Military Wiki
in: Pages containing cite templates with deprecated parameters, Articles using infobox military unit, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia,
and 12 more

Victoria Militia District

Sign in to edit
Victoria Militia District
Military District No. 11
Active 1868 – 1947, 1968 – 1990
Country  Canada
Branch  Canadian Army
Type Military District
Part of Pacific Militia Area
Headquarters Victoria, British Columbia

The Victoria Militia District was a military district of the Canadian Army responsible for the areas around the city of Victoria, British Columbia.

History[]

The Victoria Military District can trace its history back to No. 11 Military District headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia. The district, responsible for militia (reserve) units based within the Province of British Columbia was formed in 1868 when the new Non-Permanent Active Militia was formed. On 1 January 1915, the district became responsible for the new Yukon Territories along with its previous duties in British Columbia.[1] By the time of the outbreak of the Second World War, the district consisted of a single infantry brigade, the 14th along with a 23rd Infantry Brigade cadre. However, by 1942, the 23rd Brigade was renumbered as the 29th (Reserve) Brigade Group, responsible for depot and reserve units based within the district.[1][2][3] On 30 September 1939, the strength of the active service force within the district included: 2,588 Mobile Force authorized strength; 1,880 actual strength; 4,806 actual strength for non-Mobile Force units; and 6,686 total strength.[4]

Pacific Command was formed by General Order 264/43 effective 2 December 1940 and responsible for defense of the Canadian Pacific region. The command, encompassing Military Districts No. 11 and 13 (provinces of British Columbia and Alberta and the Yukon Territory and District of Mackenzie), was to be commanded by a three-star general.[5] The general-officer commanding Pacific Command had two deputy commanders, serving as district commanders, however the GOC had command over the districts in practice.[5][6]

With the end of the war, Pacific Command was redesignated as Military District No. 11 on 23 January 1946, and subsequently joined Western Command.[1][7][8] The district, alongside No. 13 Military District and the North West and Yukon Territories became the basis for the new Western Command, formed on 23 January 1496.[1][9] With the changes in 1946, the old 14th (Reserve) Infantry Brigade was redesignated as the 15th Infantry Brigade, and became the only remaining infantry brigade within the district. Alongside this brigade however, the new 22nd Armoured Brigade was formed.[1][10] However, on 1 January 1947 Military District No. 11 was redesignated as Headquarters, British Columbia Area.[1][11]

In 1968, the three previously independent branches of the Canadian Armed Forces were merged into the new unified Canadian Armed Forces. Among these was the new Canadian Army, known as the 'Mobile Force Command' and within this command were the newly reorganised military districts. Now known as militia districts, the commands were responsible for certain areas of the country, with the new 'Victoria Militia District' formed alongside the Vancouver Militia District, part of the Pacific Militia Area.[1][12] Each new militia district was to be commanded by a Colonel, rather than a Brigadier leaving them roughly the equivalent of a 'Group' or 'Regiment'-sized formation, at an OF-5 level. However, each militia area was commanded by a Brigadier-General.[1][12] Within each of these districts, a new 'Infantry Brigade Group' was to be formed when mobilised. Each brigade had a paper-strength of 3,300 personnel which raised to 5,000 when augmented for war. Each brigade consisted of a Light Armoured Regiment (battalion), 3 x infantry battalions, a field artillery regiment (battalion), engineer regiment (battalion), alongside a service (logistics) battalion, field ambulance (company), and a military police platoon.[13]

In 1990, with the end of the Cold War, the militia district was merged with the Vancouver Militia District to form the new British Columbia District, part of Land Force Western Area. The district in 1997 was reorganised as a brigade group, becoming the 39th Canadian Brigade Group headquartered in Vancouver and responsible for the Province of British Columbia.[1]

Structure[]

September 1939[]

The structure of the district in September 1939 just before the outbreak of the Second World War was as follows. Unless stated, all units below were part of the Non-Permanent Active Militia or reserve.[1][2][3]

December 1942[]

The structure of Pacific Command was as follows:[5]

December 1989[]

In December 1989, the Victoria Militia District was organised as follows:[1][26]

Footnotes[]

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 "Domestic Military Organization 1900-1999". https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/organization/districts.htm. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Army List, pp. 229–230
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Niehorster, Dr Leo. "Military District No. 11, The Canadian Army, 10.09.1939". http://niehorster.org/017_britain/39_canada/dist_11.html. 
  4. ↑ Daily Strength Return, C.A.S.F., 30 Sep 39.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Pacific Command". https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/organization/fieldforces/casf/pacificcommand.htm. 
  6. ↑ Stacey, p. 166
  7. ↑ General Orders 21/46
  8. ↑ General Orders 56/46
  9. ↑ General Orders 21/1946
  10. ↑ General Orders 114/46, 115/46 and 116/46 dated 13 May 1946
  11. ↑ Canadian Army Order 76-2, Issue No. 1/1947
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Isby & Kamps, p. 80
  13. ↑ Isby & Kamps, p. 85
  14. ↑ "Biography of Brigadier James Crossley Stewart (1891 – 1972), Canada". https://www.generals.dk/general/Stewart/James_Crossley/Canada.html. 
  15. ↑ "6th Canadian Division". https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/organization/fieldforces/casf/6thdivision.htm. 
  16. ↑ "DHH - Armour, Artillery and Field Engineer Regiments - ARMOUR REGIMENTS - THE SOUTH ALBERTA LIGHT HORSE". 2022-05-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20220528050954/http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-3/par1/arm-bli/SALH-eng.asp. 
  17. ↑ General Orders 147/42
  18. ↑ General Orders 455/42
  19. ↑ Stacey, p. 539
  20. ↑ General Orders 309/42
  21. ↑ General Orders 63/42
  22. ↑ General Orders 273/40
  23. ↑ General Orders 44/41
  24. ↑ "8th Canadian Division". https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/organization/fieldforces/casf/8thdivision.htm. 
  25. ↑ Stacey, pp. 166–171
  26. ↑ Isby & Kamps, p. 90
  27. ↑ "Colonel (Retd) D. Ian Smith OMM CD RCA | Obituaries | McCall Gardens Funeral and Cremation Service | Victoria BC" (in en). https://www.mccallgardens.com/obituaries/colonel-retd-d-ian-smith-omm-cd-rca. 

References[]

  • The Monthly Army List for September 1939. Whitehall, London, United Kingdom: His Majesty's Stationery Office. 1939. 
  • Colonel Charles Perry, Stacey (1955). Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War. I: Six Years of War: The Army in Canada, Britain, and the Pacific. Ottawa, Canada: Queen's Printer and Controller of Stationery, Ottawa. 
  • Isby, David C.; Kamps, Charles Tustin (1985). Armies of NATO's Central Front. New York City, New York, United States: Jane's Publishing. ISBN 978-0710603418. OCLC 13073768. 
All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Victoria Militia District and the edit history here.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.