Pacific Command (Canadian Army)
Encyclopedia
Pacific Command was a formation of the Canadian Army created during the Second World War to strengthen and administer home defence facilities on Canada's Pacific Coast against possible Japanese attack. A second major function was to train reinforcements to be sent to the Canadian divisions in Europe. Pacific Command combined the pre-war Military District No. 11 (British Columbia
and the Yukon Territory) with Military District No. 13 (Alberta
and the District of Mackenzie
of the Northwest Territories
). The command headquarters was initially housed in Esquimalt Fortress
near Victoria
, but on November 30, 1942 it was moved to the Old Vancouver Hotel in downtown Vancouver
.
After the United States
entered the war in December 1941
, Canada and the U.S. coordinated their defence of the west coast of North America
. Thus Pacific Command operated in close cooperation with Western Defense Command
to the south and with Alaska Defense Command
to the north.
The troops of Pacific Command were concentrated in the three strategic coastal centres:
By the middle of the war a significant proportion of the troops of Pacific Command were conscripts under the National Resources Mobilization Act
(NRMA) adopted in June 1940. This act precluded the use of conscripts in overseas operations. However, a plebiscite held in April 1942 released the Canadian government from this restriction (see the Conscription Crisis of 1944
). Even after the plebiscite, the government was reluctant to send conscripts into combat outside of North America. The Terrace Mutiny
occurred in November 1944 among troops of Pacific Command when it was learned that the government of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King
had decided to start sending conscripts to Europe to reinforce depleted combat units.
In August 1943 troops of Pacific Command participated in Operation Cottage
, in the final
stages of the Aleutian Islands campaign. However, that campaign ended without a shot being fired when it was discovered that the Japanese occupiers of Kiska
had already evacuated the island.
Apart from one incident when a Japanese submarine shelled the lighthouse at Estevan Point
on June 20, 1942, and the arrival of ineffectual fire balloon
s launched from Japan between November 1944 and April 1945, the feared military threat from Japan never materialized. The two home defence infantry divisions attached to Pacific Command were thus broken up and their personnel were redistributed to other formations.
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...
and the Yukon Territory) with Military District No. 13 (Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and the District of Mackenzie
District of Mackenzie
The District of Mackenzie was a regional administrative district of Canada's Northwest Territories. The district consisted of the portion of the Northwest Territories directly north of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan on Canada's mainland....
of the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
). The command headquarters was initially housed in Esquimalt Fortress
CFB Esquimalt
Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt is Canada's Pacific Coast naval base and home port to Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters....
near Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, but on November 30, 1942 it was moved to the Old Vancouver Hotel in downtown 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,...
.
After the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entered the war in December 1941
Results of the attack on Pearl Harbor
The results of the attack on Pearl Harbor are many and significant.-American response:On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and hastened the entry of the United States into World War II on the side of the Allies....
, Canada and the U.S. coordinated their defence of the west coast of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Thus Pacific Command operated in close cooperation with Western Defense Command
Western Defense Command
Western Defense Command was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Pacific Coast region of the United States. A second major responsibility was the training of soldiers prior to their deployment overseas. The first...
to the south and with Alaska Defense Command
Alaska Defense Command
Alaska Defense Command was established on 4 February 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Alaska Territory of the United States...
to the north.
The troops of Pacific Command were concentrated in the three strategic coastal centres:
- Victoria-Esquimalt, the capital of British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish 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...
and the location of Canada's Pacific naval base and headquarters - Vancouver, the largest city in British Columbia, Canada's largest port on the Pacific, and the Pacific terminus of the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
- Prince Rupert, the second Pacific terminus of the Canadian National RailwayCanadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
(in addition to Vancouver)
By the middle of the war a significant proportion of the troops of Pacific Command were conscripts under the National Resources Mobilization Act
National Resources Mobilization Act
National Resources Mobilization Act is a Canadian government statute which enabled conscription in Canada during World War II. The bill, passed by Parliament on June 21, 1940, permitted conscripts to be used for home defence only and not to be deployed overseas but was modified lolin August 1942 to...
(NRMA) adopted in June 1940. This act precluded the use of conscripts in overseas operations. However, a plebiscite held in April 1942 released the Canadian government from this restriction (see the Conscription Crisis of 1944
Conscription Crisis of 1944
The Conscription Crisis of 1944 was a political and military crisis following the introduction of forced military service in Canada during World War II. It was similar to the Conscription Crisis of 1917, but was not as politically damaging....
). Even after the plebiscite, the government was reluctant to send conscripts into combat outside of North America. The Terrace Mutiny
Terrace Mutiny
The Terrace Mutiny was a revolt by Canadian soldiers based in Terrace, British Columbia during World War II. The mutiny, which began on November 24, 1944 and ended on November 29, 1944, was the most serious breach of discipline in Canadian military history...
occurred in November 1944 among troops of Pacific Command when it was learned that the government of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
had decided to start sending conscripts to Europe to reinforce depleted combat units.
In August 1943 troops of Pacific Command participated in Operation Cottage
Operation Cottage
Operation Cottage was a tactical maneuver during the Aleutian Islands campaign. In the operation, which took place on August 15, 1943, Allied military forces landed unopposed on Kiska Island, which had been occupied by Japanese forces since June, 1942. The Japanese forces, however, had secretly...
, in the final
stages of the Aleutian Islands campaign. However, that campaign ended without a shot being fired when it was discovered that the Japanese occupiers of Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
had already evacuated the island.
