A 33-year-old hotel porter stood in line on 5 January 1916 with the 124th Battalion. He was a native of England and served 7 years with the 1st Sussex as a Bandsman. He was born and lived in Brighton, in Sussex, and the chance to join the war, go home and fight for his country... Continue Reading →
The Accidental Death of Private James Aitken reg. no. 769314
On December 23rd, 1916 Private James Aitken, reg. no. 769314, was standing outside of a cook house waiting for a meal. He had been assigned to the 18th Battalion but found himself assigned to the 4th Field Company, Canadian Engineers and then to the 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion. It was in the service of this... Continue Reading →
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: August 1916
CONFIDENTIAL WAR DIARY OF 18th Canadian Battalion – 2nd Canadian Division From 1st August to 31st August 1916 Volume 12 With appendices 1 [1] Corrected from CRYOTA to CHRYSTAL. Original transcription was incorrect. Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information ALBERTA CAMP 1 Battalion in reserve at ALBERTA CAMP. Pay and Bath parades. 20... Continue Reading →
August 1916: The Butcher’s Bill
August 1916 appears to be a relatively quiet month for the 18th Battalion. Appears. On August 8th Lieutenant Brown, during a grenade demonstration and training session was accidentally killed when a grenade he was holding exploded. 14 other men where wounded during this incident. It could have been much worse. With only 3 men killed,... Continue Reading →
The Accidental Death of Lieutenant William Ormiston Brown
Warning: This post contains a graphic description of Lieutenant William Ormiston Brown's wounds and resulting death. During the First World War the statistics of accidental death or wounding resulting in death were not kept. During World War II only 7 officers serving were killed accidentally at a rate of 0.3 percent. Accidental deaths for other... Continue Reading →
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 