Veterans Guard Companies

No. 27 Company, Veterans Guard of Canada

From its establishment in 1940 to its disbandment in 1947, the Veterans Guard of Canada was organized into numbered Companies and Internment Camp Staffs.

Veterans Guard Companies were divided into “Active” and “Reserve.” Active Companies were those on “Active” duty in the Canadian Active Service Force. Men in these companies served full-time and were regularly rotated through internment camps, training centres, and other locations requiring military guards, rarely staying at one location for more than four months.

Reserve Companies operated as militia units with men based out of one location and serving as Reserve soldiers. These companies generally remained smaller than their Active counterparts but trained to operate as a home defence force in the case of an enemy invasion or attack. Most Reserve Companies were disbanded by VE-Day.

Internment Camp Staffs included a small number of personnel who were responsible for administering individual internment camps. These individuals were posted to specific camps for extended periods of time and included a Commandant, Assistant Commandant (in larger camps), Adjutant, Assistant Adjutant, Quartermaster, Camp Sergeant Major, Camp Quartermaster Sergeant as well as interpreters, scouts, orderly room personnel, clerks, storemen, canteen staff, cooks and kitchen staff, and batmen. Guards for internment camps were drawn from Active Companies of the Veterans Guard.

Note: The Veterans Guard changed how it named its companies in September 1941 to what is listed below. I have included their previous designations in the “Previous Name” column. Military District refers to the area in which it predominately drew its personnel from.

Active Companies

Company NameMilitary DistrictPrevious Name
No. 1 General Duty CompanyN/A 
No. 2 CompanyMD1 – Southern OntarioNo. 1 Coy.
No. 3 CompanyMD2 – Eastern OntarioNo. 2 “A” Coy.
No. 4 CompanyMD2 – Eastern OntarioNo. 2 “B” Coy.
No. 5 CompanyMD2 – E. Ontario and MD5 – E. Quebec and LabradorNo. 2 “C” Coy.
No. 6 CompanyMD2 – Eastern OntarioNo. 2 “D” Coy.
No. 7 CompanyMD2 – Eastern OntarioNo. 2 “E” Coy.
No. 8 CompanyMD2 – Eastern OntarioNo. 2 “F” Coy.
No. 9 Company No. 3 Coy.
No. 10 Company No. 3 “A” Coy.
No. 11 CompanyMD2 – E. Ontario and MD3 – W. Quebec and S. OntarioNo. 3 “B” Coy.
No. 12 CompanyMD4 – Western Quebec and MD12 – SaskatchewanNo. 4 Coy.
No. 13 CompanyMD4 – Western Quebec and MD13 – Alberta and NWTNo. 4 “A” Coy.
No. 14 CompanyMD4 – Western QuebecNo. 4 “B” Coy.
No. 15 Company No. 4 “C” Coy.
No. 16 Company No. 5 Coy.
No. 17 Company No. 5 “A” Coy.
No. 18 CompanyMD6 – Nova Scotia and PEINo. 6 Coy.
No. 19 CompanyMD6 – Nova Scotia and PEINo. 6 “A” Coy.
No. 20 CompanyMD7 – New BrunswickNo. 7 Coy.
No. 21 CompanyMD2 – Eastern Ontario and MD7 – New BrunswickNo. 7 “A” Coy.
No. 22 CompanyMD10 – Manitoba, W. Ontario, Nunavut/NWTNo. 10 Coy.
No. 23 CompanyMD10 – Manitoba, W. Ontario, Nunavut/NWTNo. 10 “A” Coy.
No. 24 Company No. 10 “B” Coy.
No. 25 CompanyMD11 – British Columbia and YukonNo. 11 “A” Coy.
No. 26 CompanyMD11 – British Columbia and YukonNo. 11 “B” Coy.
No. 27 CompanyMD2 – E. Ontario and MD11 – British Columbia and YukonNo. 11 “C” Coy.
No. 28 Company No. 12 Coy
No. 29 Company No. 13 Coy.
No. 30 Company No. 13 “A” Coy.
No. 33 Company N/A
No. 34 Company N/A
No. 35 CompanyMD2 – Eastern OntarioN/A
No. 36 CompanyMD12 – SaskatchewanN/A
No. 37 Company N/A
No. 38 CompanyMD12 – SaskatchewanN/A
No. 39 CompanyMD7 – New BrunswickN/A
No. 40 CompanyMD1 – Southern OntarioN/A
No. 41 Company N/A

