Having come off the success of the Vimy attack in early April the Battalion moved into Divisional Reserve April 16 and was then moved to a rest camp on April 26. At this camp the were rested and refitted, and though the War Diary makes no note of it, the Battalion must have been making... Continue Reading →
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: May 1917
CONFIDENTIAL WAR DIARY -OF- 18th CANADIAN BATTALION - 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION From 1st May to 31st May 1917 Volume 31 With appendicies 1-2 Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information 1 a.m. Battalion in Reserve camp near NEUVILLE ST VAST. Battalion parade and company training. During the afternoon recreational exercise such as Football, Baseball... Continue Reading →
Blog Resources for Vimy Ridge
Though not exhaustive there are resources related to the 18th Battalion and its experience at Vimy Ridge. War Diary of the 18th Battalion: April 1917 War Diary Summary: April 1917 April 1917 Casualties Vimy Ridge: Instructions for the Offensive The Stress of Combat: Captain Lloyd at Vimy Ridge A Letter From a Soldier Who Served... Continue Reading →
Summary of Service: Bryce, William Wilson: Service no. 770063
A recent contact by a relative allowed a more detailed examination of the service record of Private William Wilson Bryce. Below is a summary of service high-lighting the more significant aspects of his service. Private Bryce's service record only has one demerit for being absent without leave very early in his service and his experiences... Continue Reading →
August 1917 Casualties
Casualties from August 1917. Not all the soldiers died in the field or in action. Several of the soldiers listed here died in Canada after receiving wounds in action and returning. Surname Forename Rank Reg. No. AIKIN DAVID Private 880497 ALLEN HENRY Private 158529 ARNOLD MARK Private 53770 BARTLEMAN SCOTT Private 730043 BEAUDIN ELIE Private... Continue Reading →
July 1917 Casualties
Please click on a link for more information about the 18th Battalion soldier. Rank Surname Forename Reg. No. Private ADAMS J 54245 Private BURLEIGH WILLIAM RILEY 124197 Private CLARKE R 53785 Private COLE JOSEPH WILSON 123509 Private CONNATY JAMES 225546 Private CRAWFORD 409106 Private FORBES JAMES 225563 Private GRAHAM CONROY PEYTON 491320 Private HOLLAND SANDIESON... Continue Reading →
The Stress of Combat: Captain Lloyd at Vimy Ridge
There is no doubt that Captain E.R.V. Lloyd served with bravery and distinction during the World War 1 with the 18th Battalion. Enlisting as an “Original” on November 3, 1914 in Windsor, Ontario, he rose through the ranks. First as a private soldier and then had the rather unusual circumstance of being promoted from the... Continue Reading →
May 1917 Casualties
Summary of May 1917 Activities (for more information please refer to war diary transcription to be posted at a later date) 42 members of the 18th Battalion perished this month. The beginning of May 1917 found the Battalion in service in the vicinity of Arras, France and were in reserve at NUEVILLE ST VAST where... Continue Reading →
The Luff Brothers of Chatham
The Luff Brothers[i] of Chatham, Ontario took the approximate 115-kilometer trip to St. Thomas, Ontario to enlist in the 91st Battalion. They joined on the same day on December 6, 1915 and were give sequential regimental numbers. George was the oldest by one year over Harry and had obtained the age of 20 years and... Continue Reading →
Letter Home: “…the poor Germans run like a lot of mice.”
