History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth"
Articles, war diaries, and recognition to the Men of the "Fighting 18th"
Each soldier in the Canadian Expeditionary Force had their own unique experience. When one watches a battalion marching during a parade there is a perception of one-mindedness and that the military ethos involves the sublimation of the individual and their unique personality and experiences. But, no matter how hard an army tries to forge individuals... Continue Reading →
Fresh from arriving in England on the next stage of his military journey, having enlisted with the 18th Battalion on October 27, 1914, Corporal Herbert Tripp, reg. no. 53622, a chef, late of Sarnia, Ontario, and a former resident of London, Ontario, writes home to friends in London of his recent experiences in the Canadian... Continue Reading →
With special thanks to Kristen Den Hartog who made me aware of this soldier. She is currently researching this soldier. Please reach out to her if you can assist her. The impact of physical and psychological injuries to the soldiers that served with the 18th Battalion will never be fully understood. These injuries were, however,... Continue Reading →
An article in the December 21, 1915 edition of the Galt Daily Reported relates the first casualty from former Galt Reporter employees serving in the war, Private John Hollins, had been wounded during service with the 18th Battalion. Private Hollins enlisted on November 4, 1914, at Galt with the 18th Battalion and gave his trade... Continue Reading →
Speaker: Professor Amy Smith-Milne Venue: Guelph Civic Museum This talk by Amy Smith-Milne was an excellent pre-cursor to helping someone understand the perspectives towards the men who suffered from shell shock during World War 1. The work of doctors during the Victorian era would influence the treatment of mental illness during this war. Using the... Continue Reading →
The understanding of what we would not call PTSD during the First World War was minimal and fraught with a range of mostly inappropriate connotations about a person's mental and moral upbringing. Many of this blog's posts reference shell shock and one may find this article from the Daily Telegraph recorded in the June 5,... Continue Reading →
Elinor Florence has a wonderful blog with information pertaining to her interests about Canadian history and a recent blog post details two distinct letters by a family member of hers that served in the First World War. The juxtaposition of the tone of the two letters is startling and I recommend you read it. Excerpt... Continue Reading →
Smith... What a name to have to research. If one goes to the LAC database and does a last name search for 'Smith' you get approximately 7,000 results. Impressive if you think of this last name as a percentage of all the Canadian troops that served overseas - about 1%. I wonder how common, or... Continue Reading →
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 