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Third Canadian Division
"The Water Rats"
The first formation named Third Canadian Division took the field during the First World War as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The Division covered itself with glory in several hard fought campaigns, and was disbanded at the end of the War. Originally distinguished by black Battle Patches on thier sleeves, the Division eventually adopted a three-inch by two-inch "French-grey" coloured formation badge.
In September 1939, the First and Second Divisions of the Canadian Active Service Force were mobilized. In May 1940, the crisis in France led the Canadian Government to approve the raising of additional divisions, and the Third and Fourth Divisions, CASF, were mobilized according to General Order 184/40, effective 24 May 1940. Each infantry battalion of the Third Division was designated by the name of the Regiment which raised it, with the suffix "CASF" added. Technically, the battalions of the Third Division were separate from their Regiments. These Regiments also retained battalions at home as part of the Non-Permanent Active Militia. The NPAM units trained on weekends and weeknights, and consisted of men not able to serve with the CASF.Three brigades of infantry were allocated to the Third Division, as shown in the Order of Battle given below. Only two of these units had mobilized prior to May 1940; the Camerons and Chaudières had been mobilized in September 1939.
During the summer of 1940, the Division’s infantry battalions trained in their home provinces with some also performing garrison duty. The battalions were concentrated and assembled into brigades in the last half of the year to train before going overseas, reorganizing as they did so. The 7th Brigade assembled in Debert, Nova Scotia; the Regina Rifles arrived at the end of September 1940 after training in Dundurn Camp, Saskatchewan; the Canadian Scottish came from Macaulay Camp, B.C., in early October and the Royal Winnipeg Rifles (transferred from the Fourth Division) moved to Debert from Camp Shilo, Manitoba in late October. The 8th Brigade assembled at Camp Sussex, New Brunswick; the Chaudières moved there in September 1940, the North Shores in December. The Queen’s Own Rifles, after spending August through November on garrison duty in Newfoundland, finally moved to Sussex in December as well. The 9th Brigade assembled in Debert, Nova Scotia; the HLI was last to arrive after garrison duty in Quebec City, arriving in early March 1941 to join the Glens and North Novies.
In late 1940 the CASF was renamed the Canadian Army (Overseas). In February of 1941, the infantry units of the Third Division also became, officially, First Battalions of their Regiments. The ten Regiments that had contributed battalions to the Third Division also had additional (higher numbered) battalions in the Reserve and Active armies in Canada.
The Division moved to England in the summer of 1941 to be joined by the Camerons of Ottawa, arriving from garrison duty in Iceland. After a long stretch of training in England, the Third Division assaulted Juno Beach in Normandy on 6 June 1944, making deeper penetrations than the British or Americans on their beaches. Spending much of the next four weeks in static positions, the Division participated in the battles to capture Caen in early July, and the battles around Verrieres Ridge during the rest of the month. Passing from British control to be commanded by the newly activated First Canadian Army on 31 July 1944, the Division took part in the pursuit across France, and then faced the task of clearing the Channel ports, most notably Boulogne, Calais and Cape Gris Nez.
Moving into the flat terrain of the Low Countries, the area was ill-suited for attacking across. Criss crossed by canals and dikes, much territory had also been flooded by the retreating Germans. The Division faced many difficult obstacles such as the Leopold Canal, but the Scheldt Estuary had to be secured for water traffic into the port of Antwerp, and clearing the "Breskens Pocket" to help achieve this took most of October. At the end of the Scheldt campaign, Field Marshal Montgomery bestowed on the Division the nickname "Water Rats
," a variation on the nickname of the British 7th Armoured Division, who were known as the "Desert Rats" under his command in North Africa.After spending three months in static positions in the Nijmegen Salient, the Division engaged in fierce combat once more in February. Fighting once again through flooded terrain, the Division helped clear the last German positions west of the Rhine, and with the First Canadian Para
chute Battalion became the first Canadians across the river. The Division fought on into Germany and were ordered to suspend operations on 4 May 1945. After the majority of men had been sent to Canada, the Division was officially disbanded on 23 November 1945.In June 1945 a separate formation named Third Canadian Division, Canadian Army Occupation Force was created. Three brigades, designated 2nd 7th, 2nd 8th and 2nd 9th were created into which newly formed battalions were placed as
below. The Division remained on Occupation duty in Germany until relieved and sent home beginning in May 1946. The Division was officially disbanded the next month.