Topic: Canadian Army
Corporals N. Semchuk and A.A. Adams of the Canadian Army Pacific Force examining their boots, Brockville, Ontario, Canada, ca. June-July 1945. (L-R): Cpls. N. Semchuk, A.A. Adams. Location: Brockville, Ontario, Canada. Date: [ca. June-July 1945]. Photographer: Unknown., Photographer Mikan Number: 3404728. From the LIbrary and Archives Canada virtual exhibition Faces of War.
Canadian Army Pacific Force
The Maple Leaf; 11 June 1945
U.S. Organization, Canadian Uniforms for Pacific Force
Ottawa.—The Canadian Army Far East force, comprising the Sixth Canadian Division with its supporting armour and service troops, will be organized on lines similar to those of the army of the United States with which it will operate, it was announced today from the Department of National Defence. It was pointed out that this will involve certain differences in the designation of units to avoid confusion in operation, planning and orders. In the American Army the word "regiment" is applied to a formation normally known in Canada as a "brigade," while the units commonly known as "regiments" in the Canadian Army are called "battalions" in the United States.
Accordingly, infantry units in the new Canadian Army Pacific force will be known as Canadian infantry battalions and will be grouped in infantry regiments. Artillery batteries will be grouped into field artillery battalions instead of regiments. Infantry battalions in the force will be organized on a territorial basis with each unit representative of a military district and the appropriate numerical identification will be allotted to each.
Geographical
Each battalion will carry its geographical identification in its title. For instance, number one battalion will be the First Canadian Infantry Battalion (Western Ontario). Other units will be similarly representative of the various military districts and provinces. As far as possible, personnel will be posted to units representing their particularly territorial affiliation.
The Canadian force will use United States weapons and equipment with the exception of uniforms which will be Canadian with Canadian regimental badges and flashes, badges of rank and identifying battle patches. American-type steel helmets will be worn to avoid confusion in the heat of battle and because the bucket-type helmet has proven most adaptable to conditions encountered in the Pacific Theatre.
Battle patch for the force has been designed as a hexagonal form divided into six triangles which will be comprised of the colors of each of the five present devisions, plus one black triangle representing Canadian armoured brigades. When assembly of the force in Canada has been completed, it will move to the United States for advanced training prior to embarkation for the Pacific Theatre.
Within a few weeks of the above article being published, the naming scheme for the infantry battalions of the Sixth Canadian Division changed. Instead of being named and numbered for their respective military districts, they were assigned regimental affiliations. The First Canadian Infantry Battalion then became the "1st Canadian Infantry Battalion (The Royal Canadian Regiment)."
The war concluded before the Sixth Division moved to the United States for further training. When the overseas battalion of The RCR returned to Wolseley Barracks in London, Ontario, for demobilization and disbandment, the First Battalion training at Barriefield, Ontario, for the Sixth Division was redesignated "The Royal Canadian Regiment," becoming the sole Permanent Force battalion of The RCR in the post-war period.
The Maple Leaf; 23 June 1945
First Division Names Adopted By Canadian Far East Force
Ottawa—(CP)—Famous fighting names of 10 First Canadian Infantry Division units which served in the Mediterranean and Northwestern Europe will be perpetuated in the Sixth Division which Maj.-Gen. Bert Hoffmeister will lead against the Japanese, it is announced here.
Previously it had been announced the units would be designated by the numbers of their military districts.
They are:
- West Nova Scotia Regiment, Bridgewater, N.S.;
- Carleton and York Regiment, Woodstock and St. Stephen, N.B.;
- Royal 22nd Regiment, Quebec;
- Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, Picton, Trenton and Belleville, Ont.;
- 48th Highlanders of Canada, Toronto;
- Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Victoria, B.C.;
- Loyal Edmonton Regiment, Edmonton;
- Saskatoon Light Infantry, Saskatoon;
- Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, Vancouver;
- Royal Canadian Regiment, London, Ont., St. John's Que., and Halifax.
Completing the Sixth Division will be the Royal Montreal Regiment and the Grenadier Guards, both of Montreal.
Serious training for the Pacific will begin early in September in Kentucky.
In a Washington interview, General Hoffmeister said 28,000 European veterans had volunteered to serve with the limited force of 30,000.
he would not say when the formation would be ready to rake on the Japs, but noted that the great majority of the men were experienced and they should complete their training quickly. He also said Canada would be paying for supplies, equipment and services received while the Sixth Division served under overall United States command.
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