The 3rd Canadian Division was a formation of the Canadian Army. It was responsible for the command and mobilization of all army units in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as Northwestern Ontario including the city of Thunder Bay.
It was first created as a formation of the Canadian Corps during the First World War. It was stood down following the war and was later reactivated as the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division during the Second World War. The second iteration served with distinction from 1941 to 1945, taking part in the D-Day landings of 6 June 1944. A duplicate of the 3rd Canadian Division was formed in 1945 to serve on occupation duty in Germany and was disbanded the following year.
History
First World War
The 3rd Canadian Division was formed in France in December 1915 under the command of Major-General Malcolm Mercer. Its members served in France and Flanders until Armistice Day. While with the 3rd Division at Ypres, Mercer became the highest-ranking Canadian officer killed in action during the war. On the same day, Brigadier Victor Williams, commanding the 8th Infantry Brigade, became the highest-ranking Canadian officer captured in the war, also at the Battle of Mount Sorrel. Mercer was replaced by Louis Lipsett, who commanded the division until September 1918, shortly before he too was killed in action on 14 October 1918, while commander of British 4th Division.3rd Canadian Division page at canadiansoldiers.com Major-General Frederick Loomis closed out the war as the commander.
Battles and engagements on the Western Front
1916: Battle of Mount Sorrel – 2–13 June Battle of Flers-Courcelette – 15–22 September Battle of Morval – 25 September Battle of Thiepval – 26–28 September Battle of Le Transloy – 1–18 October Battle of the Ancre Heights – 1–11 October3rd Canadian Division retrieved 20 November 2007
1917: Battle of Vimy Ridge – 9–14 April Attack on La Coulotte – 23 April Third Battle of the Scarpe – 3–4 May Affairs South of the Souchez River – 3–25 June Capture of Avion – 26–29 June Battle of Hill 70 – 15–25 August Second Battle of Passchendaele 26 October – 10 November
1918: Battle of Amiens – 8–11 August Actions round Damery – 15–17 August Battle of the Scarpe – 26–30 August (including the capture of Monchy-le-Preux) Battle of the Canal du Nord – 27 September – 1 October (including the capture of Bourlon Wood) Battle of Cambrai – 8–9 October (including the Capture of Cambrai) Battle of Valenciennes – 1–2 November Pursuit to Mons – 11 November
Second World War
The formation of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division was authorized during the Second World War on 24 May 1940 (General Order 184/40). There was a lengthy delay in the formation of the division due to unpopularity within the Federal government of forming a third division to be sent overseas. Which would increase the likelihood of enacting conscription if the now enlarged overseas forces suffered any heavy casualties with any enactment of conscription being grounds for another Conscription crisis. However due to the grave situation posed during the time frame of the Battle of Britain. The total formation of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division would be ordered with the divisional and brigade (7th, 8th, and 9th) headquarters being formed 5 September 1940. However there was still push back and delays as seen with the division only receiving its first GOC on 26 October 1940.
While the division's components were forming, The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa was detached and transferred to Iceland as part of Z Force. The battalion spent the winter of 1940–41 there, then moved to the United Kingdom. The division's 8th and 9th Canadian Infantry Brigades began embarking as early as 1 July 1941 and arrived in the United Kingdom at the end of that month. The 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade embarked in August and arrived at the beginning of September.
After its arrival, the division spent three uneventful years in garrison and training duties prior to the assault landing on Juno Beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944, as part of the British Second Army, later joining the newly formed First Canadian Army.
Battle honours include Caen, Falaise, clearing the Channel ports, the Breskens pocket, and the final offensives of 1945. During the Battle of the Scheldt, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division had the nickname of "Water Rats" bestowed upon them by Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery, commanding 21st Army Group, in recognition of the poor conditions of terrain through which they fought, first in the Normandy landings, and then in the flooded Breskens Pocket.canadiansoldiers.com page on 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
Juno Beach, D Day
Juno Beach was wide and stretched on either side of Courseulles-sur-Mer. It lay between Sword and Gold beaches which were the responsibility of British Army forces.
The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, with the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade under command, landed in two brigade groups, the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade and the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade. Each brigade had three infantry battalions and an armoured regiment in support, two artillery field regiments, combat engineer companies and specialist units of the British 79th Armoured Division. The 10th Armoured Regiment (The Fort Garry Horse) tanks supported the 7th Brigade landing on the left and the 6th Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars) tanks supported the landing on the right. The division had been assigned extra artillery and anti-tank units doubling its artillery component.
