I Canadian Corps was one of the two

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 ...

fielded by 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 ...

during 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 ...

History

From December 24, 1940, until the formation of the First Canadian Army in April 1942, there was a single unnumbered

Canadian Corps The Canadian Corps was a World War I corps formed from the Canadian Expeditionary Force in September 1915 after the arrival of the 2nd Canadian Division in France. The corps was expanded by the addition of the 3rd Canadian Division in December ...

. I Canadian Corps became operational in Italy in November 1943 when the

5th Canadian (Armoured) Division Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash that ...

joined the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, which had been assigned to the

British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces ...

immediately prior to the

Allied invasion of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis powers ( Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany). It bega ...

in July 1943. I Canadian Corps was commanded successively by

Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Harry Crerar General Henry Duncan Graham Crerar (28 April 1888 – 1 April 1965) was a senior officer of the Canadian Army who became the country's senior field commander in the Second World War as commander of the First Canadian Army in the campaign in N ...

(April 6, 1942, to March 19, 1944), Lieutenant-General Eedson Burns (March 20 to November 5, 1944), and Lieutenant-General Charles Foulkes (November 10, 1944, to July 17, 1945). However, the 1st Canadian Infantry Division took part in the Italian Campaign, participating in the

Moro River Campaign The Moro River Campaign was an important battle of the Italian Campaign during the Second World War, fought between elements of the British Eighth Army and LXXVI Panzer Corps (''LXXVI Panzerkorps'') of the German 10th Army (''10. Armee''). Last ...

and the Battle of Ortona in December 1943 as part of

British V Corps V Corps was an army corps of the British Army that saw service in both the First and the Second World Wars. It was first organised in February 1915 and fought through the First World War on the Western front. It was recreated in June 1940, duri ...

and it was not until the fourth Battle of Monte Cassino (''Operation Diadem'') in May 1944 that I Canadian Corps fought its first battle as a corps. The Eighth Army held the corps in reserve until after the Gustav defences in the Liri valley had been broken and then brought it forward to assault successfully the next defensive line, the Hitler Line, shortly before the Allied capture of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in early June. Having taken part in the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

' northward advance to Florence, the corps then took part in ''Operation Olive'', the assault on the

Gothic Line The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German Defense line, defensive line of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Generalfeldmarschall, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's la ...

, in September 1944 before being transported during January–February 1945 in

Operation Goldflake Operation Goldflake was the administrative move of I Canadian Corps (in essence, all Canadian combatant units) and the British 5th Infantry Division from Italy to Northwestern Europe during the Second World War. British-led forces had been fighti ...

to rejoin the rest of the First Canadian Army in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

and 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 ...

. There the corps participated in the campaign to complete the liberation of the Netherlands. On May 6, 1945, at

Wageningen Wageningen () is a municipality and a historic city in the central Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland. It is famous for Wageningen University, which specialises in life sciences. The municipality had a population of in , of which many t ...

, Lieutenant-General Foulkes received the final

surrender Surrender may refer to: * Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy * Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power Film and television * ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...

Colonel General Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...

Johannes Blaskowitz Johannes Albrecht Blaskowitz (10 July 1883 – 5 February 1948) was a German ''Generaloberst'' during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. After joining the Imperial German Army in 1 ...

of all remaining German forces still active in the Netherlands. The corps was deactivated on July 17, 1945, as part of general demobilization. Although nominally a Canadian formation, I Canadian Corps contained significant elements at different times from other Allied countries. For example, in Italy, during the assault on the Gothic Line in the Fall of 1944, the corps included the British 4th Infantry Division, the

2nd New Zealand Division The 2nd New Zealand Division, initially the New Zealand Division, was an infantry Division (military), division of the New Zealand Army, New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during the World War II, Second World War. The division was ...

and the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade. During the final campaign to liberate the Netherlands, the corps included for a time the

British 49th Infantry Division The 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. The division fought in the First World War in the trenches of the Western Front, in the fields of France and Flanders. During the Second World War, the divis ...

21st century

In 2015, personnel of the

Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre The Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre (CADTC) (French: , formerly the Land Force Doctrine and Training System (LFDTS), is a formation of the Canadian Army headquartered at McNaughton Barracks, CFB Kingston, Ontario. CADTC is the organi ...

, headquartered at

CFB Kingston Canadian Forces Base Kingston (also CFB Kingston) is a Canadian Forces Base operated by the Canadian Army located in Kingston, Ontario. History The Barriefield Military Camp, commonly called Camp Barriefield, was established as a military ba ...

, began wearing the formation patch of I Canadian Corps on their ceremonial and service dress uniforms.

Major operations

Crowd_of_Dutch_civilians_celebrating_the_liberation_of_Utrecht_by_the_Canadian_Army

*Operation Timberwolf, December 1943 *Operation Morning Glory, December 1943 *

Operation Diadem Operation Diadem, also referred to as the Fourth Battle of Monte Cassino or, in Canada, the Battle of the Liri Valley, was an offensive operation undertaken by the Allies of World War II (U.S. Fifth Army and British Eighth Army) in May 1944, as p ...

, Liri Valley Offensive, May 1944 *

Operation Olive The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German Defense line, defensive line of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Generalfeldmarschall, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's la ...

, assault on the Gothic Line, September 1944 *

, transport from Italy to the

, February–March 1945 *Operation Destroyer, advance from

Nijmegen Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both banks of ...

, April 1945 *Advance to

Harderwijk Harderwijk (; Dutch Low Saxon: ) is a municipality and city of the Netherlands. It is served by the Harderwijk railway station. Its population centres are Harderwijk and Hierden. Harderwijk is on the western boundary of the Veluwe. The southea ...

on the coast of the

IJsselmeer The IJsselmeer (; fy, Iselmar, nds-nl, Iesselmeer), also known as Lake IJssel in English, is a closed off inland bay in the central Netherlands bordering the provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and Friesland. It covers an area of with an a ...

