Canadian History: Biographies

The Oxford Companion to... A Dictionary of Contemporary... The Columbia Encyclopedia,... Further reading

Crerar, General Henry

The Oxford Companion to World War II | 2001 | | Copyright

Crerar, General Henry (1888–1965),Canadian artillery officer who as a lt-general was appointed Chief of the Canadian General Staff in 1941. He was therefore responsible for the dispatch of Canadian troops to Hong Kong just before its fall and for the difficult task of expanding the Canadian Army at a time when there was considerable controversy over conscription (see Canada, 3).

In 1942 he was appointed to command the 2nd Canadian Division and the following year briefly commanded the 1st Canadian Corps fighting in the Italian campaign. When McNaughton was recalled to Canada at the end of 1943, Crerar was appointed C-in-C of the First Canadian Army in his place, and in this capacity led it in the Normandy campaign as part of Montgomery's Twenty-First Army Group. Montgomery was not impressed with him and when, on one occasion, Crerar was unable to attend an important conference, Montgomery threatened to dismiss him, which he had no power to do. Early in the critical 85-day Scheldt Estuary battle, which started in September 1944, Crerar had to go to the UK for medical treatment and he was replaced by Simonds, the 2nd Canadian Corps commander, whose reputation stood high with Montgomery. But Crerar returned, was promoted general in November 1944, and led his army, which included American, Belgian, British, and Polish troops as well as Canadians, in some of the most crucial operations during the battle for Germany.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. " Crerar, General Henry." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. " Crerar, General Henry." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O129-CrerarGeneralHenry.html

I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. " Crerar, General Henry." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O129-CrerarGeneralHenry.html

Learn more about citation styles

Crerar, Henry Duncan Graham

A Dictionary of Contemporary World History | 2004 | | Copyright

Crerar, Henry Duncan Graham (b. 28 Apr. 1888, d. 1 Apr. 1965). Canadian general Born at Hamilton (Ontario), he went to the Royal Military College of Canada, was commissioned into the artillery in 1910, and served in World War I. Appointed chief of the General Staff in 1940, he became commander of the 1st Canadian Corps in 1941. After fighting in Italy, he landed with the 1st Canadian Army in Normandy on D-Day, and commanded the army throughout its advance towards Germany in the Normandy and North-West Europe campaigns. More successful as a chief of staff than as a commander, he retired in 1946, having been made a full general in 1944.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

JAN PALMOWSKI. "Crerar, Henry Duncan Graham." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAN PALMOWSKI. "Crerar, Henry Duncan Graham." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-CrerarHenryDuncanGraham.html

JAN PALMOWSKI. "Crerar, Henry Duncan Graham." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-CrerarHenryDuncanGraham.html

Learn more about citation styles