When Canada went to war in 1939, the country's full-time army was a tiny Permanent Force totaling little more than 4000 all ranks. This small band of professional soldiers was backed up by the Non Permanent Active Militia, units whose soldiers trained and served part-time. These units were distributed across Canada -there were 91 infantry battalions alone. On the outbreak of war, many of these Non-Permanent Active Militia battalions were mobilized to form a Canadian Active Service Force and filled their ranks through the recruiting of volunteers. As the war progressed and Canada's military requirements increased, others of these units were mobilized and brought up to their full wartime establishment. In almost every case, the greater percentage of the initial officers and NCOs in any of the Active battalions had served with the Non-Permanent battalion.
The two battalions, which were to form Canada's contribution to the defence of Hong Kong, had been chosen to represent both Eastern and Western Canada. They were, in almost every way, typical of those from which, between 1939 and 1945, Canada created a remarkably successful and formidable army.
Both the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers had, before the war, been regiments of the Non-Permanent Active Militia, that small but dedicated body of men who, on evenings, weekends, and the occasional summer camp, strove to keep Canada's army alive despite lack of equipment, pay, and government and public interest. As C.P. Stacey, probably Canada's most respected military historian, puts it:
“It would be difficult, indeed, to overestimate the debt of the wartime Army to the Non-Permanent Active Militia. It provided the foundation upon which the great new structure was built. It produced, to no small extent, the leaders who built and developed that structure. And it gave the Army, a group of personnel, officers, and men, who continued to play dominant parts in it, even when the great majority of the Army's members had come to be volunteers of no militia experience recruited from civil life. It is a notable fact that, at the end of hostilities with Germany in 1945, three of Canada's five fighting divisions were commanded by citizen soldiers, who in 1939 had been captains or majors in the Non-Permanent Active Militia. And if further evidence of the Militia's contribution is required, one might rehearse the list of those who won the Commonwealth's highest awards for gallantry. Of the ten Victoria Crosses won by the Army during the Second World War, six were awarded to former members of the Active Militia - five from the Non-Permanent Active Militia and one from the Permanent Force. Of the three Canadian soldiers who won the George Cross, two had served in the Non-Permanent Active Militia.” 49-1
The Royal Rifles of Canada was a militia regiment of considerable seniority, which could trace its ancestry back as far as 1862, when six independent companies were grouped in the Quebec City area at the time of the war scare during the early stages of the American Civil War. The regiment remained in existence throughout subsequent defence budgetary feasts and famines, surviving various militia reorganizations. Yet, unless one includes a short period on guard duty during the Fenian Raids, it had never gone into action as a unit until it fought at Hong Kong, although it supplied contingents that fought with considerable distinction in the 1885 Northwest Rebellion, the South African (Boer) War, and the First World War. In the 1914-1918 conflict, no less than 24 battalions had Royal Riflemen on their strength, and these men were awarded no less than 1 Victoria Cross, 4 Distinguished Service Orders, and 22 Military Crosses, plus assorted other honours.
The Royal Rifles had not been one of the militia regiments selected for mobilization at the start of the Second World War. It must, however, have been regarded as a reasonably efficient unit, as it was ordered to prepare for action in late June 1940. Although in most cases, battalions were activated in groups to fill the establishment of a larger formation such as a new division, the Royal Rifles was the only battalion mobilized on this date. With the swift and surprising German triumph in Europe at this time, the importance of Newfoundland, not then a part of Canada, to the security of Canada and to North Atlantic trade and communications became particularly apparent, and Canada undertook to assist in the air and land defence of the island. A battalion was detached from the 2nd Division for temporary service there (later to be replaced by another from the 3rd Division), but a unit which was not part of one of the divisions already formed for overseas service was needed for garrison duty in Newfoundland. The Royal Rifles of Canada was to form this new Active Battalion.
The Royal Rifles of Canada mobilized at Quebec City and moved to Valcartier Camp in September 1941. A local militia cavalry unit, the 7/11 Hussars, had been amalgamated with the Royal Rifles in June, providing a valuable increase in officers, NCO’s, and trained or partially trained men at the commencement of mobilization.
