2nd Canadian Division The 2nd Canadian Division ( 2 Can Div ) , is responsible for Canadian Army operations in the Canadian province of Quebec . The 2nd Canadian Division is headquartered in Montreal . The present command was formed in 1991 , and in 2013 the name was changed from Land Force Quebec Area to 2nd Canadian Division . The division draws its historical lineage from formations that existed during the First and Second World War s . During the First World War , the division fought on the Western Front before being disbanded in 1919 . It was reformed on 1 September 1939 , as part of the First Canadian Army , at the outbreak of the Second World War , adopting the designation " 2nd Canadian Infantry Division " . It was initially composed of volunteers within brigade s established along regional lines , though a halt in recruitment in the early months of the war caused a delay in the formation of brigade and divisional headquarters . With questions concerning overseas deployment resolved , the division ' s respective commands were formed in May and June 1940 , and at British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ' s request , the division was deployed to the United Kingdom between 1 August and 25 December 1940 . Having performed well in training exercises during 1941 and early 1942 , elements of the 2nd Division were selected as the main force for Operation Jubilee , a large - scale amphibious raid on the port of Dieppe in German - occupied France . On 19 August 1942 , with air and naval gunfire support , the division ' s 4th and 6th brigades assaulted Dieppe ' s beaches . The Germans were well prepared and , despite being reinforced , the Canadians sustained heavy losses and had to be evacuated , fewer than half their number returning to the UK . Following a period of reconstruction and retraining from 1942 – 1944 , the division joined II Canadian Corps as part of the Second British Army for the Allied Invasion of Normandy . 2nd Division saw significant action from 20 July – 21 August in the battles for Caen and Falaise . Joining the newly activated headquarters of the First Canadian Army in the assault on northwestern Europe , the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division played a significant role in the retaking of the Channel ports , the Battle of the Scheldt , and the liberation of the Netherlands . The division was deactivated shortly after the end of the war . First World War . The formation of the 2nd Canadian Division began in May 1915 in Britain following the arrival of a large contingent of soldiers from Canada . The Division remained in Great Britain only a short time before embarking for France in September 1915 . It joined the 1st Canadian Division to form the Canadian Corps . The division was under the command of Major - General R . E . W . Turner , and its members spent a long and bitterly cold winter in a Belgian section of the front between Ploegsteert Wood and Saint - Eloi , south of Ypres . Infantry units as well as artillery units of the 2nd Canadian Division served in both France and Flanders until Armistice Day . Infantry units . 4th Canadian Brigade : ( Formed after the original 4th Brigade was dispersed ) 5th Canadian Brigade : 6th Canadian Brigade Pioneers : Battles and engagements on the Western Front . 1916 : 1917 : 1918 : Second World War . Formation and early organization ( 1939 ) . At the start of the Second World War , the Canadian Active Service Force was initially composed of two divisions ; the 1st and 2nd Canadian Infantry Divisions , both raised on the first of September 1939 . The fighting power of this force lay in its constituent infantry brigades , of which each division had three . These were in turn composed of three rifle and one machine gun battalion , with additional divisional artillery and engineer units in support . The 2nd Division , like its sister formation , was originally organized along regional lines . Its 4th Brigade was composed of regiments from Ontario , the 5th Brigade of regiments from Quebec , and 6th Brigade of regiments from Western Canada . Garrison duties and reorganization ( 1940 ) . It was over a year before the 2nd Division came together as a cohesive unit and , during the interim period between formation and arrival in the United Kingdom , many changes to its organization were made . The first brigade concentrations took place in May and June 1940 , until which time all units had trained in their own garrisons . The 4th Brigade assembled at Camp Borden in Ontario , the 5th at Valcartier Camp in Quebec , and the 6th at Camp Shilo in Manitoba . The divisional artillery was concentrated at Camp Petawawa in Ontario , and at Shilo . The 2nd Division ' s structure was altered in early 1940 , reducing its number of machine - gun battalions from three to one . The Camerons and the Chaudières ( now a rifle battalion ) were reassigned to the newly mobilized 3rd Canadian Infantry Division , and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were sent to Jamaica for garrison duty , after which they returned to Canada then redeployed to Hong Kong , where they were captured when it fell to the Japanese on 