The Commonwealth garrison of Singapore 1942

Commonwealth Warriors: The Battle of Singapore 1942

 

Singapore was the major British base in South East Asia. The garrison was made up of British, British Indian Army, Australian and colonial troops.

After the Japanese cut off the water supply, the garrison was forced to surrender. It was the worst defeat the British ever suffered.

 (plasticsoldierreview)

British Army:

18^th Division

118^th Field Regt. RA

135^th (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regt. RA

148^th (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regt. RA

125^th Anti-Tank RA

18^th Battn, The Recce Regt. 5^th Battn, The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire)

9^th Battn, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (MG)

53^rd Inf Bde.

2^nd Battn The Cambridgeshire Regt.

5^th Battn, The Royal Norfolk Regt.

6^th Battn, The Royal Norfolk Regt.

54^th Inf Bde.

4^th Battn, The Royal Norfolk Regt.

4^th Battn, The Suffolk Regt.

5^th Battn, The Suffolk Regt.

55^th Inf Bde.

1^st Battn, The Cambridgeshire Regt.

5^th Battn, The Befordshire and Hertfordshire Regt.

1^st/5^th Battn, The Sherwood Foresters

Fortress Singapore

1^st Malaya Bde.

2^nd Battn, Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire)

1^st Battn Malay Regt.

2^nd Battn, Malay Regt.

 

2^nd Malaya Bde.

 

1^st Battn Manchester Regt.

2^nd Battn, Gordon Highlanders

2^nd Battn, 17^th Dogra Regt.

In reserve 2^nd Battn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (plasticsoldierreview.com)

 

Australian Army (plasiticsoldierreview.com)

8^th Division

22^nd Bde, New South Wales

2/18^th Battn

2/19^th Battn

2/20^th Battn

23^rd Bde,

2/21^st Battn, Victoria

2/22^nd Battn, Victoria

2/40^th Battn Tasmania

27^th Bde.

2/26^th Battn Queensland

2/29^th Battn Victoria

2/30^th Battn, New South Wales

2/10^th Field Regt. RAA

2/14^th Field Regt. RAA

2/15^th Field Regt. RAA

2/3^rd Anti-Tank Regt. RAA

2/4^th Anti-Tank Regt. RAA

2/4^th Machine-Gun Regt, Western Australia

2/3^rd Pioneer Battn

 

British Indian Army

III Corps (plasticsoldierreview.com)

9^th Indian Infantry Division

3/17^th Dogra Regt

2/10^th Baluch Regt

2/12^th Frontier Force Regt (Sikhs)

1^st Mysore Infantry

1^st Hyderabad

22^nd Indian Inf Bde.

2/18^th Royal Garhwal Rifles

5/11^th Sikh Regt.

1/13^th Frontier Force Rifles

5^th Field Regt. RA 4.5inch Howitzers (model with WWI guns)

88^th Field Regt. RA 25pdrs

80^th Anti-Tank Regt. RA 2pdr/47mm guns

21^st Mountain Battery Indian Artillery 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzers

 

11^th Indian Infantry Division

6^th Indian Inf Bde

1/8^th Punjab Regt.

2^nd East Surrey Regt.

2/16^th Punjab Reft.

15^th Indian Inf Bde.

1^st Leicestershire Regt.

1/14^th Punjab Regt.

2/9^th Jat Regt.

28^th Indian Inf Bde.

2/1^st Gurkha Rifles

2/2^nd Gurkha Rifles. (plasticsoldierreview.com)

2/9^th Gurkha Rifles

 

3^rd Cavalry

1^st Bn Bahawalpur Infantry

137^th Field Regt. RA 25pdrs

155^th Field Regt. RA 4.5inch howitzers

22^nd Mountain Regt. IA 3.7inch howitzers

80^th Anti-tank Regt. RA 2pdr/47mm

100^th Light Tank Sqd

 

 

Malayian units

1^st Battn, Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces

2^nd Battn Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces

3^rd Battn Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces

4^th Battn Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces

1^st Light Field Regt, Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces

Armoured Car Squadron Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces

Sarawak Rangers

11^th Coastal Regt. Hong Kong and Singapore RA

3^rd Battn, Straits Settlements Volunteer Force

When I returned to Canada, my father had acquired an Imperial Japanese Army helmet. Someone thought it had been a Soviet Union helmet and had painted a peace symbol on it.
When I looked at it, all I could think of is some poor, scared, angry young boy who was told to die for his emperor fighting against the largest allied force ever assembled. And the face I saw was the face of my two older Japanese sons.

