2 Intelligence Company
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2 Intelligence Company (abbreviated 2 Int Coy) is a
Canadian Armed Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...
Primary Reserve The Primary Reserve of the Canadian Armed Forces (french: links=no, Première réserve des Forces canadiennes) is the first and largest of the four sub-components of the Canadian Armed Forces reserves, followed by the Supplementary Reserve, the ...
Intelligence Branch unit based in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, headquartered at
Denison Armoury Lieutenant-Colonel George Taylor Denison III Armory, commonly known as Denison Armory, is a Canadian Armed Forces facility located at 1 Yukon Lane in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is in the northeastern corner of Downsview Airport, just west of the ...
. It is part of the
4th Canadian Division The 4th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army. The division was first created as a formation of the Canadian Corps during the First World War. During the Second World War the division was reactivated as the 4th Canadian Infantr ...
. The
Intelligence Officer An intelligence officer is a person employed by an organization to collect, compile or analyze information (known as intelligence) which is of use to that organization. The word of ''officer'' is a working title, not a rank, used in the same way a ...
s and Operators of the unit reside in the
Greater Toronto Area The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater T ...
, work as professionals in the business community and are also active in numerous community service organizations. They deploy on domestic and foreign operations, and are primarily responsible for tactical, or combat intelligence. Recent deployments include to
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
,
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
,
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
,
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
, and Canada.


Lineage

2 Intelligence Company perpetuates the presence of a military intelligence unit in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
that can be traced back to the original No. 2 Guides Company that was formed April 1, 1903. As mounted units, Guides Companies were tasked to survey their respective regions as well as to collect information of potential military intelligence value. Upon mobilization for
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Guides personnel were reassigned to other duties. This was due to the fact that there was no establishment for intelligence units in the British divisional structure on which 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 ...
was based. Guides personnel however did serve in intelligence capacities at
corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
,
division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
and
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 ...
level throughout the war. Following the end of World War I, units of the Corps of Guides were restructured as Cyclists and a company assigned to each Military District. On December 15, 1921, the company in Toronto was re-designated No. 2 Cyclist Company. As Divisional troops, these units were tasked to conduct reconnaissance and force protection. On March 31, 1929, the Corps of Guides was disbanded. As a result, 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 ...
had no officers or men trained in "field intelligence" at the beginning of World War II. The
Canadian Intelligence Corps The Canadian Intelligence Corps (C Int C) is a component within the Canadian Armed Forces' Intelligence Branch, consisting of all members of that branch who wear army uniform. Prior to the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces, it was an Corps ...
was formed on October 29, 1942. Overseas, the Corps grouped together several specialist units as well as all personnel employed in intelligence duties at various headquarters, but did not include senior staff officers or intelligence officers at Brigade and Battalion level. Within Canada, Canadian Intelligence Corps units were responsible for the training of specialist personnel, performing signals intelligence and censorship duties as well as conducting counter-intelligence. One of these units was No. 2 Field Security Section (also known as No. 2 Intelligence Section), which operated in Toronto from April 1, 1942, until February 27, 1946. The need to train officers and men without wartime experience was recognized quickly after the end 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 militia intelligence companies were formed across Canada. No. 2 Intelligence Company (also known as 2 Intelligence Training Company) was formed in Toronto on September 4, 1947. Training was provided in combat intelligence, air imagery analysis, field security and languages. With Unification, the amalgamation of the Regular Force Intelligence component with the Provost Corps led to the amalgamation of their militia counterparts. On February 1, 1970, No. 2 Intelligence Company was reduced to a section within the Military Police Platoon of the Toronto Service Battalion. 2 Intelligence Company returned to 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 ...
'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 ...
on October 29, 1993, as Land Force Central Intelligence Company. It regained its historic designation on May 19, 1995.


World War I (1914–1918)

4th Divisional Cyclist Company 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 ...
was organized in Toronto in March 1916 under the command of Captain G. L. Berkley, with a strength of 8 officers and 191 other ranks. They deployed from Halifax aboard the HMT Olympic 1 May 1916 and arrived in England 6 May 1916 and attached to Canadian Reserve Cyclist Company at Swindon (Chisledon Camp). The unit was disbanded by General Order 208 of 15 November 1920. In addition to the training the Cyclists had received under the direction of the Corps of Guides in Canada, a much more intensive course was started in England which consisted of musketry, bombing, and bayonet fighting coupled with the highly specialized role of learning signalling and topography techniques, range-finding, tactics and the use of Lewis guns.


