Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION From 1st February 1 1919 to 28th February 1919 Volume 42 With appendices 1 – 28 Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information Fosses I.35.75 1 Map for Reference: Namur 8 1/100,000 Battalion training as per Appendix No. 1 attached. In accordance with... Continue Reading →
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: October 1918
Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION From 1st October to 31st October, 1918 Volume 38 With appendices 1 – 15 Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information Buissy Switch & Hindenburg Line V.30.b & D Map 51.b. SE. 1 Maps for Reference: 51.b.SE. 1/20,000 51a.SW. 1/20,000 51.A 1/40,000 At 06:00... 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 →
War Diary of the 18th Battalion: December 1917
CONFIDENTIAL WAR DIARY -OF- 18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION From 1st December to 31th December 1917 Volume 28 With appendicix "A" Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information Vancouver Road T28.a.5.2 1 Battalion in support area at Vancouver Rd. Situation quiet, nothing unusual occurred. Major J.R. Richardson rejoined Battalion from England. 5... Continue Reading →
The Raid at Hill 70
4th Canadian Infantry Brigade Order No. 142 outlined the details of a raid on the German lines in detail. The order specifically directs the Battalion in the intention and actions during the raid and was an important preparatory step for the Battalion, and the other Battalions of the Brigade for the attach on Hill 70... Continue Reading →
…and no battalion has a more glorious record than our good old 18th.
On April 10, 1919 two news stories about the 18th Battalion were published on page three in the Border Cities Star. One story was about the past, told of a traitor in the 18th who “surrendered” to the Germans in July 1918 while the Battalion was stationed in the Telegraph Hill area in the Arras... Continue Reading →
16 Days in the Line: The Death of Private Dorken
He only served 16 days in the front line. For is service he is honoured at the Vimy Memorial and he will not be forgotten. Private Ernest John Dorken joined the C.E.F. on January 4, 1916 in Woodstock, Ontario. It appears that he was one of three sons of the Dorkens that would volunteer for... Continue Reading →
“One dead German in our wire.”: Reports on a German Raid on the 18th Battalion May 1917
April 1917 had brought the Canadian Expeditionary Forces a hard won victory at Vimy Ridge and from that success the 18th Battalion held positions on the East side of Vimy Ridge through the month of May. The 2 week previous to the action in question the Battalion had been relieved on the 13th of May... Continue Reading →
Christmas Truces: “…our German friends were quite friendly.”
A recent viewing of the movie Joyeux Noël made me curious as to the involvement of Canadian troops in the Christmas truces that sprung up after the well documented truces that occurred in 1914. Since the First Canadian Contingent did not arrive in the theater of operations until February 1915 they were not involved in... Continue Reading →