A. E. Potts)
took responsibility for Vancouver Island, with its headquarters at
Esquimalt. The northern section of British Columbia - north of a
line running from Bella Bella on the coast inland by way of Chilko
Lake to Ashcroft, west of Kamloops, and on along the main line of
the Canadian National Railways to the Alberta border west of Jasper
- was the responsibility of Major-General H. N. Ganong, G.O.C. 8th
Division, with headquarters at Prince George. He was responsible for
the Queen Charlotte Islands and the U.S. aerodrome at Annette
Island, but not for the R.C.A.F. aerodrome at Bella Bella.2
Once the decision had
been made to complete the 8th Division, the 19th, 20th and 21st Infantry
Brigades were mobilized along with the 25th, 26th and 27th Field
Regiments. Also, engineer, signals, service, and medical troops
mobilized in addition to nine infantry battalions and a machine gun
battalion, all under the auspices of General Order 309/42, which was
dated as taking effect 12 May 1942. General Order 301/42, issued on 22
July 1942 and effective 15 June 1942, mobilized divisional units and the
divisional headquarters.3
Called out under General Order
301/42were:4
| Serial |
Unit |
| 1600 |
Headquarters, 8th Canadian
Division |
| 1601 |
8th Divisional Intelligence
Section |
| 1602 |
No. 8 Field Security Section |
| 1603 |
No. 8 Defence and Employment
Platoon |
| 1605 |
Headquarters, 8th Divisional
Artillery, R.C.A. |
| 1615
|
Headquarters, 8th Divisional
Engineers, R.C.E. |
| 1660
|
Commander, 8th Divisional
R.C.A.S.C. |
Called out under General Order
309/42 (dated 30 July 1942) were:5
| Serial |
Unit |
| 1607 |
Headquarters, 19th Infantry
Brigade |
| 1608 |
Headquarters, 20th Infantry
Brigade |
| 1609 |
Headquarters, 21st Infantry
Brigade |
| 1610
|
25th Field Regiment, R.C.A. |
| 1610A
|
Headquarters, 25th Field
Regiment, R.C.A. |
| 1610B
|
114th Field Battery, R.C.A. |
| 1610C |
115th Field Battery, R.C.A. |
| 1610D |
116th Field Battery, R.C.A. |
| 1611 |
26th Field Regiment, R.C.A. |
| 1611A
|
Headquarters, 26th Field
Regiment, R.C.A. |
| 1611B |
117th Field Battery, R.C.A. |
| 1611C |
118th Field Battery, R.C.A. |
| 1611D |
119th Field Battery, R.C.A. |
| 1612 |
27th Field Regiment, R.C.A. |
| 1612A |
Headquarters, 27th Field
Regiment, R.C.A. |
| 1612B |
120th Field Battery, R.C.A. |
| 1612C |
121st Field Battery, R.C.A. |
| 1612D |
122nd Field Battery, R.C.A. |
| 1616 |
26th Field Company, R.C.E. |
| 1617 |
27th Field Company, R.C.E. |
| 1618 |
28th Field Company, R.C.E. |
| 1626H |
"E" Section, No. 2 Company, 8th
Divisional Signals, R.C.C.S. |
| 1626J |
"F" Section, No. 2 Company, 8th
Divisional Signals, R.C.C.S. |
| 1626K |
"G" Section, No. 2 Company, 8th
Divisional Signals, R.C.C.S. |
| 1626N |
"J" Section, No. 3 Company, 8th
Divisional Signals, R.C.C.S. |
| 1626P |
"K" Section, No. 3 Company, 8th
Divisional Signals, R.C.C.S. |
| 1626Q |
"L" Section, No. 3 Company, 8th
Divisional Signals, R.C.C.S. |
| 1072 |
3rd Battalion, Irish Fusiliers
(Vancouver Regiment) |
| 1073 |
3rd Battalion, The Regina Rifle
Regiment |
| 1074 |
3rd Battalion, The Edmonton
Fusiliers |
| 1075 |
3rd Battalion, The Royal
Winnipeg Rifles |
| 1076 |
3rd Battalion, The Queen's Own
Rifles of Canada |
| 1077
|
2nd/10th Dragoons |
| 1078 |
Le Regiment de Levis |
| 1079 |
3rd Battalion, Les Fusiliers
Mont-Royal |
| 1080 |
3rd Battalion, Le Regiment de
Maisonneuve |
| 1661 |
21st Brigade Group Company (No.
24 Company), R.C.A.S.C. |
| 1662 |
14th Brigade Group Company (No.
25 Company), R.C.A.S.C. |
| 1663 |
16th Brigade Group Company (No.
26 Company), R.C.A.S.C. |
| 1666
|
No. 26 Field Ambulance,
R.C.A.M.C. |
| 1667 |
No. 27 Field Ambulance,
R.C.A.M.C. |
| 1668 |
No. 28 Field Ambulance,
R.C.A.M.C. |
| 1122
|
No. 112 Light Aid Detachment
(Type A), R.C.O.C. |
| 1123
|
No. 113 Light Aid Detachment
(Type A), R.C.O.C. |
| 1124 |
No. 114 Light Aid Detachment
(Type A), R.C.O.C. |
| 1125 |
No. 115 Light Aid Detachment
(Type B), R.C.O.C. |
| 1126 |
No. 116 Light Aid Detachment
(Type B), R.C.O.C. |
| 1127 |
No. 117 Light Aid
Detachment (Type B), R.C.O.C. |
| 1081 |
The Princess of Wales' Own
Regiment (M.G.) |
The Headquarters
assembled at Ottawa on 25 June 1942 and moved to Jasper, Alberta in
September.
