exspy
Full Member
- Reaction score
- 15
- Points
- 230
I've seen a couple of previous postings with questions about the 3rd CIB so I thought I would provide the following.
The Headquarters of the post war 3rd CIB was authorized on 9 Oct 1952 and originally located at Camp Valcartier. It was the only brigade headquarters of the four in the field forces without an antecedent. The 1st CIB was authorized as a replacement for the HQ 27th CIB, the 2nd CIB was the redesignation of the 25th CIB Replacement Group and the 4th CIB was the redesignation of the 25th CIB. None of the brigade headquarters, with the exception of the 1st CIB in Germany, had any permanently assigned troops under command (TUC). The Canadian based brigade headquarters only exercised command during scheduled exercises or in the plans put forward by AHQ for the organization (in times of emergency) of the 1st CID. Regional location of the sub-units did not play into these plans as one version of them showed that 3 CIB would have as TUC one infantry battalion each from Eastern, Central and Western Commands.
During the 1958 reorganization of the field forces away from the divisional structure and towards independent brigade groups (which was believed to be a better way of dealing with formation command and control on the nuclear battlefield) all four of the brigade headquarters were redesignated as headquarters of infantry brigade groups. On 15 March, 1958 the 3rd CIB became 3 CIBG. Permanent TUC were to be assigned. 3 CIBG, the largest brigade group, had its TUC located in Quebec and Eastern Commands. HQ 3 CIBG was moved to its new location in Camp Gagetown right after the 1958 summer concentration concluded. HQ Camp Gagetown had been authorized on 28 March and activated on 27 June 1956. The 1/8th Canadian Hussars was already in situ having been organized there on 29 Jan, 1957. The remaining units of 3 CIBG were to arrive at Gagetown over 1958 and 1959, however some did not arrive until well into the 1960's.
The first infantry battalion, 2 RHC, arrived during May, 1958 from Aldershot. Over the next several years the major units rotated in and out of the brigade group as NATO commitments came and went. Temporary unit postings to Cyprus and UNEF also took place. HQ 3 CIBG was also responsible for the field forces located at Camp Valcartier and the Citadel in Quebec City. Valcartier would have (depending on the NATO commitment) one or two battalions of the R22eR, the medium battery of the artillery regiment located in Gagetown and, until it was rotated to Germany, A Squadron of the 1/8th CH. The Citadel always had an R22eR battalion in residence.
On 1 June, 1968 the three brigade groups in Canada were renamed and retasked as combat groups (eg, 3 Combat Group). One of the major changes involved in the new tasking was the relinquishing of operational control of the TUC by the combat group headquarters. They now had only an administrative and not an operational role. This was part of the new Mobile Command field force structure which sought to increase response flexibility by doing away with structured brigade groups and replacing them with ad hoc task forces. These task forces, whose headquarters would be created from HQ MobCom personnel or from the HQ of the combat groups, could be assigned units from anywhere in Canada depending on the needs of the task force and the readiness of the individual units to respond. While good on paper (or not) the ability of the combat group headquarters would have been severely limited to provide anything resembling a task force headquarters as the new structure; a) encompassed the group commander's responsibilities as a troop administrator and as a base commander b) split the brigade's (or rather the group's) signal squadron off from its associated headquarters, and c) had an establishment of only 11 officers, 11 other ranks, and 10 civilians.
None of these changes would actually affect 3 Combat Group in the long run as its future demise had already been decided. The previous month (May, 1968) a new group HQ for 5e GC had been authorized. The creation of 5e GC meant that the land forces now had a combat group too many. The new group also meant that 3 Combat Group's Quebec-based TUC were assigned to it. No regard was given to the fact that the 5e GC did not yet exist, did not have a functioning HQ, an artillery regiment (even the Valcartier-based battery was in Cyprus at the time), an armoured regiment, could not receive a Brigadier-General's position for its commander until 1 January, 1969, or that CFB Valcartier could not yet support the aforementioned without a massive infrastructure increase, the die had been cast.
Within two years however, 5e GC was ready and 3 Combat Group's time had come. On 27 May, 1970 the entire group paraded for the last time under its commander, Brigadier-General CJA Hamilton (late PPCLI). Taking part in the march past and roll past were HQ 3 CG, 2 RCHA, The RCD, 2 Field Squadron, 3 Signal Squadron, 1 RHC, 2 RHC and 3 Service Battalion. At midnight 3 Combat Group was no more and standing in its place was the new Headquarters Combat Training Centre and Camp Gagetown under Brigadier-General Duncan McAlpine (late RHC). Two months later both battalions of the RHC were placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle and its soldiers badged as members of The RCR. At the same time The RCD was transfered to Germany and replaced by C Squadron of the 8th Canadian Hussars. 2 RCHA was transfered to CFB Petawawa less E Battery which remained in Gagetown to support the CTC. In time 3 Signal Squadron and 3 Service Battalion would both be disbanded.
