The Infantry Rifle Battalion 1941 Canadian Army - Marked "W. L. Roberts" Pink paper, legal sized. During the Second World War, Canada fielded three types of infantry battalions, the infantry (rifle) battalion, the infantry (machine gun) battalion, and the infantry (motor) battalion. This article, is focussed on the organization of a Canadian infantry (rifle) battalion, from the embodiment of the Canadian Active Service Force, in September 1939, to the end of hostilities in North-West Europe, in May 1945. In September 1939, when Canada embodied the Canadian Active Service Force1, for service overseas, Canadian infantry (rifle) battalions were organized under the then current British War Establishment (WE) II/193l/l2B/3 (of 6 April 1938), which called for the battalion to be organized, and consist of: - a Battalion headquarters of four officers and 43 other ranks - a Headquarters company of five officers and 210 other ranks, within - a company headquarters - a signal platoon - an anti-aircraft platoon - a mortar platoon - a carrier platoon - a pioneer platoon - an administrative platoon - four rifle companies each of three officers and 97 other ranks, within a company headquarters and three platoons, with each platoon consisting of three rifle sections, of eight other ranks each. The battalion had a strength of 21 officers and 641 other ranks. Battalions with a Scottish or Irish affiliation were allowed six additional pipers each,