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)
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(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.
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(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.