Description
Physical description
A scarlet horizontal diamond.
History note
The badge.
The origin of this patch is not clear. Canadian Military HQ had agreed at the end of August 1940 that Canadian forces should wear patches "similar" to those worn in WW1 but there seems to be no obvious connection between WW1 patches and the diamond patches adopted by the two WW2 Corps. It seems likely that the red colour (and subsequently blue for the 2nd Corps) was chosen to reflect relative seniority, the WW1 divisions (adopted by the WW2 divisions) having worn red, blue, grey and green.
It is also not clear exactly when the badge was adopted but minutes of a meeting held at VII Corps HQ on 13 December 1940 suggest that it may already have been in use, as might the 1st and 2nd Divisions' red and blue rectangles.
This plain patch was worn from the outset by Corps HQ staff and Corps Provost personnel. As with other Canadian formations, 1st Corps' corps and services units (eg: Signals, Service Corps, Ordnance, Medical, etc.) came to wear a distinction superimposed on the parent formation's patch, principally using yellow (gold) initials (eg: RCOC, RCASC, etc.). In the case of 1st Corps, the development of this system was somewhat different to other formations.
When 1st Canadian Corps was created there was no thought that a second Corps would be formed so the support services were allowed to wear patches in the colours of their own corps or service. For example, Corps medical troops wore a cherry diamond and the Dental Corps a green diamond, while Corps Artillery, Signals, Engineers and Pay Corps troops all wore blue diamonds with distinctions specific to their arm of service. When 2nd Canadian Corps was formed in January 1943 and chose a blue diamond patch, this created problems. The situation nevertheless persisted until after October 1943 when all 1st Corps troops adopted the basic Corps red diamond with their appropriate distinctions superimposed.
In April 1942, National Defence HQ in Canada had indicated a preference for a style of plain patches with shoulder titles for corps and services units, so the new 1st and 2nd Corps patches adopted after October 1943 were themselves soon subject to change. The officially preferred style was adopted at different times by different corps and services but by the summer of 1944 it was the predominant style.
Being of woollen cloth, this particular badge may date from before November 1942.
Formation patches and unit shoulder titles were produced in three materials, woollen cloth, felt and printed cotton. Of these, felt was probably the least common. Both Canadian and British firms produced the woollen versions but, particularly in Britain, there were problems with supply and with the colour-fastness of the dyes. From November 1942 a printed cotton material with a strong backing became available in the UK, often now referred to as "canvas". After initial production problems with skewed shapes and letters, most patches and titles produced in the UK were in this material. It was supposed not to fray, run or fade but complaints about quality began to emerge around October 1944. A request to return to wool does not appear to have been possible before the end of the war.
For additional notes on corps and services distinctions, see INS 56.
For comments on the 1st and 2nd Corps Artillery patches, see INS 279.
Formation history.
The Canadian Cabinet agreed on 17 May 1940 to raise a Corps HQ. Delays were caused by the problems of providing ancillary troops and in concentrating 1st & 2nd Canadian Divisions in the UK. Meanwhile, an Anglo-Canadian 7 Corps had been formed in the UK on 21 July 1940 as an emergency anti-invasion measure. This comprised 1st Canadian Division, 1st British Armoured Division, and until early September, the bulk of 2nd New Zealand Division (two infantry brigades and artillery). 2nd Canadian Division joined on 7 September. The Corps was commanded by Canadian Lt. Gen. Andrew McNaughton. The invasion crisis over, 7 Corps was re-designated on 25th December 1940 to become "The Canadian Corps". It became 1st Canadian Corps on Easter Monday, 6 April 1942, the day on which 1st Canadian Army was formed and in recognition of the decision to form a second Canadian Corps.
Throughout most of 1941 the Corps' role was as GHQ mobile reserve but in the autumn it moved to static defence on the Sussex coast, where it carried out further intensive training and exercises.
At the end of April 1942 1st Canadian Army took notional responsibility for the operation that was eventually to be known as Operation Jubilee, the raid on Dieppe on 19th August 1942. They inherited an existing plan which neither 1st Canadian Army nor 1st Canadian Corps had had any part in developing. Subsequent detailed operational planning took place between 2nd Canadian Division and South Eastern and Combined Operations Commands. Although both 1st Canadian Army and 1st Canadian Corps approved these later plans they were in effect endorsing decisions made by other Commands and the operational commander.
In July 1943 3rd Canadian Division was selected as an assault formation in the invasion of France and the Corps was given responsibility for the training and operations of the Division for this role, with the likelihood that the Corps would be one of the assault formations for the invasion. At about the same time, and for largely political reasons, the Chiefs of Staff were being pressured to allow 1 Canadian Corps, along with a complement of Corps Troops, some Army Troops and 5 Canadian Armoured Division, to move to the Mediterranean to gain combat experience. In October 1943 1st Canadian Corps and associated troops were sent to the Mediterranean in Operation Timberwolf.