World War II (1939–1945)

The Canadian Virtual War Memorial lists six fallen soldiers as members either of "2 Intelligence Company", or "2 Field Security Sec.". The unit was known as 2 Field Security Section before 1947 when it was designated No. 2 Intelligence Company. Other fallen soldiers from Toronto, listed only as members of the
Canadian Intelligence Corps The Canadian Intelligence Corps (C Int C) is a component within the Canadian Armed Forces' Intelligence Branch, consisting of all members of that branch who wear army uniform. Prior to the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces, it was an Corps ...
, who were likely members of the unit include: * Captain Olaf Morris Hertzberg, (December 18, 1919 – February 26, 1943). Enlisted: September 2, 1939 Toronto, Ontario. Mentioned in Dispatches, "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the combined attack on Dieppe." * Sergeant William Allan McCarthy, (January 14, 1917 – September 6, 1944). Son of Mrs. M. E. McCarthy, of Toronto, Ontario.


Captain Frank Pickersgill

May 28, 1915 – September 14, 1944. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Son of Frank Allan Pickersgill and Sara Cornelia (née Smith) Pickersgill, of Vancouver, British Columbia. Brother of
Jack Pickersgill John Whitney Pickersgill, (June 23, 1905 – November 14, 1997) was a Canadian civil servant and politician. He was born in Ontario, but was raised in Manitoba. He was the Clerk for the Canadian Government's Privy Council in the early 19 ...
, a member of the
House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...
and a Cabinet Minister until 1967. Captain Frank Pickersgill (
code name A code name, call sign or cryptonym is a code word or name used, sometimes clandestinely, to refer to another name, word, project, or person. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage. They may also be used in industrial c ...
: Bertrand) spoke English, French, German, Spanish and Greek. After receiving his MA in classics at U of T in 1938, he went to study in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. While travelling in Europe he was interned as an enemy alien by the Germans and put to hard labour. After using a metal file smuggled to him in a loaf of bread to saw his way out of his cell and escape, he returned to Britain, briefing Canadian units on conditions in German-occupied France. He volunteered to be parachuted into France with the
Special Operations Executive The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...
(SOE) to support the
French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...
. Along with John Kenneth Macalister, another U of T student and Rhodes scholar from Guelph, Ontario, he was inserted on the night of June 15, 1943. The two were almost immediately picked up in a random search by the German army. The two men were tortured by the
Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organi ...
, who wanted them to pretend to still be free, and so encourage more SOE personnel to parachute in and be captured. Neither cooperated with the enemy. The Gestapo entertained Pickersgill at their Paris headquarters in an effort to persuade him to assist them. Pickersgill didn't relent. Instead, he broke a wine bottle, used the jagged edge to slit a guard's throat and managed to escape by jumping out a second-storey window before SS guards shot him four times and recaptured him. He was sent to the Buchenwald extermination camp, where he and Macalister were strangled as spies in early September, 1944. Buchenwald survivors said Pickersgill continued to try to keep his fellow captives' spirits up to the very end, telling bad jokes and encouraging them to march in step like soldiers. Captain Pickersgill, an alumnus of the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
, was honoured on September 15, 2004, at a wreath-laying at a small
garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate both ...
dedicated to him and his fellow
Special Operations Executive The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...
agent, Captain John Kenneth Macalister at the foot of the University's Soldiers Tower. He was buried at Groesbeek Memorial,
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 ...
. Grave Reference: Panel 11.


Citations

1939-45 Star,
France and Germany Star The France and Germany Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British Commonwealth forces who served in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands or Germany and adjacent sea areas between ...
, Defence Medal,
War Medal 1939-45 War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular ...
, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp. Mention in Dispatches, 12 November 1945. He was posthumously awarded the Cross of the Chevalier de la
Légion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
(France) in a ceremony on 12 December 1950 at the French embassy in Ottawa, Ontario.


