The Canadian Motor Battalion, 1943 to 1945
As with the Infantry Battalion, the Canadian Motor Battalion used the same organisation as its British counterpart.
The Motor Battalion, circa 1943 to 1945
Battalion Headquarters (5 Officers, 28 men) * reduced by 1 man, October 1944
Headquarter Company (6 Officers, 96 men), comprised of;
Company HQ (1 Officer, 8 men)
Signals Platoon (1 Officer, 16 men)
Administrative Platoon (4 Officers, 72 men)
Support Company (7 Officers, 190 men), comprised of;
Company HQ (2 Officers, 23 men) * increased by 1 man, October 1944
Three Anti-tank Platoons, each (1 Officer, 37 men)
Two Machine Gun Platoons, each (1 Officer, 28 men)
Three Motors Companies (7 Officers, 168 men), each comprised of;
Company HQ (2 Officers, 37 men)
Scout Platoon (2 Officers, 41 men)
Three Motor Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 6 men)
Three Motor Sections, each comprised of 8 men
Total Strength of 857 all ranks (39 Officers and 818 men)
Points of Note
The Canadian unit was modelled extremely closely on its British counterpart. The principle differences between British and Canadian units in Europe were normally in the area of vehicles.
The elements of the Battalion
Battalion Headquarters - as the HQ of the Infantry Battalion, but included a scout car and a Universal Carrier, itself replaced by a second Scout Car in 1944.
Signals Platoon - as Infantry Battalion. The Platoon was also entitled to a pair of 20-mm AA guns, but it does not seem these were deployed in reality.
Admin Platoon - as Infantry Battalion, and as above was to deploy four 20-mm AA guns.
Machine Gun Platoon - the Motor Battalion enjoyed a luxury denied the Infantry in that they carried their own Vickers medium machine guns. Each platoon required eight Universal Carriers to transport the four weapons and the Vickers could be fired from the carrier itself. A PIAT was provided for anti-tank defence.
Anti-tank Platoon – was a slimmed down version of the Infantry unit. The platoon served four 6-pdr guns, each with two T16 Carriers plus a Bren and 2-inch mortar. Platoon HQ added a Universal Carrier, trucks and motorcycles.
The Motor Company - the Motor Company underwent a key change in the run up to the Normandy landings. The previous 15-cwt personnel trucks were replaced by a combination of US supplied halftracks for the Motor Platoons and wheeled White scout cars for Company HQ. Canada had intended to supply its own Section vehicle in the shape of the 15-cwt armoured carrier, wheeled. However, production delays meant that this vehicle was not available by early 1944, so the Canadian Army adopted the US halftrack.
Now I had thought that the halftrack was used by the Canadian Motor Battalion throughout the campaign in Northwest Europe. I have been advised however that they were replaced by the 15-cwt C15TA armoured truck beginning in late 1944. This information is said to come from contemporary sources, but I still have a niggling doubt whether the wheeled armoured truck was a suitable replacement for the halftrack in a unit intended to accompany tanks. If anyone can throw any light on the subject I'd be interested to hear from them.
Regardless of its transport, the Motor Section was made up of a Corporal, a Lance-corporal and six privates. By 1943 the Bren gunner had lost his rifle and the driver had acquired a Sten gun. Initially, the Section Commander still retained his rifle, but I would suggest he too was generally carrying a Sten gun by D-Day. The remainder of the Section all carried rifles.
Platoon HQ consisted of an Officer, Sergeant, signaller, two man team for the 2-inch mortar, and a batman-driver for the halftrack. As before, a motorcycle orderly accompanied the Platoon. Personal weapons vary according to the sources used, however both the batman-driver and motorcycle orderly would have carried Stens, and probably one of the mortar crewmen. With a pistol for the officer, augmented or replaced by another weapon of his choice, the balance would have carried rifles. The Platoon halftrack also carried a PIAT for use as required.
Company HQ had dual command and administrative roles, with the company commander and his second-in-command each provided with a White scout car or halftrack. Company HQ also deployed a section with two 3-inch mortars, each transported in the usual modified Universal Carriers, for a total of six weapons in the Battalion.
The Scout Platoon had three Sections each of three carriers. The Section Commander’s carrier had a four man crew, the other two vehicles each three. Platoon HQ deployed two more carriers, plus a scout car, a 15-cwt truck and two motorcycles. By 1943, each Section had a 2-inch mortar and a PIAT, and as always each carrier, and the scout car, a Bren gun.
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