, April 1945 *Liberation of the Netherlands, March–May 1945 *Lieutenant-General Foulkes receives the surrender of all German forces in the Netherlands, May 5, 1945 *Security duties, delivery of relief supplies and infrastructure repair projects in the Netherlands, May–July, 1945

Order of Battle in Italy, 1944-45

* 1st Canadian Infantry Division * 5th Canadian Armoured Division * 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade *Corps Troops **I Corps Defence Company,

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 ...

** 1st Armoured Car Regiment (Royal Canadian Dragoons) **7th Anti-Tank Regiment,

Royal Canadian Artillery , colors = The guns of the RCA themselves , colors_label = Colours , march = * Slow march: "Royal Artillery Slow March" * Quick march (dismounted parades): "British Grenadiers/The ...

(RCA) **1st Survey Regiment, RCA **9th Field Park Company,

Royal Canadian Engineers The Canadian Military Engineers (CME; french: links=no, Génie militaire canadien) is the military engineering personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces. The members of the branch that wear army uniform comprise the Corps of Royal Canadian Engi ...

(RCE) **12th Field Company, RCE **13th Field Company, RCE **14th Field Company, RCE **1st Drilling Company, RCE **I Canadian Corps Headquarters Signals,

Royal Canadian Corps of Signals The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS or RC Sigs; french: links=no, Corps des transmissions royal du Canada, CTRC) is a component within the Canadian Armed Forces' Communications and Electronics Branch, consisting of all members of that person ...

**No. 31 Corps Troops Company,

Royal Canadian Army Service Corps The Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC) was an administrative and transport corps of the Canadian Army. The Canadian Army Service Corps was established in the Non-Permanent Active Militia in 1901 and in the Permanent Active Militia in 1903. ...

(RCASC) **No. 32 Corps Troops Company, RCASC **I Canadian Corps Transport Company, RCASC **No. 1 Motor Ambulance Company, RCASC **No. 1 Headquarters Corps Car Company, RCASC **Nos. 4 & 5 Casualty Clearing Stations,

Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps The Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC) was an administrative corps of the Canadian Army. The Militia Medical Service was established in 1898. It consisted of an Army Medical Service (officers) and an Army Medical Corps (other ranks). ...

(RCAMC) **No. 8 Field Dressing Section, RCAMC **No. 5 Field Hygiene Section, RCAMC **Nos. 1, 3 & 8 Dental Companies,

Canadian Dental Corps The Royal Canadian Dental Corps (RCDC, french: links=no, Corps dentaire royal canadien) is a personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Most members of RCDC, along with the members of the Royal Canadian Medical Service, are employed in ...

(CDC) **No. 11 Base Dental Company, CDC **No. 1 Corps and Army Troops Sub-Park,

Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (RCOC; french: Corps royal canadien des munitions, ''CRCM'') was an administrative corps of the Canadian Army. The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps RCOC can trace its roots back to the Canadian Stores Department. ...

(RCOC) **I Corps Troops Workshop,

Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers The Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME) (french: links=no, Corps du génie électrique et mécanique royal canadien) is a personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CF) that provides army engineering maintenance ...

(RCEME) **No. 1 Recovery Company, RCEME **No. 3 Provost Company,

Canadian Provost Corps The Canadian Provost Corps (C Pro C) was the military police corps of the Canadian Army. The Canadian Provost Corps was authorized on 15 June 1940. The Canadian Provost Corps was amalgamated with the police forces of the Royal Canadian Navy and R ...

(C Pro C) *Attached First Canadian Army Troops **No. 1 Army Group Royal Canadian Artillery ***11th Army Field Regiment, RCA ***1st Medium Regiment, RCA ***2nd Medium Regiment, RCA ***5th Medium Regiment, RCA **No. 41 Army Transport Company, RCASC **"H" Squadron, 25th Canadian Armoured Delivery Regiment (The Elgin Regiment),

Canadian Armoured Corps The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC; french: links=no, Corps blindé royal canadien) is the armoured corps within the Canadian Army, including 3 Regular and 18 Reserve Force regimentsThe Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army (Queen's Printe ...

**Nos. 1, 2 & 3 Field Transfusion Units, RCAMC **Nos. 3 & 16 Field Dressing Stations, RCAMC **Nos. 1, 3, 5, 14, 15 & 28 General Hospitals, RCAMC **No. 1 Convalescent Depot, RCAMC **Nos. 1, 2 & 3 Field Surgical Units, RCAMC

Commanders

These officers commanded the I Canadian Corps:Col. C. P. Stacey, ''Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War: The Canadian Army 1939-1945: An Official Historical Summary'', Department of National Defence, Ottawa, Canada, 1948. *

Andrew G. L. McNaughton, (July 19, 1940, to April 5, 1942) *Lieutenant-General

(April 8, 1942, to March 19, 1944) *Lieutenant-General Eedson Burns (March 20 to November 5, 1944) *Lieutenant-General Charles Foulkes (November 10, 1944, to July 17, 1945)

References

*Byers, A. R. (ed.), ''The Canadians at War 1939/45'', 2nd ed., The Reader's Digest Association (Canada) Ltd., Montreal, Canada, 1986, . *Copp, Terry, ''Cinderella Army: The Canadians in Northwest Europe 1944-1945'', University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada, 2007, . * * * *

Notes

External links

I Canadian Corps at canadiansoldiers.com
{{World War II Military units and formations of Canada in World War II Military units and formations established in 1943 Canadian World War II corps Military units and formations of the British Empire in World War II Military units and formations disestablished in 1945