Order of Battle June 1942
-
20th Brigade
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3rd Battalion, The
Queen's Own Rifles
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3rd Battalion, The
Royal Winnipeg Rifles
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2nd/10th Dragoons
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No. 20 Defence
Platoon
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21st Brigade
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3rd Battalion, Les
Fusiliers Mont-Royal
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3rd Battalion, Le
Regiment de Maisonneuve
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Le Regiment de Levis
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No. 21 Defence
Platoon
Units of the supporting arms
included:
Plus units of the RCASC,
RCAMC, RCOC, CPC, etc.
The three home
defence divisions, the 6th, 7th and 8th, were never complete in all
arms and services. They did not need to be, for they were designed
to operate within the framework of a static organization already
existing. This meant that the services of the Commands and Military
Districts were available to assist them; it also meant that the
artillery of the fixed defences, and other permanent installations,
could support them in operations. Thus their establishments were
never as complete as those of field divisions. Nor were the
establishments ever quite full. On 17 April 1943, the 7th Division
was deficient 97 officers and 3738 other ranks; the 6th and 8th
Divisions were short approximately 1200 and 1100 all ranks
respectively.6
On 1 October 1942, 14th
and 16th Brigades came under command of the 8th Division, followed by
the Prince Rupert Defences on the 9th of the month.
In November 1942, 19th Field Regiment departed for overseas and was
replaced by 22nd Field Regiment.
Headquarters 8th Division, and Headquarters 16th Brigade, became
situated at Prince George, BC, with the 14th Brigade at Terrace, BC,
along with 22nd Field Regiment (less one battery detached to the Prince
Rupert Defences).
The Division operated an armoured train between Terrace and Prince
Rupert, manning the train with both infantry and artillerymen.7
In June 1943, the remainder of 22nd Field Regiment was detached to the
Prince Rupert Defences, and the entire regiment then returned to the
Division on 24 July 1943. Five days later, two batteries of 22nd Field,
along with the 16th Infantry Brigade, moved to the 6th Division. The
artillery batteries later returned to the 8th Division in October.
In September 1943, the 18th Brigade Group came under command of the
Prince Rupert Defences, and the Division consisted of 14th and 18th
Brigade Groups until disbandment of the Division on 15 October 1943.
Various units disbanding at that time included the Headquarters of 19th,
20th and 21st Infantry Brigades, No. 8 Field Security Section, No. 8
Defence and Employment Platoon, Headquarters Divisional Artillery,
Divisional Engineers, Divisional RCASC, No. 19, 20 and 21 Defence
Platoons, and the 22nd, 27th and 28th Field Regiments.
The 25th Field Regiment returned to 6th Division.8
Commanders
The Division had only one
General Officers Commanding during its existence:
|
Name
|
Dates in Command
|
Bio and Destination on Leaving
Appointment |
| Major General H.N.
Ganong, CBE |
11 Jul 1942 - 15
Oct 1943 |
Commanded 8th
Canadian Division until it disbanded, then transferred to
command 6th Canadian Division until that formation was also
disbanded. Had commanded a brigade overseas prior to commanding
a division in Canada. |
Uniform Insignia
At the start of the Second World War, it was
felt that colourful unit and Formation Patches would be too easily seen,
and a very austere set of insignia was designed for the new Battle Dress
uniform, consisting solely of rank badges and drab worsted Slip-on
Shoulder Titles. In 1941, however, the trend was reversed, and a new
system of Formation Patches, based on the battle patches of the First
World War, was introduced. However, the use of lettered unit titles (at
first won as Slip-on Shoulder Titles and later, as more colourful
designs worn directly above the divisional patches) was also introduced
- a privilege previously extended only to the Brigade of Guards in
England, and in the Canadian Army to just four units: Governor General's
Foot Guards, Canadian Grenadier Guards, Princess Patricia's Canadian
Light Infantry and the Canadian Provost Corps.
The new formation patches were made from three materials mainly; felt
and wool being most common, and canvas patches were adopted in the late
war period as an economy measure.
Members of various corps serving in support units originally wore
formation patches with letters added directly to the patch (or in some
cases a plain coloured shape, such as the Royal Canadian Army Medical
Corps (RCAMC))
The hexagonal patch of the Canadian Army Pacific Force applied overtop
of the formation patch indicated a volunteer for the CAPF.
The 8th Canadian Division also utilized previously used colours, this
time combining the colours of the 4th and 5th Divisions. The wide end of
the green triangle was always worn facing the wearer's front.
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Artifacts and
photos courtesy of Bill Alexander. |
Notes
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Stacey, C.P.
Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War:
Volume I: Six Years Of War (Queen's Printer, Ottawa, ON,
1956), pp.166-171
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Ibid, p.172
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Falconer, D.W. Battery Flashes of
W.W. II (D.W. Falconer, 1985) ISBN 0-9691865-0-9 p.388
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Tonner, Mark W. On Active Service
(Service Publications, Ottawa, ON) ISBN 1-894581-44-X
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Ibid
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Stacey, Ibid, pp.183-184
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For more detail, see Lucy, Roger V. The Armoured Train in
Canadian Service (Service Publications, Ottawa, ON, 2005)
ISBN 1-894581-25-3
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Falconer, Ibid, pp.388-389
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