By the numbers
The CEF was comprised of men and women, some of whom served only in Canada, most serving overseas. The women in the CEF were almost exclusively in the Nursing Corps. A significant difference between the CEF and the British Army was that Nurses in the CEF were always given an officers rank.
Canadian Population1
Total Population: 8 Million
Males of Military age: 3.4 Million
Males served in the CEF: 617,000 (18%)
CEF Casualities2
Total Mobilized: 619,636
Killed or Missing: 58,990 (9.5%)
Wounded: 149,710 (24.1)%
Prisoner of War: 2,820 (0.5)
CEF Composition By Gender1
Total CEF
| Gender |
Number |
Percentage |
| Male |
616,782 |
99.54% |
| Female |
2,854 |
0.46% |
| Total |
619,636 |
100% |
Serving Overseas
| Gender |
Number |
Percentage |
| Male |
422,181 |
99.43% |
| Female |
2,411 |
0.57% |
| Total |
424,592 |
100% |
Serving in Canada
| Gender |
Number |
Percentage |
| Male |
194,604 |
99.77% |
| Female |
443 |
0.23% |
| Total |
195,047 |
100% |
CEF Composition By Rank group1
Total CEF
| Group |
Number |
Percentage |
| Officers |
26,169 |
4.22% |
| Nursing Sisters |
2,854 |
0.46% |
| Other Ranks |
590,616 |
95.32% |
| Total |
619,639 |
100% |
Serving Overseas
| Group |
Number |
Percentage |
| Officers |
22,846 |
5.38% |
| Nursing Sisters |
2,411 |
0.57% |
| Other Ranks |
399,335 |
94.05% |
| Total |
424,592 |
100% |
Serving in Canada
| Group |
Number |
Percentage |
| Officers |
3,323 |
1.70% |
| Nursing Sisters |
443 |
0.23% |
| Other Ranks |
191,281 |
98.07% |
| Total |
195,047 |
100% |
CEF Composition By Maritial Status1
Total CEF
|
Married |
|
Single |
|
Widow(er) |
|
| |
Number |
Percentage |
Number |
Percentage |
Number |
Percentage |
| Officers |
9,093 |
1.47% |
16,943 |
2.73% |
133 |
0.02% |
| Nursing Sisters |
47 |
0.01% |
2,790 |
0.45% |
17 |
0.00% |
| Other Ranks |
116,930 |
18.87% |
468,042 |
75.53% |
5,644 |
0.91% |
| Total |
126,070 |
20.35% |
487,775 |
78.72% |
5,794 |
0.94% |
Serving Overseas
|
Married |
|
Single |
|
Widow(er) |
|
| |
Number |
Percentage |
Number |
Percentage |
Number |
Percentage |
| Officers |
7,375 |
1.74% |
15,353 |
3.62% |
118 |
0.03% |
| Nursing Sisters |
42 |
0.01% |
2,354 |
0.55% |
15 |
0.00% |
| Other Ranks |
80,930 |
19.06% |
314,762 |
74.13% |
3,643 |
0.86% |
| Total |
88,347 |
20.81% |
332,469 |
79.3% |
3,776 |
0.89% |
Serving in Canada
|
Married |
|
Single |
|
Widow(er) |
|
| |
Number |
Percentage |
Number |
Percentage |
Number |
Percentage |
| Officers |
1,718 |
0.88% |
1,590 |
0.82% |
15 |
0.01% |
| Nursing Sisters |
5 |
0.00% |
436 |
0.22% |
2 |
0.00% |
| Other Ranks |
36,000 |
18.46% |
153,280 |
78.59% |
2,001 |
1.03% |
| Total |
37,723 |
19.34% |
155,306 |
79.62% |
2,018 |
1.03% |
1: Official History of the Canadian Forces in The Great War (Duguid)
2: The World War I Databook
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