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The [[2nd Canadian Division]], an [[infantry]] [[Division (military)|division]] of the [[Canadian Army]], was mobilized for war service on 1{{nbsp}}September 1939 at the outset of [[World War II]]. Adopting the designation of the '''2nd Canadian Infantry Division''', it was initially composed of volunteers within [[brigade]]s established along regional lines, though a halt in recruitment in the early months of the war caused a delay in the formation of brigade and divisional headquarters. With questions concerning overseas deployment resolved, the division's respective commands were formed in May and June 1940, and at [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British Prime Minister]] [[Winston Churchill]]'s request, the division was deployed to the [[United Kingdom]] between 1{{nbsp}}August and 25{{nbsp}}December 1940, forming part of the [[I Canadian Corps|Canadian Corps]].
Having performed well in training exercises during 1941 and early 1942, elements of the 2nd Division were selected as the main force for [[Dieppe Raid|Operation Jubilee]], a large-scale [[Amphibious warfare|amphibious raid]] on the port of Dieppe in German-occupied France. On 19{{nbsp}}August 1942, with air and naval gunfire support, the division's [[4th Canadian Infantry Brigade|4th]] and [[6th Canadian Infantry Brigade|6th Infantry Brigade]]s assaulted Dieppe's beaches. The Germans were well prepared and, despite being reinforced, the Canadians sustained heavy losses and had to be evacuated, with fewer than half their number returning to the United Kingdom.
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In May 1940, The Black Watch were moved from Valcartier to Newfoundland, and in June, the 2nd Division was earmarked for garrison duty by the forces of the [[British Commonwealth]],<ref>Copp, p. 15</ref> with the Royal Regiment of Canada and ''Les Fusiliers Mont Royal'' arriving in Iceland later that month.<ref>Copp, p. 16</ref> However, at the request of [[Winston Churchill]] these deployments were cut short,<ref name="Bercuson29"/> as the division was badly needed in England to supplement the [[British Army]]—then facing the imminent possibility of [[Operation Sealion|German invasion]].<ref name="Bercuson29"/>
As a result, most of the 2nd Division's units were sent to the United Kingdom in August 1940, although the Iceland garrison remained in place until 31{{nbsp}}October.<ref name="Bercuson29"/> The absence of the ''Mont Royal''s allowed Odlum to reassign the Calgary Highlanders to the 5th Brigade in September, in an attempt to ethnically mix the brigades of the division.<ref>Copp, p. 19</ref> By late December 1940, the 2nd Canadian Division was joined with the 1st to form the [[I Canadian Corps|Canadian Corps]] (later renamed to I Canadian Corps).<ref>Canadian Army Historical Section, p. 34</ref>
==Training in the United Kingdom (1941)==
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