Land forces of the British Empire: Army: Canadian Infantry

Prior to World War I there was only one infantry regiment on the permanent establishment in Canada, the Royal Canadian. The bulk of Canada's land forces was in a part-time Militia. The origins of the Militia date back to the beginning of the 19th century but they deteriorated and the defence of the country rested with British regular troops garrisoned there. The Crimean War in 1854 caused a withdrawal of the British troops to fight the Russians so the Militia Act was passed by the Canadian Government in 1855 and a new determination to train and equip them properly prevailed.

The Militia saw active service in the Fenian raids of 1866 and 1870. They took part in the British led Red River Expedition of 1870 and the 1885 rebellion in northwest Canada. Many of them volunteered for the South African War in 1899, serving with great distinction.

At the outbreak of war in 1914 the Militia units were under strength so it was decided to enroll volunteers in 260 new, full-strength battalions consisting of 1000 men each. These battalions were known as the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). For the most part these battalions were raised by the Militia units. For example the 48th Highlanders raised three battalions which were numbered 15, 92 and 134 in the new CEF. These numbered units were called battalions rather than regiments. At first the badges were Maple Leaf shape with the battalion number and name but more individual badges were designed and replaced these.

A typical life of a battalion can be found in the 210th Battalion.

Permanent Infantry

Number	Title
	The Royal Canadian Regiment

Militia Infantry

Number	Title
	The Governor General's Foot Guards
1st	Regiment (The Grenadier Guards of Canada)
2nd	Regiment (Queen's Own Rifles of Canada)
3rd	Regiment (Victoria Rifles of Canada)
4th	Regiment (Chasseurs Canadiens)
5th	Regiment (Royal Highlanders of Canada)
6th	Regiment (The Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles)
7th	Regiment (Fusiliers)
8th	Regiment (Royal Rifles)
9th	Regiment (Voltigeurs de Quebec)
10th	Regiment (Royal Grenadiers)
11th	Regiment (Irish Fusiliers of Canada)
12th	Regiment (York Rangers)
13th	Royal Regiment
14th	Regiment (The Princess of Wales's Own Rifles)
15th	Regiment (Argyll Light Infantry)
16th	Prince Edward Regiment
17th	Regiment
18th	Saguenay Regiment
19th	Lincoln Regiment
20th	Regiment (Halton Rifles)
21st	Regiment (Essex Fusiliers)
22nd	Regiment (The Oxford Rifles)
23rd	Regiment (The Northern Pioneers)
24th	Kent Regiment
25th	Regiment
26th	Regiment (Middlesex Light Infantry)
27th	Lambton Regiment (St.Clair Borderers)
28th	Perth Regiment
29th	Waterloo Regiment
30th	Regiment (Wellington Rifles)
31st	Grey Regiment
32nd	Bruce Rgiment
33rd	Huron Regiment
34th	Ontario Regiment
35th	Regiment (Simcoe Foresters)
36th	Peel Regiment
37th	Regiment (Haldimand Rifles)
38th	Regiment (Dufferin Rifles of Canada)
39th	Regiment (Norfolk Rifles)
40th	Northumberland Regiment
41st	Regiment (Brockville Rifles)
42nd	Lanark and Renfrew Regiment
43rd	Regiment (The Duke of Cornwall's Own Rifles)
44th	Lincoln and Welland Regiment
45th	Victoria Regiment
46th	Durham Regiment
47th	Frontenac Regiment
48th	Regiment (Highlanders)
49th	Regiment (Hastings Rifles)
50th	Regiment (Gordon Highlanders)
51st	Regiment (The Soo Rifles)
52nd	Regiment (Prince Albert Volunteers)
53rd	Sherbrooke Regiment
54th	Regiment (Carabiniers de Sherbrooke)
55th	Regiment vacant in 1914
56th	Grenville Regiment (Lisgar Rifles)
57th	Regiment (Peterborough Rangers)
58th	Regiment vacant in 1914
59th	Stormont and Glengarry Regiment
60th	Rifles of Canada
61st	Montmagny and L'Islet Regiment
62nd	Regiment (St John Fusiliers)
63rd	Regiment (Halifax Rifles)
64th	Chateaguay and Beauharnois Regiment
65th	Regiment (Mount Royal Rifles)
66th	Regiment (Princess Louise's Fusiliers)
67th	Regiment (Carleton light Infantry)
68th	Earl Grey's Own Rifles
69th	Annapolis Regiment
70th	Regiment vacant in 1914
71st	York Regiment
72nd	Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
73rd	Northumberland Regiment
74th	Regiment (New Brunswick Rangers)
75th	Lunenburg Regiment
76th	Colchester and Hants Rifles
77th	Wentworth Regiment
78th	Pictou Regiment (Highlanders)
79th	Cameron Highlanders of Canada
80th	Nicolert Regiment
81st	Hants Regiment
82nd	(Abegweit Light Infantry) Regiment
83rd	Joliette Regiment
84th	St. Hyacinthe Regiment
85th	Regiment
86th	Regiment vacant in 1914
87th	Quebec Regiment
88th	Regiment (Victoria Fusiliers)
89th	Temiscouata and Rimouski Regiment
90th	Regiment (Winnipeg Rifles)
91st	Regiment (Canadian Highlanders)
92nd	Dorchester Regiment
93rd	Cumberland Regiment
94th	Victoria Regiment (Argyll Highlanders)
95th	Saskatchewan Rifles
96th	Lake Superior Regiment
97th	Regiment (Algonquin Rifles)
98th	Regiment
99th	Manitoba Rangers
100th	Winnipeg Grenadiers
101st	Regiment (Edmonton Fusiliers)
102nd	Regiment (Rocky Mountain Rangers)
103rd	Regiment (Calgary Rifles)
104th	Regiment (Westminster Fusiliers of Canada)
105th	Regiment (Saskatoon Fusiliers)
106th	Regiment (Winnipeg Light Infantry)
107th	East Kootenay Regiment