25 December 1941 . In May 1940 , The Black Watch were moved from Valcartier to Newfoundland , and in June , the 2nd Division was earmarked for garrison duty by the forces of the British Commonwealth , with the Royal Regiment of Canada and " Les Fusiliers Mont Royal " arriving in Iceland later that month . However , at the request of Winston Churchill these deployments were cut short , as the division was badly needed in England to supplement the British Army — then facing the imminent possibility of German invasion . As a result , most of the 2nd Division ' s units were sent to the United Kingdom in August 1940 , although the Iceland garrison remained in place until 31 October . The absence of the " Mont Royal " s allowed Major - General Victor Odlum to reassign the Calgary Highlanders to the 5th Brigade in September , in an attempt to ethnically mix the brigades of the division . Training in the United Kingdom ( 1941 ) . In 1941 , the Toronto Scottish Regiment was transferred from the 1st Division to become the machine - gun battalion of the 2nd Division . Around the same time , the 8th Reconnaissance Regiment ( 14th Canadian Hussars ) was raised from 2nd Division personnel supplemented by reinforcements from Canada . Due to equipment shortages , it was often difficult to adequately supply newly arrived divisions in England . Artillery units had to make use of outmoded 75 mm guns with steel tires , and a lack of anti - aircraft guns — diverted to civil defense during the height of the Battle of Britain — left Canadian units to fend for themselves with small arms . However , by February 1941 , enough Bren gun s had been issued to the infantry units and , by September , the artillery had been equipped with 25 - pounder ( 84 mm , 3 . 3 - in ) howitzer s , although signals equipment and transport were still lacking and anti - tank guns were dangerously scarce . When the division was not engaged in coastal - defence duties or unit training , formation - level training took the form of increasingly larger exercises . Exercise Waterloo , conducted from 14 – 16 June 1941 , was the largest in the United Kingdom to date , with I Canadian Corps counter - attacking an imagined German sea and air landing . Exercise Bumper , held from 29 September to 3 October , was larger still , involving 250 , 000 men . These exercises tended to concentrate on traffic control , communications , and logistical concerns , and were of little practical value to the infantry . On 30 December 1941 , the Calgary Highlanders introduced " battle drill " to the division . This new type of training emphasized small unit tactics as well as " hardening " training through use of live ammunition , slaughterhouse visits , and obstacle courses , and was adopted throughout Commonwealth forces stationed in Britain . Operation Jubilee ( 1942 ) . In early 1942 , under Major General J . H . Roberts , the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division participated in several additional full - scale combat exercises , again gauging the ability of Commonwealth divisions to repel a possible German invasion . As April and May progressed , the exercises intensified , becoming significantly more demanding on the participants . As a result , the 2nd Division was judged to be one of the four best divisions in the United Kingdom , and was selected as the primary force for the upcoming Allied attack on the German - occupied port of Dieppe — codenamed Operation Jubilee . Mounted as a test of whether or not such a landing was feasible , the Dieppe raid was to be undertaken by the 4th and 6th Brigades , with additional naval , air , and infantry support . Significant elements of the 5th Brigade were also involved . On 19 August 1942 , while British commando units attacked bunker positions on the outskirts of Dieppe , forces of the 2nd Division landed on four beaches . The easternmost , Blue Beach , which was situated at the foot of a sheer cliff , presented the most difficulties ; the Royal Regiment of Canada , with a company of the Black Watch , was held at bay by two platoons of German defenders . Only six percent of the men that landed on Blue Beach returned to Britain . The main beaches , codenamed White and Red , lay in front of Dieppe itself . Making only minor gains , the majority of the 4th and 6th brigades became pinned down on the beach , and despite the arrival of an armoured squadron from the Calgary Tank Regiment , casualties were heavy . Reinforcements from the Mont Royals had little effect , and surviving forces were withdrawn by 11 : 00 . Of the nearly 5 , 000 Canadian troops that participated , more than half were killed , wounded or captured . At Green Beach to the west , part of the South Saskatchewan Regiment was landed on the wrong side of the Scie River , necessitating an assault over the machine gun swept bridge there so they could assault the cliffs on the west . The village of Pourville was captured but the eastern cliffs proved impossible to capture so blocking their assault on an artillery battery and a radar station . The Queen ' s Own Cameron Highlanders were landed with the objective of moving south to attack an airfield