The 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

of the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...

that fought during World War I and World War II. Raised in 1915, it formed part of the

2nd Canadian Division The 2nd Canadian Division (2 Cdn Div; french: 2e Division du Canada) is a formation of the Canadian Army in the province of Quebec, Canada. The present command was created 2013 when Land Force Quebec Area was re-designated. The main unit housed ...

and fought on the Western Front during World War I before being disbanded. Later, it was re-raised in September 1939 and subsequently took part in Allied operations in north-west Europe in 1944 and 1945.

History

World War I

Formed in early 1915, the 5th Brigade formed part of the

that was raised as part of the

Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry division ...

. Departing Canada in May 1915, further training was conducted in the United Kingdom around Shorncliffe before the brigade was committed to the Western Front in September 1915. The brigade's first major actions commenced early the following year around

St Eloi Sint-Elooi is a small village, about south of Ypres in the Flemish province of West Flanders in Belgium. The former municipality is now part of Ypres. Though ''Sint-Elooi'' is the Dutch and only official name, the village's French name, St. Eloi, ...

, after which the brigade participated in many significant actions for the next two-and-a-half years that it was deployed along the Western Front.

World War II

Mobilized on 1 September 1939 as part of the

2nd Canadian Infantry Division The 2nd Canadian Division, an infantry division of the Canadian Army, was mobilized for war service on 1September 1939 at the outset of World War II. Adopting the designation of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, it was initially composed of vo ...

, the brigade was formed before the declaration of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and the battalions were promptly fleshed out by volunteers. Further expansion of the brigade was hindered by a temporary halt in recruitment and uncertainty about overseas deployment. Consequently, brigade headquarters were not actually formed until May – June 1940. After the

Dieppe Raid Operation Jubilee or the Dieppe Raid (19 August 1942) was an Allied amphibious attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France, during the Second World War. Over 6,050 infantry, predominantly Canadian, supported by a regiment o ...

the brigade, with the 2nd Canadian Division, moved to

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

in time to serve with the

British Second Army The British Second Army was a field army active during the First and Second World Wars. During the First World War the army was active on the Western Front throughout most of the war and later active in Italy. During the Second World War the army ...

. They participated in the advance along the Channel Coast with the

First Canadian Army The First Canadian Army (french: 1reArmée canadienne) was a field army and a formation of the Canadian Army in World War II in which most Canadian elements serving in North-West Europe were assigned. It served on the Western Front from July 1944 ...

, including the liberation of Dieppe. The division saw heavy action in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in late 1944, and took part in the final offensives in 1945.

Units

World War I

During World War I, the brigade consisted of four infantry battalions, as follows: * 22nd (Canadien Francais) Battalion Canadian Infantry: 21 October 1914 – 11 November 1918; * 24th (Victoria Rifles) Battalion Canadian Infantry: 22 October 1914 – 11 November 1918; * 25th (Nova Scotia) Battalion Canadian Infantry: 28 October 1914 – 11 November 1918; * 26th (New Brunswick) Battalion Canadian Infantry: 2 November 1914 – 11 November 1918. In addition, the brigade was supported by a machine gun company and trench mortar battalion.

World War II

In 1939, the second division was organized along regional lines, like the

1st Canadian Infantry Division The 1st Canadian Division (French: ''1re Division du Canada'' ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short ...

. The 5th Infantry Brigade's

order of battle In modern use, the order of battle of an armed force participating in a military operation or campaign shows the hierarchical organization, command structure, strength, disposition of personnel, and equipment of units and formations of the armed ...

upon formation in Quebec was as follows: *1st Battalion,

The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada , colors = , march = Quick: "Hielan' Laddie"Slow: "The Red Hackle" , mascot = , battles = Second Boer WarFirst World WarSecond World WarWar in Afgha ...

–

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, Quebec *1st Battalion,

Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. Lineage File:FMR Colours.jpg, The regimental colour of Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal. File:FMR Camp Flag.jpg, The camp flag of Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal. File:Fusilie ...

– Montreal, Quebec *1st Battalion, Le Régiment de Maisonneuve – Montreal, Quebec *1st Battalion, Le Régiment de la Chaudière – Levis, Quebec By 1944–45, a ground defence platoon had been added to the brigade's order of battle. Provided by the

Lorne Scots The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is part of the 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. Organization The sub-units of the Lorne Scots are situated in ...

, this platoon was designated the 5th Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon (Lorne Scots).

References

{{reflist, 30em

External links

CalgaryHighlanders.comcanadiansoldiers.com
Infantry brigades of the Canadian Army Canadian World War II brigades Canadian World War I brigades Military units and formations established in 1915 Military units and formations disestablished in the 1940s

History

World War I

World War II

Units

World War I

World War II

See also

References

External links