On 5 April 1912 at Chatham, Ontario a young couple began their life together. The former bachelor was 21 years old, and his new bride was all of 19. The former was of the Presbyterian faith while the latter was Methodist. Both resided in Chatham at the time of their betrothal and would make their... Continue Reading →
About to Get Into the Game: The 18th’s last exercise before going to war.
In the darkness of a soft summer’s Kentish night a chorus of an old Scots love song wafted in the night sung by the men of the 18th Battalion recently arrived in England… Maxwelton's braes[i] are bonnie,Where early fa's[ii] the dew,Twas there that Annie LaurieGave me her promise true.Gave me her promise true -Which ne'er... Continue Reading →
The Life of William Frederick Routly
This is a transcription of a biography written by this man’s daughter, Barbara Joan (Routly) Spruce. The original document is typewritten and was scanned and accessed at Family Search. The document scan is deprecated and difficult to read in some places. An attempt has been made to be faithful to the author’s version so... Continue Reading →
Three Men on the Grass: Exploring a Photograph
This photograph was contributed to the 18th Battalion Facebook Group and is the basis of this post. Three men lie causally on the grass. The photo is pixelated but one can derive a certain youthfulness from the photograph. Two of the men hold knobbed ended batons or swagger sticks and the man on the left... Continue Reading →
Is this Corporal Kelley of the 18th?
Tracking down information relating to the 18th Battalion can be challenging. There are some consistent sources of information, but when you are dealing with the service of up to 5,000 men who served in the Battalion during its existence from October 1914 to May 1919 that has no official war history and has all the... Continue Reading →
Photos of Lance-Corporal Teetzel at Southwark Military Hospital
On August 16, 1918, a Canadian soldier arrived at Southwark Military Hospital at East Dulwich Grove with a compound fracture of the right humerus. He had received these wounds just 8-days earlier as the Battalion stepped off on an attack at 4:20 AM for an objective 200 yards east of Marcelcave, France. During that operation... Continue Reading →
Bombers of the 18th
A photograph from the Toronto Telegram entitled "OUT OF SOMME BATTLE" shows 6 men who are bombers with the 18th Battalion. The photograph bears a caption and identifies the men by their initials and last name. Taking this source one can get excited that these men can be identified and connected to their service numbers.... Continue Reading →
Platoon Photograph Circa Fall 1914
No. 7 Platoon, “B” Company of the 18th Battalion CEF. No. 7 Platoon, “B” Company of the 18th Battalion CEF. Contributed by an 18th Battalion Facebook Group member. The photograph[1] is undated but there are some hints to the time on which this photograph was taken. The tunics appear to be of the Canadian Pattern... Continue Reading →
Three Men Stand Together
The three men stand together. Their faces are such that one cannot define emotion. Two of the men are not stoic as much, it seems, attempting to suppress laughter while being serious soldiers. The man on the left has his eyes fixed at the photographer is there is no hint of a smile, unlike the... Continue Reading →
Ten Sturdy Members: The Military Police of the 18th Battalion
Two photographs have striking similarities. The men are uniformed and look seriously, almost in admonishment, at the camera. Five hold swagger sticks and most of the men sport moustaches. If not for the captions on the photographs the sleeve brassards at the bottom left-hand jacket sleeve cuff would indicate what they all shared in common... Continue Reading →
A Soldier Remembered: Private Alexander McCalmont
McCalmont, Alexander: Service no. 880093 This soldier died of wounds on June 11. 1918. He received these wounds on June 10, 1918. Immigration Story regarding this soldier. June 1918 War Diary.
New Blog Header Image
Thanks for Peter Moogk for reaching out to me we have another moment if the 18th Battalion's history captured and shared. This image shows the officers of "C" Company in September 1915 at West Sandling. To put that month in context, the Battalion left for England on the night of the 14th and had been... Continue Reading →
Lieutenant Walter Garlick Worth’s Photographs
The Worth family has quite a history and some rare photos of one of their members brings part of his recuperation after being wounded a Vimy Ridge into a sharper focus. Walter Garlick Worth was part of a family that was industrious. His father, Dyson, was involved in the yarn industry, beginning at the ripe... Continue Reading →
18th Battalion Association Event Circa 1940
A recent contribution to the 18th Battalion Facebook Group brought a candid photograph of two members of the 18th Battalion to life. The photograph is from an event circa 1940 and it is evident that it, most likely, an event related to the 18th Battalion association. The two men prominent in the photograph are Sergeant... Continue Reading →
Meet Private and Mrs. Woolley
A member of the 18th Battalion Facebook Group added photographs to the Group pertaining to Private Benjamin Woolley, reg. no. 123108. A photograph of Private Woolley with his wife, Lilly. They are recorded to have lived at 1041 Frances Street, Lodon, Ontario. He enlisted with the 70th Battalion, CEF, on September 14, 1915 at London,... Continue Reading →
Clearing Snow
The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum posted this priceless image on its Twitter feed. A group of 18th Battalion soldiers stand in a line in the barracks square at Wolsesly Barracks in London, Ontario. The men stand in a line with shovels and have to dig the snow to clear the square. There is a small... Continue Reading →
Grave Images of Private Albert Edward Miller
Pte. A. E. Miller. Source: CVWM Matt Miller, a descendant of Private A.E. Miller, who died of wounds sustained during the first day of the battle at Vimy Ridge was kind enough to furnish some photographs of Private Miller's resting place. He is buried along with 5776 other casualties of war. 459 of those dead... Continue Reading →
Her “Boy Scout”
The smile seems more intimate than a smile a young officer would give a stranger. It is a smile of familiarity and pride as the Officer marches past. The young boys stand with apparent casual regard for the men of the 99th Overseas Battalion marching past. The Sergeant to the officer’s left looks askance with... Continue Reading →
Rifle Grenades Revisited
In a post entitled "The narrow escapes that some fellows have are nothing short of marvellous": A Letter from the Front the, then, Private Caldwell relates in some detail a battle between the 18th Battalion, C.E.F. and it opposite German numbers: "Our last term in the front line was rather exciting. Our bomb throwers had been... Continue Reading →
Apparently, it is an actual hell out there at times: The Letters of Sergeant Wallace
A photograph of 18th Battalion soldiers training. These soldiers are are members of "C" Company. Sergeant John Wallace stands at the ready with a Ross Rifle and Bayonet with other members of his company. He is standing front row, 3rd from the right. Lance-Sergeant Sifton, VC, is standing to the extreme right with the tip... Continue Reading →
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 