CANLOAN
[5][6] Conversely, the British Army faced a shortage of junior officers, with its forces deployed in a number of fronts; and a need to supplement its regiments in preparation for the Normandy landings.
[4] Preparations were made for the program in early 1944, although the plan was not formally enacted by the government of Canada until 29 April 1944 by Order in Council; several weeks after the first cohort of CANLOAN officers had already arrived in the United Kingdom.
[9] After recruitment for the CANLOAN program took place the selected volunteers were sent to Sussex Military Camp in early 1944, to complete necessary preparations for overseas deployment.
[6] While stationed at Sussex Military Camp, officers of CANLOAN were placed under the command of Brigadier-General Milton Fowler Gregg of the Canadian Army.
[10] However, a manpower crisis within the Canadian Army in 1944 forced them to cap the program at 625 members shortly after the first CANLOAN cohort landed in the United Kingdom.
[4] Additionally while on loan to the British Army, CANLOAN officers wore a specialized shoulder badge and flashes with the words Canada on it, and CDN appeared before their serial number.
[5] CANLOAN officers were also active in the Southeast Asian theatre, with 22 Canadian officers sent to the South East Asia Command in the summer of 1944; with the intended purpose to gain knowledge of tropical operations for the Canadian Army in anticipation for their participation in the Asian theatre once the war in Europe ended.
[4] Both sides largely acquiesced to the other request, although French Canadian officers selected for CANLOAN were required to be proficient in the English language.
[6] CANLOAN officers were also awarded foreign military decorations, including four Croix de Guerre from France, one Bronze Lion from the Netherlands, and one Silver Star from the United States.
[18] In 2005, a plaque and tree were installed on the grounds of Earnscliffe, the residence for the British High Commissioner to Canada, in honour of the CANLOAN program and its participants.
[19] In 1968, former CANLOAN officers undertook a 22-day "pilgrimage" to the United Kingdom, and were received and honoured by the Royal Family in St. James Palace, their former regiments, and officials from the City of London and other European governments.
