6. Canadian Military: NUMBERS
September 1939
• Army: 4,000 regular troops & 60,000 part-time
• Navy: 10 ships & 3,000 sailors
• Air Force: 4,000 members
* 60,000 men and women enlisted in Canada's armed
forces in one month (September 1939) after the
declaration of war
7. Canadian Military: NUMBERS
WW2 Total
• Army: 700,000+ troops
• Navy: 370 ships & 100,000 personnel
• Canada had the third-largest fleet in the world, after
the U.S. and the U.K.
• Air Force: 250,000 members
*Approximately 40% - 50% of male population
aged 18-45, except in Quebec (25%)
8. Canadian Military: NUMBERS
Today
• Army: 25,500 soldiers
• Navy: 33 ships & 8,500 sailors
• Air Force: 14,500 personnel
• 28,000 administrative and support personnel
• About 25,000 reservists
9. Canadian Military: ARMY
Trained, combat-ready, agile
and quickly responsive
troops to meet Canada’s
defense objectives.
The Canadian Army is ready
to respond to conflicts
across the globe.
10. Canadian Military: NAVY
Canada's outer line of defense
against an armed aggressor, it
conducts sovereignty patrols,
search and rescue operations,
and assists other government
departments in everything from
disaster relief to law
enforcement, such as
conducting fishery or drug
patrols.
11. Canadian Military: AIR FORCE
Defends Canadian airspace and
conducts maritime and northern
patrols, search and rescue
missions, and intercepts of vessels
carrying illegal drugs.
Abroad, combat-ready forces take
an active role in multinational
missions, representing Canada's
interests and helping maintain
global stability
16. Training in WW2: British
Commonwealth Air Training Plan
December 1939:
agreement between
Canada & Britain to
create 231 pilot
training sites in
Canada
17. Training in WW2: British
Commonwealth Air Training Plan
• Canada was seen as a natural training ground
for airmen – it had manpower, natural
resources, plenty of space, suitable climate,
and immunity from enemy interference
• 131,553 graduates for the Air Forces of the
United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and
Canada... HUGE SUCCESS!
