Sometime in the early spring of 1915 a young man from Pennsylvania with gainful employment with Ingersoll-Rand as a draughtsman took a trip to Philadelphia to inquire with the British Consulate on how best to pursue an engagement with the Imperial Forces so he could participate in the war. The advice led him, with four... Continue Reading →
Special Event: 91st Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force ”Elgins Own” in St. Thomas, Ontario
Below are the details of a wonderful initiative taken by a series of volunteers and history buffs of an event to honour the formation of the 91st Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. I have included the details per a document from this group's Facebook page. Many soldiers of the 91st Battalion served with other... Continue Reading →
Now We See Through the Glass Darkly; But Then Face to Face
Such was the epitaph on the headstone of Major V.H. de Butts Powell. This Canadian soldier was to have an impact on Canadians and the Western world long after his death on January 2, 1918. Before Major de Butts Powell joined the Canadian Field Artillery on January 15, 1915 he served as a teaching master... Continue Reading →
After St. Eloi: A letter home.
A hundred years ago Lieutenant William Stewart McKeough wrote this letter outlining his and the Battalion's experiences: Belgium 15/5/16 My Dear Mother, Daddy, and Grant: It is some time since my last writing. We moved from here to another camp for a 3-day date before going into the line & until now have had no... Continue Reading →
Tactical Deployment of the Lewis Gun: Updated Information
In recent post entitled Letter Home: "...the poor Germans run like a lot of mice." the end note [ii] surmised 'This reference is obscure but taken in context with the rest of the sentence it appears that Sergeant Mowatt is referring to a Lewis Gun crew. Usually of 2 men.' in reference to "I went... Continue Reading →
The Mosaic of Life: Bigamy and Fraud in the 18th
Note: Additional information will require amendments to this blog. A member at the 18th Battalion Facebook Group found more information. The Players Private, later Sergeant Alfred Brittle Eliza Brittles, wife of Sergeant Brittle Private Charles Brookman Minnie “Brookman” Clark, wife of Private Brookman and William Clark William Clark, a rigger at a munition plant in... Continue Reading →
Images for The Bluffs Post
The Bluff was a sector of the battle space in which the 18th Battalion was involved. Below are some images of the Bluff(s) and this excellent PDF file from the CWGC outlines, in brief, the history of the conflict in the area and the establishment of war graves.
Letter Home: “…the poor Germans run like a lot of mice.”
Sergeant William Mowatt was wounded in the foot and this letter describes his experiences during the fighting in the Lens, France sector in August 1917. The Tilbury Times, Thursday 18 October, 1917. Letters From the Front. Mrs. Frank Mowatt (nee Martha Billings) is in receipt of the following letter from Wm. Mowatt, who went overseas... Continue Reading →
ANZAC Day 2016
To our colonial cousins we think of your soldiers and their sacrifice during ANZAC Day.
Milestone: 1,000 Pages
Today the 1,000th page was posted on the blog. Never dreaming that this blog would be so involving and engaging it is with some trepidation that I look towards the next 1,000 pages because, honestly, there will be a 1,000 more after that thousand. I can see that some of my initial efforts to keep... Continue Reading →
Private David Knight Died Because of His Service
Creating the 18th Battalion Facebook Group has paid dividends in many ways. In this specific case a member of the group forwarded an image that officially recognizes the illness of Private David Knight, reg. no. 888057 as being directly related to his service. Private Knight attested to the 186th Battalion on March 7, 1916 and... 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 →
A Letter From a Soldier Who Served During the Vimy Attack: Graphic Description of Vimy Ridge
A letter from Lieutenant Stuart Cameron Kirkland published in the Aylmer Express, May 24,1917 and edited for clarity: GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF VIMY RIDGE Some of the Sights Encountered Lieut. Stuart C. Kirkland, who is now in England recovering from a wound in his arm received at the battle of Vimy Ridge, writes the following... 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 →
The Postcards of Private Blue to Miss Ella Mitchell, A Teacher in Paisley
One soldier. One life. The evidence of the war experiences for Private Alexander Edward Blue of the 18th Battalion is greater than most, and less than others. One gets a sense of the man, but how much of that is our projection and perspectives from our perspective influencing our perception of the evidence presented before... Continue Reading →
The Wounds of Private Blue
Private Alexander Edward Blue of Paisley, Ontario joined the 18th Battalion at it's inception. On October 27, 1914 he enlisted and began his journey to war. He would become wounded on June 29, 1916, 612 days into his service with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. His war experience is offered in digital format which allows us... Continue Reading →
It is nothing but hell on earth out there, and I know it.: A Letter From Private Blue
In two previous posts the war experience of Private Alexander Blue was reviewed. The first post offered a brief biographical sketch written in pen in long-hand and was part of the Kincardine, Ontario Royal Canadian Legion’s archives. The second post offered, from the same source, letters of assurance from a casualty clearing station immediately after... Continue Reading →
We Shall Not Forget to Pray for Him: News reaches home in Paisley, Ontario regarding the condition of Private Blue
On June 29th, 1916 in the Dickenbusch sector of the Belgium front Private A.E. Blue was wounded in the chest by a sniper's bullet. The family was informed by telegraph on July 4th of the nature of his wounds and the service records indicates he was "dangerously ill" on June 30th with that status being... Continue Reading →
He Was a Young Lad Frightened and About To Go “Over the Top”: A Simple Biography of Private A.E. Blue
Private Alexander Edward Bruce in an undated photo. Source: Bruce Remembers. Sometimes the simplest information about a soldier can yield facts and insight into the life of that soldier, and by extension, the lives of his comrades-in-arms. Private Alexander Edward Blue. reg. no. 54004 has information at the Bruce Remembers site which is an absolute... Continue Reading →
German Trench Raid Action on March 13th, 1917
The beginning of February 1917 was a chance for the Battalion to rest and refit. From the 1st to the 11th of February the Battalion billeted in Auchel, France and trained and recreated until it moved with the 4th Brigade forward from Auchel towards Arras and the Vimy Sector of the Front. The Battalion moved... Continue Reading →
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 