Topic: Canadian Militia
Canadian Cavalry (1916)
The Organization, Administration and Equipment of His Majesty's Land Forces in Peace and War, by Lieuet.-Colonel William R. Lang, m.s.c., 1916
Permanent Force :—
- The Royal Canadian Dragoons.
- Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians).
The headquarters of the Royal Canadian Dragoons is in Toronto, with a station also at St. Jean, P.Q., at each of which places are situated Royal Schools of Cavalry.
The headquarters of Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) is at Winnipeg, where is established a Royal School of Instruction at which officers and N.C.O.'s are trained for both Cavalry and Infantry qualifications.
Non-Permanent:
- Governor-General's Body Guard.
- 35 Other Cavalry Regiments and one independent squadron.
These are designated variously, as Dragoons, Hussars, Horse, Light Horse, and Rangers.
A Regiment is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel with a Regimental Staff consisting of a Major (second in Command), an Adjutant, a Signalling Officer, a Medical Officer, a Quarter-Master, a Paymaster, a Veterinary Officer, and a Chaplain. It is organized in 3 squadrons, each commanded by a Major with a Captain assisting him, and is divided into 4 troops each under a Subaltern. The distribution of the Cavalry Regiments in Canada into Mounted Brigades will be found in the Militia List.
The Cavalry of Canada is armed with a sword and with a rifle. Though shock-action and the use of the arme-blanche are considered to be the metier of the cavalry soldier, they have been almost entirely used as mounted riflemen during the wars of the past 15 years.
Higher Formations.
The higher formations of mounted troops are the Cavalry Brigade and the Cavalry Division. In Canada the former are known as Mounted Brigades, each comprising:
- Headquarters.
- 3 Cavalry Regiments.
- 1 Field Battery Canadian Artillery, and Cavalry Brigade Ammunition Column (not organized).
- 1 Field Troop C.E.
- 1 Wireless Detachment C.E.
- 1 Cavalry Brigade Transport and Supply Column (A.S.C.)
- 1 Cavalry Field Ambulance (A.M.C.)
Were Cavalry Divisions to be organized they would doubtless be based on the model of the British Service which allots to such a unit:
- Headquarters.
- 4 Cavalry Brigades.
- Headquarters Cavalry Divisional Artillery.
- 2 Horse Artillery Brigades with Ammunition Columns.
- Headquarters Cavalry Divisional Engineers.
- 4 Field Troops C.E.
- 1 Signal Squadron.
- 4 Cavalry Field Ambulances.
The inclusion in the cavalry division engineers, signal units, and mobile units of on it the power of acting independently and of its subdivision into self-contained constituted.
Regiments with 2 squadrons:— 36th
Regiments with 3 squadrons:— 1st, 6th, 8th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 18th, 19th, 24th, 26th, 27th, 38th, 32nd, 34th, 35th.
Regiments with 4 squadrons:— G.G.B.G., 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 17th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 29th, 30th, 31st.
One independent squadron at Victoria, B.C.
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