Sergeant William Mowatt was wounded in the foot and this letter describes his experiences during the fighting in the Lens, France sector in August 1917. The Tilbury Times, Thursday 18 October, 1917. Letters From the Front. Mrs. Frank Mowatt (nee Martha Billings) is in receipt of the following letter from Wm. Mowatt, who went overseas... Continue Reading →
99 Years Ago: The 18th Battalions Attack at Vimy Ridge
At Zero hour[i], vis 5.30 a.m., the advance was made. Simultaneously with the opening up of the Artillery Barrage the Battalion left the “Jumping-off” trenches[ii] and attacked the German front line. Very little opposition was met with whilst capturing the first line system of trenches. The enemy barraged “No-man’s-land” for about 15 minutes, after which... Continue Reading →
German Trench Raid Action on March 13th, 1917
The beginning of February 1917 was a chance for the Battalion to rest and refit. From the 1st to the 11th of February the Battalion billeted in Auchel, France and trained and recreated until it moved with the 4th Brigade forward from Auchel towards Arras and the Vimy Sector of the Front. The Battalion moved... Continue Reading →
March 1917 Casualties
March 1917 involved 1,036 casualties resulting in death. Of those 11 where of the 18th Battalion. Rank Surname Forename Age Date of Death Reg. No. Additional Information Corporal BUCK ARTHUR LAWRENCE 28 24/03/1917 124539 SON OF FREDERICK WILLIAM BUCK AND ELLEN BUCK, OF 6, RICHMOND TERRACE, NORTHGATE, PONTEFRACT, YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND. Private BUCKLEY JOHN... Continue Reading →
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: March 1917
CONFIDENTIAL WAR DIARY OF 18th Canadian Battalion – 2nd Canadian Division From 1st March to 31st March 1917 Volume 19 7 Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information Brigade Support 1 18th Battalion in Brigade Support THELUS SECTOR. Working parties out repairing and draining support and communication trenches. 2 Position same. LIEUT. Col. G.F.... Continue Reading →
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: February 1917
CONFIDENTIAL WAR DIARY OF 18th Canadian Battalion - 2nd Canadian Division From 1st February to 28th February 1917 Volume 18 5 Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information AUCHEL 1 Battalion in Rest Billets. Physical exercises. Bayonet fighting. Company and Platoon drills, 19 o.r.s sick admitted to hospital[i]. 2 o.r.s returned from hospital. 2... Continue Reading →
Re-examining the Pantall/Symonds File
Re-examining the Pantall/Symonds File This is a post expanding on and correcting a previous post in order to expand on that post and correct some of the initial conclusions made in that post. Summary Private Bernard (possibly Barnard) Pantall of the Royal Canadian Regiment was discharged and re-enlisted using his cousin, George Symonds', identity. He... Continue Reading →
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: January 1917
CONFIDENTIAL WAR DIARY OF18th Canadian Battalion - 2nd Canadian Division From 1st January to 31st January 1917 Volume 17 PlaceDateHourSummary of Events and InformationMAROC1 Battalion in Brigade support in CALONNE II sector. CAPT. R.H. McCRIMMON returned to duty with Battalion from Command duty. 5 o.r.s wounded while on working part. 2 o.r.s sick admitted to hospital. 2 Positions... Continue Reading →
Casualty List: January 1917
Surname Forename Date of Death Rank Reg. No. CALVERT HUGH 03/01/1917 Private 226535 LEASK JAMES LESTER 04/01/1917 Private 745118 MOSS STANLEY 10/01/1917 Private 226623 SHORT ROBERT WILLIAM 25/01/1917 Private 769243 TAYLOR ISAAC 08/01/1917 Private 195959 WILSON ROBERT THORNTON 05/01/1917 Private 745220 Note: The title of subsequent casualty list posts will be changed as the old... Continue Reading →
The Harvard Class of ’19 Student: Private David Sidney Laird
Question 10 on the Attestation Paper filled out for each man that enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force asks: Have you ever served in any Military Force? If so, state particulars of former Service. In the majority of cases this question, if answered, involves a recruit’s involvement in either the Canadian Militia or in the... Continue Reading →
A Painful Duty
Form letter informing Mrs. W. Maberley that one of her sons has died. A full transcription of this letter at the end of this entry. Some time shortly after April 7th, 1917 Mrs. W. Maberley, the mother of Private Henry Kiddle, reg. no 745109, was informed of his death from pneumonia on April 2nd, 1917.... Continue Reading →
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 