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see also: Royal Canadian Naval Reserve.

Created by the Naval Service Act of 4 May 1910. Initially known as the Naval Service of Canada, the designation of the Royal Canadian Navy was approved by King George V in 1911. The Royal Canadian Navy was amalgamated with the other two armed services by the Canadian Forces Unification Act in 1968. The naval element of the Canadian Armed Forces was grouped under Maritime Command that initially had its headquarters in Halifax and subsequently in Ottawa. The title Royal Canadian Navy was restored in 2011 to describe the maritime component of the Canadian Forces.

Today, the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve provides trained personnel who are primarily in civilian occupations and serve as part of the Canadian Navy. The Naval Reserve traces its origins to the 1914 creation of the Royal Naval Canadian Naval Reserve (RNCVR) which became the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) in 1923. Members of the RCNVR were civilians who were not in seafaring careers. The Royal Canadian Reserve (RCNR) was created in 1923 as a “seamen’s’ reserve”, i.e. its members had seagoing experience in deep-sea or coastal shipping or in fishing or other vessels. During WWII, the Royal Canadian Navy expanded by enrolling members in the RCNVR (the vast majority) or RCNR for those with seagoing backgrounds. In 1946, the current Naval Reserve was created by merging the former RCNVR and RCNR.

The RCASC was the administrative and transport corps of the Canadian Army that provided all transportation and supply services to the Army. During WWII, the RCASC maintained the Pacific Command Water Transport Company on the west coast. When the Canadian Navy, Army, and Air Force were unified in 1968 the functions of the RCASC became part of the Logistics Branch of the Canadian Armed Forces.

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was established in 1920 as the Canadian Air Force, and was granted the title Royal Canadian Air Force in 1924. It was amalgamated with the other two fighting services in 1968 under the Unification Act. At the time, the Royal Canadian Navy Fleet Air Arm was absorbed into the air element of the Canadian Forces. In 2011, the traditional title Royal Canadian Air Force was restored to describe the air element of the Canadian Armed Forces.