and a divisional HQ . Neither battalion was able to achieve their objectives . As with the other three beaches , casualties among the Canadians were high with 160 fatalities . Rebuilding ( 1942 – 1944 ) . Throughout 1943 , the 2nd Division focused on rebuilding its ranks , having lost close to half its strength at Dieppe . In January 1944 , Major General Charles Foulkes — the first to command the division who had not served in the First World War — replaced Burns . The following month , all three brigade commanders were replaced as part of a general move to modernize the Canadian forces ' higher echelons ; further sweeping changes throughout all levels of command , coupled with the lingering effects of the large influx of new personnel during 1943 , lowered morale in the division . However , in March 1944 , training again intensified , heralding the coming invasion of Europe . On 9 March , the 2nd Division was inspected by King George VI , and by May the division numbered close to 18 , 000 fully equipped and trained soldiers . When D - Day arrived on 6 June 1944 , the main Canadian assault was led by the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division , while the 2nd Division was held in reserve . Battle of Normandy . The Canadian attack of the Juno beach was the most successful of the five beaches attacked on D - day . Having successfully landed in Normandy , Allied forces soon became embroiled in battles against German armour and were unable to significantly expand their beachhead ; by the time the 2nd Division came ashore at the end of the first week of July , the entire front had congealed . As the division assembled its brigades for combat , Anglo - Canadian forces launched Operation Charnwood . It was a tactical success , but could not clear all Caen of its German defenders . Although originally a D - Day objective , Caen proved a difficult prize , holding out until 19 July when it finally fell to British forces during Operation Goodwood . In the aftermath , Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery ordered elements of II Canadian Corps to push forward towards Verrières Ridge , the dominant geographical feature between Caen and Falaise . By keeping up the pressure , Montgomery hoped to divert German attention away from the American sector to the west . Operation Atlantic . Operation Atlantic , launched on 18 July alongside Goodwood , had the objectives of securing the western bank of the Orne River and Verrières Ridge . 2nd Division ' s 5th and 6th brigades were selected as the assaulting forces , with the 5th Brigade focusing on the Orne and the 6th on Verrières . The 4th Brigade were tasked with securing the flank of the operation , and The Royal Regiment of Canada attacked Louvigny on 18 July . Early on 19 July , The Calgary Highlanders seized Point 67 , directly north of Verrières Ridge , and the following morning the Royal Highland Regiment of Canada crossed the Orne River and secured the flanks of the advance . In the afternoon , the 6th Brigade ' s South Saskatchewan Regiment attacked the well - entrenched German positions on the ridge , with support from Typhoon fighter - bombers and tanks . However , the attack ran into torrential rain , and the Germans counterattacked in force . This and further German attacks inflicted heavy casualties on the South Saskatchewan Regiment and its supporting battalions , The Essex Scottish Regiment and The Queen ' s Own Cameron Highlanders . On 21 July , the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade reinforced Canadian positions on Point 67 . In two days of fighting , the division suffered 1 , 349 casualties . Operation Spring . On 22 July 1944 , Montgomery elected to use the Anglo - Canadian forces south of Caen in an all - out offensive aimed at breaking the German defensive cordon keeping his forces bottled up in Normandy . To meet Montgomery ' s objectives , Canadian General Guy Simonds , commander of II Canadian Corps , was ordered to design a large breakout assault , codenamed Operation Spring . The attack was planned in three tightly timed phases of advance , pitting two Canadian and two British divisions against three German SS - Panzer divisions . It would be launched in conjunction with an American offensive , Operation Cobra , scheduled to take place on 25 July 1944 . The 4th Brigade attacked in the east with some success , taking Verrières village itself , but were repulsed at Tilly - la - Campagne by German counterattacks . The 5th Brigade , in the centre , made a bid for Fontenay - le - Marmion ; of the 325 members of the Black Watch who left the start - lines , only 15 answered evening roll - call . German counterattacks on 26 and 27 July pushed Canadian forces back to Point 67 . However , the situation eventually eased as the planned American offensive got underway . Throughout the first week of August , significant German resources were transferred from the Anglo - Canadian front to that of the Third United States Army , while reinforcements moved from Pas de Calais to the Falaise , Calvados area . By 7 August 1944 , only one major formation — the 12th SS Panzer Division — faced Canadian forces on