Canadian Expeditionary Force

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The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the group of Canadian military units formed for service overseas in the First World War. As the units arrived in France they were formed into the divisions of the Canadian Corps. Four divisions ultimately served on the front line.

The force consisted of 260 numbered infantry battalions, 13 mounted rifle regiments, 13 railway troop battalions, 5 pioneer battalions as well as field and heavy artillery batteries, ambulance, medical, dental, forestry, labour, tunneling, cyclist, and service units.

A distinct entity within the Canadian Expeditionary Force was the Canadian Machine Gun Corps. It consisted of several motor machine gun battalions, the Eatons, Yukon, and Borden Motor Machine Gun Batteries, and nineteen machine gun companies. During the summer of 1918, these units were consolidated into four machine gun battalions, one being attached to each of the four divisions in the Canadian Corps.

The demographics of the of the Canadian Expeditionary Force reflected Canada’s growing ethnic diversity. Many were of English birth or heritage. Large numbers of Scots, Irish, Francophones, and men of American birth also served. To a lesser extent, there were also Russians, Scandinavians, Belgians, Dutch, French, Swiss, Chinese and Japanese men who enlisted. Despite systemic racism, a significant contribution was also made by First Nations peoples and Afro-Canadians.

The Canadian Expeditionary Force was comprised mostly of men who had volunteered as conscription wasn’t enforced until the end of the war when call ups began in January 1918. (See Conscription Crisis of 1917.) Ultimately, only 24,132 conscripts arrived in France before the end of the war.

After distinguishing themselves in battles such as the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917, the Canadian Corps was considered to be an elite force by both Allied and German military commanders. Since they were mostly unmolested by the German army’s offensive maneuvers in the spring of 1918, the Canadians were ordered to spearhead the last campaigns of the First World War starting with the Battle of Amiens on 8 August 1918 which ended in a tacit victory for the Allies when the armistice was signed on 11 November 1918.

The Canadian Expeditionary Force lost 60,661 dead during the war, representing 9.28% of the 619,636 who enlisted.

External links

[Canadian Great War Project]
[The C.E.F. Paper Trail]
[The C.E.F. Study Group]
[Central Ontario Branch – Western Front Association]
[Library & Archives Canada - Canada and the First World War]
[National Defence – Books/Publications Online – Contains a link to download a copy of Nicholson’s Official History of the C.E.F.]
[Veteran Affairs Canada – History of the First World War]
Regimental Rogue site
*[Perpetuation of the Units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (C.E.F.), 1914-1919]
*[Conditions of Award of Battle Honours for the Great War 1914-1919]
*[C.E.F. Distinguishing Patches (wallpaper graphic offered in three sizes)]
Links to Nicholson text and maps (see book reference below: [link])
[canadiansoldiers.com article on the CEF]

Canadian Expeditionary Force

External links

Suggested Reading on the Canadian Expeditionary Force