Series consists of records created and maintained by the Directorate of Movements (DMOVE) between 1939 and 1948. The researcher should note that while the files were roughly filmed in file order, there are some anomalies and the next file in sequence is not necessarily found on the next microfilm reel, but will be located on a subsequent reel. The series consists of three sub-series corresponding to the marine, rail and air activities of DMOVE. (See reels C-5547 to C-5568, C-5589 to C-5741)
Canada. Dept. of National Defence. Directorate of Movements : The Directorate of Movements (DMOVE) was under the authority of the Quartermaster General (QMG) and was centred at NDHQ Ottawa and had a number of field offices at ports and railway termini in Canada. DMove, as it was known, was responsible for the movement by land, sea and air of troops, stores and animals required by military authorities of all Services, both in Canada and overseas. The directorate was initially formed in September 1939 as the Movement Control Section within the Directorate of Supplies and Transport. In July 1942, the task of moving such vast quantities of stores and large numbers of personnel necessitated the reorganization of this function, and the Directorate of Transport and Movements was created. Further changes in November 1943 resulted in the formation of the Directorate of Movements.
For service personnel and stores moving overseas, the work of DMove was closely coordinated with the Directorate of Military Operations and Planning (DMO&P) and with the Ministry of War Transport of the United Kingdom. DMO&P identified units against requirements of Canadian Military Headquarters, London (CMHQ) and Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, (SHAEF.) Having identified shipping needs, DMove would then work with the Director of Sea Transport of the Ministry of War Transport to identify available vessels, schedule transit, and coordinate rail transport to port and embarkation. During the course of the Second World War this Directorate, through the services of 794 officers and other ranks, coordinated the movement of over 650,000 Canadian service personnel to the United Kingdom, as well as countless thousands of tons of cargo and military stores. RG24 General Inventory