5th Canadian Division


The 5th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of most army units in the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador; as well as some units in Kingston, Ontario. The division is recognized by the distinctive maroon patch worn on the sleeve of its soldiers.
It was first created as a formation of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. It was stood down during the war only to be reactivated through the renaming from '1st Canadian Armoured Division' to the 5th Canadian Division during the Second World War. It was stood down following demobilization and was again reactivated in 2013 with the renaming of the former Land Force Area Atlantic.

First World War

The 5th Canadian Division of the Canadian Corps was formed during World War I under Major-General Garnet Burk Hughes. The 5th began assembling in Britain in February, 1917, but was broken up in February 1918 before it was fully formed. The Division adopted a coloured formation patch identical in design to that worn by the four combatant divisions of the Canadian Corps. Its men were used as reinforcements for the other four Canadian divisions, helping to maintain the over-strength Divisions of 22,000–25,000 with more than 100,000 men total. It was reactivated in 2013.

Infantry units

13th Canadian Brigade:
  • 128th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – May 1917. Absorbed by the 15th Canadian Reserve Battalion;
  • 134th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – February 1918. Absorbed by the 12th Canadian Reserve Battalion;
  • 160th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – February 1918. Absorbed by the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion;
  • 164th Battalion Canadian Infantry. May 1917 – April 1918. Absorbed by the 8th Canadian Reserve Battalion;
  • 202nd Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – May 28, 1918. Absorbed by the 9th Canadian Reserve Battalion;
  • 208th Battalion Canadian Infantry. May 1917 – January 3, 1918. Absorbed by the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Reserve Battalions.
14th Canadian Brigade:
  • 125th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – April 16, 1918. Absorbed by the 8th Canadian Reserve Battalion;
  • 150th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – February 15, 1918. Absorbed by the 6th Canadian Reserve Battalion;
  • 156th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – February 15, 1918. Absorbed by the 6th Canadian Reserve Battalion;
  • 161st Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – February 15, 1918. Absorbed by the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion.
15th Canadian Brigade:
  • 104th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – February 15, 1918. Absorbed by the 13th Canadian Reserve Battalion;
  • 119th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – April 16, 1918. Absorbed by the 8th Canadian Reserve Battalion;
  • 185th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – February 15, 1918. Absorbed by the 17th Canadian Reserve Battalion;
  • 198th Battalion Canadian Infantry. April 1917 – March 9, 1918. Absorbed by the 3rd Canadian Reserve Battalion;
  • 199th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – April 1917. Absorbed by the 23rd Canadian Reserve Battalion.
Attached Troops:
  • 164th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – May 1917. To the 13th Canadian Brigade;
  • 198th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – April 1917. To the 15th Canadian Brigade;
  • 208th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – May 1917. To the 13th Canadian Brigade;
  • 236th Battalion Canadian Infantry. February 1917 – May 1917. Disbanded on March 13, 1918.
  • 12 Canadian Field Ambulance

    Second World War

The 5th Canadian Division was a Canadian division during World War II. Following its redesignation from 1st Canadian Armoured Division, the bulk proceeded overseas in one main convoy, arriving in the United Kingdom at the end of November 1941.
The 5th Canadian Division spent two years of the war uneventfully in the United Kingdom, before finally transferring to the Mediterranean theatre in November 1943 to join the 1st Canadian Infantry Division as part of I Canadian Corps, under command of the British Eighth Army. The division moved without its tanks and vehicles, inheriting heavily used equipment as a legacy from the veteran British 7th Armoured Division who they relieved on the Italian Front. The majority of the vehicles were completely worn out, having first been issued in North Africa or were two-wheel drive–useless in Italy. It took several months for the division to be fully equipped with new vehicles, including M4 Shermans. Only the 11th Canadian Infantry Brigade was committed prior to 31 January 1944.
The 5th Armoured took part in the Italian Campaign until the end of 1944, seeing notable action on the Hitler Line after the Allied breakthrough at Cassino in May 1944 and also during Operation Olive on the Gothic Line in August 1944. During the latter battle its single infantry brigade was augmented by a second, which was raised using reinforcements and units serving in other roles. Among them was the 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards–1st Canadian Division's armoured reconnaissance regiment. As with other Allied armoured divisions in the Mediterranean, local resources were used to establish an additional infantry brigade, the 12th Canadian Infantry Brigade. Based on the colour of its shoulder patch, the division became known as the "Mighty Maroon Machine".
File:The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 BU4215.jpg|thumb|right|A Sherman Firefly of the 5th Canadian Division assists British troops of the 11th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, British 49th Infantry Division, to clear the Germans from Ede, the Netherlands, 17 April 1945.
In January 1945, the division, together with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, as part of Operation Goldflake, moved by truck, train, and naval transport to Belgium via Livorno and Marseille. After arriving on the Western Front, it disbanded the 12th Brigade, and re-equipped to join the First Canadian Army in time to participate in the final advance into Germany.
In April 1945, the Irish Regiment of Canada was assigned to Operation Cleanser in the Netherlands. They had to liberate the route from Arnhem to Harderwijk. This unexpectedly resulted in a fierce fight at the Battle of Otterlo.