Captain John Kenneth MacAlister

July 19, 1914 – September 14, 1944. John Kenneth Macalister (
code name A code name, call sign or cryptonym is a code word or name used, sometimes clandestinely, to refer to another name, word, project, or person. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage. They may also be used in industrial c ...
: Valentin, alias: Jean Charles Mauinier) was born July 19, 1914, in Guelph, Ontario. Son of Alexander and Celestine MacAlister; husband of Jeannine (née Lucas) MacAlister, of Paris, France. He spoke French and English. After graduating at the top of his law class at the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
, Macalister attended
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
on a
Rhodes Scholarship The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...
. He graduated from there with first-class honours, and went on to the bar exams in London where he came first among the 142 from across the empire who sat the tests. He turned down a position teaching law at the University of Toronto in order to serve as an Intelligence Officer, responding to the faculty with only, "Sorry. Many thanks. Macalister." He was parachuted into France with the SOE to support the
French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...
on the night of June 15, 1943. They were met by agent Yvonne Rudelatt as planned, but were shortly afterward stopped by the Gestapo who had been tipped-off by an informer. Although they tried to get away, shots were fired and Rudelatt was hit, causing the car to crash. They were taken to Fresnes prison where they were interrogated and tortured repeatedly. Macalister steadfastly refused to reveal his security checks to the Germans who had his codes and wished to send misleading messages back to the SOE's London headquarters. Macalister gave his interrogators nothing and when his captors tried to send messages, SOE recognized them as fake. He was sent to the Buchenwald extermination camp where he was executed as a spy September 14, 1944. Captain MacAlister, an alumnus of the University of Toronto was honoured on September 15, 2004, at a wreath-laying at a small
garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate both ...
dedicated to him and his fellow SOE agent, Captain
Frank Pickersgill Frank Herbert Dedrick Pickersgill (May 28, 1915 – September 14, 1944) was a Canadian Special Operations Executive agent. Biography Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Pickersgill graduated from Kelvin High School in that city. Holding an English ...
at the foot of the University's Soldiers Tower. In 1995, the former principal of University College,
Douglas LePan Douglas Valentine LePan (25 May 1914 – 27 November 1998) was a Canadian diplomat, poet, novelist and professor of literature. Life Born in Toronto, Ontario, LePan was educated at the University of Toronto, at Harvard (where he also taug ...
published an epic poem on MacAlister titled ''Macalister or Dying in the Dark''. He was buried at Brookwood Memorial,
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, United Kingdom. Grave Reference: Panel 21 Column 1.


Citations

Mention in Dispatches, 15 November 1945 "for his great bravery and self-sacrifice".


Warrant Officer Class II (CSM) James Smart Milne

December 25, 1897 – August 19, 1942. Killed in action at Dieppe. He was buried at Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery (Hautot-Sur-Mer),
Seine-Maritime Seine-Maritime () is a department of France in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre. Until 1955 it was named Seine-Inféri ...
, France. Grave Reference L. 51.


Sergeant William Corson

November 10, 1905 – August 19, 1942. Killed in action at Dieppe. He was buried at Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery (Hautot-Sur-Mer),
Seine-Maritime Seine-Maritime () is a department of France in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre. Until 1955 it was named Seine-Inféri ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Grave Reference: B. 26.


Sergeant George Anthony Osipoff

September 25, 1919 – August 9, 1944. Son of Anton and Tanya Osipoff. Husband of Ethel M. Osipoff, of
Chichester Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ci ...
,
Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
, England. Sergeant Ossipoff was working as a
furrier Fur clothing is clothing made from the preserved skins of mammals. Fur is one of the oldest forms of clothing, and is thought to have been widely used by people for at least 120,000 years. The term 'fur' is often used to refer to a specific i ...
when he enlisted at Regina on the outbreak of the war. He was killed in action on
Operation Totalize Operation Totalize (also spelled Operation Totalise in recent British sources) was an offensive launched by Allied troops in the First Canadian Army during the later stages of Operation Overlord, from 8 to 9 August 1944. The intention was to bre ...
during the push to Falaise, and was buried at Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery,
Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples or pears, or from apples with pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Norm ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Grave Reference: XIII. E. 16.


Lance Corporal Joseph William Place

November 26, 1916 – June 5, 1943. Son of Tom and Mary Place; husband of Ruth Place, of
Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...
. He was buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery,
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, United Kingdom. Grave Reference: 40. E. 4.


