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I Canadian Corps

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I Canadian Corps
Formation patchworn by corps-level personnel.
Active1942–1945
CountryCanada
BranchCanadian Army
TypeCorps
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Eedson Burns
Charles Foulkes
The formation sign used to identify vehicles associated with corps-level units.

I Canadian Corpswas one of the twocorpsfielded by theCanadian Armyduring theSecond World War.

History[edit]

From December 24, 1940, until the formation of theFirst Canadian Armyin April 1942, there was a single unnumberedCanadian Corps.I Canadian Corps became operational in Italy in November 1943 when the5th Canadian (Armoured) Divisionjoined the1st Canadian Infantry Division,which had been assigned to theBritish Eighth Armyimmediately prior to theAllied invasion of Sicilyin July 1943. I Canadian Corps was commanded successively byLieutenant-GeneralHarry Crerar(April 6, 1942, to March 19, 1944), Lieutenant-GeneralEedson Burns(March 20 to November 5, 1944), and Lieutenant-GeneralCharles Foulkes(November 10, 1944, to July 17, 1945).

However, the 1st Canadian Infantry Division took part in theItalian Campaign,participating in theMoro River Campaignand theBattle of Ortonain December 1943 as part ofBritish V Corpsand it was not until thefourth Battle of Monte Cassino(Operation Diadem) in May 1944 that I Canadian Corps fought its first battle as a corps. The Eighth Army held the corps in reserve until after theGustav defencesin the Liri valley had been broken and then brought it forward to assault successfully the next defensive line, theHitler Line,shortly before the Allied capture ofRomein early June. Having taken part in theAllies' northward advance to Florence, the corps then took part inOperation Olive,the assault on theGothic Line,in September 1944 before being transported during January–February 1945 inOperation Goldflaketo rejoin the rest of the First Canadian Army inBelgiumand theNetherlands.There the corps participated in the campaign to complete the liberation of the Netherlands. On May 6, 1945, atWageningen,Lieutenant-General Foulkes received the finalsurrenderbyColonel GeneralJohannes Blaskowitzof all remaining German forces still active in the Netherlands. The corps was deactivated on July 17, 1945, as part of general demobilization.

Although nominally a Canadian formation, I Canadian Corps contained significant elements at different times from other Allied countries. For example, in Italy, during the assault on the Gothic Line in the fall of 1944, the corps included theBritish 4th Infantry Division,the2nd New Zealand Divisionand the3rd Greek Mountain Brigade.During the final campaign to liberate the Netherlands, the corps included for a time theBritish 49th Infantry Division.

21st century[edit]

In 2015, personnel of theCanadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre,headquartered atCFB Kingston,began wearing the formation patch of I Canadian Corps on their ceremonial and service dress uniforms.[1]

Major operations[edit]

I Canadian Corps forces advancing from theGustav Lineto theHitler Lineduring the Liri Valley Offensive, May 24, 1944.
Dutch civilians celebrating the arrival of I Canadian Corps troops inUtrechtafter the German surrender, May 7, 1945.
  • Operation Timberwolf, December 1943
  • Operation Morning Glory, December 1943
  • Operation Diadem,Liri Valley Offensive, May 1944
  • Operation Olive,assault on the Gothic Line, September 1944
  • Operation Goldflake,transport from Italy to theNetherlands,February–March 1945
  • Operation Destroyer, advance fromNijmegentoArnhem,April 1945
  • Advance toHarderwijkon the coast of theIJsselmeer,April 1945
  • Liberation of the Netherlands, March–May 1945
  • Lieutenant-General Foulkes receives the surrender of all German forces in the Netherlands, May 5, 1945
  • Security duties, delivery of relief supplies and infrastructure repair projects in the Netherlands, May–July, 1945

Order of Battle in Italy, 1944-45[edit]

Commanders[edit]

These officers commanded the I Canadian Corps:[2]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  • Byers, A. R. (ed.),The Canadians at War 1939/45,2nd ed., The Reader's Digest Association (Canada) Ltd., Montreal, Canada, 1986,ISBN0-88850-145-5.
  • Copp, Terry,Cinderella Army: The Canadians in Northwest Europe 1944-1945,University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada, 2007,ISBN978-0-8020-9522-0.
  • Nicholson, G.W.L.(1956).Official history of the Canadian Army in the Second World War, Vol II The Canadians in Italy, 1943-1945.Ottawa: Queen's Printer.
  • Stacey, C.P. (1960).Official history of the Canadian Army in the Second World War, Vol III The Victory Campaign, The Operations in Northwest Europe 1944-1945.Ottawa: Queen's Printer.
  • Zuehlke, Mark (2003).The Liri Valley: Canada's World War II Breakthrough to Rome.Douglas & McIntyre.ISBN978-1-55365-013-3.
  • Zuehlke, Mark (2006).The Gothic Line: Canada's Month of Hell in World War II Italy.Douglas & McIntyre.ISBN978-1-55365-068-3.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^As shown on theCombat Training Centrewebsite at facebook.com on 27 July 2015
  2. ^Col. C. P. Stacey,Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War: The Canadian Army 1939-1945: An Official Historical Summary,Department of National Defence, Ottawa, Canada, 1948.

External links[edit]

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