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Canadian Expeditionary
Force Study Group
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| Active Dates: |
August 6, 1914 - September 15,1920 |
| Theatre of Operations: |
France and Belgium |
| Major Battles / Battle Honours: |
Ypres
1915 '17, Gravenstafel, St. Julien, Festubert
1915, Mount Sorrel, Somme 1916, Pozières,
Flers-Courcelette, Ancre Heights, Arras 1917 '18, Vimy
1917, Arleux,
Scarpe 1917 '18, Hill 70, Passchendaele,
Amiens, Drocourt-Quéant, Hindenburg Line, Canal
du Nord, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders 1915-18
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| Location of War Diaries: |
 | Library and Archives Canada (WD
Link) |
| CEFSG War Diary Transcription
(in progress = IP) |
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Background:
| Recruited in
Western Ontario
beginning
August 6, 1914
a component
of the First Contingent. Assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st
Canadian Division, arrived in
France
February of 1915.
First major engagement is during the
German Gas Attack at
Ypres
in April 1915. Served on the Western Front
with the 1st Division for the duration of the war, disbanded
September 15, 1920
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Nicholson reports on the 1st Infantry Battalion on the
following pages (see the Matrix
Nicholson Transcriptions):
Ypres 67, 70: early
action at the Yser Canal, April 1915
Mount Sorrel 153: the attack on Tor Top as part of Currie's
composite brigade, June 1916
Courcelette 172: capture of the German front lines in the Somme,
September 22, 1916
Vimy Ridge 256, 257: capture of Zwischen-Stellung at Vimy Ridge,
April 9, 1917
Fresnoy 274-276: battles in the woods of Fresnoy, May 3-8, 1917
Passchendaele 324-325: the capture of the village on November 6,
1917
Folies 413: the capture and holding of the village near Amiens,
August 9,1918
Upton Wood 433: the clearing of the woods and destruction of the
German forces
From
Library and Archives Canada:
The 1st
Canadian Infantry Battalion was organized at Valcartier
under Camp Order 241 of 2 September 1914 and was composed of
recruits from Military District 1 (Western Ontario) and was
commanded successively by Lieutenant-Colonels F.W. Hill, F.
A. Creighton (24/1/16), G.C. Hodson (27/6/16).
The battalion embarked at Quebec on 25 September 1914 aboard
LAURENTIC (corrected by Matrix from
LAURENTIE), disembarking in England on 14 October 1914. Its
strength was 45 officers and 1121 other ranks. The battalion
arrived in France on 11 February 1915, becoming part of the
1st Division, 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade. It was later
reinforced by the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion. The
battalion returned to England on 26 March 1919, arrived in
Canada on 21 April 1919, was demobilized on 24 April 1919,
and disbanded by General Order 149 of 15 September 1920.
The battalion's brass band was the "John Peel"
bugle band. The regimental colours which had been purchased
in England were handed over to the General Officer
Commanding Military District 1 on demobilization, to be
deposited in St. Paul`s Cathedral, London, Ontario.
The 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion was perpetuated by the
Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment).
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Sub-Components:
Primary References:
| Nicholson, G. W. L. 1962. Official
History of the Canadian Army in the First World War:
Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1919. Queens
Printer and Controller of Stationary, Ottawa, Canada.
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| Stewart, C. H. 1970.
"Overseas" The Lineages and Insignia of the
Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914 -1919. Little &
Stewart, Mission Press, Toronto, Canada.
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| Love, D. W. 1999. "A Call to
Arms" The Organization and Administration of Canada's
Military in World War One. Bunker to Bunker Books,
Winnipeg & Calgary, Canada. |
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Secondary References:
Internet References:
| This Page Last
Updated On: |
Sunday March 14, 2010 07:13:18 PM -0500
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