This then, is a short review of the 17 1/2 year history of 3 CIB / CIBG / CG.
The Headquarters of the post war 3rd CIB was authorized on 9 Oct 1952 and originally located at Camp Valcartier. It was the only brigade headquarters of the four in the field forces without an antecedent. The 1st CIB was authorized as a replacement for the HQ 27th CIB, the 2nd CIB was the redesignation of the 25th CIB Replacement Group and the 4th CIB was the redesignation of the 25th CIB. None of the brigade headquarters, with the exception of the 1st CIB in Germany, had any permanently assigned troops under command (TUC). The Canadian based brigade headquarters only exercised command during scheduled exercises or in the plans put forward by AHQ for the organization (in times of emergency) of the 1st CID. Regional location of the sub-units did not play into these plans as one version of them showed that 3 CIB would have as TUC one infantry battalion each from Eastern, Central and Western Commands.
During the 1958 reorganization of the field forces away from the divisional structure and towards independent brigade groups (which was believed to be a better way of dealing with formation command and control on the nuclear battlefield) all four of the brigade headquarters were redesignated as headquarters of infantry brigade groups. On 15 March, 1958 the 3rd CIB became 3 CIBG. Permanent TUC were to be assigned. 3 CIBG, the largest brigade group, had its TUC located in Quebec and Eastern Commands. HQ 3 CIBG was moved to its new location in Camp Gagetown right after the 1958 summer concentration concluded. HQ Camp Gagetown had been authorized on 28 March and activated on 27 June 1956. The 1/8th Canadian Hussars was already in situ having been organized there on 29 Jan, 1957. The remaining units of 3 CIBG were to arrive at Gagetown over 1958 and 1959, however some did not arrive until well into the 1960's.
The first infantry battalion, 2 RHC, arrived during May, 1958 from Aldershot. Over the next several years the major units rotated in and out of the brigade group as NATO commitments came and went. Temporary unit postings to Cyprus and UNEF also took place. HQ 3 CIBG was also responsible for the field forces located at Camp Valcartier and the Citadel in Quebec City. Valcartier would have (depending on the NATO commitment) one or two battalions of the R22eR, the medium battery of the artillery regiment located in Gagetown and, until it was rotated to Germany, A Squadron of the 1/8th CH. The Citadel always had an R22eR battalion in residence.
On 1 June, 1968 the three brigade groups in Canada were renamed and retasked as combat groups (eg, 3 Combat Group). One of the major changes involved in the new tasking was the relinquishing of operational control of the TUC by the combat group headquarters. They now had only an administrative and not an operational role. This was part of the new Mobile Command field force structure which sought to increase response flexibility by doing away with structured brigade groups and replacing them with ad hoc task forces. These task forces, whose headquarters would be created from HQ MobCom personnel or from the HQ of the combat groups, could be assigned units from anywhere in Canada depending on the needs of the task force and the readiness of the individual units to respond. While good on paper (or not) the ability of the combat group headquarters would have been severely limited to provide anything resembling a task force headquarters as the new structure; a) encompassed the group commander's responsibilities as a troop administrator and as a base commander b) split the brigade's (or rather the group's) signal squadron off from its associated headquarters, and c) had an establishment of only 11 officers, 11 other ranks, and 10 civilians.
None of these changes would actually affect 3 Combat Group in the long run as its future demise had already been decided. The previous month (May, 1968) a new group HQ for 5e GC had been authorized. The creation of 5e GC meant that the land forces now had a combat group too many. The new group also meant that 3 Combat Group's Quebec-based TUC were assigned to it. No regard was given to the fact that the 5e GC did not yet exist, did not have a functioning HQ, an artillery regiment (even the Valcartier-based battery was in Cyprus at the time), an armoured regiment, could not receive a Brigadier-General's position for its commander until 1 January, 1969, or that CFB Valcartier could not yet support the aforementioned without a massive infrastructure increase, the die had been cast.
Within two years however, 5e GC was ready and 3 Combat Group's time had come. On 27 May, 1970 the entire group paraded for the last time under its commander, Brigadier-General CJA Hamilton (late PPCLI). Taking part in the march past and roll past were HQ 3 CG, 2 RCHA, The RCD, 2 Field Squadron, 3 Signal Squadron, 1 RHC, 2 RHC and 3 Service Battalion. At midnight 3 Combat Group was no more and standing in its place was the new Headquarters Combat Training Centre and Camp Gagetown under Brigadier-General Duncan McAlpine (late RHC). Two months later both battalions of the RHC were placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle and its soldiers badged as members of The RCR. At the same time The RCD was transfered to Germany and replaced by C Squadron of the 8th Canadian Hussars. 2 RCHA was transfered to CFB Petawawa less E Battery which remained in Gagetown to support the CTC. In time 3 Signal Squadron and 3 Service Battalion would both be disbanded.
This then, is a short review of the 17 1/2 year history of 3 CIB / CIBG / CG.