Canadian Expeditionary Force

Number	Title
	Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
1st	Battalion - Western Ontario
2nd	Battalion - The Governor General's Foot Guards
3rd	Battalion - Toronto Regiment
4th	Battalion - County of London Volunteer Rifles (Canada)
5th	Battalion
6th	Battalion - Winnipeg
7th	Battalion - 1st British Columbian
8th	Battalion
9th	Battalion - 2nd Bn South Saskatchewan Regiment
10th	Battalion - Calgary Highlanders
11th	Battalion
12th	Battalion
13th	Battalion
14th	Battalion
15th	Battalion - Algonquin Rifles
16th	Battalion - Winnipeg
17th	Battalion - Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
18th	Battalion - The Elgin Regiment
19th	Battalion - 2nd Bn Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders of Canada
20th	Battalion
21st	Battalion - Eastern Ontario
22nd	Battalion - Le Royal Vingt-Deuxieme Regiment
23rd	Battalion - Le Royal Vingt-Deuxieme Regiment
24th	Battalion - Victoria Rifles, Montreal
25th	Battalion - Nova Scotia
26th	Battalion - New Brunswick
27th	Battalion
28th	Battalion
29th	Battalion
30th	Battalion - Earl Grey's Own Rifles
31st	Battalion - The Alberta Regiment
32nd	Battalion
33rd	Battalion
34th	Battalion
35th	Battalion
36th	Battalion
37th	Battalion
38th	Battalion
39th	Battalion
40th	Battalion
41st	Battalion - French Canadian
42nd	Battalion - Royal Highlanders of Canada (Black Watch)
43rd	Battalion - Cameron Highlanders of Canada
44th	Battalion
45th	Battalion
46th	Battalion
47th	Battalion
48th	Battalion - Highlanders
49th	Battalion - Alberta
50th	Battalion - Gordon Highlanders of Canada
51st	Battalion
52nd	Battalion
53rd	Battalion
54th	Battalion
55th	Battalion
56th	Battalion
57th	Battalion
58th	Battalion
59th	Battalion
60th	Battalion
61st	Battalion
62nd	Battalion
63rd	Battalion
64th	Battalion
65th	Battalion
66th	Battalion
67th	Battalion - Western Scots, British Columbia
68th	Battalion
69th	Battalion - French Canadian
70th	Battalion
71st	Battalion
72nd	Battalion - Seaforth Highlanders of Vancouver
73rd	Battalion
74th	Battalion
75th	Battalion
76th	Battalion
77th	Battalion
78th	Battalion - Winnipeg Grenadiers
79th	Battalion
80th	Battalion
81st	Battalion
82nd	Battalion
83rd	Battalion
84th	Battalion
85th	Battalion - Nova Scotia Highlanders
86th	Battalion
87th	Battalion - Canadian Grenadier Guards
88th	Battalion
89th	Battalion
90th	Battalion
91st	Battalion
92nd	Battalion - Highlanders
93rd	Battalion
94th	Battalion
95th	Battalion - Nova Scotia
96th	Battalion - Canadian Highlanders
97th	Battalion - American Legion
98th	Battalion
99th	Battalion
100th	Battalion - Winnipeg Grenadiers
101st	Battalion
102nd	Battalion - North British Columbians
103rd	Battalion
104th	Battalion- New Brunswick
105th	Battalion
106th	Battalion - Nova Scotia
107th	Battalion - Winnipeg
108th	Battalion - Bantams
109th	Battalion
110th	Battalion
111th	Battalion - South Waterloo
112th	Battalion - Acadians, Nova Scotia
113th	Battalion - Lethbridge Highlanders
114th	Battalion - Brock's Rangers
115th	Battalion
116th	Battalion
117th	Battalion
118th	Battalion
119th	Battalion
120th	Battalion
121st	Battalion - Western Irish
122nd	Battalion
123rd	Battalion - Toronto Grenadiers
124th	Battalion - Pals
125th	Battalion
126th	Battalion
127th	Battalion
128th	Battalion - Moose Jaw
