Atlantic Command
|
Atlantic Command
|
 |
Authorized:
General Order 264/43 effective 7 Aug 1940
Disbanded: General Order 305/45 effective
31 Jul 1945 |
|
Atlantic Command
was a formation similar to a corps in principle, created in 1940.
This Command oversaw active formations and units engaged in the
defence of Eastern Canada.
Authorization
Lieutenant General H.D.G. Crerar, the Chief of the General Staff in
1940, submitted a series of organizational suggestions to the
Minister of National Defence during his tenure as CGS. Among them
was a memorandum written on 23 July 1940:
I consider that a
Command Headquarters (Operational) with adequate staff should be
established in the Maritimes with operational control over those
Army forces earmarked for the defence of the Maritime Provinces,
including the Gulf of St. Lawrence area and Newfoundland...The
function of the several District Headquarters in the Eastern
area...under the conditions which Canada now faces should be
restricted to administration and to the command and training of
those troops not actually allotted to Command Headquarters for
operational purposes. It should be noted, incidentally, that such
organization would fit in with the Operational Zones established by
the Royal Canadian Air Force.1
On 1 August 1940, Major
General W.H.P. Elkins, formerly Master General of the Ordnance, assumed
the position of General Officer Commander in Chief of Atlantic Command.
A similar command was instituted in British Columbia, being known as
Pacific Command.
Area
Under Command
Atlantic Command was headquartered at Halifax, NS, and comprised all of
Military Districts 6 and 7 (in other words the Provinces of Nova Scotia,
New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island), and portions of Military
District 5 lying east of "a line drawn between Cape Chidley (Hudson
Strait) and the mouth of the Saguenay River and extending southerly from
the St. Lawrence along the Temiscouta Railway and Riviere du Loup to
Edmundston, New Brunswick." The Command also included the British
colonial dominions of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mandate
The GOC-in-C was tasked to:
-
Represent the Army as
regards all operational matters which affect all three Services in
the Atlantic Command and in the closest co-operation with the
equivalent commanders of the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian
Air Force in that area.
-
Control all mobile
forces which may be placed under his command for operational
purposes in the defence of the Atlantic Area.
-
Exercise operational
control through Fortress Commanders, etc., over all units comprising
the garrisons of all fortresses, defended ports and defended areas
of Atlantic Command.
-
Be responsible for
internal security measures and protection of such vulnerable points
in the Atlantic Command as are defined by policy as military
responsibilities.
-
Be responsible for
the training of the units and formations under his command.2
Strength
Atlantic Command reached a peak strength on 17 April 1943, with 24,784
troops of all ranks on strength. Operational strength consisted mainly
of the 7th Canadian Division, headquartered at Debert, NS, with the 15th
and 20th Infantry Brigade Groups under command. The 17th Infantry
Brigade Group was stationed at Sussex, NB. The 7th Division was a pure
mobile reserve, and the General Officer Commanding the Division had no
fortresses under his command. Atlantic Command had 18 infantry
battalions in all (including two preparing to depart for overseas), with
ten of those (9 rifle battalions and a machine gun battalion) under
direct command of the 7th Division. Of the remainder, 3 were in
garrisons, fortresses or other defended areas, and 5 were in
Newfoundland and Labrador. Eventually an Airfield Defence Battalion was
organized from Le Régiment de Chauteauguay (Mit) as part of Atlantic
Command also.
Atlantic Command could also count on the 21st Infantry Brigade Group as
a mobile reserve; this formation had been formed as part of the 8th
Canadian Division and stationed at Valcartier, PQ (outside of Atlantic
Command's boundaries and under the command of the District Officer
Commanding Military District No. 5), with a strength on 17 April 1943 of
3,668 all ranks.
Subordinate Commands
Other headquarters in
Atlantic Command included:
| 7th Canadian Division |
Authorized under G.O.
309/42 eff 12 May 1942 |
Disbanded under G.O.
15/44 eff 15 October 1943 |
| Headquarters St. John Defences
(Serial 2908) |
Mobilized under G.O.
264/43 eff 1 Jul 1940 at Saint John N.B. |
- Redesignated Headquarters
Defended Port of Saint John G.O. 206/44 (eff 15 Apr 44)
- Disbanded G.O. 305/45 eff 31
Jul 1945
|
| Headquarters Shelburne Defences
(Serial 875) |
Mobilized under G.O.
264/43 eff 1 Sep 1939 at Shelburne, NS |
- Redesignated Headquarters
Defended Port of Shelburne under G.O. 206/44 (eff 15 Apr 44)
- Disbanded G.O. 208/45 eff 30
Sep 1944
|
| Headquarters Sydney-Canso
Defences (Serial 2920) |
Mobilized under G.O.
264/43 eff 1 Sep 1939 at Sydney, NS |
- Redesignated Headquarters
Defended Port of Sydney G.O. 206/44 (eff 15 Apr 44)
- Disbanded G.O. 379/45 eff 15
Aug 1945
|
| "W" Force (Newfoundland) |
"W" Force Brigade
Headquarters (Serial 1140) authorized under G.O. 61/41 eff 31
Oct 1940, to command all Canadian units in the Newfoundland
defences. |
Brigade headquarters
disbanded under G.O. 227/46 eff 30 Jul 1946 |
| Headquarters St. John's Defences
(Newfoundland) (Serial 872) |
Mobililzed as a
component of "W" Force under G.O. 264/43 eff 1 Jul 1940. |
- Redesignated Headquarters
Defended Port of St. John's under G.O. 206/44 eff 15 Apr
1944
- Disbanded under G.O. 379/45
eff 15 Aug 1945
|
Activities
Aside from normal
garrison and defensive duties, submarine activity in the St. Lawrence
seaway produced a slight scare in the late spring of 1942.
