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Intelligence Branch (Canadian Forces)
Encyclopedia
The Intelligence Branch is a personnel branch
of the Canadian Forces
(CF) that is concerned with providing relevant and correct information to enable commanders to make decisions.
, Haiti
, Somalia
, Rwanda
, East Timor
, and Afghanistan
, or at home like the ice storms in Quebec
, floods in Winnipeg
, and fires in British Columbia
.
Army intelligence reservists, employed at 6 Intelligence Company (Edmonton
, Vancouver
and Winnipeg
), 2 Intelligence Company
(Toronto
) and 2 Intelligence Platoon (Ottawa
), 4 Intelligence Company (platoons in Montreal
and Quebec City
), 3 Intelligence Company (Halifax, Nova Scotia), make a vital contribution to this effort while in garrison or deployed on overseas missions.
The shoulder title in English is INT and in French RENS.
During the North-West Rebellion
(1885), various irregular cavalry units were used as scouts. One of these scout units, drawn from the Dominion Land Survey
, was called the “Intelligence Corps.” With a strength of three officers and thirty men performing long-range reconnaissance and light cavalry functions, it was the first unit to be designated an “Intelligence” unit in the British Empire. These scout units, the forerunners of the Fort Garry Horse and North Saskatchewan Regiment
, were disbanded by 18 September 1885.
During the Boer War
in South Africa
, Canadian mounted troops gathered information of intelligence value with Lord Strathcona's Horse and British scout units. Canadian intelligence efforts in South Africa led to the appointment on 6 February 1901 of Lieutenant-Colonel V.B. Rivers, RCA, as the first Intelligence Staff Officer of the Canadian Militia. Shortly after, on 1 April 1903, the Corps of Guides (Canada) was created in the Canadian Army. Under the new structure, a District Intelligence Officer responsible to Director General of Military Intelligence (DGMI) was appointed to oversee Corps of Guides units established in each of Canada’s twelve military districts. The first DGMI, Lieutenant-Colonel W.A.C. Denny, had a very small staff overseeing information collection and mapping, and approximately 185 militia officers serving the Canadian Corps of Guides. Lieutenant Colonel Victor Brereton Rivers
was the first Intelligence Staff Officer of the Canadian militia.
By 1914, the Canadian Corps of Guides totalled some 500 all ranks. Given that their mounted scout role appeared inappropriate for war in Europe, many of the personnel serving with the Corps of Guides were absorbed into existing units and formations in the Canadian Army. Others became Intelligence staff officers and NCOs serving with the British Intelligence Corps. Some continued to serve in Canada with the Canadian Corps of Guides. The Intelligence system created within the First Canadian Division prior to its deployment to France in 1915 served as the basis for the development of Intelligence structures generally throughout the Canadian Corps
.
After the War, a position for a Director of Military Operations and Intelligence was maintained in the Canadian Army. Corps of Guides units in Canada were converted to cyclist companies charged with protecting the main force form surprise during time of war. After disbandment of these companies on 31 March 1929, a small staff in Ottawa and some districts performed Intelligence duties. In 1932, Intelligence staffs of the RCAF and Army were amalgamated.
When Canada mobilized in September 1939, Intelligence structures based on British organizations were rapidly developed and intelligence analysts were given new challenges. As of 16 December 1940, there were about 60 all ranks posted to Canadian Intelligence duties. Foreseeing the need for 200 intelligence personnel, Major John Page proposed that Field Security (FS) functions be separated from the Provost Corps. Moreover, he worked to have an Intelligence Corps, formed in a manner similar to that of the British Intelligence Corps formed on 25 June 1940, recognized.
Establishment of the First Canadian Army
in April 1942 led to a tremendous demand for Intelligence specialists, and on 29 October 1942 the C Int C was officially recognized as a Corps. Canadians from universities, colleges, businesses and industries joined the C Int C to participate in a great variety of Intelligence duties; a number became casualties at Dieppe, in Northwest Europe and the Adriatic. Army Intelligence sections or staffs were represented at Army, Corps, Division, and District levels, with seven Field Security Sections in existence as well. By 1943, for the first time in Canadian history, Canadian personnel filled all Intelligence appointments within Canada's Army formations and units.
In 1948, the Canadian Militia was authorized six Intelligence Training Companies: No. 1 in Montreal, No. 2 in Toronto, No. 3 in Halifax, No. 4 in Vancouver, No. 5 in Winnipeg, and No. 6 in Edmonton. The basic aim of these Companies was to provide a pool of trained Intelligence personnel to augment the Regular Force when needed.
During the 1950s and 1960s, members of the C Int C were engaged in a variety of intelligence duties in Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and Cyprus. Following integration of the three armed services
in the late 1960s, the C Int C, the Clerk-Intelligence trade, the Canadian Provost Corps, and the Air Force Police were united to become the CF Security Branch, and CFSIS was formed.