The Canadian Army: Cavalry Regiments 1939-89

After the First World War, the Regiments of Horse which the Canadian army possesed, slowly changed to regiments of truck, tank and armoured car.
(plasticsoldierreview.com)

The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps




Troopers of the 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (The South Alberta Regiment) enjoying a game of cards in front of their camouflaged Sherman tank, France, summer 1944. (DND) www.cmhg.gc.ca

Trooper, 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (The South Alberta Regiment), 1944-45

This tank crewman is a identifiable by the cap badge he wears on the black beret of the Canadian Armoured Corps. The 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (The South Alberta Regiment) was the divisional armoured reconnaissance regiment of 4th Canadian Armoured Division. This man wears the British 'Oversuit, Tank Crews' introduced in late 1944. It was nicknamed the 'Pixie Suit' by the troops. Reconstruction by Ron Volstad. (Canadian Department of National Defence)

 

The Royal Canadian Dragoons  These Regiments are equipped with the

Lord Strathcona’s Horse 
     

Canadian M4A3E8 Sherman tanks, Korea, 1951

Sherman tanks of 'C' Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (2nd Armoured Regiment) in Korea, 1951. (DND) www.cmhg.gc.ca  


  Leopard 2 Tank and the Coyote Recce Viechle

Leopard C1 main battle tank, Canadian Forces, 1981

The German Leopard C1 battle tank replaced the British Centurion in the Canadian Forces in 1978. (DND) www.cmhg.gc.ca

12e Regiment Blinde

Reserve/Militia

Governor General’s Horse Guards

The Halifax Rifles(plasticsoldierreview.com)

8^th Canadian Hussars

The Ontario Regiment

Queen’s York Rangers (1^st American Regiment)

Sherbrooke Hussars

1^st Hussars

Prince Edward Island Regiment

Royal Canadian Hussars

The British Columbia Regiment

South Alberta Light Horse

Sasketchewan Dragoons

King’s Own Calgary Regiment

The British Columbia Dragoons

The Fort Garry Horse

Regiment du Hull

The Windsor Regiment.

Hong Kong garrison, 1941

Britain's garrison of their colony of Hong Kong consisted of.

British Army: 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots
                       2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (Machine-Gun)

Canadian Army: Royal Rifles of Canada
                           Royal Winnipeg Grenadiers (Machine-gun)(www.cmhg.gc.ca)

Hong Kong Chinese Regiment
Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force
1st Hong Kong Regiment Royal Artillery,
7th Rajput Regiment
14th Punjab Regiment
(plasticsoldierreview.com),

Scottish troops of the Commonwealth

One of the by products of emigration from Scotland to the colonies, eventually led to the formation of Scottish Regiments to emulate the home country.
,

The original units of the Scottish Division in the British Army consisted of

The Royal Scots
The Royal Highland Fusiliers
The King's Own Scottish Borderers
The Black Watch, the Royal Highland Regiment
The Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Cameron's)
The Gordon Highlanders
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
The Cameronions
The 51st Highland Volunteers
The 52nd Lowland Regiment


The Canadian Army:
1st Battalion, Nova Scotia Highlanders
The Cape Breton Highlanders
The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa
The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada
The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
The Highland Light Infantry of Canada
The 48th Highlanders of Canada
The Lorne Scots
The Lake Superior Scottish Regiment
The Toronto Scottish Regiment
The Black Watch, Royal Highland Regiment of Canada
Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
1st Air Defence Regiment Lanark and Renfrew Scottish
The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada
The Essex and Kent Scottish
The Calgary Highlanders
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada
Otherwise not a part of the Canadian Army but still perpetuates their heritage
78th Rosshire Buffs, garrison of Halifax Citadel 1869-71
2nd Battn, 84th Regiment, Royal Highland Emigrants, garrison of Atlantic Canada during the American Revolution 1775-84


The Australian Army:
The Royal Victoria Regiment, Victorian Scottish Regiment
The Royal South Australian Regiment, The South Australian Scottish
The Royal Western Australia Regiment, The Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia
The Royal New South Wales Regiment, The Byron Scottish Regiment



The New Zealand Army:
1st Royal New Zealand Armoured Regiment of the New Zealand Scottish.

