List of military equipment of the Canadian Army during the Second World War


At the beginning of the Second World War, Canada did not have an extensive manufacturing industry besides car manufacturing. Furthermore, it was only partially independent from the United Kingdom. Therefore, most of Canadian weapons and equipment during the war was imported from either Britain or the US.

Knives and bayonets

ModelFromBlade lengthComments--
Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife194118 cmVarious models.--
Ross bayonet1905?Stepped guard on early model, flat on later model. Sharpened later models were taken overseas in World War I.--
P1907 bayonet1907?Used on No. 1 rifle --
No. 4 MK. II bayonet1941?Used on No. 4 MK. I, No. 4 MK. I* and Sten MK. V--
M346?90mmStandard issue containing a 90mm sheeps foot blade, a 40mm stab/can opener blade, a 100mm fid/ marlin spike and a lanyard bale wire loop, based on the Case Model 6353/1905. Manufactured by Case in the USA for the Canadian Military until 1948 when production moved to Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada. Markings include "Case XX Metal Stampings" on the base of the sheeps foot blade and a C with a broad arrow inside stamped on the scales normally near the rivet holding the blades.

Small arms

Pistols (manual and semi-automatic)

Automatic pistols and submachine guns

Rifles

TypeBase modelMakerRoundsCartridgeFrom:ProducedWeightComment
No. 1 Mk. III & No. 1 MK. III*Lee–Enfieldvarious10.303 British Mk VII?4 kg
Number 4 Mk.I, No.4 MK. I*Lee-Enfieldvarious10.303 British Mk VII1943?4 kgmain Canadian rifle of World War II
Pattern 14EnfieldWinchester, Remington5.303 British Mk VII191412352984.25 kgtraining only
M1917EnfieldSpringfield Armory, others6.30-06 Springfield 191721934294.17 kglimited use in Canadian homeland

Grenades and grenade launchers

This list is grossly incomplete, listing a small fraction of approximately 30 grenade varieties used by Canadians during World War II.
GrenadeLauncherIntroducedTypeWeight, gcomments
No. 36 M MK. Icup discharger for No. 1 rifle1915fragmentation765most common hand grenade during World War II
No 68 AT Grenade1940HEAT89452 mm RHA penetration
No. 69 grenade1942high-explosive383bakelite case
No. 73 grenade1940high-explosive200051mm RHA penetration, used mostly for demolition
No. 74 Sticky bomb1940HESH~900low-cost
No. 75 AT Hawkins Mine1942high-explosive1020most common Canadian AT weapon & demolition charge during World War II
No. 82 Gammon1943universal1140soft body

Flamethrowers

Machine guns

Infantry and dual-purpose machine guns

Vehicle and aircraft machine guns

Artillery

Infantry mortars

Heavy mortars & rocket launchers

C-21 UCM -

Field artillery

Anti-tank guns

ModelCaliberPenetration 1Penetration 2Muzzle speedMax. rangeFromProducedWeight, kgfire rate, RPMComment
QF 2-pdr40 mm37 mm @ 457 m27 mm @ 914 m792100019361200081422
QF 6-pdr57 mm88 mm @ 100 m-88416001941?1140?produced in both UK and Canada
QF 17-pdr76.2 mm130 mm @ 500 m119 mm @ 1000 m88018001942?3050?-

Anti-tank weapons (besides anti-tank guns)

Bangalore torpedo

Anti-aircraft weapons

Vehicles

Canada have produced a wide variety of combat vehicles during World War II domestically, but all primary fighting vehicles there imported because of manufacturing quality concerns.

Tankettes

- not used in combat

Tanks

Self-propelled guns

Tank-based

Other

- M3 Half-track equipped with the M1A1 75 mm gun

Armored cars

Engineering and command

Miscellaneous vehicles

ModelBuilderCountryLoad / Comments
AEC MatadorAECUKField Artillery Tractor
Corbitt 6-ton 6x6VariousUS6-ton
Diamond T 4-ton 6x6Diamond TUS4-ton
Dodge D8A DodgeCanada8cwt
Ford GP, GPAFordUS-ton 4x4, GPA amphibian
Morris C8Morris-CommercialUKField Artillery Tractor
Willys MB/Ford GPWWillys/FordUS"Jeep" -ton 4x4
C/F-8, C/F-8A CMPChevrolet/FordCanada8cwt
C/F-15, C/F-15A CMPChevrolet/FordCanada15cwt
C/F-30, C/F-30A CMPChevrolet/FordCanada30cwt
C/F-60, C/F-60A CMPChevrolet/FordCanada60cwt
C-60X 6x6 CMPChevroletCanadathree driven axles
F-60H 6x4 CMPFordCanadathree axles, rear un-driven
C/F-GT CMPChevrolet/FordCanadaField Artillery Tractor

Aircraft

Although the Canadian government purchased and built thousands of military aircraft for use by the RCAF Home War Establishment and the Canadian-based units of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, under the provisions of the plan Canada was to provide the training aircraft and facilities and a very large number of Canadian airmen would be committed to go overseas to fight in Article XV squadrons formed in the Great Britain and known as 400 series squadrons of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Forty-four of these squadrons were formed and most under this agreement were equipped by the British largely from their stocks and that is why many of the types of aircraft flown in combat in great numbers by most of the RCAF squadrons engaged in the fighting are missing from the following list altogether.

Fighters

Attack aircraft

Bombers

Reconnaissance aircraft

Trainers

Transports

Radars

Uniforms, Load Bearing and Protective Equipment

Uniforms

Model/TypePeriod or years in useManufacturer/origins
Canadian Pattern and British Pattern
Khaki Drill
Battle Dress 1939-early 1970s
Denison smock Used by the Airborne

Load bearing equipment

Model/TypePeriod or Years in UseManufacturer/Origins
1937 Pattern Web Equipment
1942 Battle Jerkin

Head dress

Model/TypePeriod or Years in UseManufacturer/Origins
Glengarry
Tam o'shanter
Field Service Cap
Beret
Helmet, MK II
Mk III Turtle helmet