129th	Battalion
130th	Battalion
131st	Battalion
132nd	Battalion
133rd	Battalion - Norfolk's Own
134th	Battalion - Highlanders
135th	Battalion
136th	Battalion - The Durham Regiment
137th	Battalion
138th	Battalion
139th	Battalion
140th	Battalion
141st	Battalion - Border Bull Moose
142nd	Battalion - London's Own
143rd	Battalion - B C Bantams
144th	Battalion
145th	Battalion
146th	Battalion
147th	Battalion
148th	Battalion
149th	Battalion
150th	Battalion - Carabiniers Mont Royal
151st	Battalion
152nd	Battalion
153rd	Battalion
154th	Battalion
155th	Battalion - 1st Bn Argyll Light Infantry
156th	Battalion - Brockville Rifles
157th	Battalion
158th	Battalion - Duke of Connaught's Own
159th	Battalion - 1st Algogquins
160th	Battalion - The Bruce Regiment
161st	Battalion
162nd	Battalion
163rd	Battalion - French Canadian
164th	Battalion
165th	Battalion - Acadiens
166th	Battalion
167th	Battalion - French Canadian
168th	Battalion
169th	Battalion
170th	Battalion
171st	Battalion
172nd	Battalion
173rd	Battalion
174th	Battalion
175th	Battalion
176th	Battalion - Niagara Rangers
177th	Battalion
178th	Battalion - French Canadian
179th	Battalion
180th	Battalion - Sportsmen
181st	Battalion - Brandon
182nd	Battalion
183rd	Battalion - Manitoba Beavers
184th	Battalion
185th	Battalion
186th	Battalion
187th	Battalion
188th	Battalion
189th	Battalion
190th	Battalion
191st	Battalion - Southern Alberta
192nd	Battalion - Crow's Nest Pass, Alberta
193rd	Battalion
194th	Battalion
195th	Battalion - Saskatchewan
196th	Battalion - Western Universities
197th	Battalion - Vikings of Canada
198th	Battalion - Canadian Buffs
199th	Battalion - Irish Rangers
200th	Battalion
201st	Battalion
202nd	Sportsmens Battalion - Edmonton, Alberta
203rd	Battalion
204th	Battalion- Beavers
205th	Battalion
206th	Battalion - French Canadian
207th	Battalion
208th	Battalion - Irish
209th	Battalion
210th	Battalion - Frontiersmen
211th	Battalion - American
212th	Battalion - American
213th	Battalion - American
214th	Battalion
215th	Battalion
216th	Battalion - Bantams
217th	Battalion - 1st Bn South Saskatchewan Regiment
218th	Battalion - Irish, Alberta
219th	Battalion
220th	Battalion
221st	Battalion
222nd	Battalion
223rd	Battalion - Canadian Scandanavians
224th	Battalion - Canadian Foresters
225th	Battalion
226th	Battalion - Men of the North
227th	Battalion - Men of the North
228th	Battalion - Moose Jaw
229th	Battalion
230th	Battalion - Voltigeurs Canadiens Francais
231st	Battalion - Vancouver
232nd	Battalion
233rd	Battalion - North West French Canadians
234th	Battalion
235th	Battalion
236th	Battalion - Sir Sam's Own, the New Brunswick Kilties
237th	Battalion - American
238th	Battalion
239th	Battalion
240th	Battalion
241st	Battalion - Canadian Scottish Borderers
242nd	Battalion - London's Own
243rd	Battalion - B C Bantams
244th	Battalion - Kitchener's Own
245th	Battalion - Canadian Grenadier Guards
246th	Battalion
247th	Battalion
248th	Battalion
249th	Battalion
250th	Battalion - White Eagles
251st	Battalion - Good Fellows
252nd	Battalion
253rd	Queen's University Overseas Highland Battalion
254th	Battalion - Quinte's Own
255th	Battalion
256th	Battalion - Railway Construction
257th	Battalion
258th	Battalion - French Canadian
259th	Battalion
260th	Battalion