Korean War (1950–1953)

Staff Sergeant James Hillary Struthers was one of the few
Canadian Intelligence Corps The Canadian Intelligence Corps (C Int C) is a component within the Canadian Armed Forces' Intelligence Branch, consisting of all members of that branch who wear army uniform. Prior to the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces, it was an Corps ...
personnel to serve in the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. He was a
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 ...
veteran who had served in the
Royal Canadian Dragoons The Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) is the senior armoured regiment of the Canadian Army by precedence. It is one of three armoured regiments in the Regular Force and forms part of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps. The colonel-in-chief of The RC ...
from 1938 to 1946. Following the end of the war he returned to Toronto where he joined the
Canadian Intelligence Corps The Canadian Intelligence Corps (C Int C) is a component within the Canadian Armed Forces' Intelligence Branch, consisting of all members of that branch who wear army uniform. Prior to the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces, it was an Corps ...
as a Reservist in 2 Intelligence Company. In May, 1951, he deployed to Korea with 1 Field Security Section, which had a unit strength of two Intelligence Officers, 17 Intelligence Operators and 12 other non-intelligence members. Their tasks included Counter Intelligence and Force Protection through screening of civilian labourers, refugee control, and interrogations; activities now known as
HUMINT Human intelligence (abbreviated HUMINT and pronounced as ''hyoo-mint'') is Intelligence (information gathering), intelligence gathered by means of interpersonal contact, as opposed to the List of intelligence gathering disciplines, more technical ...
. The unit was disbanded in December 1951 in an effort by Ottawa to reduce the Canadian contribution to the war.


War in Afghanistan (2005–2011)

Soldiers from 2 Intelligence Company deployed on operations in Afghanistan from 2005 through the end of combat operations in 2011, and following that on the NATO Training Mission and withdrawal (2012–14). Throughout the combat operations period, up to 25 percent of the unit's effective strength was deployed. 2 Intelligence Company personnel served with various formations and units, including at ISAF Joint Command (IJC), Information Dominance Centre (IDC) Kabul,
Regional Command South In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
,
Task Force Kandahar Task Force Kandahar (TFK) was the formation conducting the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Kandahar Province under ISAF Regional Command South. When it concluded its mission in summer 2011, the formation included a Canadi ...
HQ, Battle Group, Canadian Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams (OMLTs), National Support Element and the All Source Intelligence Centre. Operations conducted include
MEDUSA In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...
,
ATHENA Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...
and
ARCHER Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In mo ...
.


Citations

Unit member citations from the war include a
Mention in Dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...
October 2, 2007, and a
Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: * Meritorious Civilian Service Award *Meritorious Service Me ...
awarded June 20, 2012.


Museum

The 2 Intelligence Company and
Camp X Camp X was the unofficial name of the secret Special Training School No. 103, a Second World War British paramilitary installation for training covert agents in the methods required for success in clandestine operations. It was located on the ...
Museum is located at
Casa Loma Casa Loma (improper Spanish for "Hill House") is a Gothic Revival castle-style mansion and garden in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that is now a historic house museum and landmark. It was constructed from 1911 to 1914 as a residence for fina ...
in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
. The museum consists of eight display cases: five that cover 2 Int Coy (and predecessor units) historical time periods, three that focus on Camp X, and scale model Camp X diorama.