Commanding officers

5th Armoured Brigade

  • 2nd Armoured Regiment
  • 5th Armoured Regiment
  • 9th Armoured Regiment
  • 1st Battalion, The Westminster Regiment

    11th Infantry Brigade

  • 11th Independent Machine Gun Company
  • 1st Battalion, The Perth Regiment
  • 1st Battalion, The Cape Breton Highlanders
  • 1st Battalion, The Irish Regiment of Canada
  • 3rd Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment
  • 11th Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon

    Other units

  • 17th Field Regiment, RCA
  • 8th Field Regiment, RCA
  • 4th Anti-tank Regiment, RCA
  • 5th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA
  • 5th Canadian Division Headquarters Squadron, CAC
  • "G" Squadron, 25th Armoured Delivery Regiment
  • 5th Canadian Armoured Division Engineers
  • *1st Field Squadron, RCE
  • *10th Field Squadron, RCE
  • *4th Field Park Squadron, RCE
  • *5th Canadian Armoured Division Bridge Troop, RCE
  • 5th Canadian Armoured Divisional Signals, RCSigs
  • No. 5 Provost Company, Canadian Provost Corps

    Organization July 1944 until March 1945

5th Canadian Armoured Brigade

  • 2nd Armoured Regiment
  • 5th Armoured Regiment
  • 9th Armoured Regiment

    11th Canadian Infantry Brigade

  • 11th Independent Machine Gun Company
  • 1st Battalion, The Perth Regiment
  • 1st Battalion, The Cape Breton Highlanders
  • 1st Battalion, The Irish Regiment of Canada
  • 11th Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon

    12th Canadian Infantry Brigade (raised in August 1944)

  • 12th Independent Machine Gun Company
  • 1st Battalion, The Westminster Regiment
  • 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards
  • The Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment
  • 3rd Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment
  • 12th Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon

    Other units

  • 17th Field Artillery Regiment
  • 8th Field Artillery Regiment
  • 4th Anti-tank Regiment
  • 5th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
  • "G" Squadron, 25th Armoured Delivery Regiment, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
  • 5th Canadian Armoured Division Engineers
  • *1st Field Squadron, RCE
  • *10th Field Squadron, RCE
  • *4th Field Park Squadron, RCE
  • *5th Canadian Armoured Division Bridge Troop, RCE
  • 5th Canadian Armoured Divisional Signals, RCSigs
  • No. 5 Provost Company, Canadian Provost Corps

    Land Force Atlantic Area

Land Force Atlantic Area was created on 1 September 1991, taking command of what was previously the militia areas and the Regular Force Army units and formations in Atlantic Canada. At that point in time, the Militia Areas ceased to exist, and the subordinate Militia Districts were reorganised. Later that decade, the reserve force districts were again reorganized into two Canadian Brigade Groups. LFAA was the formation responsible for Canadian Army operations in the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island and was headquartered at Canadian Forces Base Halifax.

Organization of LFAA (2010)

Regular Force
Reserve Force