Canadian Corps (World War II)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The unnumbered Canadian Corps was the first corps-level military formation established by the Canadian Army during World War II. A four-division Canadian Corps had existed during the First World War. However, during WWII Canada's military contribution was to increase to the scale of a five-division, two-corps army.

The Canadian Corps became effective in the United Kingdom on December 25, 1940 to accommodate the staged arrival, over the second half of 1940, of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. The 1st Canadian Infantry Division had already been sent across the Atlantic in December 1939 and early 1940 to help defend England against the threat of German invasion from occupied France. The Canadian Corps was redesignated I Canadian Corps in 1942, when the growing size of Canada's overseas expeditionary force in the United Kingdom required the formation of the First Canadian Army.

The Canadian Corps was commanded successively by Lieutenant-General Andrew McNaughton (December 1940 to December 1941), and Lieutenant-General Harry Crerar (December 23, 1941 to early 1942).

[edit] References

Byers, A. R. (ed.), The Canadians at War 1939/45, 2nd ed., The Reader's Digest Association (Canada) Ltd., Montreal, Canada, 1986, ISBN 0-88850-145-5.