Canadian Army Overseas - Units
In the Second World War Canadian Army Overseas Organization, there was a major unit per formation. These units are the ones commonly listed as forming the signals organization:
- First Canadian Army Signals
- No. 1 Line of Communication Signals
- 1st Canadian Corps Signals
- 2nd Canadian Corps Signals
- 1st Canadian Divisional Signals
- 2nd Canadian Divisional Signals
- 3rd Canadian Divisional Signals
- 4th Canadian (Armoured) Divisional Signals
- 5th Canadian (Armoured) Divisional Signals
- 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade Signals
- 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade Signals
In reality, due to the composition approach to higher formation level units, there was a large number of individual units in existence when looked at from an administrative perspective, each with their own war establishment. The overall list is also enlarged by the number of units that were created, and often renamed multiple times throughout the Second World War period. Adding confusion to matters, there was often an official unit name that differed from the name commonly in use in the Canadian Army Overseas.
The following list is a compilation of unit names used at some point during the war:
- 1 Admin Section
- 1 Air Support Control Signals
- 1 Anti-Aircraft Brigade Headquarters Signals, with under command:
- 1 Base Signal Section
- 1 Despatch Rider Section
- 1 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Signal Section
- 1 Light Wireless Section
- 1 Line Maintenance Section
- 1 Line Section
- 1 Medium Regiment Signal Section
- 1 Operating Section
- 1 Signal Park
- 1 Signals Reinforcement Unit
- 1 Special Wireless Section Type "B"
- 1 Special Wireless Section Type "C"
- 1 Technical Maintenance Section
- 1 Telegraph Operating Section
- 1 Wireless Section
- 1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade, Headquarters Signals
- 1st Armoured Brigade Signals
- 1st Armoured Car Regiment Signal Section
- 1st Armoured Car Regiment Signal Troop
- 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment Signal Troop
- 1st Army Tank Brigade Signals
- 1st Canadian Divisional Signals
- 1st Canadian Tank Delivery Squadron Signal Detachment
- 1st Corps Advanced Headquarters Wireless Section
- 1st Corps Headquarters Signals
- 1st Corps Main Headquarters Wireless Section
- 1st Corps Rear Headquarters Wireless Section
- 1st Corps Signals
- 1st Headquarters Army Troops Signal Section
- 1st Headquarters Section Carrier Pigeon
- 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Signal Detachment
- 1st Line of Communication Terminal Signal Section
- 1st Tactical Headquarters Signal Section
- 1st Wireless Security Section
- 2 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment Signal Section
- 2 Light Wireless Section
- 2 Medium Regiment Signal Section
- 2 Wing Signal Section
- 2 Wireless Section
- 2nd Armoured Brigade Signals
- 2nd Army Tank Brigade Signals
- 2nd Base Signal Section (Canadian Army Occupational Force)
- 2nd Canadian Divisional Signals
- 2nd Canadian Tank Delivery Squadron Signal Detachment
- 2nd Corps Advanced Headquarters Wireless Section
- 2nd Corps Headquarters Signals
- 2nd Corps Main Headquarters Wireless Section
- 2nd Corps Rear Headquarters Wireless Section
- 2nd Corps Signals
- 2nd Headquarters Section Carrier Pigeon
- 2nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment Signal Section
- 2nd Medium Regiment Signal Section
- 3 Heavy Wireless Section
- 3 Light Wireless Section
- 3 Medium Regiment Signal Section
- 32nd Reconnaissance Regiment Signal Troop
- 3rd Army Tank Brigade Signals
- 3rd Canadian Divisional Signals
- 3rd Canadian Infantry Divisional Signals (Canadian Army Occupational Force)
- 3rd Canadian Tank Delivery Squadron Signal Detachment
- 3rd Headquarters Section Carrier Pigeon
- 3rd Medium Regiment Signal Section
- 4 Heavy Wireless Section
- 4 Medium Regiment Signal Section
- 4th Canadian Divisional Signals
- 4th Canadian Tank Delivery Squadron Signal Detachment
- 4th Medium Regiment Signal Section
- 5 Despatch Rider Section
- 5 Line Section
- 5 Medium Wireless Section
- 5 Operating Section
- 5th Canadian Divisional Signals
- 5th Medium Regiment Signal Section
- 6 Despatch Rider Section
- 6 Medium Wireless Section
- 6 Operating Section
- 6th Anti-Tank Regiment, Signals Detachment
- 6th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Signal Section
- 7 Artillery Field Regiment Signal Section
- 7 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Signal Section
- 7th Anti-Tank Regiment Signal Detachment
- 7th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Signal Section
- 7th Medium Regiment Signal Section
- 8 Artillery Field Regiment Signal Section
- 11 Artillery Field Regiment Signal Section
- 11th Army Field Regiment Signal Section
- 11th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Signal Detachment
- 12th Medium Wireless Section
- 13th Medium Wireless Section
- 14th Medium Wireless Section
- 15th Medium Wireless Section
- 15th Pigeon Detachment
- 16th Medium Wireless Section
- 16th Pigeon Detachment
- 17th Medium Wireless Section
- 18th Armoured Car Regiment Signal Troop
- 19th Field Regiment Signal Section
