WW2 Canadian Army Equipment info from the historian...

[Lee Enfield]

According to the historian's reports:

In July 1942 the decision was made to resupply all (just Can? or ALL?) armoured Div's in the UK with the No4 rifle. This was completed by Nov 42.

The decision was then made to re-equip all Can army with the No4 rifle, it was reported 7.17.43 that "all forward units" had been re-equiped.

The returns for Jan 31,1944 report the Canadian Army was totally re-equiped with the No4 rifle.

Returns for 31 Dec 1944:

Can Army - UK
No1Mk3 -23
No4 -38,830
No4T -89
STEN -13,920

AAI (Can Army - Italy)
No4 -31,270
No4T -134
SMG -21,544

NWE (Can Army - Europe)
No1Mk3 -135
No4 -54,595
No4T -182
Sten -34,013

I note that 31 may 1944 the NWE army held 204 No4T rifles, so 22 disappeared somewhere maybe with short exciting lives.

Information

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[Stevo]

I wonder about the small number on SMLE's. Just undisposed of leftovers or in use in some capacity?

[Lee Enfield]

I wonder about the small number on SMLE's. Just undisposed of leftovers or in use in some capacity?

I suspect they were pick ups. They weren't authorized.

I couldn't make heads or tales of the 1942-43 returns as I think they screwed up when they electronicized them.

I've seen pics of (allegedly) CDN troops armed with SMLEs in ETO combat, did we have troops in Africa?

As a side note: The Army in Italy was authorized 18,000 M3s and didn't have a single one, while the Army in England had @ 150