Major General
The rank of Major
General predated the 20th Century and was considered the most
junior of the general officer ranks, at a time when a Brigadier was
not considered a full general officer. This rank was considered
appropriate for an officer in command of a division.
History
The rank of Major General traces its lineage back to the rank of
"Sergeant Major", at that time not a warrant officer, but an officer
in command of an army's infantry and generally third in command of
an entire army (after the Lieutenant General and Captain General) as
well as a staff officer. As the 1600s progressed, the title
"Sergeant Major" was applied to officers at the regimental level who
acted as a third-in-command as well as a staff officer. The Sergeant
Major evolved into the later rank of Major, and the senior Sergeants
Major were dubbed "Sergeant Major General" to distinguish them.
By the early 1700s, the "Sergeant" from the rank title was commonly
dropped and eventually Major General became the permanent title. The
oddity of a Major General being outranked by a Lieutenant General
despite Majors being senior to Lieutenants has been carried forward
over the centuries by most modern militaries, including the U.S.
Army, British Army and German armies, in addition to the Canadian
Army.
Insignia
Up until the time of Unification in 1968, the insignia for a Major
General included a set of gorget patches in addition to his standard
badges of rank, consisting of a crossed baton and sabre surmounted
by a rank star.
|
Pre-Unification |
Post-Unification |
 |
 |
|
1900-1968 |
Canadian Forces Slip-On |
Post-Unification
After Unification in 1968, the rank of Major General remained
unchanged. The insignia was changed to consist of the crown, a
crossed sabre and baton, and two maple leaves replacing the rank
star. The number of maple leaves matched the number of stars an
American Major General employed in his rank insignia, and the rank
was sometimes referred to colloquially as a "Two Leaf General" in
emulation of US colloquialisms such as "Two Star General".
Responsibilities
In addition to the command of a division, Major Generals could be
found in a variety of garrison posts, scientific positions, and
staff duties. A common concern voiced by the press and other critics
by the early 1990s was the number of general officers in the
Canadian military.
Appointments
Some standard appointments usually held by soldiers ranked as Major
Generals included:
As well, Military
Districts and Commands were usually commanded by a Major General.
During the Second World War, other appointments typically held by
Major Generals included
-
Division
commanders overseas and in Canada
-
General Officer
Commander in Chief Atlantic Command
-
General Officer
Commander in Chief Pacific Command
-
General Officer
Commanding 7th Canadian Division
-
Commander,
Combined Newfoundland and Canadian Military Forces Newfoundland
-
Inspector
General, Eastern Canada
-
Inspector
General, Central Canada
-
Inspector
General, Western Canada
-
Director-General
Medical Services
-
Director-General,
Department of Munitions and Supply
-
Joint Associate
Director, National Selective Service
-
Commandant, Royal
Military College
-
Commandant, Camp
Borden
-
Deputy Chairman,
Inspection Board of UK and Canada
-
Military Attache
in France
-
Special
Commissioner Defence Projects in Northwest Canada
-
Senior Combatant
Officer, Canadian Military Headquarters
-
Major-General in
Charge of Administration, Canadian Military Headquarters
-
Director Medical
Services, Canadian Military Headquarters
-
Commander,
Canadian Forestry Corps
