The 3rd Canadian Division 1940-45

Third Division is the division my grandfather was attached to.
As well, many young men and women from Nova Scotia were also attached to this division. Thus, I have recreated this division for my wargamming units. I shall be upgrading the pictures to this group shortly 


7th Canadian Infantry Brigade:
The Royal Winnipeg Rifles modeled with 10 figures
The Regina Rifle Regiment modeled with 10 figures
1st Battn, Canadian Scottish Regiment modeled with 10 figures, 3 of which wear balmorals


8th Canadian Infantry Brigade:
The Queens Own Rifles modeled with 10 figures
Le Régiment de la Chaudière modeled with 10 figures
The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment modeled with 10 figures


9th Canadian Infantry Brigade:

The Highland Light Infantry of Canada modeled with 10 figures, 3 of which have balmorals

The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders 10 figures, 3 balmorals 

The North Nova Scotia Highlanders 10 figures, 3 balmorals

This was Canadian's own Highland Brigade.

Divisional Troops

• 7th Reconnaissance Regiment (17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars) modeled with 3 armored cars
• The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Machine Gun) modeled with 3 Vickers Machine-gun groups (8 figures one bren gunner in balmoral)

• 3rd Canadian Divisional Signals, R.C. Sigs modeled with a radio truck
• No. 3 Defence and Employment Platoon (Lorne Scots) modeled by an infantry squad with a  single balmoral wearing soldier.
• No. 4 Canadian Provost Company, Canadian Provost Corps
• No.14, No.22, No.23 Field Ambulance, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps modeled with soldiers carrying wounded.

• Divisional Royal Canadian Artillery
  • 12th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA: modeled with 2X 25pdr guns
  • 13th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA modeled with 2 X 5.5"  (140mm) guns as the medium battery
  • 3rd Anti-tank Regiment, RCA: modeled with a 6pdr gun battery of 2 guns with tows
  • 4th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment, RCA: modeled with a Bofors 20mm gun and 2 M3 Half-tracks with .50 Quad guns

• Divisional Royal Canadian Engineers: these are modeled with a Bailey bridge set and various bulldozers and trucks.
  • 6th Field Company, RCE
  • 16th Field Company, RCE
  • 18th Field Company, RCE
  • 3rd Canadian Field Park Company, RCE
  • 3rd Canadian Divisional Bridge Platoon, RCE (I have a Churchill bridge layer for this)

RCAF forward air observers modelled by Airfix figures

The figures on bicycles I'd use as the forward air observer.

Camp Debert

When Canada declared war on September 10, 1939, the Canadian army training establishments had to be rebuilt, or started from scratch. One of these was Camp Debert.
Debert, Nova Scotia is a flat plain, now just a sleepy farming community. It is also located next to the main Montreal-Halifax rail line.

I remember Grampie telling me that he trained there. He would also take some leave, or shall we say, sneak off to go see my grandmother at her farm which was only about 25km away. He be able to leave at night and then get back on base before wake up. When I get the chance, I shall add pictures from my grandfather collection which is now in storage.

The Germans

Germany, having suffered the defeat of the first world war, and the humiliation it felt it had suffered from the allies seethed for twenty years. Like most of the world, they suffered the great depression, but the direction they took plunged the world into another global conflict.


I abhore Nazism. As did my grandfather. He enlisted to stop this tyranny.
But for the averge German, they must have felt trapped. Fighting for their country, then survival.


To balance this blog, I wanted to note some of the German troops Canada faced in this conflict. Over time I shall be upgrading this posting with the weapons, and equipment these divisions had. At no time will I display Nazi imagery.


During the Normandy campaign, 3rd Canadian Division faced three major German units


21st Panzer Division, a regular army division and 12th SS Panzer Division. The 12th SS were the Hitlerjugen formation which was so pumped up on Nazi propoganda, that when they first captured members of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, they murdered them.
The final unit was the 16th Luftwaffen Feld Division, made up of surplus Luftwaffen personnell.


The 21st Panzer Division troops are made up in my 1/72 collection from ESCI.


 (all pictures courtsey of plasticsoldierreview)









My 12th SS division is a mixed bag of figures:


These are ESCI Afrika Korp, but I have painted them in field grey as troops in Normandy.
I have also modeled these as Luftwaffen Feld Division troops

Osprey Publishing - Dieppe 1942

Osprey Publishing - Dieppe 1942




as mentioned before, my grandfather was involved with the aftermath of this operation. His responsibility was to reorganise the equipment issued to the survivors and to the replacements.

Osprey Publishing - British Battledress 1937–61

Osprey Publishing - British Battledress 1937–61




The Canadian army wore this uniform, as did most Commonwealth forces. As part of his job, my grandfather would have been responsible for supplying Canadian troops with replacements.

Osprey Publishing - The 25-pounder Field Gun 1939–72

Osprey Publishing - The 25-pounder Field Gun 1939–72




As a member of the Royal Canadian Ordanance Corps, my grandfather was responsible for supplying the Royal Canadian Artillery with their ammunition.

Osprey Publishing - Canadian Forces in World War II

Osprey Publishing - Canadian Forces in World War II




As it states the obvious, this covers all the forces Canada mobilized to fight in World War Two.

This was the army my grandfather was in. And I'm proud of what he was able to do, to come home, raise a family, run a business, and help us to remember, that war is not the answer.