The South African Army
The First City Regiment, Tartan: Gramham of Montrose
The Pretoria Highlanders
The Transvaal Scottish
The Cape Town Highlanders
The Witwatersrand Rifles, Tartan: Douglas

The Canadian Army 1939-89: Artillery Regiments

Specifically, in the Canadian army, there are two artillery regiments, The Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
Trumpeter, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, 1933. The RCHA’s uniform was similar to Britain’s Royal Horse Artillery. Watercolour by R.J. Marrion. (Canadian War Museum)  (www.cmhg.gc.ca)  and The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, otherwise known as the Royal Canadian Artillery.
(plasticsoldierreview.com)
After the first world war, the RCA,

(plasticsoldierreview.com)

The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, otherwise known as the Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA), consists of 2 regiments of Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (the regular army gunners) 155mm Guns M777 Howitzer

 with 4 Air Defence Regiment using the ADATS and the 5e Regt d’artillerie legere du Canada, the regular French speaking artillery regiment.

The Reserve/Militia consists of 16 Field Regiments with 3 Independent Field Batteries. 105mm guns

1^st Field (Halifax-Dartmouth) Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

2^nd Field Regt, RCA Montreal

3^rd Field Regt, RCA Saint John

5^th Field Regt, RCA Victoria

6^th Field Regt, RCA Levis

7^th Toronto Regiment RCA

10^th Field Regt, RCA Regina

11^th Field Regt, RCA Guelph

15^th Field Regt, RCA Vancouver

20^th Field Regt, RCA Edmonton

26^th Field Regt, RCA Manitoba

30^th Field Regt, RCA Ottawa

42^nd Field Regt, (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish) RCA

49^th Field Regt, RCA Sault St. Marie

56^th Field Regt, RCA Brantford

62^nd Field Regt, RCA Shawinigan

Independent Field Batteries

20^th Independent Field, Leithbridge

84^th Independent Field, Yarmouth

116^th Independent Field, Kenora

The Canadian Army 1939-89: Infantry Regiments

This post will discuss the the infantry regiments of the Canadian Army from World War II up to close to the end of the Cold War. As of July 30, 2013, the Canadian Army renamed their regional commands back to the World War 2 names. The Canadian Army now consists of 1st to 5th Canadian Divisions.
(plasticsoldierreview.com)

In 1939, the regular Canadian Army consisted of:
The Royal Canadian Regiment
The Royal 22e Regiment
The Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry

The Canadian Militia were made up of many regiments.(more to follow)
,

(all shots on this page from plasticsoldierreview)





Post Korean War, the Canadian Army didn't look that much different from the British Army, even the service rifle was the FN C1A1 and the section machine-gun was the GPMG known as the C6 in Canadian Forces.
By the mid 1980's, they began to look more like the Americans in Vietnam.  The C7 Rifle was also adopted around 1988.
,
(plasticsoldierreview)

The Canadian Army

Royal Canadian Infantry Corps

This was the official name of the organization of the Canadian Army prior to 1968. As of 2012, the official name of the land force component of the Canadian Forces is the Canadian Army.

 

The current order of battle consists of 3 regular Regiments,

The Royal Canadian Regiment (3 battalions)

The Royal 22e Regiment (3 battalions)

The Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (3 battalions)

 

The Canadian Militia, otherwise known as the Reserve Army consists of 49 Infantry Regiments!

All these regiments are split into 4 national commands

5th Canadian Division formerly Land Force Atlantic Area (LFAA):

This covers the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

The Regiments posted consist of:

Regular Army

2RCR (Mech) also part of 2CMBG) 1st Canadian Division

4 Air Defence Regt, RCA

4 Eng Support Regt CME

3 Military Police Unit

Reserve/Militia

36 Canadian Brigade Group

The Halifax Rifles (RCAC) Reconnaissance

The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) Reconnaissance

1^st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Regt, RCA (Artillery)

84 Independent Field Battery, RCA  (Artillery)

36 Combat Engineer Regt.

The Princess Louise Fusiliers

The West Nova Scotia Regiment

1^st Battn, Nova Scotia Highlanders

The Cape Breton Highlanders

36 Service Battn (Logistics)

36 Signal Regiment

37 Canadian Brigade Group

8^th Canadian Hussars (RCAC) Recconnaissance

3^rd Field Regt, RCA

37 CER

1^st Battn, The Royal New Brunswick Regiment

The North Shore New Brunswick Regiment

1^st Battn, The Royal Newfoundland Regiment

2^nd Battn The Royal Newfoundland Regiment

37 Service Battn

37 Signal Regiment

Otherwise not attached but still part of the command:

5 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group

3 Intelligence Company

 

2nd Canadian Division formerly Land Force Quebec Area (LFQA)

5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (5CMBG)

12e Regt Blinde (RCAC)

1er Royal 22eRegiment (Mech)

2e Royal22eRegiment (Mech)

3e Royal22eRegiment (Light)

5e Regt, RCA

5CME

34 Canadian Brigade Group:

The Royal Canadian Hussars (RCAC)