Apart from one incident when a Japanese submarine shelled the lighthouse at Estevan Point
Estevan Point
Estevan Point is a lighthouse located on the headland of the same name on the Hesquiat Peninsula on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada....
on June 20, 1942, and the arrival of ineffectual fire balloon
Fire balloon
A , or Fu-Go, was a weapon launched by Japan during World War II. A hydrogen balloon with a load varying from a incendiary to one antipersonnel bomb and four incendiary devices attached, they were designed as a cheap weapon intended to make use of the jet stream over the Pacific Ocean and wreak...
s launched from Japan between November 1944 and April 1945, the feared military threat from Japan never materialized. The two home defence infantry divisions attached to Pacific Command were thus broken up and their personnel were redistributed to other formations.
Composition
- Victoria and Esquimalt Fortress
- 31st (Alberta) Reconnaissance Regiment, CAC
- 5th (B.C.) Coast Regiment, RCA
- 27th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA
- 21st Field Regiment, RCA
- 3rd Battalion, The Regina Rifle Regiment
- Le Régiment de Hull
- Vancouver Defences
- 15th (Vancouver) Coast Regiment, RCA
- 28th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA
- The Royal Rifles of Canada
- The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
- Prince Rupert Defences
- 17th (North British Columbia) Coast Regiment, RCA
- 29th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA
- 34th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA (at Annette IslandAnnette IslandAnnette Island, or Taak'w Aan, is an island in Gravina Islands of the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean on the southeastern coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is at . It is about long and about wide. The land area is...
, Alaska) - One battery of the 22nd Field Regiment, RCA
- The Midland Regiment (Northumberland and Durham)
- The Winnipeg GrenadiersThe Winnipeg GrenadiersThe Winnipeg Grenadiers was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army formed on 1st April 1908 under General Order No. 20. Initially it was raised with Headquarters at Morden, Manitoba and companies at: ‘A’ Company at Morden, ‘B’ Company at Morden, ‘C’ Company at Manitou, ‘D’ Company at Carmen,‘E’...
- Two companies of the King's Own Rifles of Canada
- 30th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA (Vancouver Island)
- Pacific Coast Militia RangersCanadian RangersThe Canadian Rangers are a sub-component of the Canadian Forces reserve that provide a military presence in Canada's sparsely settled northern, coastal, and isolated areas. Formally established on May 23, 1947, a primary role of this part-time force is to conduct surveillance or sovereignty...
- Pacific Command Water Transport Company, R.C.A.S.C.Pacific Command Water Transport Company, R.C.A.S.C.The Pacific Command Water Transport Company, R.C.A.S.C., was a secret freight-patrol shipping unit of the Canadian Army based at Vancouver, British Columbia, during World War II...
- 19th Infantry Brigade, Command Reserve (VernonVernon, British ColumbiaVernon is a city in the south-central region of British Columbia, Canada. Named after Forbes George Vernon, a former MLA of British Columbia who helped found the famed Coldstream Ranch, the City of Vernon was incorporated on December 30, 1892. The City of Vernon has a population of 35,944 , while...
) - 6th Canadian Infantry Division6th Canadian Infantry DivisionThe 6th Canadian Infantry Division was a Canadian infantry division formed in 1942 during the Second World War. It was attached to Pacific Command. The division had a brigade sent to the Aleutian Islands Campaign, particularly at Kiska, but never saw action...
(Vancouver Island), Mar. 1942 - Dec. 1944- Divisional troops based in Esquimalt
- 13th Infantry Brigade (Port Alberni)
- 18th Infantry Brigade (Nanaimo)
- 8th Canadian Infantry Division8th Canadian Infantry DivisionThe 8th Canadian Infantry Division was a Canadian formation that served within Pacific Command in Western Canada during World War II. The Division unit's were raised on 18 March 1942 and the HQ was raised on 12 May 1942 at Prince George, BC. The Division was a home defence unit. It initially...
(Northern British Columbia), Mar. 1942 - Oct. 1943- Divisional troops based in Prince GeorgePrince George, British ColumbiaPrince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
- 14th Infantry Brigade (TerraceTerrace, British ColumbiaTerrace is a city on the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. The Kitselas people, a tribe of the Tsimshian Nation, have lived in the Terrace area for thousands of years. The community population fell between 2001 and 2006 from 12,109 with a regional population of 19,980 to 11,320 and...
) - 16th Infantry Brigade (Prince George)
- Divisional troops based in Prince George
Commanders
The following three generals served as General Officer Commander in Chief Pacific Command:- Major-General R. O. Alexander, Oct. 30, 1940 - Jun. 30, 1942
- Major-General George R. PearkesGeorge PearkesMajor General George Randolph Pearkes, VC, PC, CC, CB, DSO, MC, CD was a Canadian politician; soldier; recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Imperial forces; and the 20th Lieutenant Governor of British...
, Sept. 2, 1942 to Feb. 15, 1945 - Major-General Frederic Franklin Worthington, Apr. 1, 1945 - Jan 26, 1946
See also
- Atlantic Command (Canadian Army)Atlantic Command (Canadian Army)Atlantic Command was a formation of the Canadian Army created during the Second World War to strengthen and administer home defence facilities on Canada's Atlantic Coast.A second major function was to train reinforcements to be sent to...
, the corresponding command on the Atlantic Coast - Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site, important coastal defence installation protecting the naval port at EsquimaltCFB EsquimaltCanadian Forces Base Esquimalt is Canada's Pacific Coast naval base and home port to Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters....