M. D. No. 5—2d Quebec Regiment (22d and 159th).
M. D. No. 6—Nova Scotia Regiment (R. C. R., 25th, 85th, 185th).
M. D. No. 7—New Brunswick Regiment (26th, 100th).
M. D. No. 10—Manitoba Regiment (8th, 16th, 27th, 43d, 52d, 78th, and 107th Regt).
M. D. No. 11—British Columbia Regiment (2d C. M. R., 7th, 29th, 47th, and 72d).
M. D. No. 12—Saskatchewan Regiment (3d C. M. R., 5th, 28th. and 46th).
M. D. No. 13—Alberta Regiment (10th, 31st, 49th, and 50th).
The idea behind this scheme was to effect a closer connection between the military patriotism and pride of the home distinct with the battalions serving overseas. The hope was distinctly expressed that "the Canadian militia should inherit the honors and distinctions won in battle by the Canadian Expeditionary Force."
There is no question that this measure was founded in wisdom and that it worked tolerably well. It was not always possible to maintain it exactly, since the smaller provinces had too many battalions for their resources in men. Consequently Ontario, which produced most men proportionately, was called upon to reenforce units credited to other provinces. For example, the 2d C. M. R. ceased to be a British Columbian unit early in 1918, although its commanding officer was a British Columbian who continued to give British Columbia officers the preference. This, however, was quite on a par with the selection of generals in France; for, when the war closed, Ontario which contributed half the men in the ranks, did not have a single brigadier or divisional commander on active duty.
It is also interesting to note that the hope of the originators of the scheme with regard to the old militia inheriting the "Honors and distinctions" of the C. E. F. has been negatived by the action of the militia authorities of 1919 in disbanding all militia units which existed previous to the war. This action seems to have been based on a mistaken conception of the important part played by the Canadian militia from 1860 to 1914.