The Battle at St. Eloi Craters was not well documented by the 18th Battalion’s War Diary. The Diary skips over its involvement in the briefest of detail, and even the appendices offer little detailed insight into the action. This was an important action for the Battalion and the other members battalions of the 2nd Division … Continue reading Witness to the Action at St. Eloi
Geddes of Galt Survives the Sinking of the Anglia: “…a mined hospital ship beats everything else.”
A soldiers' expectation when they were taken out of the line due to wounds or illness was to begin a journey that led to treatment. The BEF and CEF had a proscribed process that was designed to evaluate the condition of a soldier and make a determination as to the type and method of treatment, … Continue reading Geddes of Galt Survives the Sinking of the Anglia: “…a mined hospital ship beats everything else.”
Pte. Albert Newman, a British Home Child, who gave his life in the CEF
Submitted by Dawn Hueston in memory of one of our valiant soldiers... 101 years ago this soldier perished for his country. Albert Newman, by all accounts (through research) was an orphan boarded out at least by the age of two to family(s) in England. He would eventually be shipped to Canada in 1907, by Dr … Continue reading Pte. Albert Newman, a British Home Child, who gave his life in the CEF
“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 “The day is beautiful and everything is quiet as night.”
“…a fine job for the beginner.”: Corporal Chatten Writes
Corporal Clement William Chatten was all of 21-years-old when he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force at Galt, Ontario on October 27, 1914. Though he enlisted as a private soldier, on May 2, 1915, barely a month after his unit, the 18th Battalion, arrived overseas, he was promoted corporal. This letter was written in early … Continue reading “…a fine job for the beginner.”: Corporal Chatten Writes
