History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth"
Articles, war diaries, and recognition to the Men of the "Fighting 18th"
Coincidence. What series of events need to come together to create one? Many people attribute unseen forces to coincidence, and some dismiss that, by chance alone, there is no way a series of events or connections can occur without some unseen force conspiring to create the event that seems but impossible to have occurred. There... Continue Reading →
Presented here are the memories of one Canadian who made the pilgrimage to the Vimy Memorial. Without further ado, and with thanks to the author, Bonny Hoyer, please read. Private George Cunningham November 10th, 2013, I found myself quietly being regarded by a petite older woman on a bus in Paris, France. I smiled at... Continue Reading →
Young’s Point, Ontario, is approximately 25-kilometers north-east of the City of Peterborough. Founded in 1825 and named after the first family to settle there, it is the south terminus of Curve Lake and a set of locks (No. 27) of the Trent-Severn Waterway connects it with the Ontonabee River which forms the Katchewanooka Lake. This... Continue Reading →
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 →
This is the third of a 4-part series of the analysis of articles relating to Private Frederick Hodson, who served with the 18th Battalion. Special thanks to Annette Fulford (@avidgenie) and Lizbet Tobin for assistance with this article. From the previous stories we can get a sense of Hodson. He is a dutiful son and... Continue Reading →
Lieutenant Vincent McCarter Eastwood was a young University of Toronto student aged 19 years and 3 months when he enlisted with the 93rd Battalion at Peterborough, Ontario. His uncle, a medical doctor, signed his attestation papers certifying his medical fitness for duty with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces. His father, Vincent Senior, was the Royal Bank... Continue Reading →
Baseball was a large part of battalion life. Numerous articles attest to this at this blog. The Battalion played at Folkestone[i], at a Sports Day at Hythe, and during brigade and divisional sports days, amongst other mentions. Baseball was of keen interest to the men of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and the 18th Battalion. So... Continue Reading →
Special thanks to Michael Ritchie, the author and caretaker of the blog, Letters From Vincent, from which this material was sources. Lieutenant Eastwood was a member of the 18th Battalion from Peterborough, Ontario and Michael is diligently transcriping the letters from his Great-Grandfather. At 5:15 a.m. on the morning of April 9, 1917 the weather... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 other 5776 other casualties of war. 459 of those dead are Canadians and of those... Continue Reading →
Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION- 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION From 1st January to 31st of January, 1918 Volume 29 With appendices 1 - 5 Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information Febvin-Palfart 1 9 am to 10:30 Company parades and inspections. Physical Training until 10:30 when battalion was dismissed for the day. Being... Continue Reading →
Stuart Cameron Kirkland was a 33 year old barrister who joined the 91st Battalion at St. Thomas on April 26, 1916. Less then a year later, assigned to the 18th Battalion, he was to participate in the attack on Vimy Ridge where he was wounded. Eventually invalided back to Canada were he served on a... Continue Reading →
Battalion in the Thelus sector of Vimy Ridge May 1, 1917 and moved with the entire 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade to the RIDGE line in preparation to a month of intensive training and reinforcement of the battalions in the Brigade. Interesting note on June 3 about “2 instructors from Canadian Corps Gymnastic Staff attached to... Continue Reading →
18th Battalion Facebook member, Ed Wilson, forwarded these three photographs of re-enactors dressed as 18th Battalion soldiers visiting the Vimy Ridge battlefield. Specifically, the photographs of the soldier standing in the field is located in the approximate location of the 18th Battalion's position before the attack on their objectives at Vimy Ridge on April 9,... Continue Reading →
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 →
With the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge the following opportunities exist to relive or commemorate this event in Canada's history. See links for dates, time(s), and details. CBC: News Special: Vimy Ridge: 100 Years On CBC TV and perhaps their live stream. Livestream: The Battle of Vimy Ridge: 100 Years Later. Veterans... Continue Reading →
Men of the 18th Battalion who made the ultimate sacrifice.
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 →
Map 51b NW1 - Thelus Sector (original trench map from the archives of Lt. G. V. Laughton, M.C.) Source: http://cefww1soldierrregan.blogspot.ca/ February 1917 found the Battalion engaged in rest, refitting, and training in the Auchel sector from February 1 to 12 with one day of marching to its next duty station with the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade,... Continue Reading →
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 