Archief 2003/11 - Canadian Army Historical Section card collection

The Army Historical Section had its origins in the Canadian War Records Office and Canadian War Narrative Section, organized in London during the First World War. By an Order in Council of January 17, 1917 (P.C. 19), Brig. Gen. E.A. Cruikshank was attached to the Record Office and assigned the task of collecting "material and records necessary to compile the history of the present war so far as the same more particularly relates to the work undertaken and carried out in Canada". In the execution of these duties, Cruikshank was under the direct control of the Adjutant General. By P.C. 2814 of 15 November 1918 he was transferred to the Chief of the General Staff and became the "Director of the Historical Section of the General Staff". In 1919 the Canadian War Narrative Section was transferred to Canada and amalgamated with the Historical Section in June 1921. Initially the Section was charged with the responsibility of preparing the official history of Canadian participation in the First World War, and, as well, oversaw the writing of regimental histories and, in general, answered inquiries relating to the military history of Canada. In 1945 responsibility for the writing of the history of the First World War was passed to the C.E.F. Historian and the Historical Section concentrated its efforts on official histories of the Canadian Army in the Second World War and, later, in the Korean War. In 1964 the historical sections of the three armed services were integrated as the Armed Forces Directorate of History. In August 1996, the Directorate of History was amalgamated with the Directorate of Military Traditions and Heritage to form the Directorate of History and Heritage (DHH).