Geoff,A couple of clarifications need to be made:
The service number question is confusing.
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Next point... service numbers were in consecutive blocks, the blocks being allocated in advance to Militia Districts and recruiting offices. There is NO correlation between service numbers and one's choice of overseas or home service. A long-time member of the Canadian Army Overseas could easily have had a six-digit number, perhaps even consecutive to a long-time Zombie at home in Canada.
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According to C. Laws Regimental Numbers of the Canadian Army 1936-1960, blocks of numbers were allotted to units, but there was a distinction between CASF numbers and reserve (including NRMA) numbers. Overseas numbers had an alpha designator plus 5 or 6 numerals, but the number sequences stop at 199,999. Home service (reserve) army numbers have the appropriate Military District alpha designator, but all have 6 numerals. The reserve numerals start with the 400,000 sequence and run into the 600,000's. There is one MD that had 700.000, in contravention of orders.
These numbers were allotted in blocks to units, but there were also numbers for Depots and Training Centers.
Each MD also appears to have had blocks of numbers for the NRMA. For example in MD 5, NRMA District Depot 5 had the sequence E626001 through E631000. Other MD's, but not all, also had sequences designated for NRMA men.
There were also sequences set aside for conversion of NRMA men to Active Service force. These appear to have been allotted in each MD. For example, in MD 1 (Southwestern Ontario), the sequence A103588- A103687 and A11500 - A115499 were set aside for the conversion of NRMA to active service. In addition, A112950- A125349 were set aside for conversion of NRMA to GS in the UK. Again there are similar blocks of numbers set aside in most of the other MD's for the same purpose.
The high number sequences, 400,000 through 600,000 series were associated with the NRMA, even though they were for all reserve soldiers. A soldier with a high number would be easily identified or associated with being a ZOMBIE, even if he was a volunteer. To disquise this, the numbers were changed. (Many reserve enlistees volunteered for active service throughout the war. I have two service / pay books with two sets of numbers, one high, eg in the 400,000's and the other in the 100,000's.)
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Lastly, Canadian Regiments never fielded more than one battalion per regiment... those militia units in particular activated in WW2 usually sent their "1st Battalion" overseas while their "2nd Battalion" was a recruiting shell at home for reinforcements (which themselves could get posted anywhere once overseas).
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There were several Canadian militia units that mobilized more than one battalion plus the reserve battalion. For example, the orbat for the active army in Canada in 1943 included the following units, 2nd Bn Canadian Scottish, 3rd Bn Regina Rifles, 3rd Bn Irish Fusiliers, 3rd Bn Edmonton Fusiliers, 3rd Bn QOR, 3rd Bn Royal Winnipeg Rifles, 3rd Bn Fusiliers Mont Royal, 3rd Bn Regiment de Maisonneuve. These regiments were active service, but in line with what you have said, were not for overseas service. Unlike WWI, where the Black Watch had fielded three battalions in the CEF, no Canadian regiment had two battalions in action.