Reserve Companies

Company NameLocationMilitary District
No. 12 Infantry Reserve CompanyLondon, ONMD1
No. 20 Infantry Reserve CompanyToronto, ONMD2 – Eastern Ontario
No. 21 Infantry Reserve CompanyBrantford, ONMD2 – Eastern Ontario
No. 22 Infantry Reserve CompanyNorth Bay, ONMD2 – Eastern Ontario
No. 23 Infantry Reserve CompanySault Ste. Marie, ONMD2 – Eastern Ontario
No. 24 Signals Reserve CompanyToronto, ONMD2 – Eastern Ontario
No. 25 Infantry Reserve CompanyToronto, ONMD2 – Eastern Ontario
No. 26 Infantry Reserve CompanyToronto, ONMD2 – Eastern Ontario
No. 27 Infantry Reserve CompanyToronto, ONMD2 – Eastern Ontario
No. 28 Infantry Reserve CompanyToronto, ONMD2 – Eastern Ontario
No. 29 Army Service Corps Reserve CompanyToronto, ONMD2 – Eastern Ontario
No. 30 Infantry Reserve CompanyHull, QCMD3 – Western Quebec and Southern Ontario
No. 31 Infantry Reserve CompanyBrockville, ONMD3 – Western Quebec and Southern Ontario
No. 32 Infantry Reserve CompanyMillbrook, ONMD3 – Western Quebec and Southern Ontario
No. 33 Infantry Reserve CompanyPeterborough, ONMD3 – Western Quebec and Southern Ontario
No. 40 Infantry Reserve CompanyMontreal, QCMD4
No. 41 Infantry Reserve CompanySherbrooke, QCMD4
No. 42 Infantry Reserve CompanyMontreal, QCMD4
No. 43 Infantry Reserve CompanyMontreal, QCMD4
No. 44 Infantry Reserve CompanyMontreal, QCMD4
No. 45 Cavalry Reserve CompanyMontreal, QCMD4
No. 46 Infantry Reserve CompanyMontreal, QCMD4
No. 47 Cavalry Reserve CompanyMontreal, QCMD4
No. 50 Infantry Reserve CompanyQC, QCMD5
No. 60 Infantry Reserve CompanyHalifax, NSMD6 – Nova Scotia and PEI
No. 61 Infantry Reserve CompanyCharlottetown, PEIMD6 – Nova Scotia and PEI
No. 62 Infantry Reserve CompanyHalifax, NSMD6 – Nova Scotia and PEI
No. 70 Infantry Reserve CompanySaint John, NBMD7 – New Brunswick
No. 80 Infantry Reserve CompanyToronto, ONMD2 – Eastern Ontario
No. 81 Artillery Reserve CompanyToronto, ONMD2 – Eastern Ontario
No. 100 Infantry Reserve CompanyWinnipeg, MBMD10 – Manitoba, W. Ontario, Nunavut/NWT
No. 101 Infantry Reserve CompanyPort Arthur, ONMD10 – Manitoba, W. Ontario, Nunavut/NWT
No. 102 Cavalry Reserve CompanyBrandon, MBMD10 – Manitoba, W. Ontario, Nunavut/NWT
No. 103 Infantry Reserve CompanyDauphin, MBMD10 – Manitoba, W. Ontario, Nunavut/NWT
No. 104 Artillery Reserve CompanyWinnipeg, MBMD10 – Manitoba, W. Ontario, Nunavut/NWT
No. 105 Infantry Reserve CompanyWinnipeg, MBMD10 – Manitoba, W. Ontario, Nunavut/NWT
No. 106 Infantry Reserve CompanyWinnipeg, MBMD10 – Manitoba, W. Ontario, Nunavut/NWT
No. 107 Infantry Reserve CompanyWinnipeg, MBMD10 – Manitoba, W. Ontario, Nunavut/NWT
No. 110 Infantry Reserve CompanyVancouver, BCMD11 – British Columbia and Yukon
No. 111 Infantry Reserve CompanyVancouver, BCMD11 – British Columbia and Yukon
No. 112 Infantry Reserve CompanyVancouver, BCMD11 – British Columbia and Yukon
No. 113 Infantry Reserve CompanyNew Westminster, BCMD11 – British Columbia and Yukon
No. 114 Infantry Reserve CompanyVictoria, BCMD11 – British Columbia and Yukon
No. 120 Infantry Reserve CompanyRegina, SKMD12 – Saskatchewan
No. 130 Infantry Reserve CompanyCalgary, ABMD13 – Alberta and NWT

2 thoughts on “Veterans Guard Companies”

  1. My Paternal grandfather served with the Veteran’s Guard. He was from Cape Breton, so I believe he would have served with one of he NS units. He was wounded twice during the First War, so again, I assume he would have been in a Reserve unit.

    Where are those records kept? I know they aren’t at LACa, I checked,

    Reply

    1. Prior injuries didn’t necessarily determine what type of unit a VGC member served it, he would have volunteered for either active or reserve duty. I’d recommend trying to request a copy of his service file from Library and Archives Canada. If they have a copy, he served in an active company and, if they don’t, he was in a reserve company. More on those records here: https://powsincanada.ca/2017/05/23/requesting-canadian-wwii-service-records/

      Records for reserve companies were not collected by the Department of National Defence so they remained locally. Unfortunately this means that the vast majority have not survived. Your best bet would be to reach out to local armouries or museums and see if they have any reserve company records.

      Reply

Leave a comment