# Orginization of Regiments/Battalions, WW2



## Surrounded514 (24 Sep 2003)

I‘m looking for some clarification into the orginization of Canadian regiments during World War 2. Try and bear with me! It‘s a bit confusing!

Alright, so each platoon is made up of the (headquarters) - Platoon commander, his platoon sergeant, a lance corporal, a batman and an orderly, (operating the PIAT), and two mortarmen for the 2-inch. The platoon has 3 sections, each made up of a corporal commanding, six riflemen, a second in command lance corporal, Bren gunner and Bren assistant. Total: 37 men

So there being three platoons in every company, that would make 111 men in a company, plus the company commander (probably a Captain, and his staff) Total: 120 men?

Here‘s the part that confuses me. Four companies make up a battalion. Now, is a four-company battalion considered a regiment? Like the PPCLI, Hasty P‘s, Queen‘s Own Rifles regiments? or are there two battalions (eight companies) in a regiment. I realize a four company battalion also had a HQ company plus a company of mortar, Anti-tank, carrier, and pioneer platoons. Are these a seperate battalion? or part of the same one. 
Total battalion: 800-900 men?

I know the American system (three platoons in a company, three companies in a battalion, three battalions in a regiment, three regiments in a brigade, etc) is much simpler, but I‘ve really been trying to get accurate info on the Canadian system.

What I‘m trying to say is, does a Canadian regiment have 1st and 2nd battalions, with four companies each, or is a regiment also a battalion, and just have the four companies, plus the support stuff.

Well there it is, thanks to all who bother to go though it. Ask any and all questions about anything, thanks.


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## 63 Delta (24 Sep 2003)

There are 3 battalions per regiment, 3 regiments per brigade and 3 brigades per division.

  :soldier:


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## Art Johnson (24 Sep 2003)

Huh? There can be any number of Battalions in a Regiment. There were three Infantry Battalions in an Infantry Brigade and three Infantry Brigades in an Infantry Division. Tables of Organization can be found on the Department of Heritage and History web site.


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## Gun Shy (15 Jun 2004)

Historically Canadian and British Infantry Regiments had at least  two battalions to form their regiments. One Battation was involved in Recruiting and training of Recruits and the other Battalion was  the Front Line Unit.


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## willy (15 Jun 2004)

521 said:
			
		

> There are 3 battalions per regiment, 3 regiments per brigade and 3 brigades per division.



Sorry, you're way off.  By this math there would be 9 battalions per brigade.  No brigade I have ever heard of is that large.

I'm pretty sure Mr. Johnson is right.  Everything I've ever read on the matter has suggested to me that WW II organization was a lot looser than that which we have now.  Some regiments were a lot bigger than others, which led to them having two or more battalions, whereas others were just battalion sized all told.


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## Infanteer (15 Jun 2004)

> There are 3 battalions per regiment, 3 regiments per brigade and 3 brigades per division.



Is that how big your Cadet Brigades are?

It is important to understand the context of the term "regiment".   It can be a formed unit with a headquarters and internal support.   The German Army in WWII had Panzer Brigades, which was the concentration of the Division's armoured assets.   A Panzer Brigade had two Panzer Regiments, which would have two Panzer Battalions, etc, etc.   In each case, the unit was a formed fighting formation with headquarters and support.

A "regiment" can also be what is termed a "clan" or "tribal" affiliation.   Most commonly known in the Commonwealth, a formed combat unit (usually a battalion) will belong to a "regiment" in the notion that it perpetuates the dress, customs, and insignia of a historical unit.   In this sense of the term, Regiments are not formations; there can be any number of associated units in the regimental family.   In World War II, most regiments had 1 or possibly 2 battalions.   The British Infantry regiments today will usually have 1 battalion, but there are exceptions (The paras have 3 regular and 1 reserve).   The Canadian Army Regular Force Regiments have 3 battalions each (the RCR and the Vandoos have reserve units as well)

As well, in the Commonwealth, battalion sized formations of armoured units are termed regiments, however, they are Commonwealth regiments in the sense that they are "tribal" as well.

A useful resource for further research on this topic can be found at www.regiments.org.


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## Michael Dorosh (15 Jun 2004)

I'll confuse things further by pointing out some Canadian regiments in WW II had as many as four battalions (the Black Watch was one of them). 

In WW I, some British Regiments had more than 25 seperate battalions (!)

In the US Civil War, I think the numbers 521 posted were correct, though they didn't have battalions - just regiments.  2 or more regiments to a brigade, 2 or more brigades to a division, two or more divisions to a corps, etc.

A complete battalion breakdown for a Canadian infantry battalion in WW II is at my site at http://members.shaw.ca/calgaryhighlanders/ - just scroll down the left hand frame to ORGANIZATION.


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