War Diary of the 18th Battalion CEF
Articles, war diaries, and recognition to the Men of the "Fighting 18th"
“On France's eternal camping groundTheir silent tents are spread.While glory guards with solemn roundThe Bivouac of the Dead.”Poem attached to Sergeant Chester P. Smiths Memorial Page. Adaptation of Bivouac of the Dead, Theodore O’Hara, 1851. There is a succinct, enigmatic entry in the pages of the 18th Battalion’s War Diary for September 1916. “NOT MUCH... Continue Reading →
Craig Baird hosts a series of podcasts about Canadian history. In this one he reviews the Battle of St. Eloi. The 18th Battalion was involved in this battle and was their first major engagement of the war since they arrived in Belgium in September 1915. St. Eloi Craters. Kemmel in background. Canada Department of National... Continue Reading →
Private (later Lieutenant) Wesley Strang Caldwell[i] was yet to earn the Military Medal for his actions at Courcelette, the Somme, when this letter was published in the Huron Expositor on March 10, 1916. He was 20-years old, just shy of his 21st birthday by 40 days. He was a combat veteran claiming to have served... Continue Reading →
The PDF file attached to this post is a copy of the 18th Battalion War Diary as one contiguous document. The document is comprised of the monthly diary entries as each one was written and are now combined into one document compiled from all the entries that were transcribed. There is information in the forward... Continue Reading →
Report on Minor Enterprise by 18th Cdn Battalion night of July 26/27th on German Front Line, at PICCADILLY FARM.[i] At 10.30 p.m. Party of 15 bombers and 10 scouts under Lieut. Allen (Scout Officer) and Lieut. McLinton [McClinton] (Bomb Officer) left our trenches and proceeded to a point halfway across “NO MANS LAND”. The party... Continue Reading →
The Battle at St. Eloi Craters was not well documented by the 18th Battalion’s War Diary. The Diary skips over its involvement in the briefest of detail, and even the appendices offer little detailed insight into the action. This was an important action for the Battalion and the other members battalions of the 2nd Division... Continue Reading →
This is the second of a 4-part series of the analysis of articles relating to Private Frederick Hodson, who served with the 18th Battalion. In the first part of this series Private Hodson gave an extensive interview that portrayed a soldier’s life while serving with the 18th Battalion from its inception but the interview focused... Continue Reading →
Private William J. Bartlett was a wizened 35-years old when the letter transcribed below was published. He was a journalist by profession and the object of his letter was 13-years his junior. The former survived the war, the latter did not. “HE DID HIS BIT”[i] [BY W.J. BARTLETT.] Pte. W.J. Bartlett of the 18th Battalion,... Continue Reading →
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 memory to life, he would be all but forgotten.[i] Lieutenant Maund was... Continue Reading →
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 →
Friend after friend departs; Who hath not lost a friend? There is no union of hearts That finds not here an end. Part of a hymn[i] laments for the death of Private Archie Turner. His sister-in-law selected this hymn to reflect on her brother-in-law’s passing. Private Turner enlisted in St. Thomas, Ontario October 23, 1914... Continue Reading →
Christ Church, Chatham, Ontario. Source: http://christchurchchatham.ca/ An article written in a local Chatham newspaper relates the service at Christ Church in honour of two local men who were killed in action gives us insight into the attitudes of the citizens through the address of Canon Howard. The date that this event transpired was after the... Continue Reading →
Major Sale was an active and influential member of the Goderich, Ontario community as a dentist. He was active in the Canadian Militia with the 33rd Regiment and joined the 18th Battalion as a captain shortly after its inception in October 1914. He served his Battalion diligently and was earned a promotion to major in... Continue Reading →
Private Fred Young wrote a letter on February 15, 1916 relating some of his thoughts and experiences as a member of the 18th Battalion, C.E.F. This may well have been the later Sergeant Fred Young who was to become the “poet laureate” for the 18th Battalion after the war. His poetry and efforts as a... Continue Reading →
Private (later Lieutenant) Wesley Strang Caldwell was yet to earn the Military Medal for his actions at Courcelette, the Somme, when this letter was published in the Huron Expositor on March 10, 1916. He was 20-years old, just shy of his 21st birthday by 40 days. He was a combat veteran claiming to have served... Continue Reading →
Charles Herbert Kerr had family ties in the Brussel, Ontario area and lived in Clinton until he eventually moved to Welland, Ontario. He enlisted with the C.E.F. and after being posted to the 36th Battalion in England was taken on strength with the 18th Battalion on December 14, 1915. It was during a fateful operation... Continue Reading →
On May 3, 1916, the Paisely Advocate included a letter[i] written by then Sergeant Andrew Enos Babcock, a native son of Paisely, about his experiences with the 18th Battalion. Sergeant Babcock was an original member of the 18th Battalion with the assigned regiment number of 53989 when he enlisted on October 27, 1914 in Walkerton,... Continue Reading →
It was the second Christmas for the 18th Battalion in the front lines. The first Christmas in 1915 found the Battalion blooded in its first actions in Belgium and suffered 26 deaths from the Battalion’s arrival on the Continent in mid-September 1915 until the end of December. The feelings on isolation from family and friends... Continue Reading →
Lead a patrol into "No Man's Land" night of December 1/2, 1916. Report on Minor raid, Night of Dec. 1/2. 18th Canadian Battalion Our patrol advanced within short distance of enemy wire but no party were there, so we lay in wait for several hours hoping it would appear. Information In the shell holes were... Continue Reading →
There was no Remembrance Day in 1916. The concept of remembering the dead with a national day of recognition had not been conceived of until later and it would be a whole two years of conflict with its dead, dying, wounded, and damaged combatants. The 18th Battalion had been through the Somme and had suffered... Continue Reading →
