Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION From 1st September to 3oth September, 1918 Volume 37 With appendices 1 – 23 Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information H.Q. Reserve SIMECOURT 1 Battalion carried on with training as per syllabus attached. 2 O.R.s. reinforcements. 4 O.Rs. awarded bar to M.M.... Continue Reading →
“As Christmas time approaches…”: Memories of Christmas 1915
18th Battalion Association[i] Windsor and Detroit Branch *MEMORIES[ii]* As Christmas time approaches, do you ever think of the first Christmas Day we spend in Flanders? Two of our Companies were in the front line, the M & N trenches, while the other two companies were in reserve at Ridgewood and Veerstraat[iii] [sic] which were about... Continue Reading →
The Lonely Soldier: Remembering a Leave
18th Battalion Association[i] Windsor and Detroit Branch *MEMORIES[ii]* Some time ago, we were watching the Television Program, “No Time for Sergeants”. The skit was about a lonesome soldier. It was funny. The lonesome soldier was no myth. He was real. It all stated the night we left London. Many of the officers and many of... Continue Reading →
The Unforgettable Experience: Buried by a Shell
18th Battalion Association[i] Windsor and Detroit Branch *MEMORIES[ii]* Every man who served in the Front Line for any length of time, whether he be an officer or in the ranks, had some unforgetable [sic] experience he would often recall during his lifetime. Some men had several and some of the experiences are much worse than... Continue Reading →
“Other Sad Afternoons to Come…”: The Death of Corporal Gehl
18th Battalion Association[i] Windsor and Detroit Branch *MEMORIES[ii]* While we were at La Clyte[iii] [sic], Jack Gehl[iv] and Dick Hamill[v] were assigned to a special work party with the Engineers. While they were away the rest of us went in the M. & N. trenches for our regular turn. Several days later, Dick Hamill came... Continue Reading →
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: August 1918
Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION From 1st August to 31st August, 1918 Volume 36 With appendices 1 – 15 PlaceDateHourSummary of Events and InformationG.H.Q. RESERVE PISSYMap Sht. 62.M.1 Battalion moved off, in battle order, to attend Tank Demonstration. “A” Coy. participated in afternoon. Remainder observed demonstration. Lieut. M.R. Sloan returned... Continue Reading →
“…a consecrated and prophetic religious leader.”: The Reverend (Hon. Captain) Carlisle
18th Battalion Association[i] Windsor and Detroit Branch *MEMORIES[ii]* When our Conventions are held at Windsor and we all parade to All Saints Anglican Church for our annual Memorial Service, it always brings back memories of our fist Chaplain, Captain Arthur Carlisle, who was the Minister at All Saints before and after the First War. Many... Continue Reading →
Shell Shock, Unrequited Love, and Murder
via Shell Shock, Unrequited Love, and Murder Recommended highly!
Thomas & James Neill – Training In Canada And England For The Great War
via Thomas & James Neill - Training In Canada And England For The Great War
The Attentions of Miss Mary
18th Battalion Association[i] Windsor and Detroit Branch *MEMORIES[ii]* Do you remember that just before Christmas (1915) every member of the Battalion received a nice gift package from the people of Windsor. Inside each package was a card showing the name of the donor. You were supposed to sign the card and hand it back in.... Continue Reading →
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: July 1918
Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION From 1st July to 31st July, 1918 Volume 35 With appendices 1 - 7 Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information G.H.Q. RESERVE LATERE-ST-QUENTIN. J.23, 24, 29 and 30. Bn. Hdqrs at J.25.d.80.20 1 Lorries called at 7.45 a.m. and took about 14... Continue Reading →
July 1918 Casualties
TEXT Rank Surname Forename Date of Death Reg. No. Private COLLIE J 18/07/1918 928739 Private GRANT JAMES ALBERT 19/07/1918 651989 Private JACK HENRY 18/07/1918 651736
“They were both fine fellows.”: “Dutch” Kress and “Butch” Cramond of Galt, Ontario
18th Battalion Association[i] Windsor and Detroit Branch *MEMORIES[ii]* Do you remember Lorenzo Kress[iii] who soon became one of the best known men among those who were first stationed at Queens Park? He later became well known in the Battalion as Dutch Kress, a nickname acquired during his school days. Dutch was quite a man. Before... Continue Reading →
“…it is an old trick of his…”: Sifton’s Actions in a New Light?
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 →
Utilizing Trench Maps: Part 2 – Map References & Case Studies
Great outline about the use and understanding of World War 1 Imperial maps.
This is the second of two articles on using trench maps in your research. Part 1 provided an overview of digitized trench map resources. This article includes tips on finding and interpreting map references as well as providing several research case studies.
Finding Map References
References to map coordinates can be found in wide range of research documents including War Diaries and soldier Casualty Forms. The example in Figure 1 is from the 2nd Canadian Tunnelling Company War Diary for June 1916 and shows that the unit was at work on a variety of defences including “shallow defensive galleries and listening posts in front of trenches H8 & H9 (28I 30c)“.
Figure 1: 2nd Cdn Tunnelling Coy War Diary for June 1916 (Source: Library and Archives Canada)
Although less common a soldier’s Casualty Form might also include a map reference. Frederick Clifford John of the 7th Battalion CEF…
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War Diary of the 18th Battalion: June 1918
ConfidentialWar Diaryof18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION From 1st June to 30th June, 1918 Volume 34With appendices as listed PlaceDateHourSummary of Events and InformationSupport Line. 4/17.a.30.40 to M.15.c.60.301 Maps for reference 51c S.E. 51b N.W 1/20000 51c 1/40000 Battalion in Brigade Support. Left sub-sector, NEUVILLE VITASSE frontage. Situation quiet, with nothing unusual to report.... Continue Reading →
Loyal to the End: The Passing of “Billy” Dewar
William Robb Dewar was Canadian. He was Scottish. He was subject of the British Empire and after living in Canada for three years upon landing in Canada he achieved the status of being a Canadian citizen. This was his right under The Immigration Act, S.C. 1910, c. 27. He earned that right fully with his... Continue Reading →
June 1918 Casualties
TEXT Rank Surname Forename Date of Death Reg. No. Private ALLSOP GEORGE HENRY 10/06/1918 3130373 Private BRADDOCK SYLVESTER 07/06/1918 53065 Private McCALMONT A 11/06/1918 880093 Private PIERSON H 28/06/1918 213415 Lieutenant SCULLY HAROLD LEO 07/06/1918 Link Private TURNEY W 28/06/1918 802279
A Splendid Officer: Captain E.H. Shuttleworth
18th Battalion Association[i] Windsor and Detroit Branch *MEMORIES[ii]* I would like to pay a special tribute to Capt. Dick Shuttleworth, another of our splendid officers who never forgot the men who served with him in France and Belgium, many under his own command. When some of our members go to Westminster, they often call and... Continue Reading →
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 