"Why, what is the news?" Those words probably reverberated in the vestibule of 696 Ashdale Avenue[1] in Toronto, Ontario one day in early December of 1916. It was a question posed by the mother of Private Charles Duncan Compton as a Toronto Star newspaper reporter followed up on the news of this soldier’s death. His... 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 →
…and only 219 are left of the gallant 18th: A Letter of Condolence
219 OF 18TH LEFT, WRITES PTE. BETTS Stratford Soldier Says Col. Wigle’s Men Are Hard Hit. LETTER IS DATED APRIL 3. Following Battle in Which Three Stratford Men Fell. Stratford, April 22 – A first-had Tribute to the gallantry and sacrifice of the men of the 18th Battalion in their recent glorious but costly achievement... 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 →
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 →
British Home Children and Barnardo Boys Who Paid the Ultimate Price
Until quite recently this blog only recognized one British Home Child. Private William Edwin Hunt, reg. no. 54081 was an 18th Battalion “Original” having enlisted in Guelph, Ontario on October 27th, 1914[i]. Sadly the research notes I have do not indicate the source as to how this soldier was discovered but his daughter, Mary Hunt... Continue Reading →
Casualty List: February 1917
Source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission 517 Canadian Army service personnel lost their lives in February 1917 or 18 per day. Rank Surname Forename Date of Death Bn. Country Reg. No. Private BEAVER AUSTIN HENRY 22/02/1917 18th Bn. France 195813 Private JENKINS WESLEY JAMES 22/02/1917 18th Bn. France 802590
Private Skelly Joins the C.E.F. 100 Years Ago
Private Lawrence Russell Skelly, reg. no. 803015 joined the 135th Overseas Battalion in London, Ontario 100 years ago today. He was an 18 year old, 5' 7.5" lad with dark brown hair. Eventually he would transfer overseas and into the 18th Battalion where he would die in combat just over 1 year after his enlistment.... 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 →
3 Boys From Blenheim
3 boys of Blenheim, Ontario, did not come home. All of them served with the 18th Battalion and one of the other connections they share is the display of their original grave markers at the Blenheim and District Freedom Library and Museum. This discovery all began with entering the data for Private James Peter Pegg,... Continue Reading →
The Elliott Brothers of Cape Croker
The Elliott brothers came for Cape Croker, in the Bruce Peninsula, and if one looks at their service records it may show the concern of an older brother over that of the younger. Daniel and Joseph Elliott joined the 160th Battalion in Cape Croker. This village was approximately 90 kilometers from the headquarters in Walkerton,... Continue Reading →
Taken Prisoner: The action at Telegraph Hill near Arras
July 1918 found the 18th Battalion in the Arras Sector. The threat of Operation Michael in March had passed and the Battalion found the first of this month in an extended stay in reserve from the 1st of July to the 14th in the Latre-St-Quentin area. During this extended period 14 officers and 150 men... Continue Reading →
News Story Puts Light on the Carthy Brothers
Pte. Eric Carthy would be the first brother to perish on December 26, 1915. Pte. Percy Carthy survived his brother only to be killed at the Somme on September 15, 1916. A recent news article by Jeff Outhit hi-lights two brothers who served with the 18th Battalion. A strongly recommended read. "'To Avenge his death.'... Continue Reading →
“Come and kiss me, mother,” she heard Morris say…
The sad story of the Searle brothers is brought into sharp relief in the news story below. Two men, far from their native land, join the Canadian Army and the eldest, William, lands in England the very day his mother leaves for Canada. It makes one wonder what the intent was? Was there a miscommunication... Continue Reading →
Private Goodier Died 100 Years Ago Today
On November 24th, 1915 the following entry outlines the activity of the 18th Battalion on that day: "'B' [and] 'D' Coys [companies] relieved 'a' [and] 'C' Coys in trenches. But that day was to have more import for Private Edward Goodier, reg. no. 53678. His "Circumstances of Death" card outlines what happened: At about 6.30... Continue Reading →
November 11th Canadians Killed or Died by Year
1914: 0 1915: 8 1916: 99 1917: 154 1918: 41 1919: 4 1920: 0 1921: 0 Rank Surname Forename Age Unit Country of Burial Reg, No. Year: 1915 Lance Corporal COCHRANE T H 21st Bn. Belgium 59175 Private GOODLAND HUBERT VICTOR 25 49th Bn. France 437411 Private HARDS BRIAN 18 "C" Coy. 24th Bn. Belgium... Continue Reading →
The Butcher’s Bill: November 1916
After the veritable slaughter that was the action at Fer-Courcelette in September for the 18th Battalion, November 1916 was a time for exceptionally light casualties. 1.301 Canadian service personnel perished during November 1916. The 18th Battalion suffered 2 men killed in action. Private Belfry had been wounded in October 1916 only to survive to the... Continue Reading →
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 