The 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade was kept in reserve and landed later that day and advanced through the lead brigades. The 27th Armoured Regiment (The Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment) provided tank support.
The initial assault was carried out by: North Shore Regiment on the left at St. Aubin (Nan Red beach) Queen's Own Rifles in the centre at Bernières (Nan White beach) Regina Rifles at Courseulles (Nan Green beach) Royal Winnipeg Rifles on the western edge of Courseulles (Mike Red and Mike Green beaches)
Canadian air, land and sea forces suffered approximately 950 casualties on D-Day, the majority being soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Division,canadiansoldiers.com page on the Normandy Landings of 21,400 troops landed on Juno beach that day.
By noon, the entire division was ashore and leading elements had pushed several kilometres inland to seize bridges over the Seulles. By 6:00 pm, they had captured the town of Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer. A 1st Hussars armoured troop reached its objective along with men of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada before nightfall, when both units moved 15 km inland and crossed the Caen-Bayeux highway.Martin, CC Battle Diary, p.16 However, this troop was forced to pull back because they had passed the supporting infantry. By the end of D-Day, the division had penetrated farther into France than any other Allied force, though counter-attacks by elements of two German armoured divisions prevented further major gains for four weeks.
None of the assault divisions, including 3rd Canadian Division, had managed to secure their D-Day objectives, which lay inland, although the Canadians came closer than any other Allied formation.Graves, Donald E. Century of Service Indeed, The Queen's Own Rifles of the 8th Brigade were the only Allied battalion to capture their D-Day objective.
By the end of the next day, the Canadian forces had linked up with the British forces that had landed at Sword Beach.
Time line Juno Beach 6 June 1944 05:35 German shore batteries open fire; Allied naval forces, now massed along entire Normandy coast, begin bombardment. 06:30 Assault on beaches starts. 3rd Canadian Division landing on Juno made more difficult by strong current. Delay allows Germans to mount strong defence. Objective: advance inland and join troops from British beaches. 07:00 German radio broadcasts first report of landing. 08:30 48 Commando lands at St Aubin, Juno Beach and heads east. Beach clearance difficult due to high tides and rough seas. 09:00 General Eisenhower issues communiqué announcing start of invasion. 09:35 Canadian 8th Brigade liberates Bernières. 11:12 After fierce fire fight, 7th Brigade secures Juno exit at Courseulles. But congestion as Canadian 9th Brigade arrives. 11:20 Canadians capture Tailleville, Banville and St Croix. 12:00 As Winston Churchill reports landings to House of Commons, Further landings on Juno. Langrune captured by Juno troops. 13:35 German 352nd Division wrongly advises HQ that Allied assault repulsed. Message not corrected until 18.00. 14:15 All Canadian 3rd Division now ashore on Juno. Rapid advances start: troops link with those from Gold. 18:00 3rd Canadian Div, North Nova Scotia Highlanders reach inland. 1st Hussar tanks cross Caen-Bayeux railway, inland. Canadian Scottish link with 50th Division at Creully. 20:00 Canadians from Juno Beach reach Villons les Buissons, inland. Attack by 21st Panzers reach coast between Sword and Juno at Luc-sur-Mer. 22:00 Rommel returns to HQ from Germany. Montgomery sails for France.
Juno Beach: 21,400 troops landed, with fewer than 1,000 casualties. Aim of capturing Carpiquet airfield not achieved. No link yet with Sword forces.
Fighting in Normandy
The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division fought in the Battle of Normandy in I British Corps and later in the II Canadian Corps. On D-Day+1, units of the division became the only among the Allies to secure any of their D-Day objectives. The villages of Authie and Carpiquet both saw determined fighting between the Canadians and German defenders of the 12th SS Panzer Division. Over five days, the 12th SS counter-attacked to crush the Canadian bridgehead and throw them back into the sea. The attacks cost the 12th a third of their armoured strength and they were forced to retire in the face of stubborn resistance, Allied naval gunfire and air superiority. On 4 July 1944, the 3rd Canadian Division, along with the British 3rd Infantry Division and 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division, supported by elements of the 79th Armoured Division, launched Operation Windsor, capturing the Carpiquet Airfield and the vicinity from the 12th SS after several hours of confused and hard fighting. On 8 July, the 3rd Canadian Division participated in Operation Charnwood, the final advance on the northern parts of Caen by the Second Army.