4th Canadian Division Formation Insignia

Formation patches were adopted in the summer of 1916 in time for Canadian participation in the Battle of the Somme. Known as "Battle Patches", the patches were created as an aid to command and control of fighting troops in the battle line and extended later to other elements of the division. Originally placed on the back of tunics, just below the collar, the patches were quickly moved to uniform sleeves. The division was represented by a green rectangle 3 inches wide by 2 inches tall, while individual units were further designated by coloured geometric shapes worn in conjunction with the divisional patch.¹

Second World War

The 4th Canadian Division in the Second World War readopted the divisional battle patch that had been worn in the First World War.²

Shoulder patches were made from three materials mainly (canvas, felt and wool) and were first issued in 1941.

Officers at Brigade Headquarters of the division wore coloured strips half an inch wide by three inches long above the Division patch. The senior brigade was designated by green, the middle brigade by red and the junior brigade by blue. This system of designating Brigade staff officers was also a readoption of Great War practice. When the division reorganized from infantry to armour, the number of brigades dropped to two.

Supporting arms were also differentiated by the use of initials on the division patch; towards the middle of the war, these patches began to be phased out in favour of plain divisional patches worn in conjunction with embroidered (or printed) shoulder titles worn on the upper sleeves of the battle dress.³

For further information, see the book DISTINGUISHING PATCHES by Clive M. Law, published by Service Publications.

Notes

1. Law, Clive M. Distinguishing Patches: Formation Patches of the Canadian Army (2nd Ed.) Service Publications, Ottawa, ON, 2008 ISBN 978-1-894581-50-9

2. Falconer, D.W. Battery Flashes of W.W. II (D.W. Falconer, 1985) ISBN 0-9691865-0-9

3. Law, Ibid, pp.25-45