Royal Canadian Legion

The First Canadian Army

The Canadian Forces in England had grown steadily since the troops of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division landed in December 1939. The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division arrived in the summer and autumn of 1940, and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division was sent overseas in 1941. These first units were primarily infantry, but were followed by two armoured divisions and two armoured brigades. These additional forces necessitated changes in organisation. Thus, early in 1942, the First Canadian Army with two corps was formed under the command of the native-born Canadian, General McNaughton. Another Canadian, General H.D.G. Crerar would later, in 1943, succeed him. The 1st Canadian Corps was brought from the Italian Campaign to join the 2nd Canadian Corps in Northwest Europe forming the 1st Canadian Army in February 1944, the Order of Battle was:

1st Canadian Army
Commander General H.D.G. Crerar

R.C.E.M.E. - Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
R.C.O.C. - Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps.

Army Formations

Regimental Numbering System

As you visit cemeteries the Canadian Regimental Numbering System can provide you with information as to area where the soldier came from in Canada or at least where in Canada he joined the army. The Regimental number was always proceeded by a letter as follows:

A - Central Ontario

B - Toronto

C - Kingston

D - Montreal

E - Quebec City

F - Nova Scotia

G - New Brunswick

H - Manitoba

K - British Columbia

L - Alberta

M - Saskatchewan

N - Newfoundland

P - Permanent Force Joined the Army in the United Kingdom

If the first number is the number 6 you know he was a conscript soldier (dubbed the Zombies) from Canada. Unfortunately because of the Conscription Policy in Canada there are a lot of them in the Netherlands Cemeteries because they were brought from Canada late in the war to fill the infantry units depleted ranks. They had no combat experience and very little military training.

Later after the war the letter "S" preceded the letters listed above but the area stayed the same. Example SG was from New Brunswick, SF from Nova Scotia, SN from Newfoundland etc.

Conscription

After five months of unrelenting warfare and the long march from the beaches of Normandy through France, the battle of the Sheldt and the move to the Nijmegen Slant the 1st Canadian Army entered a period of rest, recuperation and light action. However there was few long leaves for the men the reason being their was no one to replace them except the "Zombie Army" in Canada and to protect their precious skin the Volunteers would just have to take it. The issue of course was reinforcements and there was none.

In September 1944 the Defence Minister travelled to Italy and North West Europe to see for himself the condition of the Army and the disturbing rumours about the reinforcement shortage. To his shock he found out that the truth was even more disturbing than the rumours. There was such a shortage of Infantry reinforcements that some poorly trained soldiers had been sent to the front along with men recently recovered from wounds.

Defence Minister Ralston returned to Canada determined to press the issue of conscription to provide at least 15,000 Infantry Soldiers to keep the Battalions up to strength. Those men could be found among the 60,000 NRMA (Zombies Army) trained soldiers in Canada. NRMA soldiers were Canadians who had been conscripted under the National Resources Mobilization Act.

Prime Minister MacKenzie King being pressured by Rolston to honour a pledge he had made in 1942 regarding conscription when he said he would use conscription if necessary. King give the normal political response to "if necessary" saying that what he had meant was "if necessary to win the war" and with the Russians pressing west and the Allies pushing east the Germans would soon be forced to surrender. Needing support on the policy of non-conscription MacKenzie turned to General Mc Naughton the beloved soldier who took the 1st Canadian Division to England in 1939 and built it up into an Army. In late 1943 Mc Naughton had been recalled to Canada because the British High Command doubted his ability but most importantly to MacKenzie was the fact that Mc Naughton considered conscription as the wrong way to recruit an Army. Mc Naughton was still very popular with the troops and the Canadian public.

The axe fell on Rolston who was forced to resign and was immediately replaced by Mc Naughton. The political scheme backfired however when the news spread across the country there was a public out cry. To King's horror and Mc Naughton's distress the once popular General was booed and jeered when he tried to rally the country behind the No Conscription Policy. Worse yet the NRMA soldiers refused to volunteer for overseas service. King facing revolt finally decided that conscription was necessary (not to win the war but to save the government) and the ministers passed an order in council to send 16,000 NRMA soldiers overseas. Despite the late decision, the odd mutiny and the large number of deserters 12,908 NRMA soldiers went overseas before the end of the war and 2,463 were posted to units of the 1st Canadian Army the rest got no further than England.