March 1917 involved 1,036 casualties resulting in death. Of those 11 where of the 18th Battalion. Rank Surname Forename Age Date of Death Reg. No. Additional Information Corporal BUCK ARTHUR LAWRENCE 28 24/03/1917 124539 SON OF FREDERICK WILLIAM BUCK AND ELLEN BUCK, OF 6, RICHMOND TERRACE, NORTHGATE, PONTEFRACT, YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND. Private BUCKLEY JOHN... Continue Reading →
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: March 1917
CONFIDENTIAL WAR DIARY OF 18th Canadian Battalion – 2nd Canadian Division From 1st March to 31st March 1917 Volume 19 7 Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information Brigade Support 1 18th Battalion in Brigade Support THELUS SECTOR. Working parties out repairing and draining support and communication trenches. 2 Position same. LIEUT. Col. G.F.... Continue Reading →
Many Socialistic Tendencies
On March 12, 1917 in Wallaceburg, Ontario a 19-year-old man by the name of Herbert Royal Herbert, reg. no. 2334321 joined the Canadian Army. He had a dark complexion with dark hair and eyes. He was a glass worker, a unique trade of calling and perhaps he worked at the Dominion Glass Company factory in... Continue Reading →
British Home Children and Barnardo Boys Who Paid the Ultimate Price
Until quite recently this blog only recognized one British Home Child. Private William Edwin Hunt, reg. no. 54081 was an 18th Battalion “Original” having enlisted in Guelph, Ontario on October 27th, 1914[i]. Sadly the research notes I have do not indicate the source as to how this soldier was discovered but his daughter, Mary Hunt... Continue Reading →
Casualty List: February 1917
Source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission 517 Canadian Army service personnel lost their lives in February 1917 or 18 per day. Rank Surname Forename Date of Death Bn. Country Reg. No. Private BEAVER AUSTIN HENRY 22/02/1917 18th Bn. France 195813 Private JENKINS WESLEY JAMES 22/02/1917 18th Bn. France 802590
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: February 1917
CONFIDENTIAL WAR DIARY OF 18th Canadian Battalion - 2nd Canadian Division From 1st February to 28th February 1917 Volume 18 5 Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information AUCHEL 1 Battalion in Rest Billets. Physical exercises. Bayonet fighting. Company and Platoon drills, 19 o.r.s sick admitted to hospital[i]. 2 o.r.s returned from hospital. 2... Continue Reading →
Private Skelly Joins the C.E.F. 100 Years Ago
Private Lawrence Russell Skelly, reg. no. 803015 joined the 135th Overseas Battalion in London, Ontario 100 years ago today. He was an 18 year old, 5' 7.5" lad with dark brown hair. Eventually he would transfer overseas and into the 18th Battalion where he would die in combat just over 1 year after his enlistment.... Continue Reading →
In the event of my death…
100 years ago today Private James Benjamin Brodie, reg. no. 53776 died of wounds he sustained to both legs. A poignant reminder of his existence is his will. It reads: Will Pte. J.B. Brodie. no. 53776 In the event of my death I leave all that is due me to my Wife Esther Brodie 160... Continue Reading →
The Entomologist
George Johnston Spencer was a well known entomologist based at the University of British Columbia and became Professor Emeritus after his retirement in 1953. His collection of insects, at 600,000 specimens, is the second largest in Western Canada and his work led, in part, the the creation of an entomological museum that now is part... Continue Reading →
Re-examining the Pantall/Symonds File
Re-examining the Pantall/Symonds File This is a post expanding on and correcting a previous post in order to expand on that post and correct some of the initial conclusions made in that post. Summary Private Bernard (possibly Barnard) Pantall of the Royal Canadian Regiment was discharged and re-enlisted using his cousin, George Symonds', identity. He... Continue Reading →
Highlands East’s Veterans of the Great War Web Site
During a search for information on a soldier entered into the blog I happened upon a site entitled Highlands East's Veterans of the Great War. As the site relates: 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I. In the County of Haliburton, where Col. Sam Hughes was our Member of Parliament... Continue Reading →
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: January 1917
CONFIDENTIAL WAR DIARY OF18th Canadian Battalion - 2nd Canadian Division From 1st January to 31st January 1917 Volume 17 PlaceDateHourSummary of Events and InformationMAROC1 Battalion in Brigade support in CALONNE II sector. CAPT. R.H. McCRIMMON returned to duty with Battalion from Command duty. 5 o.r.s wounded while on working part. 2 o.r.s sick admitted to hospital. 2 Positions... Continue Reading →
Casualty List: January 1917
Surname Forename Date of Death Rank Reg. No. CALVERT HUGH 03/01/1917 Private 226535 LEASK JAMES LESTER 04/01/1917 Private 745118 MOSS STANLEY 10/01/1917 Private 226623 SHORT ROBERT WILLIAM 25/01/1917 Private 769243 TAYLOR ISAAC 08/01/1917 Private 195959 WILSON ROBERT THORNTON 05/01/1917 Private 745220 Note: The title of subsequent casualty list posts will be changed as the old... Continue Reading →
The Harvard Class of ’19 Student: Private David Sidney Laird
Question 10 on the Attestation Paper filled out for each man that enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force asks: Have you ever served in any Military Force? If so, state particulars of former Service. In the majority of cases this question, if answered, involves a recruit’s involvement in either the Canadian Militia or in the... Continue Reading →
Video: Newfoundland News, No.1 (1916)
The Library and Archives Canada has a YouTube channel with videos that are of interest. Below is video entitled "Newfoundland News, No.1 (1916)" with a run time of 9 minutes and 10 seconds. The description is as follows: Newfoundland Soldiers Visit Home of Robbie Burns. Soldiers visit the sites of Scotland including Burn's birthplace, the... Continue Reading →
News from the Frontlines
New exhibit at The Canadian Centre for the Great War... Source: News from the Frontlines
Digitizing History: Site for Private Raymond Joseph Allen
At a recent conference, The 11th Windsor Military Studies Conference, there was one presentation that reflected some of the work that this blog is trying to achieve. Kyle Lariviere, a history student at the University of Windsor, spoke about the work he did in digitizing the life of Private Raymond Jospeh Allen of the Highland... Continue Reading →
The Trench Art Mystery
An inquiry was posted regarding some trench art that was created by a "W. Collier". The inquiry was asking for assistance in finding the family of the soldier that created the trench art. This trench art is very unique. It was created by a W. Collier and has the 18th Battalion crest on it. Trench... Continue Reading →
Update on Blog February 2016
Just a brief update on the status of the blog: To date 794 soldiers' pages have been entered in the blog. A significant source of new soldiers has been two book mentioned previously in the blog - "Duty Nobly Done" and "Kiss the kids for dad. Don't forget to write." There are currently a... Continue Reading →
Mitigating the Ennui of Trench Life
Romance from the trenches. Below is a story relating to one unknown member of the 18th Battalion who, with his first Christmas in the trenches in 1915, used a unique method to assuage and address his boredom and loneliness. This is related by Lieutenant Harry Anderson Secord during an interview for the CBC Radio broadcast... Continue Reading →
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 