Symbols of Service

Canadian Military Insignia References include:

• Insignia of the C.E.F. 1914-1919 Volume 1: Infantry Battalions

• Insignia of the C.E.F. 1914-1919 Volume 2: Corps and Services

• Insignia of the Canadian Militia:
  Pre-1920 Badges

• Insignia of the Canadian Department of Militia and Defense: 1920-1953 Badges

• Insignia of the Canadian Armed Services/Canadian Forces: 1953-2022 Badges

An associated reference book from one of our authors, Bill Alexander, will be available for ordering from CMC Books.

• Fabric of War: Canadian Army Cloth Shoulder Insignia c. 1900-1970

About Our Authors

Bill Alexander taught secondary school history, law, and social sciences. He is an active member of various collector clubs and has collected Canadian military insignia for over forty years. He has also authored numerous articles and books on the subject.

Ian Candy is a chemical engineer who works as a consultant in the base metals industry. He has a keen interest in Canadian military history, has been an avid collector of C.E.F. insignia for over twenty years, and participates in online collector's forums.

Don Fair had a career as both a military and commercial pilot. With 35 yrs in the military, and a grandfather who was an original member of the C.E.F. 27th Inf Bn, it was not surprising for him to develop a strong interest in appreciating and collecting the history of the C.E.F.

Larry Will is a 33 yr veteran of the CAF. He first started collecting Canadian Signal Corps militaria and then developed an interest in all things Canadian Army. As the Lead Photographer for the project, he has combined his love of photography with his interest in Canadian militaria.

Bill Alexander

Ian Candy

Don Fair

Larry Will

Project Development

The CMC Book project was conceived by the authors in conjunction with their dear friend Clive Law. Founder of Service Publications, Clive's company was to be the projects original publisher before his untimely demise. Clive was passionate about the Canadian Armed Forces; its history, heritage, and traditions; as well as its uniform accoutrements and the honoured tradition of collecting militaria.

This project has always been about the badges and providing the collecting community updated reference and educational material. The current "four musketeers" decided to continue the CMC Books Symbols of Service Project by using today's advancements in technology to provide the highest resolution 1:1 ratio colour images for each badge on record; while also updating or adding to the record when new variants or badges were found. Not only will this project honour the demonstrated passion of Clive, but also provide the vast collecting community with an up-to-date reference. The authors are indebted to the collecting community and numerous national, regional, and local museums that have graciously allowed their Militaria Collections to be photographed; ultimately used for expanding the catalogue of Canadian military historical badges and insignia images.