Camp X

2 Intelligence Company conducts the annual
Remembrance Day Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in t ...
parade at Intrepid Park, the site of a World War II commando and
espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangibl ...
training site known as
Camp X Camp X was the unofficial name of the secret Special Training School No. 103, a Second World War British paramilitary installation for training covert agents in the methods required for success in clandestine operations. It was located on the ...
(or Special Training School 103 as it was officially known). Many in the intelligence world consider Camp X to be the finest espionage training camp of the
Second World War 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 ...
. It is said that the U.S.
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
named its training facility the 'Farm' as homage to Camp X, the first school of its kind in North America. Founded by Sir William Stephenson (more popularly known by his codename 'The Man Called Intrepid'),
Camp X Camp X was the unofficial name of the secret Special Training School No. 103, a Second World War British paramilitary installation for training covert agents in the methods required for success in clandestine operations. It was located on the ...
operated from 1941 to 1946 as a vital co-operative training ground for agents in Canadian, British and American service, who were inserted deep in Nazi-occupied Europe. Over 500 agents trained at Camp X before going on to work as secret agents, security personnel, intelligence officers, or
psychological warfare Psychological warfare (PSYWAR), or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations (PsyOp), have been known by many other names or terms, including Military Information Support Operations (MISO), Psy Ops, political warfare, "Hearts and Mi ...
experts, serving in
clandestine operations A clandestine operation is an intelligence or military operation carried out in such a way that the operation goes unnoticed by the general population or specific enemy forces. Until the 1970s, clandestine operations were primarily political in ...
in German-occupied Europe, supporting the efforts of underground resistance movements, or monitoring
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
propaganda elsewhere. Trainees at the camp learned
sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...
techniques,
subversion Subversion () refers to a process by which the values and principles of a system in place are contradicted or reversed in an attempt to transform the established social order and its structures of power, authority, hierarchy, and social norms. Sub ...
, intelligence gathering, lock picking, explosives training, radio communications, encode/decode, recruiting techniques for partisans, the art of silent killing and unarmed combat. Camp X offered no parades for its graduates and none were ever publicly recognized for their accomplishments. Agents were not protected by the
Geneva Convention upright=1.15, Original document in single pages, 1864 The Geneva Conventions are four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish international legal standards for humanitarian treatment in war. The singular term ''Geneva Conven ...
relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and many were captured, tortured, and executed by hostile forces. Approximately half of them did not return from their missions. A monument was erected in 1984 to honour the men and women of Camp X. It is surrounded by four flags: that of Bermuda (where Sir William Stephenson lived for many decades) and those of wartime Allies the United States, Canada and Britain. The annual parade at this memorial honours the service of the fallen soldiers and the veterans who trained at this site, but could never be publicly recognized for their service during their lifetime. Camp X was also the site of Hydra, a sophisticated top-secret communications relay station that facilitated the transmission of Allied sensitive and secret information during the war, and continued to operate until 1969. Built and run by Canadian electrical engineer Benjamin de Forest Bayly, it was considered one of the world's most advanced communications centres at that time. In the fall of 1945, the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
delivered to Camp X one of its most informative visitors,
Igor Gouzenko Igor Sergeyevich Gouzenko (russian: Игорь Сергеевич Гузенко ; January 26, 1919 – June 25, 1982) was a cipher clerk for the Soviet embassy to Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, and a lieutenant of the GRU (Main Intelligence Direc ...
, a Russian embassy cypher-clerk who defected to Canada. During an extensive debriefing, Igor revealed the magnitude of an elaborate Soviet espionage operation in Canada. In March 2012
Parks Canada Parks Canada (PC; french: Parcs Canada),Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 48 National Parks, th ...
designated "Camp X" a National Historic Event.


The Garden of Remembrance

On September 15, 2004, alumni veterans from the Soldiers' Tower Committee and members of 2 Intelligence Company held a ceremony to dedicate the Pickersgill-Macalister Garden of Remembrance at the foot of Soldiers' Tower to the memory of Captain John MacAlister and Captain Frank Pickersgill. MacAlister and Pickersgill were members of 2 Intelligence Company who were executed in the
Buchenwald Buchenwald (; literally 'beech forest') was a Nazi concentration camp established on hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or su ...
concentration camp by the German
Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organi ...
, after being parachuted into France for the SOE prior to
D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
. A plaque at the garden displays the following inscription: "This garden is in memory of those who gave their lives for peace and freedom. It was originally dedicated to the memory of Captain John Kenneth Macalister (University College BA 1936) and Captain Frank Herbert Dedrick Pickersgill (University College MA 1938)". The late
University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...
principal
Douglas LePan Douglas Valentine LePan (25 May 1914 – 27 November 1998) was a Canadian diplomat, poet, novelist and professor of literature. Life Born in Toronto, Ontario, LePan was educated at the University of Toronto, at Harvard (where he also taug ...
(BA 1935, DLitt 1990, DLitt Sac. Hon. 1997) a veteran and award-winning poet, had known Macalister as a student, and was chiefly responsible for the creation of the Pickersgill-Macalister Memorial Garden on the west side of Soldiers' Tower. In 1995 LePan published a long verse drama about MacAlister titled ''MacAlister, or Dying in the Dark''.


