“Battalions certainly differed in their character and their competence both from others and within themselves over time. Battalions are much like an organic family. They are held together by intangibles – leadership, comradeship, motivation, morale – that defy quantification or even easy description. In good units, soldiers feel – know – they are in the best section in the best company, in the best battalion. Many veterans cite the character and capability of the commanding officer as vital factors in shaping a battalion’s collective character.”

Terry Copp and Bill McAndrew (1990) Battle Exhaustion; Soldiers and Psychiatrists in the Canadian Army, 1939-1945.