Unit Listings - 1940

This is a listing of the units of the Canadian Army in 1940.

Permanent Active Militia (Permanent Force)

Cavalry

• Royal Canadian Dragoons

  • CASF

• Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)

  • (Headquarters and one squadron briefly formed into 1st Canadian Motorcycle Regiment (RCD/LSH (RD) Jul 1940, then redesignated back to Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) on 21 Sep.

Infantry

• The Royal Canadian Regiment

  • CASF

• Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry

  • CASF

• Royal 22e Regiment

  • CASF

Non-Permanent Active Militia

Cavalry

• The Governor General's Horse Guards

  • Mobilized armoured regiment for CASF 24 May (2nd Canadian Motorcycle Regiment, CASF, (GGHG)

  • Reserve armoured regiment raised.

• 1st Hussars

  • CASF, converted to armour

  • Reserve armoured regiment raised.

• 2nd/10th Dragoons

• 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards

• 6th Duke of Connaught's Royal Canadian Hussars (Armoured Car)

• 7th/11th Hussars

• 8th Princess Louise's New Brunswick Hussars

  • Mobilized armoured regiment for CASF Jul.

  • Reserve armoured regiment raised.

• The Prince Edward Island Light Horse

• 7th/11th Hussars

• 12th Manitoba Dragoons

• King's Canadian Hussars (Armoured Car) (Converted to Artillery 15 Aug.)

• 16th/22nd Saskatchewan Horse

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • Reserve regiment raised.

• 17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars

  • Mobilized reconnaissance regiment for CASF 24 May.

  • Reserve reconnaissance regiment raised.

• The Manitoba Mounted Rifles

• 19th Alberta Dragoons

• 14th Canadian Light Horse (Redesignated 14th Canadian Hussars 1 Aug.)

• The British Columbia Dragoons

  • Mobilized armoured regiment for CASF 24 May.

  • Reserve armoured regiment raised.

• The Fort Garry Horse

  • CASF

• 15th Alberta Light Horse

  • Mobilized armoured reconnaissance regiment for CASF 24 May.

  • Reserve regiment raised.

Infantry

• The Governor General's Foot Guards

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Canadian Grenadier Guards

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Queens Own Rifles of Canada

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• Victoria Rifles of Canada

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Royal Rifles of Canada

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• Les Voltigeurs de Quebec

• The Royal Regiment of Canada

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles)

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Irish Fusiliers of Canada (Vancouver Regiment)

• The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment)(MG)

• The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment)

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment (MG)

• The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Argyll Light Infantry (Tank)

• Le Regiment de Levis

• The Lincoln and Welland Regiment

  • Mobilized for CASF 10 Aug.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)(MG)

• The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment)

  • No. 1 Infantry Base Depot CASF

• The Essex Scottish

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Oxford Rifles

• The Kent Regiment (MG)

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Elgin Regiment

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Middlesex and Huron Regiment

• The Perth Regiment (MG)

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Highland Light Infantry of Canada

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Grey and Simcoe Foresters

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Ontario Regiment (Tank)

  • CASF battalion

  • reserve battalion

• The Dufferin and Haldimand Rifles of Canada

  • Mobilized for CASF Jul.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Midland Regiment (Northumberland and Durham)

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Brockville Rifles

• The Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment

• The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury Regiment (MG)

• The Sherbrooke Regiment (MG)

  • No. 1 General Base Depot CASF (The Sherbrooke Regiment) (disbanded in UK 1940)

• Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke

  • The Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment, CASF formed by amalgamation of the active service elements of The Sherbrooke Regiment, and Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke.

• The Prince of Wales Rangers (Peterbororugh Regiment)(MG)

• The Royal Montreal Regiment (MG)

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The King's Own Rifles of Canada (MG)

• Le Regiment Montmagmy

• The St. John Fusiliers (MG)

• The Halifax Rifles

• Le Regiment de Chateauguay (Mit)

• Les Fusiliers Mont Royal

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Princess Louise Fusiliers (MG)

• The Carleton and York Regiment

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The West Nova Scotia Regiment

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• Le Regiment de Hull

• The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The New Brunswick Rangers

• The Pictou Highlanders

• The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The North Nova Scotia Highlanders (MG)

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Prince Edward Island Highlanders

• Regiment de Joliette

• Le Regiment de St. Hyacinthe

• Le Regiment de Maisonneuve

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank)

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• Le Regiment de Quebec (Mit)

• Fusiliers du St. Laurent

• The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (MG)

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Royal Winnipeg Rifles

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• 48th Highlanders of Canada

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• Le Regiment de Saguenay

• The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's) (MG)

  • Mobilized for CASF 15 Aug.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Lake Superior Regiment

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• Le Régiment de la Chaudière (Mitrailleuses)

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Cape Breton Highlanders

• The Regina Rifle Regiment

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The South Saskatchewan Regiment

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Algonquin Regiment

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Winnipeg Grenadiers (MG)

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Edmonton Regiment

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Edmonton Fusiliers (MG)

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Rocky Mountain Rangers

• The Calgary Highlanders

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Calgary Regiment (Tank)

• The Prince Albert and Battleford Volunteers

• The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Winnipeg Light Infantry (MG)

• 1st Battalion The Canadian Scottish Regiment

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

• 2nd Battalion, The Canadian Scottish Regiment (MG)

• The Scots Fusiliers of Canada

• The Irish Regiment of Canada (MG) (Redesignated The Irish Regiment of Canada 12 Aug.)

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Toronto Scottish Regiment (MG)

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The South Alberta Regiment

  • Mobilized for CASF 24 May.

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Saskatoon Light Infantry (MG)

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Westminster Regiment (MG)

  • CASF, redesignated "1st Battalion"

  • 2nd Battalion raised

• The Irish Fusiliers of Canada (Vancouver Regiment)

• The Essex Regiment (Tank)

• The New Brunswick Regiment (Tank)

Canadian Active Service Force

In Nov 1940, units of the Canadian Active Service Force, a field force established for service in the Second World War, were redesignated the Canadian Army (Active). The CASF had begun mobilizing in 1939 and additional forces were mobilized in 1940. In the summer of 1940, all infantry units were authorized to recruit a second reserve battalion for part time service in Canada.

In Aug 1939, several units were mobilized for local protective duties and coastal protection. Ten infantry battalions mobilized active details, which remained active until the battalions were mobilized on 1 Jan 1941:

• The Cape Breton Highlanders (Sydney, NS)

• The Halifax Rifles (Halifax, NS)

• The Irish Fusiliers of Canada (Vancouver, BC)

• The New Brunswick Rangers (Sussex, NB)

• The Pictou Highlanders (Stellarton, NS)

• The Prince Edward Island Highlanders (Charlottetown, PEI)

• The Princess Louise Fusiliers (MG) (Halifax, NS)

• The Rocky Mountain Rangers (Kamloops, BC)

• The St. John Fusiliers (MG) (St. John, NB)

• 2nd Battalion, The Canadian Scottish (Nanaimo, BC)