Found in the 18th Battalion War Diary, a message showing some of the frustration experienced: 14-8-17 To Adjut Radish Our 18 pounders are firing short on CHICORY [trench]. Send up fifty picks and shovels. Two houses at N 14.a.40-45 and N14.a.40-30 have BOCH [German] SNIPERS. M.H. MOORE has been here and wants seven stretchers and... Continue Reading →
“One dead German in our wire.”: Reports on a German Raid on the 18th Battalion May 1917
April 1917 had brought the Canadian Expeditionary Forces a hard won victory at Vimy Ridge and from that success the 18th Battalion held positions on the East side of Vimy Ridge through the month of May. The 2 week previous to the action in question the Battalion had been relieved on the 13th of May... Continue Reading →
The Attack and Battle of Vimy Ridge
To my recollection, the first time I learned about Vimy Ridge was when my Mother pointed out to me a page notated by my Uncle William Dewar in Pierre Burton's book Vimy. A notation my Uncle made on a page hi-lighting a mention of the 18th Battalion in regards to Sergeant Ellis Welwood Sifton and... Continue Reading →
The Christmases of the 18th Battalion
The 18th Battalion's formation began in the latter part if 1914 after the 1st Canadian Contingent set sail. 3 days after the 1st Canadian Contingent set sail the then Governor General of Canada, H.R.H. The Duke of Connaught, sent a telegram to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and offer by the Dominion of... Continue Reading →
“…the most severe conditions possible.”
Corporal Frank Bryant died on November 9, 1917 along with 14 other comrades from the 18th Battalion. They were only a portion of the 45 men of other ranks killed along with a further 6 officers and 60 other ranks wounded and 1 officer and 25 other ranks gassed in Passchendaele. Thus over only 5... Continue Reading →
A Young Girl Remembers into Adulthood
Anges McVittie was a young girl when Alfred Steggles boarded with her family before he joined the CEF and the 186 Overseas Battalion on March 13, 1916. Eventually assigned to the 18th Battalion he was to be killed in action exactly one year before the Great War's end. He was one of 154 Canadian soldiers... Continue Reading →
August 21st, 1917: A Brutal Day and a Horrific Month
Thanks to a reader of this blog I was made aware of a member of the 18th Battalion, C.E.F. Private Percy William Lemmon, 880420 served with the Battalion and was severly wounded on this date. More biographical information will follow but War Diary entry on this date is a stark and relevant reminder as we... Continue Reading →
Christmas Truces: “…our German friends were quite friendly.”
A recent viewing of the movie Joyeux Noël made me curious as to the involvement of Canadian troops in the Christmas truces that sprung up after the well documented truces that occurred in 1914. Since the First Canadian Contingent did not arrive in the theater of operations until February 1915 they were not involved in... Continue Reading →
“We’re all OK. Plenty of rations, water and rum.”
During heavy action during an operation in August 1917 against the ALOOF Trench in the Lens area of operations by the 18th Battalion C.E.F. the following communication was written and passed back by messenger to "Adjutant Radish" at Battalion Headquarters. To Adjut. Radish [codename] Casualties 2 killed 5 wounded I have completed a relief of... Continue Reading →
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 