On 16 May, on
orders of Headquarters Atlantic Command, one infantry company moved
into the defended port of Gaspe to supplement the artillery
garrison; this precaution seems to have been ordered just before the
first sinkings. After them, General Elkins visited the Gaspe area
and reported that he was satisfied with the naval and air
dispositions which had been or were being made. However, he arranged
for a small reconnaissance detachment from the 4th Division to stand
by to move to Mont Joli for patrol duty, should the situation
deteriorate.147 This move actually took place after the sinkings in
July, a motor platoon from The Lake Superior Regiment being used to
patrol between Bic and Cap Chat. At the same time a platoon of the
Gaspe garrison was used for a similar motorized patrol along the
more easterly section of the coast. What the local population would
most have liked was to have large numbers of Active Army troops
deployed along the coast as protection against raids by or from
submarines. However, to have allowed a mere threat by one or two
U-boats to tie up thousands of soldiers in this manner would have
been very poor policy. National Defence Headquarters accordingly
made it clear that static protection for the communities along the
lower St. Lawrence should be provided by the citizens themselves
through the medium of the Reserve Army.3
A significant proportion
of Atlantic Command's resources were devoted to the defence of
Newfoundland and Labrador, who did not join Canadian confederation until
after the Second World War and were still a British dominion.
Nonetheless, the Canadian government and in particular Prime Minister
Mackenzie King placed special importance on the protection of Canadian
interests there.
Accordingly, large
and increasing Canadian forces were stationed on Newfoundland
territory as the war progressed and enemy activity in North American
waters increased. ...measures (were) taken to develop the island's
coast and anti-aircraft defences. Strong forces of artillery and
ancillary troops were required for this duty, and in addition
infantry was needed for security against possible raids. The
Canadian Army force in Newfoundland ("W" Force) reached its peak of
strength on 15 December 1943, when it was 5692 all ranks. It had
been a major-general's command since 25 December 1941, when
Major-General L. F. Page took over
the command of "Combined Newfoundland and Canadian Military Forces
in Newfoundland".
At the time of its
greatest expansion "W" Force included the following major units: two
infantry battalions (with headquarters at St. John's and Botwood),
plus two companies of the 1st Airfield Defence Battalion (Le
Regiment de Chateauguay) and one of the Veterans Guard; two
anti-aircraft regiments R.C.A. (with headquarters at St. John's and
Gander) and three coast batteries R.C.A. (at St. John's, Botwood and
Lewisporte); a fortress company R.C.E. and a company of Atlantic
Command Signals; and the numerous administrative and service units
required to maintain the force. ... The Newfoundland Regiment
assumed various local protective functions and in addition manned
the Bell Island battery. Its strength on 15 December 1943 was 26
officers and 543 other ranks.4
The first Canadian unit
to serve in Newfoundland was The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
of Canada, who arrived on 22 June 1940. They were relieved in August
1940 by The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, as the Black Watch proceeded
overseas to join the 2nd Division. That same month, Newfoundland forces
were placed under Canadian command and Newfoundland joined Atlantic
Command. In November 1940, The Victoria Rifles of Canada and The Royal
Rifles of Canada arrived, doubling the infantry component of "W" Force
and relieving the Queen's Own, who returned to Canada and the 3rd
Canadian Division. The Royal Rifles left Newfoundland in August 1941,
and eventually sailed for Hong Kong. Other units to serve in
Newfoundland included The Prince Edward Island Highlanders, The
Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment, The Lincoln and Welland Regiment, The
Algonquin Regiment, Le Regiment de Joliette, The Pictou Highlanders, Le
Regiment de St. Hyacinthe, Le Regiment de Montmagny, Le Regiment de
Quebec, the 1st Airfield Defence Battalion (Le Regiment de Chateuaguay),
a company of the Veterans Guard of Canada, the 25th and 26th
Anti-Aircraft Regiments, Royal Canadian Artillery, and three coastal
batteries.5
Disbandment
In November 1944, authority was granted to disband Headquarters,
Atlantic Command and the Military Districts of the Maritimes resumed
normal functioning, taking effect 14-15 December 1944.6
Commanders
|
Name
|
Dates in Command
|
Bio and Destination on Leaving
Appointment |
| Major General W.H.P. Elkins, CB,
CBE, DSO |
1 Aug 1940 - 15
Jul 1943 |
|
| Major General L.F. Page, CB, DSO |
16 Jul 1943 - 24
Aug 1944 |
|
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.
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.
Atlantic Command adopted a French-Grey diamond in the same shape as the
patches worn by the 1st and 2nd Canadian Corps headquarters in Europe,
generally 3 inches wide by 2 inches tall.
Atlantic Command came to have
insignia similar to the Corps insignia used overseas, adopting a
French-Grey diamond.
Artefact and photo courtesy of Bill Alexander.
As with the 3rd Canadian Division
patches in both wars, finding a "correct" shade
of "French Grey" was a difficult thing to do.
Notes
-
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), p.163
-
Ibid
-
Ibid, p.176
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Ibid, pp.179-180
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Falconer, D.W. Battery Flashes of
W.W. II (D.W. Falconer, 1985) ISBN 0-9691865-0-9 p.397
-
Ibid, p.390
Other Referenes
