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The Canadian Corps was a World War I corps formed from the Canadian Expeditionary Force in September 1915 after the arrival of the 2nd Canadian Division in France. The corps was expanded by the addition of the 3rd Canadian Division in December 1915 and the 4th Canadian Division in August 1916. The organization of a 5th Canadian Division began in February 1917 but it was still not fully formed when it was broken up in February 1918 and its men used to reinforce the other four divisions.
The majority of soldiers of the Canadian Corps were British-born Canadians until near the end of the war, when the number of those of Canadian birth who had enlisted rose to 51 percent.English, J. (1991). The Canadian Army and the Normandy Campaign: A Study of Failure in High Command. Praeger Publishers, p 15. They were mostly volunteers, as conscription was not implemented until the end of the war ( see Conscription Crisis of 1917). Ultimately, only 24,132 conscripts made it to France before 11 November 1918. In the later stages of the war the Canadian Corps was regarded by friend and foe alike as one of the most effective Allied military formations on the Western Front.Godefroy, A. (April 1, 2006). "Canadian Military Effectiveness in the First World War." In The Canadian Way of War: Serving the National Interest Bernd Horn (ed.) Dundurn Press.
The Canadian Corps captured Vimy Ridge in April, 1917, in a daring attack that was a turning point in the war, and as Currie called it, "the grandest day the Corps ever had".Berton, P. (1986). Vimy. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart. p. 292. . During the German spring offensive of the spring and summer of 1918, the Canadian Corps supported British and French soldiers while they held the Germans back. Between August 8 and 11, 1918, the corps spearheaded the offensive during the Battle of Amiens. Here a significant defeat was inflicted on the Germans, causing the German commander-in-chief, General Erich Ludendorff, to call August 8 "the black day of the German army." This battle marked the start of the period of the war the French later named "Canada's Hundred Days". After Amiens, the Canadian Corps continued to help lead the vanguard of an Allied push that ultimately ended on 11 November 1918 at Mons where the British Empire had first met in conflict with Imperial German forces in 1914.
At the end of war the Canadian 1st and 2nd Divisions took part in the occupation of Germany and the corps was eventually demobilized in 1919.Library and Archives Canada (2008-11-07). Armistice. Canada and the First World War. Retrieved on: 2010-05-24. Upon their return home the veterans were greeted by large and welcoming crowds all across the country. Total fatal battle casualties during the war was 56,638, 13.5% of the 418,052 sent overseas and 9.26% of the 611,711 who enlisted.Statistics Canada (2009-08-07). Number of casualties in the First World War, 1914 to 1918, and the Second World War, 1939 to 1945. Source: Canada Yearbook, 1948. Retrieved on: 2010-05-24.
A large part of Robertson Davies' 1970 novel Fifth Business is devoted to the protagonist's experiences as a soldier in the Canadian Corps.
Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novel Rilla of Ingleside, (the 8th book in the “Anne of Green Gables” series), is one of the first successful commercial publications focusing on Canadian civilian and soldier World War I experiences. It is the only Canadian novel written of the First World War by a contemporary. It is also one of the first texts to mention the Gallipoli campaign as well as the .
Canadian Corps divisions
+ Canadian divisions 1st Canadian Division Established: August 1914
Disbanded: 1919Edwin Alderson March 1915 – Sept 1915 Second Battle of Ypres Arthur Currie Sept 1915 – June 1917 Battle of Mont Sorrel
Battle of the Somme
Battle of Vimy RidgeArchibald Cameron Macdonell June 1917 – 1919 Battle of Hill 70
Battle of Passchendaele2nd Canadian Division Established: May 1915
Disbanded: 1919Sam Steele May 1915 – Aug 1915 None Richard Turner Sept 1915 – Dec 1916 Battle of the Somme Henry Edward Burstall Dec 1916 – 1919 Battle of Vimy Ridge
Battle of Passchendaele3rd Canadian Division Established: Jan 1916
Disbanded: 1919Malcolm Mercer Dec 1915 – Jun 1916
(died in combat)Battle of Mont Sorrel Louis Lipsett Jun 1916 – Sep 1918 Battle of the Somme
Battle of Vimy Ridge
Battle of PasschendaeleFrederick Oscar Warren Loomis Sep 1918 – 1919 None 4th Canadian Division Established: Apr 1916
Disbanded: 1919David Watson Apr 1916 – 1919 Battle of Vimy Ridge
Battle of Passchendaele
Battle of Amiens
Battle of Arras
Battle of Cambrai5th Canadian Division Established: Feb 1917
Disbanded: Feb 1918Garnet Hughes Feb 1917 – Feb 1918 None
Battles
Following its formation in late 1915, the Canadian Corps readied to fight major battles as a unified entity, beginning in 1916. Additional actions were fought by one or more units of the corps ( see separate listings for the divisions, above). Major battles fought by the corps were the following:
1916
1917
1918
Assessment
The military effectiveness of the corps has been extensively analyzed. The corps evolved steadily following the 1915 summer campaign. As Godefroy (2006) notes, the Canadian Expeditionary Force "worked ceaselessly to convert all of its available political and physical resources into fighting power." One striking feature of the corps' evolution was its unique commitment and ability to exploit all opportunities for learning. This was a corps-wide activity, involving all levels from the commander to the private soldier. This ability to learn from allied successes and mistakes made the corps increasingly successful. Doctrine was tested in limited engagements and, if proven effectual, developed for larger scale battles. Following each engagement, lessons were recorded, analyzed and disseminated to all units. Doctrine and tactics that were ineffective or cost too many lives were discarded and new methods developed. This learning process, combined with technical innovation and competent senior leadership in theatre created one of the most effective allied fighting forces on the Western Front.
Ruthlessness and Prisoner Treatment
This adaptive approach also shaped the Corps' reputation for ruthlessness, particularly in trench raids and the treatment of surrendering enemies, which enhanced its fearsome image among German forces. German commanders reportedly reinforced sectors when facing Canadians, viewing them as "shock troops" prone to minimal quarter. This reputation stemmed from aggressive tactics, the Corps' volunteer-heavy composition, and the brutalizing conditions of trench warfare, where similar acts occurred across all armies.
Trench Raids and Deceptive Tactics
The Corps pioneered large-scale trench raids for intelligence and morale disruption, often resulting in no-quarter combat due to the risks of escorting prisoners during withdrawals. A notable incident near Ypres (1916–1917), recounted in A Canadian Who Went, involved tossing corned beef tins to lure starving Germans before attacking with grenades and rifles, described as "gifts from hell". Similar deceptions, such as exploiting Christmas truces, reinforced this image, as in the 1915 incident where Canadians responded to German greetings with machine-gun fire.
Killing of Surrendering Prisoners
Executions of surrendering Germans were widespread, driven by revenge, safety concerns, and battlefield chaos. Historian Tim Cook documented cases like Lieutenant R. C. Germain's bayoneting of prisoners ("a foot of cold steel thro them") and reprisals fueled by the debunked "Crucified Canadian" rumor of 1915. While 42,000 Germans were captured overall, such killings were common in the fraught "politics of surrender".
Context and Legacy
Motivations included fear of prisoners alerting enemies and revenge for alleged atrocities; though not unique, these acts amplified the Corps' reputation. Postwar, they contributed to veterans' trauma, with historians like Cook urging a re-examination of sanitized narratives.
In literature
Bartholomew Bandy, hero of The Bandy Papers series of humorous novels by Donald Jack, initially served as an infantry officer in the Canadian Corps before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps.
Bibliography
Further reading
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