Le Regt du Hull (RCAC)

2^nd Field, RCA

34 CER (Engineers)

4e Battn Royal22eRegt (Chateauguay)

6e Battn Royal22e Regt

Le Regt de Maisonneuve

Le Fusiliers Mont-Royal

The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment of Canada)

The Canadian Grenadier Guards

The Royal Montreal Regiment

34 (Montreal) Service Battn

34 Signals Regt

 

35 Canadian Brigade Group

Sherbrooke Hussars (Reconnaissance)

12e Regt Blinde (milice) (Reconnaissance)

6^th Field, RCA

62^nd Field RCA

35 CER

Le Regiment de la Chaudiere

Les Fusiliers du St. Laurent

Le Voltigerurs de Quebec

35 (Quebec) Service Battn

35 Signals Regiment

Other units not attached but still part of command

2 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group

4 Intelligence Company

 

4th Canadian Division formerlyLand Force Central Area (LFCA)

2 Area Construction Troop, 4 Engineer Support Regiment

21 Electronic Warfare Regiment

2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group

2^nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery

The Royal Canadian Dragoons

2 Combat Engineer Regiment

1^st Battn Royal Canadian Regiment

3^rd Battn Royal Canadian Regiment (Light)

31 Canadian Brigade Group

1^st Hussars

The Windsor Regiment (RCAC)

11^th Field Regt, RCA

49^th Field Regt, RCA

31 CER(The Elgins)

31 Signal Regt

The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry(Wentworth Regiment)

4^th Battn, Royal Canadian Regiment

The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada

The Grey and Simcoe Foresters

The Essex and Kent Scottish

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada

31 Service Battn

 

32 Canadian Brigade Group

The Governor General’s Horse Guards

The Queen’s York Rangers(1^st American Regiment, RCAC)

7^th Toronto Regt, RCA

56^th Field Regt, RCA

32 CER

32 Signal Regiment

The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada

The Royal Regiment of Canada

The Lincoln and Welland Regiment

The Lorne Scots(Peel,Dufferin, and Halton Regiment)

48^th Highlanders of Canada

The Toronto Scottish Regiment

32 Service Regiment

 

33 Canadian Brigade Group

The Ontario Regiment (RCAC)

30^th Field RCA

42^nd Field RCA (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish)

33 CER

33 Signals Regt

Governor General’s Food Guards

The Princess of Wales Own Regiment

The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment

The Brockville Rifles

Stormont Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders

The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa

The Algonquin Regiment

2^nd Battn, Irish Regiment of Canada

33 Service Battn

Other Units

3 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group

2 Intelligence Company

 

Third Canadian Division, formerly Land Force Western Area (LFWA)

1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group:

1^st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery

Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians)

1 Combat Engineer Regiment

1^st Battn Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry

2^nd Battn PPCLI

1 Service Battn

1 Area Support Group

38 Canadian Brigade Group

The Saskatchewan Dragoons (RCAC)

The Fort Garry Horse (RCAC)

10^th Field Regt, RCA

26^th Regt, RCA

116^th Independent Battery RCA

38 Signals Regt

The Royal Winnipeg Rifles

The Lake Superior Scottish Regiment

The North Saskatchewan Regiment

The Royal Regina Rifles

The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada

38 Service Battalion

 

39 Canadian Brigade Group

The British Columbia Dragoons (RCAC)

5^th British Columbia Field, RCA

15^th Field, RCA

39 CER

39 Signals Regt

The Rocky Mountain Rangers

The Royal Westminster Regiment

The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada

The Canadian Scottish Regiment

39 Service Battn

 

41 Canadian Brigade Group

The South Alberta Light Horse (RCAC)

The King’s Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)

20^th Field Regt, RCA

20^th Independent Field Battery RCA

41 CER

The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4^th PPCLI)

The Calgary Highlanders

41 Service Battn

 

Supplementary Order of Battle

These Regiments legally exist but have nil strength. Subject to reactivation.

At present, only the Halifax Rifles, have been reactivated from this list.

The Canadian Guards

Victoria Rifles of Canada

The Royal Rifles of Canada

Le Regiment de Joliette

The Perth Regiment

The South Saskatchewan Regiment

The Winnipeg Grenadiers

The Yukon Regiment

1^st Battalion, Irish Regiment of Canada

The Irish Fusiliers of Canada (The Vancouver Regiment)

The only officially disbanded regiment of the Canadian Army was The Canadian Airborne Regiment, due to the scandal involving it in Somolia in 1993.