Crerar, Harry

Harry Crerar was born on 28 April 1888 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, to lawyer Peter Crerar and his wife Marion, née Stinson. He attended the Royal Military College in Kingston from 1906 to 1909. In the period before the First World War, he worked as a technician for the Hydroelectric Power Commission. During the Great War he served as an officer in the Canadian Field Artillery in France and Flanders and was decorated DSO. At the time the Armistice was declared, he was a lieutenant colonel on the Canadian Corps staff. On his return to Canada, he became a member of the Canadian Standing Force. He served as a staff officer in the Artillery in Ottawa. In 1923, he entered the Staff College at Camberley, England. After graduating, he became a staff officer 2nd class at the War Office in London. In 1929 he became a staff officer 1st class at the National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. He was tasked with a major reorganization of the Canadian militia forces. In 1934 Crerar attended courses at the Imperial Defence College in London. When he returned, he held the position of Director of Military Operations and Intelligence at National Defence Headquarters. He subsequently served as Commandant of the Royal Military College. In March 1939, he was called to Ottawa to prepare mobilization plans for the outbreak of war.
Upon its outbreak, he was sent to Canadian Military Headquarters in London, where he was tasked with ensuring that accommodation, training plans, equipment and equipment were in place for the Canadian soldiers who were soon to arrive in Britain. In July 1940, he was called back to Ottawa to take up the post of Deputy Chief of Staff. And after a few days he was even appointed Chief of the General Staff. In this capacity he streamlined the recruitment and training of volunteers as well as the training program for officers. In December 1941, he returned to England, for on 23 December 1941 he became the commander of the Canadian Corps, which was renamed the I Canadian Corps in April of the following year. Some of his troops participated in the raid on Dieppe, but he was not involved in the planning of that operation. In October 1943, the corps moved to Italy, where the 1st Canadian Infantry Division was already operating. An otherwise excellent staff officer, he did not gain much combat experience there, as he was called to England in March 1944 to take over as commander of the 1st Canadian Army. This army played a substantial role in the fighting at Falaise. From October to November 1944, he had to relinquish command of the army to General Simonds for health reasons. In February and March, the Canadian Army captured the left bank of the Rhine and then liberated the Netherlands.


In 1946, after leading the demobilization process, he left the army and served in the diplomatic service in Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands and Japan. He was also the King's or Queen's aide-de-camp and Privy Councillor for Canadian affairs. He died on April 1, 1965 in Ottawa.



Sources:
www.junobeach.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Crerar
generals.dk
www.britannica.com
www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com