- 20th Wireless Section
- 21st Field Regiment Signal Section
- 25th Canadian Tank Delivery Regiment Signal Section
- C.M.H.Q. Signal Section
- Canadian Reinforcement Units Signal Section
- First Air Support Control Signal Section
- First Army Cipher Pool Section
- First Canadian Army Signals
- H.Q. 1 Corps Signals
- H.Q. Medium Artillery Signal Section
- Headquarters 1st Corps Signals
- Headquarters Company 1st Corps Signals
- Headquarters Company No. 1 Line of Communication Signals
- Headquarters Company, 2nd Corps Signals
- Headquarters Signals
- Headquarters, 2nd Corps Signals
- Headquarters, First Canadian Army Signals
- Headquarters, No. 1 Army Group R.C.A. Signal Section
- Headquarters, No. 1 Company First Canadian Army Signals
- Headquarters, No. 1 Company, 2nd Corps Signals
- Headquarters, No. 1 Company, No. 1 Line of Communication Signals
- Headquarters, No. 1 Line of Communication Signals
- Headquarters, No. 1 Railway Telegraph Company
- Headquarters, No. 2 Company, 2nd Corps Signals
- Headquarters, No. 2 Artillery Group Signal Section
- Headquarters, No. 2 Company First Canadian Army Signals
- Headquarters, No. 2 Company, 1st Corps Signals
- Headquarters, No. 2 Company, No. 1 Line of Communication Signals
- Headquarters, No. 3 Company, 2nd Corps Signals
- Headquarters, No. 3 Company First Canadian Army Signals
- Headquarters, No. 3 Company, 1st Corps Signals
- Headquarters, No. 3 Company, No. 1 Line of Communication Signals
- Headquarters, No. 4 Company First Canadian Army Signals
- Headquarters, of No. 1 Company, 1st Corps Signals
- "J" Section, 6th Canadian Divisional Signals
- No. 1 Canadian Administration Section
- No. 1 Canadian Signals Reinforcement Unit
- No. 1 Cipher Pool Section
- No. 1 Cipher Section
- No. 1 Construction Section
- No. 1 Despatch Rider Section
- No. 1 H.Q. Corps Medium Artillery Signal Section
- No. 1 Headquarters Corps Royal Canadian Artillery Signal Section
- No. 1 Line Maintenance Section
- No. 1 Line Section
- No. 1 Medium Regiment Signal Section
- No. 1 Operating Section
- No. 1 Pigeon Detachment
- No. 1 Railway Line Maintenance Section
- No. 1 Railway Telegraph Operating Section
- No. 1 Signal Company
- No. 1 Signal Park
- No. 1 Special Wireless Section, "Type B"
- No. 1 Technical Maintenance Section
- No. 1 Telegraph Operating Section
- No. 1 Telephone Switchboard Operating Section
- No. 1 Wireless Security Section
- No. 10 Construction Section
- No. 10 Despatch Rider Section
- No. 10 Pigeon Detachment
- No. 10 Telegraph Operating Section
- No. 11 Despatch Rider Section
- No. 11 Pigeon Detachment
- No. 11 Telegraph Operating Section
- No. 11 Wireless Section
- No. 12 Despatch Rider Section
- No. 12 Line Section
- No. 12 Pigeon Detachment
- No. 12 Telegraph Operating Section
- No. 13 Despatch Rider Section
- No. 13 Pigeon Detachment
- No. 14 Pigeon Detachment
- No. 16 Anti-Aircraft Operations Room Signal Section
- No. 16 Wireless Section
- No. 17 Wireless Section
- No. 18 Wireless Section
- No. 19 Wireless Section
- No. 2 Canadian Wing Signal Section
- No. 2 Cipher Section
- No. 2 Construction Section
- No. 2 Despatch Rider Section
- No. 2 Headquarters Corps Artillery Signals Section
- No. 2 Headquarters Corps Royal Canadian Artillery Signal Section
- No. 2 Headquarters Corps Royal Canadian Engineers Signal Section
- No. 2 Line Maintenance Section
- No. 2 Line Section
- No. 2 Operating Section
- No. 2 Pigeon Detachment
- No. 2 Signal Park
- No. 2 Special Wireless Section
- No. 2 Technical Maintenance Section
- No. 2 Telegraph Operating Section
- No. 2 Telephone Switchboard Operating Section
- No. 3 Administrative Section
- No. 3 Cipher Pool Section
- No. 3 Cipher Section
- No. 3 Construction Section
- No. 3 Despatch Rider Section
- No. 3 Line Maintenance Section
- No. 3 Line Section
- No. 3 Operating Section
- No. 3 Pigeon Detachment
- No. 3 Signal Park
- No. 3 Special Wireless Section
- No. 3 Technical Maintenance Section
- No. 3 Telegraph Operating Section
- No. 4 Cipher Section
- No. 4 Construction Section
- No. 4 Despatch Rider Section
- No. 4 Line Maintenance Section
- No. 4 Line Section
- No. 4 Operating Section
- No. 4 Pigeon Detachment
- No. 4 Technical Maintenance Section
- No. 4 Telegraph Operating Section
- No. 5 Cipher Section
- No. 5 Construction Section
- No. 5 Despatch Rider Section
- No. 5 Line Maintenance Section
- No. 5 Line Section
- No. 5 Operating Section
- No. 5 Pigeon Detachment
- No. 5 Technical Maintenance Section
- No. 5 Telegraph Operating Section
- No. 6 Cipher Section
- No. 6 Construction Section
- No. 6 Despatch Rider Section
- No. 6 Line Section
- No. 6 Operating Section
- No. 6 Pigeon Detachment
- No. 6 Telegraph Operating Section
- No. 7 Cipher Section
- No. 7 Construction Section
- No. 7 Despatch Rider Section
- No. 7 Line Section
- No. 7 Pigeon Detachment
- No. 7 Telegraph Operating Section
- No. 8 Cipher Section
- No. 8 Construction Section
- No. 8 Despatch Rider Section
- No. 8 Line Section
- No. 8 Pigeon Detachment
- No. 8 Telegraph Operating Section
- No. 9 Construction Section
- No. 9 Despatch Rider Section
- No. 9 Line Section
- No. 9 Pigeon Detachment
- No. 9 Telegraph Operating Section
- Royal Canadian Corps of Signals Band