When troops of the First Canadian Infantry Division waded ashore in southern Sicily in July 1943, it marked the first time- aside from the few bloody hours on the beach of Dieppe-that Canadian soldiers had gone into combat in Europe since the start of the war.
The 1st Canadian Division was the first Canadian unit to be sent to Italy and was the first major deployment of Canadian troops in combat. By the time of the invasion of Sicily, the Canadians were getting anxious to see battle. They had been training in Britian for 2 years. The only combat that any Canadians had seen was a small contingent had participated in the failed Dieppe Raid on the coast of France. Also two battalions helped to defend Hong Kong in 1941 and an infantry brigade was employed against Kiska in 1943.
Now, the Canadian newspapers and politicians were calling for their troops to be used. One fear was that Canada would not be considered a part of the Allies, which could influence world opinion of them after the war. This long period of inactivity could cause the Canadian troops to loose their fighting ability.
At the last minute of the planning for Operation HUSKY, Churchill recommended that the Canadian troops be used in the invasion of Sicily. Eventually, the 1st Canadian Division was substituted for the 3rd British Division. The Chief of the Imperial General Staff immediately sent word of inclusion of Canadian troops in Operation HUSKY to the Allied commander in the Mediterranean Theatre. The 1st Canadian Division and the 3rd British Division met on all levels to transfer plans on the operation. Their cooperation went so well, that the 3rd British Division and the 2nd Canadian Division were used together in the Normandy invasion.
Reference Books:
Stacey, Col. C. P., "Six Years of War; The Army in Canada, Britian and the Pacific, Vol 1", Minister of National Defense, 1955.
Nicholson, G. W. L., "The Canadians in Italy, 1943-1945, Vol 2". Ottawa; Queen's Printer, 1956.
Steve