Appointed to command the Active Battalion of the Royal Rifles was an officer of the pre-war Permanent Force, Lieutenant Colonel William J. Home, MC. Home, a veteran of the First World War, was, according to the testimony of witnesses at the 1942 Royal Commission, an excellent officer. General Foulkes did write to the Minister of National Defence in 1948 that, "There is some doubt about Home himself, he was removed from commanding a Company in the RCR as unfit to command in war, and later was appointed to the RRC." 50-2 There is no doubt however, that in 1941, at least, he was regarded as competent and able. The Second-in-Command was Major John Herbert Price, MC, the son of Sir William Price, one of the most prominent businessmen of Quebec City. John Price, a graduate of the Royal Military College and a veteran of the First World War, was also highly regarded. No less than three lieutenant colonels had voluntarily reverted to the rank of major to join the new Active Battalion - Price, T.G. MacAuley, and C.A. Young. Indeed, Young had been Commanding Officer of the Royal Rifles immediately prior to the unit's mobilization. The rest of the officers were almost wholly drawn from the Royal Rifles or the 7/11 Hussars. A shortage of trained NCO’s led to the selection of promising candidates from the ranks who had then to be trained for the purpose.
Recruiting up to full establishment commenced immediately, with officers heading off into the townships around Quebec City, and it went very well. By autumn the battalion was up to full strength, and a Regimental Wing for the initial training of recruits was established in Quebec City.
The battalion was recruited from Eastern Quebec, primarily the Quebec City area, but a considerable number of Gaspesians and men from northern New Brunswick also enlisted. It was an English-speaking unit, but approximately 25% of its strength consisted of bilingual French-Canadians. The Inspector General's inspection reports indicate that the quality of the officers, NCO’s, and men was quite high. In addition, most of the men were taller and huskier than average. Lieutenant Colonel Home appears to have made this one of the major criteria in the selection of recruits.
The Royal Rifles remained at Valcartier Camp until the early fall of 1940, when they went to Sussex, New Brunswick. At both Valcartier and Sussex, the main activity was training. In November 1940, the battalion moved to Newfoundland. The primary task of the unit was to protect the major airfield complex on the island. Half the battalion was posted to Botwood, on the coast, the other half with Battalion Headquarters was stationed at Gander Airport, some miles inland and to the south of the large seaplane base at Botwood. Guard duties took up a good deal of the time, especially at Gander, but some training was carried out.
In May 1941, the battalion was reunited to form the infantry garrison of St. John's, Newfoundland. Poor weather seriously hampered training, but schemes up to battalion level were undertaken. In September 1941, the Royal Rifles were transferred back to Canada and posted to Saint John, New Brunswick, where they were just starting to take up Coast Defence duties when, on 10 October, they received the warning order for Hong Kong.
The Winnipeg Grenadiers were of more recent origin than the Royal Rifles but were also the possessors of a not undistinguished record. Formed as a militia unit in 1908, they had raised the 11th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the First World War, and later carried the battle honours won by this unit on their colours.
At the beginning of the Second World War the Winnipeg Grenadiers were one of the units that had been selected for almost immediate mobilization. Recruiting was most successful and by late October, 1939, the battalion was up to strength.
The Commanding Officer of the Winnipeg Grenadiers was originally Lieutenant Colonel D.M.M. Kay. In June 1941, Kay was posted to National Defence Headquarters and was succeeded in command of the Grenadiers by Lieutenant Colonel J.L.R. Sutcliffe, an officer of the First World War, who had seen service in France, Belgium, India, Mesopotamia, Persia, Russia, and Turkey. The Second-in-Command was Major George Trist, another World War I veteran. Most of the officers and NCO’s of the Active Battalion had worked together for years in the Militia unit. The battalion was regarded as an average one-not outstanding, but quite efficient, and well-disciplined. The officers were seen as "useful and competent". 52-3
The Winnipeg Grenadiers had been designated as a machine-gun battalion. They took their basic training through the winter and began range firing with the Vickers medium machine-gun as soon as the snow cleared in Spring. In May 1940, the unit was converted to a rifle battalion and, with the exception of one company which garrisoned Bermuda from June to August, was posted to Jamaica, where it relieved a British army battalion required elsewhere. In Jamaica, the Grenadiers were committed to very onerous guard duties, with only one company at a time free to conduct training.
The Winnipeg Grenadiers were in Jamaica for over 16 months. During that period full-time training for each company was undertaken for only two weeks each, at Montpelier Camp. Most of the time was spent on guard duty and individual training. Not one shot was fired during the whole time the Grenadiers were in Jamaica. The battalion was further hampered by a heavy incidence of malaria and dengue fever among the troops. The Grenadiers were, moreover, on a reduced establishment during the stay in Jamaica, and this plus the sick rate further limited the opportunities for training.
The battalion was transferred back to Canada with the intention of making it part of the 6th Division, then in the initial stages of formation. It was moved in three stages, ending in early October 1941, and was almost immediately warned for service overseas.