[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Interesting...no fascinating about the 1st Division. As you know these landed in winter 1939...this is the information that I have:

"I Canadian Corps
The 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade, as the first component of 1st Canadian Infantry Division, embarked for the United Kingdom on 17 December 1939 and arrived at Greenock, Scotland on 25 December. It moved to Aldershot on arrival, but was sent to Northampton on 29 May 1940. It returned to Aldershot on 8 June 1940. The Brigade moved to France on 12 & 13 June 1940 and left there on 16-17 June for Aldershot. When the division moved to Oxford on 18 & 19 June 1940, the Brigade remained at Aldershot until 16 July 1940, when it rejoined the division in the Guildford-Westerham area of Surrey. The Brigade was rotated to the coast of Sussex for coast defence duties. By the autumn of 1941, it moved to the Sussex coast and remained with the division in Sussex until 3 June 1943, when it prepared to embark for Sicily. It embarked on 25 June and landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943.
2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade embarked for the United Kingdom on 22 December 1939 and arrived at Greenock, Scotland on 30 December. It moved to Aldershot on arrival. A force of two battalions of the Brigade (PPCLI and Edmonton Regiment) was selected for possible operations against Trondheim in Norway. This force left Aldershot on 18 April 1940 and moved to Dunfermline, Scotland on 19 April, but it was not used and returned to Aldershot. The Brigade was sent to Northampton on 29 May 1940. It returned to Aldershot on 8 June 1940. It moved to Oxford on 18 & 19 June 1940 with the division, but left there on 2 July 1940 for Guildford-Westerham area of Surrey. The Brigade was rotated to the coast of Sussex for coast defence duties. The Brigade (less the Seaforths) was mobilised for operations against Spitzbergen by 3/4 August 1941. It moved to Glasgow on 5 & 6 August from Surrey, but by 16 August most were returned to Surrey. Details of the Brigade (some Edmontons, Saskatoon LI and 3rd FC, RCE) left for Spitzbergen on 19 August and returned to the Clyde on 7/8 September. By the autumn of 1941, it moved to the Sussex coast and remained with the division in Sussex until 3 June 1943, when it prepared to embark for Sicily. It embarked on 28 June and landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943.
3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade embarked for the United Kingdom on 8 December 1939 and arrived at Greenock, Scotland on 17 December. It moved to Aldershot on arrival, but was sent to Northampton on 29 May 1940. It returned to Aldershot on 8 June 1940. The division moved to Oxford on 18 & 19 June 1940 and then to the Guildford-Westerham area of Surrey on 2 July 1940. The Brigade was rotated to the coast of Sussex for coast defence duties. By the autumn of 1941, it moved to the Sussex coast and remained with the division in Sussex until 3 June 1943, when it prepared to embark for Sicily. It embarked on 27 June and landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943".

"The 1st Canadian Army was raised in England on 1 April 1942 and by September 1942 most of its formations had arrived in the United Kingdom.
II Canadian Corps was formed on 14 January 1943 in the United Kingdom to complete a two-Corps Army".

It appears from my information that the West Nova Scotia Regiment were in the 3rd Infantry Brigade in 1942, so I assume that they were also part of the same Brigade in 1940...the dates of course then tally as they were in Aldershot at the time of the photo before they moved to Northampton.