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History of the Corps of Frontiersmen of Canada
1904 - 1940
The history of the
Frontiersmen prior
to 1940 is well documented in
The Frontiersmen Historian : The Legion of
Frontiersmen of the Commonwealth History and Archives, by
Geoffrey A. Pocock.
1940
Under Capt. J.C.
Mantell of Weymouth the name was legally changed form "The Legion of
Frontiersmen" to "The Corps of Imperial Frontiersmen". On December 27th,
1940 the new Corps was granted a Dominion Charter under Part II of the
Dominion Companies Act (1934) with the principals being Maurice Lionel
Fitzgerald, Albert Philip Gower-Rees, and John Jennings Creelman,
The
principal reason for the Corps of Imperial Frontiersmen's change of title
resulted from the reluctance of some formations to accept the direction of
UK Command. Disassociation was achieved through this title change so they
might be perceived as separate from these fractionalized units, and have
since then time to present remained loyal to Crown and UK Command even thou the
Corps has been strictly under Canada Command.
1944
The Corps was
reorganized along military lines (the terms Provincial Commands, Districts
and Squadrons were abolished) and they organized a General Headquarters,
with Brigades, Battalions, Companies, Platoons and Sections.
1950
Brigadier Blackwell
was made Senior Commandant of the Corps and remained as such until his
retirement in 1955.
1955
Brigadier
Blackwell, upon his retirement, was replaced by, then, Colonel William H.
Hocken, G.S.O. (1) L.M.S.M. as the Corps Chief of Staff, and remained this
position until the early 60's.
1957
The new Commandant
being Brigadier W. Hocken reorganized the Corps along the lines of the RCMP with Canada divided
into Divisions. These being:
No. 1 Division British Columbia
No. 2 Division Alberta
No. 3 Division Saskatchewan
No. 4 Division Manitoba
No. 5 Division Ontario
No. 6 Division Quebec (North West/Central)
No. 7 Division Quebec (East Central/South East)
No. 8 Division Nova Scotia
No. 9 Division Ontario
1960
Brig. W. Hocken was
succeeded by a Colonel F.B. Creasy. By this time only two Imperial Divisions
remained, these being Ontario and British Columbia.
1961
The BC Division
becoming a "Commonwealth Command" in 1961.
1968
In 1968 the Corps
of Imperial Frontiersmen became re-affiliated with the Legion of
Frontiersmen of the Commonwealth.
Present
Brigadier R. W. Hammell is currently Commandant of the Corps which is now has it's
Headquarters in St.
Catherines, Ontario.
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