Verrières Ridge . Operation Totalize . By 1 August 1944 , the British had made significant gains on the Vire and Orne Rivers during Operation Bluecoat , while the Americans had achieved a complete breakthrough in the west . On 4 August , Simonds and General Harry Crerar — the newly appointed commander of the 1st Canadian Army — were given the order to prepare an advance on Falaise . Three days later , with heavy bomber support , Operation Totalize began , marking the first use of Kangaroo Armoured Personnel Carriers . While the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division attacked east of the Caen - Falaise Road , 2nd Division attacked to the west . By noon Verrières Ridge had finally fallen , and Canadian and Polish armour was preparing to exploit south towards Falaise . However , strong resistance by the 12th SS Panzer Division and the 272nd " Volksgrenadier " Division halted the advance . Although 12 km ( 7 . 5 mi ) of ground had been gained , Canadian forces had failed to reach Falaise itself . Simultaneously , the Germans had launched a desperate and ill - prepared armoured thrust towards Mortain , beginning on 6 August 1944 . This was halted within a day and , despite the increasingly dangerous threat presented by the Anglo - Canadian advance on Falaise , German commander Field Marshal Günther von Kluge was prohibited by Adolf Hitler from redeploying his forces . Thus , as American armoured formations advanced towards Argentan from the south , the Allies were presented with an opportunity to encircle large sections of the German Seventh Army . The First Canadian Army was ordered south , while the Americans prepared to move on Chambois on 14 August . Simonds and Crerar quickly planned a further offensive that would push through to Falaise , trapping the German Seventh Army in Normandy . Operation Tractable . On 14 August , the First Canadian Army launched Operation Tractable with the aim of capturing Falaise and achieving a linkup with American forces in Chambois . A daylight attack was executed after artillery provided smoke - screen cover and medium bombers softened up the German defenses . The offensive was largely successful and , although the 2nd Division was not an active participant , divisional troops entered Falaise on 16 August as the remainder of First Canadian Army moved south - east towards Trun and Chambois . By 21 August the remnants of the battered German Seventh Army had surrendered in the Falaise Pocket , bringing the Battle of Normandy to a close . The German forces committed to Normandy since D - Day had been virtually annihilated — by the end of Operation Tractable , the 12th SS Panzer Division , the main adversary of the Canadians , had lost 80 % of its tanks , 70 % of its personnel carriers , and 60 % of its artillery . Shortly afterwards , the 2nd Division moved to Foret de la Londe , along the valley of the River Seine . From 27 – 29 August , the 4th and 6th Brigades were engaged in heavy fighting against the rearguard of German forces seeking to withdraw across the Seine . The Channel Ports and the Scheldt . Throughout September and October 1944 , the First Canadian Army moved along the coast of France with the aim of securing the Channel ports . On 1 September , while the 3rd Division made for Boulogne and Calais , the 2nd Division entered Dieppe , encountering virtually no resistance . Five days later they were tasked by Montgomery and Crerar with retaking Dunkirk . Heavy fighting around the outskirts would hold the division for several days but , by 9 September , 5th Brigade had captured the port . The Dunkirk perimeter was handed over to the British on 15 September , and the 2nd Division made for Antwerp . Although the Belgian White Brigade and elements of the 3rd British Division had entered Antwerp as early as 6 September , taking the city and docks , a strategic oversight meant that the nearby bridges over the Albert Canal were not seized , leaving the Germans in control of the Scheldt estuary . The failure to make an immediate push on the estuary ensured the strategically vital port would remain useless until the Scheldt was cleared . Strong formations of the Fifteenth German Army , which had withdrawn from the Pas de Calais , were able to consolidate their positions on the islands of South Beveland and Walcheren , as well as the Albert Canal directly northwest of Antwerp , and were further reinforced by elements of General Kurt Student ' s First Parachute Army . During the initial phases of the battle , the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division sought to force a crossing of the Albert Canal . On 2 October , the entire First Canadian Army — under the temporary command of General Simonds — moved against the German defenses . Two days later , 2nd Division had cleared the canal , and was moving northwest towards South Beveland and Walcheren Island . On Friday , 13 October , later known as " Black Friday " , 5th Brigade ' s Black Watch attacked positions near the coast , losing all four company commanders and over 200 men . Three days later , the Calgary Highlanders conducted a more successful offensive , capturing the initial