6th, 7th and 8th Division markings on vehicles in Canada?
 

Canada had three home defense divisions and Atlantic and Pacific Commands. Its army establishment was also broken down into military districts.

For troops in Canada, there were distinct formation patches for the divisions and commands which were sewn on the arms of uniforms much as they were overseas.

Overseas vehicles of course had army, corps, division and battalion symbols painted on their fenders. It follows painting division and command flashes should likewise have been painted on home defense vehicles. I even have this sketch showing the 6th, 7th and 8th division colours (oddly without a maple leaf on the 6th and 8th) that sure look like vehicle flashes. The cloth insignia for the Atlantic Command was a French grey diamond and for the Pacific Command a dark green diamond.

However I can't recall ever seeing photos of vehicles in Canada with these markings applied. Many years ago I did see the painted remains of a 6th Division red/blue diagonal with a yellow leaf on the fender of an 11 cab Ford.

So my question is, does anybody have any photos of Canadian vehicles wearing the home defense formation flashes?

Hello Bruce.

Do you know where these three Divisions were based/HQ’d in Canada?

Somewhere in one of the local Regimental Museums here, years ago, I remember looking through a rather extensive photo album. There were lots of photos taken at Camp Hughes/Camp Shilo that included quite a few of parked Cab 11 and Cab 12 CMP’s. I never paid that much attention to the markings on the fronts and backs of them at the time. My main ‘take away’ from leafing through the album was how many vehicles there were, and how new they all looked.

David

The 6th and 8th divisions were attached to the Pacific Command on the west coast and the 7th to the Atlantic Command on the east coast.

An interesting puzzle was that the colours of the existing five Canadian divisions were used for the 6th, 7th and 8th division flashes. The 6th was a red over blue rectangle (so 1st over 2nd divisions), 7th was grey over green (3rd over 4th) and the 8th was maroon (5th) over a new pale green colour. But confusion ensued and the pale green was mistakenly believed to be the 4th division colour so apparently the 8th division patch was sewn on shoulders incorrectly and upside down from the start. Here are tunics for the 6th, 7th and 8th with the 8th 'correct'.