It was a Friday, the end of the work week perhaps for Charles Bigler when he went to the local recruitment centre in Sarnia and enlisted. He was not the typical man of the 2nd Contingent to enlist. He was not British or Canadian born and he was 12-years older than the average age of... Continue Reading →
Tragically, He Got His Wish…
Edgar Berwick of Kitchener, Ontario was very much the Englishman. A product of his times he emigrated to Canada and worked for the Arthur Pequegnat Clock Factory when war was declared. He enlisted in Galt, Ontario as member of the 18th Battalion listing his trade or calling as a mechanic. He served with a spotless... Continue Reading →
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: November 1918
ConfidentialWar Diaryof18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION From 1st November, 1918 to 30th November, 1918 Volume 39With appendices 1 – 26 PlaceDateHourSummary of Events and InformationANICHE G.6.a.7.3 1 Map for reference: 51.A 1/40,000 VALENCIENNES 12 and NAMUR 8 1/100,000, & MARCHES 9 attached. Appendix No. 24, 25, and 26. Battalion Training as per... Continue Reading →
A Stunt?: Lieutenant Eastwood’s Military Cross
Lieutenant Vincent McCarter Eastwood was a young University of Toronto student aged 19 years and 3 months when he enlisted with the 93rd Battalion at Peterborough, Ontario. His uncle, a medical doctor, signed his attestation papers certifying his medical fitness for duty with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces. His father, Vincent Senior, was the Royal Bank... Continue Reading →
New Page at the Blog
A new page has been created at the blog. The page (highlighted in yellow) will be have links to all the monthly war diary transcriptions from April 1914 to March 1919. If they don't exist the transcription is not complete and will come due on the 100th anniversary of the month being transcribed.
Faceless No More: Lieutenant Frederick Charles Garland Maund
Lieutenant Frederick Charles Garland Maund. Source: 18th Battalion Facebook Group via member. Lieutenant Frederick Charles Garland Maund was from Kingston and perished on the first day of the attack by the Canadian Expeditionary Force during its involvement at the Somme on September 15, 1916. But for the work of like-minded people dedicated to bringing his... Continue Reading →
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: October 1918
Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION From 1st October to 31st October, 1918 Volume 38 With appendices 1 – 15 Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information Buissy Switch & Hindenburg Line V.30.b & D Map 51.b. SE. 1 Maps for Reference: 51.b.SE. 1/20,000 51a.SW. 1/20,000 51.A 1/40,000 At 06:00... Continue Reading →
The Deliquency of an Entire Battalion
Baseball was a large part of battalion life. Numerous articles attest to this at this blog. The Battalion played at Folkestone[i], at a Sports Day at Hythe, and during brigade and divisional sports days, amongst other mentions. Baseball was of keen interest to the men of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and the 18th Battalion. So... Continue Reading →
A Postscript to the Memories
I wanted to reflect on the contribution to the Group by Dan Moat with his "Memories" documents. In review, these valuable documents where a series of written memories collected by the 18th Battalion Association in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They appear to be collected by Company Sergeant Major Abbott Ross, D.C.M. and... Continue Reading →
Strong-Point on the Arras-Cambrai Road
In the previous blog post “Tip of the Sword on the Arras-Cambrai Road” one of the positions on the disposition map was conjectured to be a strong-point that was created from an existing structure. Evidence has come to light that indicates that the units of the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade, comprising the 18th and, possibly... Continue Reading →
Tip of the Sword on the Arras-Cambrai Road
Appendix 16 of the September 1918 18th Battalion War Diary is described as “Disposition Sketch 18th Bn. on the 21st”. It is directly related to Battalion Operational Order No. D.242 dated September 20, 1918 detailing the relief by the 18th Battalion of the 21st Battalion in the “left front-line” on the night of the 2th... Continue Reading →
September 1918 Casualties
Rank Surname Forename Date of Death Reg. No. Private BLOOMFIELD A D 12/09/1918 844064 Private CLARK G M 20/09/1918 651472 Corporal CRIESS LOUIS JAMES 10/09/1918 225548 Private DOLSEN F 15/09/1918 189748 Private DUFFY J F 02/09/1918 844269 Private ELLERY WILLIAM SAMUEL 14/09/1918 54203 Private ENGLISH R 23/09/1918 3131583 Private HIGGINS F 17/09/1918 675969 Private HOPKIN... Continue Reading →
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: September 1918
Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION From 1st September to 3oth September, 1918 Volume 37 With appendices 1 – 23 Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information H.Q. Reserve SIMECOURT 1 Battalion carried on with training as per syllabus attached. 2 O.R.s. reinforcements. 4 O.Rs. awarded bar to M.M.... Continue Reading →
Unpublished Memoir Sheds Light on P.O.W Experience
7th Battalion ‘A’ Coy Sergeants, Thomas Diplock standing on the left
I’ve written several articles on Sgt. Thomas Diplock over the past few years but who better to tell his story than the man himself. I would like to thank Sharon Gerbasi and Thomas’s other grandchildren very much for the opportunity to share with you Thomas Diplock’s previously unpublished memoir of his First World War experience.
In October 1978, shortly after the death of his wife Gwen, Thomas wrote a book on his life, a gift to his three daughters and seven grandchildren. The chapter on his First World War experience totals 42 pages and covers his service from the time he joined Vancouver’s 6th Regiment, Duke of Connaught’s Own Rifles to his demobilization on his return to Canada in March 1919. Although put together in book form in 1978 the majority of writing took place during…
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“As Christmas time approaches…”: Memories of Christmas 1915
18th Battalion Association[i] Windsor and Detroit Branch *MEMORIES[ii]* As Christmas time approaches, do you ever think of the first Christmas Day we spend in Flanders? Two of our Companies were in the front line, the M & N trenches, while the other two companies were in reserve at Ridgewood and Veerstraat[iii] [sic] which were about... Continue Reading →
The Lonely Soldier: Remembering a Leave
18th Battalion Association[i] Windsor and Detroit Branch *MEMORIES[ii]* Some time ago, we were watching the Television Program, “No Time for Sergeants”. The skit was about a lonesome soldier. It was funny. The lonesome soldier was no myth. He was real. It all stated the night we left London. Many of the officers and many of... Continue Reading →
The Unforgettable Experience: Buried by a Shell
18th Battalion Association[i] Windsor and Detroit Branch *MEMORIES[ii]* Every man who served in the Front Line for any length of time, whether he be an officer or in the ranks, had some unforgetable [sic] experience he would often recall during his lifetime. Some men had several and some of the experiences are much worse than... Continue Reading →
“Other Sad Afternoons to Come…”: The Death of Corporal Gehl
18th Battalion Association[i] Windsor and Detroit Branch *MEMORIES[ii]* While we were at La Clyte[iii] [sic], Jack Gehl[iv] and Dick Hamill[v] were assigned to a special work party with the Engineers. While they were away the rest of us went in the M. & N. trenches for our regular turn. Several days later, Dick Hamill came... Continue Reading →
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 