In a churchyard in north-eastern France, there are inscriptions left by soldiers from the First World War. English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian. One person has been diligently photographing and documenting these inscriptions, and there are several 18th Battalion men whose inscriptions live on because of his work. It puts a soldier... Continue Reading →
He is Still Living
Private John Dobson (Military Medal ), reg. no. 651436. WARNING: Some details in this post may be disturbing to readers. In a news clipping titled Letters from the Soldiers in the Paisely Advocate dated October 16, 1918, Private Edgar Joseph McAfee writes in it, “Let me know in your next letter if Jack Dobson is... Continue Reading →
He Was a Miller
John Taylor Dewar (left) with his older brother, William Robb Dewar (Right). Man in middle is unknown. My Great-Uncle, Private John Taylor Dewar, reg. no. 730016, died from wounds received near Telegraph Hill, south-east of Arras, France on April 3, 1918. He was 20-years old at the time and his death became an object memory... Continue Reading →
“The day is beautiful and everything is quiet as night.”
Introduction One of the challenges of understanding the service and experiences of the men of the 18th Battalion is that experience, removed in time and distance, is sanitized by the War Diaries. The 18th Battalion war diaries are often bereft of detail and often only deal with the bare minimum of the military events that... Continue Reading →
Fritz mush have got his eyes on us…
The letter below is a wonderful example of the process Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers experienced during the Great War when they were transferred from their training bases in England to active duty with a combat unit on the Continent. Private Frank Allan Westlake had enlisted with the 161st Huron Battalion on January 10, 1916 and... Continue Reading →
December 1915 Casualties: 18th Battalion
The month of December 1915 was the full second month of active service for the Battalion and it had come at some cost. This month seven soldiers were to perish from the actions at the front. Rank Surname Forename Date of Death Reg. No. Private CARTHY ERIC 26/12/1915 54209 Private GERBIG JOHN 20/12/1915 53918 Private... Continue Reading →
British Home Children Support Available
This blog has touched on the role that British Home Children had in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and specifically the 18th Battalion. It is estimated that up to 10 percent of all Canadians can trace an ancestral connection with a British Home Child. One of the pleasures of hosting a Facebook Page for the 18th... Continue Reading →
A French Town Remembers
The French town of Givenchy-en-Gohelle is situated adjacent to the Vimy Ridge Memorial and I had the pleasure of taking a coffee at the Leleu Martine Cafe in September 2015 when my sister and I visited the Vimy Memorial and battlefield. The cafe had many mementos reflecting the Canadian presence in the sector of France and... Continue Reading →
16 Days in the Line: The Death of Private Dorken
He only served 16 days in the front line. For is service he is honoured at the Vimy Memorial and he will not be forgotten. Private Ernest John Dorken joined the C.E.F. on January 4, 1916 in Woodstock, Ontario. It appears that he was one of three sons of the Dorkens that would volunteer for... 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 →
The Hallam Brothers
The Hallam brothers were from Grantham, Lincolnshire, England and were born 6 years apart. The eldest, Ernest had amassed a wealth of life experience having served in the Imperial Army in South Africa, the Sudan and Egypt and then taking is fortunes to the colonies and establishing himself in Port Arthur, Ontario where he continued... Continue Reading →
A Numbers Game: Curious Case of Sequential Regimental Numbers and 4 Soldiers of the 116th Overseas Battalion
There are four men represented by sequential regimental numbers that are tied by their common experience and their relationship to each other. Two men were brothers and three men were Barnardo Boys. The fourth man shared the experience of serving with them and their act of enlisting tied them together until their ultimate fates. The... Continue Reading →
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 