In early November, Corps HQ disembarked in Sicily, other forces in Naples. Shortage of shipping space meant that the troops moved to the Mediterranean without their heavy equipment and transport, the original plan being that they would take over British vehicles and equipment left behind by departing British formations. This proved wholly impractical for Canadian Corps HQ. British 30 Corps had operated in Sicily on light assault scales and there were therefore too few vehicles for a full Corps HQ, and many of those that were available were all but unserviceable. Eventually, most of the Canadian Corps HQ vehicles were supplied new, direct from Canadian resources the UK. The first HQ vehicles arrived on 11th December 1943 but Corps and GHQ Troops were not fully equipped until April 1944.
The Corps moved to Italy in early January 1944, but not into action. They were initially asked to supply large drafts of men to handle a transit camp in Salerno and refugee control groups for Brindisi and Bari. It was not until 1 February 1944 that the Corps took over, from British 5 Corps, operational control for the sector of 8th Army's front on the Adriatic coast, south of Ortona. By 9th February it had the bulk of Canadian forces in theatre under command (1st Infantry and 5th Armoured Divisions, and 1st Canadian AGRA). 1st Canadian Tank (now Armoured) Brigade did not come under command and in Italy armoured support was provided mostly by British formations, principally 21st and 25th Tank Brigades. 25th Tank Brigade was subsequently awarded the distinction of wearing a silver maple leaf on their formation sign in recognition of their valuable support of 1st Canadian Division during the campaign.
Activity on the Corps front was limited to patrolling and Corps HQ and 5th Armoured were withdrawn in early March, 1st Division staying for a further seven weeks until the end of April.
The battle to breach the Gustav and Hitler Lines, including the Cassino position, began on 11th May 1944, with 1st Canadian Corps initially in 8th Army reserve. In what was the first major operation commanded by a Canadian Corps in WW2, on 16th May the Corps was committed to the attack along the Liri Valley. Initial assaults on the Hitler Line failed and the main effort, Operation Chesterfield, was launched on 23rd May, resulting in a successful breach of the line from Pontecorvo to south of Aquino by dawn on 24th May. On the same day the Corps exploited to the Melfa River, which was crossed on 25th May. The Corps closed up to the Liri River around Ceprano by the next day. The Liri was crossed and Ceprano occupied on 27th May and the pursuit continued westwards, via Pofi, Frosinone, Ferentino, finishing at Anagni when the Corps came out of action and on 6th June 1944 went into reserve in the Volturno Valley.
During the first week of August 1944 the Corps moved north to the Perugia area, moving again in the third week of August to the Adriatic coast when the Allied main effort was switched to the eastern flank. They were to take part under 8th Army in breaching the Gothic Line and exploiting north to Rimini, Operation Olive. The Corps was in the centre with the Polish Corps on their right and 5th British Corps on their left, the Metauro River being the start line.
The attack began on the evening of 25th August. The Metauro was crossed with no difficulty but it took until 30th August to reach and cross the Foglia River and close with the Gothic Line. Borgo San Maria and Montecchio were taken with difficulty and only when the town of Tomba was taken on 1st September was the Gothic Line fully penetrated. The Polish Corps had been "pinched out" and the Canadians were now operating along the coast. The Conca River was crossed on 3rd September but in the face of fierce resistance and heavy rain the advance was halted on 6th September on the line of the Melo River. The Corps was reinforced with 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade and the attack resumed on 13th September. Coriano and its ridge were taken the next day. On 15th September the Marano River was crossed but it took three days to capture the village of San Martino. It took a full-scale two brigade assault to clear San Fortunato in the Rimini Line on 19th – 20th September. On 21st September 1st Division crossed the River Marecchia and the Greek Brigade entered Rimini. Exploitation began the following day, involving the crossing of several rivers, including the major obstacle of the Savio, crossed and secured with difficulty between 20th – 23rd October. The bulk of the Corps was withdrawn into reserve by 1st November.
The Corps returned to action on 2nd December with Operation Chuckle, an attack across the Montone River. Ravenna was taken on 4th December and the Lamone River was crossed and secured between 11th and 15th December. A final advance to the banks of the Senio River was made between 19th and 21st December. The flanks on the Senio line were secured between 2nd and 5th January 1945. This marked the furthest advance of the Canadians in Italy.
During March 1945 Operation Goldflake saw all Canadian troops in Italy transferred to North West Europe to come under command of 1st Canadian Army. 1st Canadian Corps opened at noon on 15th March and took over the Nijmegan area, with the British 49th (West Riding) Division under command pending the arrival of its own formations.
The Corps' first task was to clear the "Island" between the Maas and Neder Rijn, which began on 2nd April. In Operation Anger, 49th Division attacked and secured Arnhem between 12th and 14th April 1945. Operation Cleanser was a push from Arnhem northwards and started on 15th April. By 18th April it had succeeded in isolating Apeldoorn and reaching the Ijsselmeer.
The Corps' active operations effectively ceased on 27th April in order to facilitate sending food to the starving Dutch civilians and from 2nd to 12th May the Corps became responsible for moving 1000 tons of food a day by road into western Holland.
The Corps formally disbanded effective from 17th July 1945.
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