Centennial Cannon

The Intelligence Corps' Centennial Cannon was produced by Compton House Limited as an operational muzzle-loading cannon to be fired for the
Canadian Centennial The Canadian Centennial was a yearlong celebration held in 1967 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. Celebrations in Canada occurred throughout the year but culminated on Dominion Day, July 1, 1967. Commemorative coins w ...
. It is a
George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
one-pounder, however it carries the
Canadian Intelligence Corps The Canadian Intelligence Corps (C Int C) is a component within the Canadian Armed Forces' Intelligence Branch, consisting of all members of that branch who wear army uniform. Prior to the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces, it was an Corps ...
crest in place of the George III cipher. Two C INT C "collar dogs" are mounted on the forward face of the carriage. The squat 30-inch barrel is mounted on an oak carriage, fitted with bronze wheels,
trunion A trunnion (from Old French "''trognon''", trunk) is a cylindrical protrusion used as a mounting or pivoting point. First associated with cannons, they are an important military development. Alternatively, a trunnion is a shaft that positions a ...
caps and hardware. The barrel is cast in iron, with drawn steel bore tube for reinforcement. It weighs 83 pounds. The Centennial Cannon was proved on December 4, 1966, at
Aurora, Ontario Aurora ( 2021 population: 62,057) is a town in central York Region in the Greater Toronto Area, within the Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario, Canada. It is located north of the City of Richmond Hill and is partially situated on the Oak Ridges ...
, by Duncan Webster, Historian, Antique Arms Expert and Curator of the
Canadiana Canadiana is a term used to describe things (e.g., books, historical documents, and artifacts), ideas, or activities that concern or are distinctive of Canada, its people, and/or its culture, especially works of literature and other cultural pro ...
Gallery of the
Royal Ontario Museum The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest museums in North America and the largest in Canada. It attracts more than one million visitors every year ...
. The cannon is the first muzzle loading cannon ever produced in Canada, with the exception of some miniatures and replicas made privately by collectors. The gun was given by Duncan F. Cameron, a retired officer of 2 Intelligence Company, to the unit Officers' Mess to mark Canada's Centennial. He presented the gun to Major Wilford C. Wheeler,
Commanding Officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
of 2 Intelligence Company at the unit's Christmas Ball, December 16, 1966, at which time it was fired. It was also fired on February 24, 1967, to officially open the Toronto Garrison Officers' Centennial Ball at
Moss Park Armoury Moss Park Armoury is a Canadian Forces facility located at 130 Queen Street East in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is at the northeast corner of Jarvis Street and Queen Street East, in the neighbourhood of Moss Park. It currently hosts several un ...
. The gun is on display in the museum at
Casa Loma Casa Loma (improper Spanish for "Hill House") is a Gothic Revival castle-style mansion and garden in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that is now a historic house museum and landmark. It was constructed from 1911 to 1914 as a residence for fina ...
, in Toronto.


See also

*
Military history of Canada The military history of Canada comprises hundreds of years of armed actions in the territory encompassing modern Canada, and interventions by the Canadian Forces, Canadian military in conflicts and peacekeeping worldwide. For thousands of years, t ...
*
History of the Canadian Army The history of the Canadian Army, began when the title first came into official use in November 1940, during the Second World War, and is still used today. Although the official titles, Force Mobile Command, and later Land Force Command, were used ...
*
Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...
*
Intelligence Branch (Canadian Forces) The Intelligence Branch (french: links=no, Branche du service du renseignement) is a personnel branch of the Canadian Forces (CF) that is concerned with providing relevant and correct information to enable commanders to make decisions. The branch ...
* 3 Intelligence Company * 4 Intelligence Company *
6 Intelligence Company 6 Intelligence Company (6 Int Coy; French: ) is a military intelligence unit of the Canadian Army. It is a line unit that falls directly under 3rd Canadian Division command, which is headquartered in Edmonton. The company is divided into three p ...


References


Sources


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Forsyth, B, (2007).

CAMP X — Canada's secret spy school]", "The Maple Leaf", 10(19) * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


2 Intelligence Company4th Canadian Division

Canadian ArmyWar diaries – Canadian Reserve Cyclist Company
{{Canadian Forces Land Force Command Intelligence units and formations of Canada Military units and formations established in 1903 Companies of the Canadian Army