A nice (printed British made) 1st Canadian Infantry Division shoulder divisional sign

This is a good example of a printed British made 1st Canadian Infantry Division shoulder divisional sign. The Canadian 1st Infantry Division was formed at the outbreak of World War I in August 1914. The division was sent to fight on the Western Front in France in February 1915. During World War II the division was mobilized on 1 September, 1939, even before the formal declaration of war, with the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade. The division crossed the Atlantic in two main convoys at the end of 1939, with additional troops reaching the UK at the beginning of February 1940. The unit's insignia was a simple red rectangle. From this, and a fearsome fighting reputation, two generations of German soldiers (in both World Wars) gave the division the nickname "The Red Patch Devils". All elements of the division were far from completely equipped: of the artillery and machine guns on hand, most were obsolescent, and the troops lacked steel helmets. Only gradually did a full complement of more modern weapons, equipment, and transport begin reaching the division in 1940.
Nevertheless, in the wake of the Dunkirk evacuation the Canadians were ordered to France in June 1940. Only the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade actually arrived on the continent, and it returned almost immediately. The division trained in England for three years before transferring to the Mediterranean to take part in the assault landing on Sicily. It then landed in Calabria and fought its way up the Italian peninsula from Ortona to the Senio with the British 8th Army, earning an excellent reputation along the way. The 1st moved from Italy as part of Operation Goldflake in March 1945, finishing the war in the Netherlands with Canadian 1st Army. This example is in a perfect un-issued condition.

Code: 52282