Topic: CEF
The Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canada's Part in the Great War, 3rd Edition, Issued by the Information Branch, Department of External Affairs, Ottawa, May 1921
In the late summer and early autumn of 1914, the First Canadian Division of 33,000 men was raised and sent across the Atlantic. It left Gaspe Bay on October 3, and, after nearly three months of additional training in England, landed in France, at St. Nazaire, on February 11, 1915. The Second Division was formed immediately and landed in France on September 14, when the Canadian Army Corps was formed. The formation of the Third Division was authorized just before Christmas, 1915, and the Division was in France early in 1916. The Fourth Division joined the Canadian Corps in the middle of August, 1916. The Canadian Cavalry Brigade appeared in France in 1915. After the completion of the Canadian Army Corps the policy of the Dominion was to maintain a comparatively small number of divisions, but always to keep these at full strength, in order that the troops might have the encouragement of full ranks.
Enlistments
The total number of men enlisted in Canada from the beginning of the war to November 15, 1918, was 595,441. The details are:—
| Obtained by voluntary enlistment | 465,984 | |
| Drafted or reported voluntarily after the Military Service Act came into force | 83,355 | |
| Granted leave or discharged | 24,933 | |
| Overseas service other than C.E.F.:— | 21,769 | |
| Royal Air Force | 12,902 | |
| Imperial Motor Transport | 710 | |
| Inland Water Transport | 4,701 | |
| Naval Service | 2,814 | |
| Jewish Palestine Draft | 42 | |
| 595,441 | ||
The distribution of these men was as follows:—
| C.E.F. proceeded overseas. | 418,052 |
| Enlisted for Royal Air Force, etc. | 21,169 |
| On the strength of C.E.F. in Canada and St. Lucia, including those under training as overseas reinforcements, Siberian Expeditionary Force, Canadian Garrison Regiment, Military Police Corps, Medical and Administrative Services, etc. | 36,533 |
| On harvest leave without pay. | 15,405 |
| Granted leave of absence without pay as compassionate and hardship cases. | 7,216 |
| Number discharged in Canada who had not proceeded overseas for the following among other reasons, as below medical standard, absentees, aliens, to accept commissions, deaths, on transfer to British Army and Royal Air Force. | 95,306 |
| Included in enlistment returns, for whom discharge documents have not been received, or in some cases duplicate enlistments. This number is being adjusted as further records are received. | 1,760 |
| 595,441 |
In addition to the above, 14,590 British and Allied reservists went from Canada to rejoin the colours in their own countries.
Movement Overseas
The number of men of the Canadian Expeditionary Force who had gone overseas on November 16, 1918, was 418,052.
The movement overseas by years was as follows:—
| Before Decenber 31, 1914 | 30,999 |
| Calendar year 1915 | 84,334 |
| Calendar year 1916 | 165,553 |
| Calendar year 1917 | 63,536 |
| January 1 to November 15, 1918 | 73,630 |
On September 30, 1918, about 160,000 men were in France and about 116,000 in England.
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