6th Canadian Infantry Division

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6th Canadian Infantry Division

1st Canadian 6th Infantry Division Formation Patch
Active 1942–1944
Country Canada
Allegiance Allies of World War II
Branch Canadian Army
Type Infantry
Engagements Aleutian Islands Campaign
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Major General E.A. Potts, CBE, ED (20 May 1942 – 11 October 1943)
Major General H.N. Ganong, CBE (16 October 1943 – 15 December 1944)

The 6th Canadian Infantry Division was a Canadian infantry division formed in 1942 during the Second World War. The division had a brigade sent to the Aleutian Islands Campaign, particularly at Kiska, but never saw action.[1] The 6th Division was to have been part of a proposed Commonwealth Corps, formed for a planned invasion of Japan, but was disbanded in 1945, after the war was ended by the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Contents

[edit] Home defence

The 6th was raised as part of a home-defence scheme in Canada, the culmination of various mobilizations throughout 1941 and 1942. The 6th was raised in March 1942 with its headquarters on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Various composite units were stationed at Port Alberni, Vancouver Island and Vernon. Throughout 1943, the division lost its artillery units to coastal defence work, and other battalions were shipped overseas. In June 1943, these units were sent to Kiska only to find the island abandoned, and in late 1943, the 7th Canadian Infantry Division was disbanded and various battalions were amalgamated into the 6th. By January 1944, the units had returned from Kiska, having not taken part in any fighting. On 1 December 1944, the need for coastal defence having lessened, the division was disbanded, the process completing by 31 January 1945. Remaining units loaned from other, now defunct divisions, were finally disbanded in January 1946.[1]

[edit] Order of battle

[edit] March 1942

  • Headquarters, Sixth Division
    • 6th Division Intelligence Section
  • No. 6 Field Security Section
  • No. 6 Defence and Employment Platoon
  • Machine Gun Battalion - The Canadian Fusiliers (MG)
  • 13th Canadian Infantry Brigade
    • 2nd Battalion, The Canadian Scottish
    • The Brockville Rifles
    • 1st Battalion, The Edmonton Fusiliers
    • No. 13 Defence Platoon
  • 14th Canadian Infantry Brigade
    • The Kent Regiment
    • The King's Own Rifles of Canada
    • The Midland Regiment
    • No. 14 Defence Platoon
  • 15th Canadian Infantry Brigade
    • Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke
    • Le Regiment de Montmagny
    • Le Regiment de Quebec
    • No. 15 Defence Platoon
  • Canadian Armoured Corps
    • 31st (Alberta) Reconnaissance Battalion
  • Royal Canadian Artillery
    • Headquarters, Sixth Divisional Artillery, RCA
    • 19th Field Regiment
    • 20th Field Regiment
    • 21st Field Regiment
    • 9th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
      • 25th Light AA Battery
      • 46th Light AA Battery
      • 48th Light AA Battery
      • 79th Light AA Battery
    • 6th Anti-Tank Regiment
      • 33rd AT Battery
      • 56th AT Battery
      • 74th AT Battery
      • 103rd AT Battery
  • Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers
    • Headquarters 6th Divisional Engineers, RCE
    • 7th Field Park Company, RCE
    • 20th Field Company, RCE
    • 25th Field Company, RCE
    • 26th Field Company, RCE
  • Royal Canadian Corps of Signals
    • Headquarters 6th Divisional Signals RCCS[1]

[edit] August 1943 at Kiska

  • 9th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
  • 19th Field Regiment
  • 20th Field Regiment (shared with the 7th Canadian Infantry Division)
  • 21st Field Regiment
  • 24th Field Regiment (shared with the 7th Canadian Infantry Division)
  • 25th Field Regiment
  • 13th Canadian Infantry Brigade
    • The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
    • The Winnipeg Grenadiers
    • The Rocky Mountain Rangers
    • Le Régiment de Hull
    • 24th Field Regiment, RCA
    • 46th Light AA Battery, RCA
    • 24th Field Company, RCE
    • 1 Company, St. John Fusiliers M-G[2]

[edit] November 1943

  • 31st (Alberta) Reconnaissance Regiment
    • 15th, 25th, 26th Field Companies, RCE
  • 13th Canadian Infantry Brigade Group
    • 24th Field Regiment, RCA
    • 46th Light AA Battery, RCA
    • The Canadian Fusiliers
    • The Winnipeg Grenadiers
    • The Rocky Mountain Rangers
    • Le Regiment de Hull
    • 1 Company, St. John Fusiliers M-G
    • 24th Field Company, RCE
  • 14th Canadian Infantry Brigade Group
    • 25th Field Regiment, RCA
    • 48th Light AA Battery, RCA
    • The Winnipeg Light Infantry
    • Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke
    • The Oxford Rifles
    • The Prince of Wales's Own Rangers
    • 1 Company, St. John Fusiliers M-G
  • 15th Canadian Infantry Brigade Group
    • 20th Field Regiment, RCA
    • 25th Light AA Battery, RCA
    • The Prince Albert Volunteers
    • Les Fusiliers du St. Laurent
    • Prince Edward Island Highlanders
    • The Royal Rifles of Canada
    • 1 Company, St. John Fusiliers M-G[2]

[edit] November 1944

  • 31st (Alberta) Reconnaissance Regiment
    • St. John Fusiliers M-G
    • 20th, 24th, 25th Field Regiments, RCA
    • 22nd Heavy AA Battery (Mobile), RCA
    • 25th, 46th, 48th Light AA Batteries, RCA
    • 15th, 24th, 25th, 26th Field Companies, RCE
  • 14th Canadian Infantry Brigade Group
    • The Winnipeg Light Infantry
    • Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke
    • The Oxford Rifles
  • 15th Canadian Infantry Brigade Group
    • The Prince Albert Volunteers
    • Les Fusiliers du St. Laurent
    • Prince Edward Island Highlanders
  • 16th Canadian Infantry Brigade Group
    • The Midland Regiment
    • The Royal Rifles of Canada
    • The Prince of Wales's Own Rangers[2]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c 6th Canadian Division at Canadian Soldier, retrieved November 22, 2007
  2. ^ a b c The Canadian Army, 1943-44 retrieved November 20, 2007


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Infantry divisions of Canada