In 1981, the CF Security Branch was divided into two separate branches: one for Intelligence and the other for Security. Sir William Stephenson
("A Man Called Intrepid") accepted the appointment as first Colonel-Commandant of the Intelligence Branch, which was formed 1 October 1982. The actual re-badging occurred on 29 October 1982 - the 40th anniversary of the birth of the C Int C.
In 2000, a further split with the Security Branch occurred, with intelligence training moving from CFSIS at CFB Borden
to the newly-formed CFSMI at CFB Kingston
. This ended the formal affiliation of the Intelligence Branch with the former CFSIS.
, is the Canadian Forces Centre of Excellence for Intelligence Training. Training is provided to both Regular Force and Reserve members of all three elements of the Canadian Forces. The CFSMI mission is to provide officers and non-commissioned members of the Intelligence Branch and other military branches core and specialist intelligence training.
Personnel branch
Personnel branch, in the Canadian Forces , refers to a grouping of related military occupations.Personnel branches were officially established at unification in 1968 to amalgamate the old Canadian Army Corps and similar occupational groupings in the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air...
of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
(CF) that is concerned with providing relevant and correct information to enable commanders to make decisions.
Information
The Intelligence Branch of the Canadian Forces works in a variety of challenging positions, at home and abroad, meeting the needs of commanders and operational planners of the Canadian Forces at all levels and in all environments, be it on overseas missions like Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, or at home like the ice storms in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, floods in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, and fires in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
Army intelligence reservists, employed at 6 Intelligence Company (Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
), 2 Intelligence Company
2 Intelligence Company
2 Intelligence Company is a Primary Reserve intelligence unit of the Canadian Forces. It is part of Land Force Central Area's 2 OSG ....
(Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
) and 2 Intelligence Platoon (Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
), 4 Intelligence Company (platoons in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
), 3 Intelligence Company (Halifax, Nova Scotia), make a vital contribution to this effort while in garrison or deployed on overseas missions.
The shoulder title in English is INT and in French RENS.
History
The first "Intelligence" guides unit in Canada was the “4th Troop of Volunteer Cavalry of Montreal (or Guides)”, formed on 7 February 1862. Renamed “The Royal Guides or Governor General’s Body Guard for Lower Canada,” and later “The Guides,” the unit was disbanded in 1869 after helping to repel Fenian raiders.During the North-West Rebellion
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
(1885), various irregular cavalry units were used as scouts. One of these scout units, drawn from the Dominion Land Survey
Dominion Land Survey
The Dominion Land Survey is the method used to divide most of Western Canada into one-square-mile sections for agricultural and other purposes. It is based on the layout of the Public Land Survey System used in the United States, but has several differences...
, was called the “Intelligence Corps.” With a strength of three officers and thirty men performing long-range reconnaissance and light cavalry functions, it was the first unit to be designated an “Intelligence” unit in the British Empire. These scout units, the forerunners of the Fort Garry Horse and North Saskatchewan Regiment
North Saskatchewan Regiment
The North Saskatchewan Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces, headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with companies in Saskatoon and Prince Albert. Its current commanding officer is Lieutenant-Colonel Dan Whittaker, who took over from Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm...
, were disbanded by 18 September 1885.
During the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Canadian mounted troops gathered information of intelligence value with Lord Strathcona's Horse and British scout units. Canadian intelligence efforts in South Africa led to the appointment on 6 February 1901 of Lieutenant-Colonel V.B. Rivers, RCA, as the first Intelligence Staff Officer of the Canadian Militia. Shortly after, on 1 April 1903, the Corps of Guides (Canada) was created in the Canadian Army. Under the new structure, a District Intelligence Officer responsible to Director General of Military Intelligence (DGMI) was appointed to oversee Corps of Guides units established in each of Canada’s twelve military districts. The first DGMI, Lieutenant-Colonel W.A.C. Denny, had a very small staff overseeing information collection and mapping, and approximately 185 militia officers serving the Canadian Corps of Guides. Lieutenant Colonel Victor Brereton Rivers
Victor Brereton Rivers
Lieutenant Colonel Victor Brereton Rivers was the first Intelligence Staff Officer of the Canadian militia on 6 February 1901. His staff work led shortly after, on 1 April 1903, to the formation of the Corps of Guides , a forerunner of the Canadian Forces Intelligence Branch.- Early life :He was...
was the first Intelligence Staff Officer of the Canadian militia.
By 1914, the Canadian Corps of Guides totalled some 500 all ranks. Given that their mounted scout role appeared inappropriate for war in Europe, many of the personnel serving with the Corps of Guides were absorbed into existing units and formations in the Canadian Army. Others became Intelligence staff officers and NCOs serving with the British Intelligence Corps. Some continued to serve in Canada with the Canadian Corps of Guides. The Intelligence system created within the First Canadian Division prior to its deployment to France in 1915 served as the basis for the development of Intelligence structures generally throughout the Canadian Corps
Canadian Corps
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...
.
