3rd Canadian Division

3rd Canadian Division 3rd Canadian Infantry Division 3rd Canadian Division
3rd Canadian Division formation patch
Active	1915–1919 17 May 1940 – 23 November 1945 1 June 1945 – 20 June 1946 6 June 2014 – present
Country	Canada
Branch	Canadian Expeditionary Force Canadian Army
Type	Infantry
Nickname(s)	The Water Rats
Engagements	Battle of the Somme Battle of Vimy Ridge Battle of Passchendaele D-Day, Juno Beach Battle of Normandy The Scheldt
Commanders
Current commander	Brigadier-General S.C. Hetherington OMM, MSC, CD
Notable commanders	Malcolm S. Mercer Rodney F.L. Keller Daniel C. Spry Ralph H. Keefler

The 3rd Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army. It was first created as a formation of the Canadian Corps during the First World War. It was stood down following the war and was later reactivated as the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division during the Second World War. The second iteration served with distinction from 1941 to 1945, taking part in the D-Day landings of 6 June 1944. A duplicate of the 3rd Canadian Division was formed in 1945 to serve on occupation duty in Germany, and was disbanded the following year. In 2013, Land Force Western Area, a peacetime military organization in western Canada, was ordered to be redesignated as 3rd Canadian Division. On 6 June 2014, the 3rd Canadian Division adopted the insignia, traditions and history of the previous formations. From the middle of 1916, the division has been identified by a distinctive French-Grey patch worn on the uniforms of its soldiers.

The 3rd Canadian Division was formed in France in December 1915 under the command of Major-General Malcolm Mercer. Its members served in France and Flanders until Armistice Day. While with the 3rd Division at Ypres, Mercer became the highest-ranking Canadian officer killed in action during the First World War. On the same day, Brigadier V. A. Williams, commanding the 8th Infantry Brigade, became the highest-ranking Canadian officer captured in the First World War, also at the Battle of Mount Sorrel. Mercer was replaced by Louis Lipsett, who commanded the division until September 1918, shortly before he too was killed in action on 14 October 1918, while commander of British 4th Division.Major-General Frederick Loomis closed out World War I as the commander.