objective of Woensdrecht . Simultaneously , the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 4th Canadian Armoured Division captured Bergen , cutting off South Beveland and Walcheren from reinforcement . Battles for the Rhine ( November 1944 – March 1945 ) . By November 1944 , the First Canadian Army had entered the Nijmegen Salient which was being held for use in the development of future offensives . The 2nd Division came under the command of Major - General A . B . Matthews , with Foulkes being transferred to command I Canadian Corps . The First Canadian Army launched no major offensive operations from November 1944 – January 1945 ; the longest hiatus the Canadians had enjoyed since landing on the Normandy beaches the previous June . Operation Veritable was designed to bring the 21st Army Group to the west bank of the Rhine River , the last natural obstacle before entering Germany . Initially scheduled for December 1944 , the operation was delayed until February by the German Ardennes Offensive . Plans were developed to breach three successive defensive lines : the outpost screen ; a formidable section of the Siegfried Line running through the Hochwald Forest ; and finally the Hochwald Layback covering the approach to the ultimate objective of Xanten . The first phase began on 8 February 1945 , with the 2nd Division ' s advance following up one of the largest artillery barrages seen on the Western Front . The Germans had prepared significant defenses in depth , both within the outpost screen and the Siegfried Line itself , and to add to the Canadians ' difficulties , constant rain and cold weather obscured the battlefield . However , by the end of the first day , the 2nd Division had captured their objectives — the fortified towns of Wyler and Den Heuvel . On 11 February , the division moved southeast to assist XXX British Corps in their assault on Moyland Wood . The operational plan ' s second phase called for the 2nd and 3rd Divisions to take the Hochwald Forest . Following its capture , the 4th Canadian Armoured would sweep through the Hochwald Gap towards Wesel , followed by 2nd Division " leap - frogging " towards Xanten . Operation Blockbuster was scheduled for 27 February , but despite initial gains , stubborn German resistance prolonged the battle for six days . It was not until 3 March that the forest was cleared — during the intense close - quarter fighting , Major Frederick Tilston of the Essex Scottish Regiment won a Victoria Cross Operation Blockbuster ' s final phase was the attack on Xanten itself , which lasted from 8 – 10 March . This fell primarily to the 2nd Division and 2nd Canadian ( Armoured ) Brigade , although the 43rd Wessex Division was temporarily assigned to Simonds ' s II Canadian Corps for the assault . Despite an elaborate preceding artillery barrage , dogged German resistance caused the battle to degenerate into one of attrition . Because effective air - support was prevented by fog and movement was hindered by German mortar barrages , the Anglo - Canadians suffered heavy casualties . However , by 10 March , the 2nd Division ' s 5th Brigade had linked up with elements of the 52nd Lowland Division , bringing the offensive to a close . Total Canadian casualties during Veritable and Blockbuster were 5 , 304 killed or wounded . North of the Rhine ( March – May 1945 ) . Canadian forces having incurred heavy casualties in clearing a path to the Rhine , the 2nd Division was rested from the massive crossing operation that took place on 23 March 1945 , instead crossing in relative ease a week later . After a brief detour through German territory , the First Canadian Army — now unified with the arrival of I Canadian Corps from Italy — prepared to assault German positions in the Netherlands . The 2nd Division moved northwards towards Groningen . In the nine days preceding their attack , German resistance had been light and uncoordinated but opposition stiffened as the assault progressed , leading to heavy losses among the battalions of the 5th Brigade . By 13 April , the division had been shifted eastward to guard the flanks of a British assault on Bremen , and the following day I Canadian Corps liberated Arnhem . On 2 May , the 2nd Division took Oldenburg , solidifying Canadian positions throughout the Netherlands . German and Canadian forces declared a ceasefire on 5 May , and all fighting came to an end with the surrender of German forces in Western Europe on 7 May 1945 . In October 1945 , after four months in the Netherlands , General Order 52 / 46 officially disbanded the headquarters of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division . By December , the entirety of the division had been stood down and returned to Canada . Present day . The present division headquarters is located in Montreal , with the majority of operational units stations in Quebec City at CFB Valcartier and the Quebec Citadel . Regular Force . 5 Area Support Group . Also stationed at CFB Valcartier are 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron and 5 Field Ambulance . Although these two units work closely with 5 CMBG , they are not officially part of the brigade group .