After the War, a position for a Director of Military Operations and Intelligence was maintained in the Canadian Army. Corps of Guides units in Canada were converted to cyclist companies charged with protecting the main force form surprise during time of war. After disbandment of these companies on 31 March 1929, a small staff in Ottawa and some districts performed Intelligence duties. In 1932, Intelligence staffs of the RCAF and Army were amalgamated.
When Canada mobilized in September 1939, Intelligence structures based on British organizations were rapidly developed and intelligence analysts were given new challenges. As of 16 December 1940, there were about 60 all ranks posted to Canadian Intelligence duties. Foreseeing the need for 200 intelligence personnel, Major John Page proposed that Field Security (FS) functions be separated from the Provost Corps. Moreover, he worked to have an Intelligence Corps, formed in a manner similar to that of the British Intelligence Corps formed on 25 June 1940, recognized.
Establishment of the First Canadian Army
First Canadian Army
The First Canadian Army was the senior Canadian operational formation in Europe during the Second World War.The Army was formed in early 1942, replacing the existing unnumbered Canadian Corps, as the growing number of Canadian forces in the United Kingdom necessitated an expansion to two corps...
in April 1942 led to a tremendous demand for Intelligence specialists, and on 29 October 1942 the C Int C was officially recognized as a Corps. Canadians from universities, colleges, businesses and industries joined the C Int C to participate in a great variety of Intelligence duties; a number became casualties at Dieppe, in Northwest Europe and the Adriatic. Army Intelligence sections or staffs were represented at Army, Corps, Division, and District levels, with seven Field Security Sections in existence as well. By 1943, for the first time in Canadian history, Canadian personnel filled all Intelligence appointments within Canada's Army formations and units.
In 1948, the Canadian Militia was authorized six Intelligence Training Companies: No. 1 in Montreal, No. 2 in Toronto, No. 3 in Halifax, No. 4 in Vancouver, No. 5 in Winnipeg, and No. 6 in Edmonton. The basic aim of these Companies was to provide a pool of trained Intelligence personnel to augment the Regular Force when needed.
During the 1950s and 1960s, members of the C Int C were engaged in a variety of intelligence duties in Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and Cyprus. Following integration of the three armed services
Unification of the Canadian Forces
Unification of the Canadian Forces took place in 1968 when the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged to form the Canadian Armed Forces....
in the late 1960s, the C Int C, the Clerk-Intelligence trade, the Canadian Provost Corps, and the Air Force Police were united to become the CF Security Branch, and CFSIS was formed.
In 1981, the CF Security Branch was divided into two separate branches: one for Intelligence and the other for Security. Sir William Stephenson
William Stephenson
Sir William Samuel Stephenson, CC, MC, DFC was a Canadian soldier, airman, businessman, inventor, spymaster, and the senior representative of British intelligence for the entire western hemisphere during World War II. He is best known by his wartime intelligence codename Intrepid...
("A Man Called Intrepid") accepted the appointment as first Colonel-Commandant of the Intelligence Branch, which was formed 1 October 1982. The actual re-badging occurred on 29 October 1982 - the 40th anniversary of the birth of the C Int C.
In 2000, a further split with the Security Branch occurred, with intelligence training moving from CFSIS at CFB Borden
CFB Borden
Canadian Forces Base Borden is a Canadian Forces base located in Ontario.The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CFB Borden is the largest training facility in the Canadian Forces...
to the newly-formed CFSMI at CFB Kingston
CFB Kingston
Canadian Forces Base Kingston is a Canadian Forces Base located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.CFB Kingston is home to the Communications and Electronics Branch of the Canadian Forces. The base also hosts the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics...
. This ended the formal affiliation of the Intelligence Branch with the former CFSIS.
Intelligence Branch cap badge
When the current intelligence branch was formed on 1 October 1982 the branch had a new badge. The colours scarlet, dark green and white denote the evolution of the Intelligence Branch from the Canadian Corps of Guides, the Canadian Intelligence Corps (C Int C), and the Canadian Forces Security Branch, respectively. The North Star symbol embodied in the C Int C badge is also found in the branch badge, further preserving historic ties. The compass rose shape of the badge draws notice to the worldwide scope of branch responsibilities.Canadian Forces School of Military Intelligence
The Canadian Forces School of Military Intelligence (CFSMI) in Kingston, OntarioKingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, is the Canadian Forces Centre of Excellence for Intelligence Training. Training is provided to both Regular Force and Reserve members of all three elements of the Canadian Forces. The CFSMI mission is to provide officers and non-commissioned members of the Intelligence Branch and other military branches core and specialist intelligence training.
Order of precedence
See also
- Signals Intelligence
- Canadian Security Intelligence ServiceCanadian Security Intelligence ServiceThe Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
- Communications Security EstablishmentCommunications Security EstablishmentThe Communications Security Establishment Canada is the Canadian government's national cryptologic agency. Administered under the Department of National Defence , it is charged with the duty of keeping track of foreign signals intelligence , and protecting Canadian government electronic...
- RCMP Security ServiceRCMP Security ServiceThe RCMP Security Service is the former branch of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police which had responsibilities of domestic intelligence and security for Canada...
- Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...