Between the Wars

1919 Canada

After the War

In the immediate post-war era, the question of battle honours was a hot topic. Once the CEF was disbanded the dearly won honours would disappear. Many therefore proposed that the CEF units be retained and the old Militia regiments done away with in order to save the honours. The Otter Commission was established to find the solution. Their answer was to link the CEF units with the Militia units from which they had sprung. The new system, called perpetuation, would also retain the battle honours.

The cavalry regiments that fought in Europe did so under their own names and titles and were therefore not involved in the perpetuation question.

The three Canadian tank battalions, which had no battle honours, are disbanded and similarly did not feature in the perpetuation question.

1 June 1919 Ottawa, Ontario

The Machine Gun Corps

A Canadian Machine Gun Corps is formed with a single Permanent Force battalion (The Royal Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade), twelve Militia machine gun battalions and two motor machine gun brigades (each equipped with a single Autocar shipped back from Europe.)

The Corps is disbanded in 1922. Its equipment and personnel distributed to the three Permanent Force infantry regiments.

(Captain F.F. Worthington, MC, MM is posted to the PPCLI in Winnipeg.)

1 November 1920 Oshawa, Ontario

Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel R.S. McLaughlin

S. (Sam) McLaughlin was the founder of General Motors Canada and a strong supporter of the Ontario Regiment, then an infantry unit based in Oshawa.

On 1 November 1920, he was sworn in as the Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel.

1921 Canada

Swords or Rifles

In 1921, six regiments are designated as horsed cavalry (RCD, LSH, GGBG, PLDG, FGH, and 19th Alberta D). What all these units had in common was proximity to a capital city where they would be called upon to perform ceremonial duties. They were therefore all issued with swords. All remaining cavalry units are re-designated as mounted rifles and are not issued swords. Those units with the mounted rifles designation are not pleased with this development.

29 October 1929 New York, USA

Great Depression

29 October 1929 was known as "Black Tuesday" as the Stock Market crashed and started the Great Depression.

It lasted for 10 years - until the start of the Second World War.

1933 Canada

First Attempt at Mechanization

In 1933, the Canadian Government purchases twelve Carden-Loyd Mark VIA carriers from the United Kingdom.

An instructor’s course for the new vehicles was held at Petawawa and was attended by Captains Worthington and Foulkes.

Following the course four carriers are sent to each of the three Permanent Force (regular) infantry units.

By 1933, Gross Domestic Expenditure had dropped by over 40% and there was 30% unemployment.

This limited the amount of money available to the government to spend on the military.

1933 Germany

German Tank Development

Germany fields its first modern tank - Panzerkampfwagen or Panzer I. The Panzer II follows in 1935 and the Panzer III and IV in the next year.

1934 Canada

Cavalry Mechanization Trials

Both Ford and General Motors submitted experimental armoured cars (built at their own expense) for testing. Both cars went to the RCD for testing and proved quite successful. When the Liberals won the 1935 election they shut down the programme. The Ford was then shipped to the Strathcona’s so that each regular regiment would have one armoured car.

December 1936 Canada

Reorganisation

Under the direction of Chief of General Staff, Major-General McNaughton, the Canadian military was extensively reorganized.

The existing 15 divisions were to be reduced to 7; six infantry and one cavalry. The 35 cavalry/mounted rifle regiments were reduced to 16.

Four armoured car regiments were created as part of the Cavalry Corps. Two were from the motor machine gun units raised in 1919. The other two were the King’s Canadian Hussars and the British Columbia Hussars.

Notably, six tank battalions were created. Four were existing infantry units that were re-roled (Argyll Light Infantry, Ontario Regiment, Three Rivers Regiment, Calgary Regiment). The New Brunswick Regiment (Tank) was previously a machine gun battalion and the Essex Regiment (Tank) was newly formed in Windsor Ontario.

As it was in the depths of the Great Depression, no equipment or specialised training was offered to the new tank units.

1 November 1936 London, Ontario

Canadian Tank School

In November 1936, the Canadian Tank School was created at London Ontario. Its commandant, Major F. F. Worthington, PPCLI and one of his instructors, Lieutenant J. H. Larocque, RCD attended a 12 month-course at the Royal Tank Corps School in Bovington, England. The remainder of the instructors (5 officers, 18 other ranks) were introduced to engine maintenance at RCAF Station Trenton, Ontario.

Training of the new tank battalions began in early 1937.

1 May 1938 Base Borden, Ontario

Canadian Armoured Fighting Vehicles School (CAFVS)

Due to a lack of training space in London, the Canadian Tank School changed both location and name.

It moved to Camp Borden near Barrie, Ontario and changed its name to the Canadian Armoured Fighting Vehicles School (CAFVS).

Although having minimal equipment - essentially the 12 Carden-Loyd carriers purchased in 1933, it ran its first course from 11-25 July 1938.

September 1938 Base Borden, Ontaro

The first tanks arrive

The first two “real” tanks arrived in Borden in early September 1938. These were two Vickers Mark VIb Light Tanks and came just in time to be used on CAFVS Course no. 4 which ran 12-23 September 1938.

Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Association History Website