OUTLINE
OF A TYPICAL COUNTY BATTALION OF THE C.E.F.
During
the latter part of 1915, authority was received from General
Hughes to recruit the 164th Infantry Battalion under the
command of Lieutenant Colonel Percy Domville of the 13th Royal
Regiment, with Headquarters located at Milton, Ontario.
Four companies were to be recruited. “A” and “B”
companies were to be from Halton County; while “C” and
“D” companies were to be raised in Dufferin County. As
recruiting developed, officers were detailed to the various
detachments located in the towns of Acton, Burlington,
Georgetown, Milton, and Oakville in Halton County; and Grand
Valley, Orangeville, and Shelburne in Dufferin County.
Recruiting commenced in November, 1915.
During the months of December 1915 and January to April, 1916,
recruiting was brisk, and at the end of April, the Battalion
had a strength of about 800 all ranks. From that time on it
was increasingly difficult to secure men, consequently the
164th Battalion never reached full strength.
Until June 1916, the Battalion was divided into several
detachments stationed throughout the two counties. On June 5,
1916, the Battalion was mobilized at Orangeville Fair
Grounds, remaining there under canvas until July 6, when they
were moved by train to Camp Borden. The Battalion remained at
Camp Borden until October 16, 1916, and on this day they began
their long trek to the city of Hamilton, Ontario for further
winter training.
The first days march was to Shelburne, then on to Grand
Valley, Orangeville, Acton, Georgetown, Milton, Oakville,
Burlington and then Hamilton. Field Kitchens provided lunch
along the way, and every town provided a hot dinner prepared
and served in churches and halls. The thinking behind the
march through the towns of Dufferin and Halton was to try and
enlist men for the Battalion. Those living today in 1971
will never forget the march from Grand Valley to Orangeville
through rain equal to a hurricane, and every man drenched when
he reached their destination. The 164th Battalion reached
Hamilton on November 2, 1916, having suffered practically no
casualties during the 153 mile march in 17 days.
From November until April, 1917, the Battalion was quartered
in the Westinghouse Barracks. Routine training was carried
out during the winter months and in January while attending a
School of Bombing, a live bomb exploded, killing one of the
men, and wounding several others. In all 21 men had to have
hospital treatment. On January 19, the ladies of Halton and
Dufferin Counties presented the 164th with a set of
Regimental Colours. The presentation was made by Sir John
Hendrie in the Hamilton Armouries, and subsequently deposited
in St. Judes Church in Oakville.
In February, 1917, the Battalion was reinforced by a draft of
250 men from the 205th Infantry Battalion (Tigers) of
Hamilton. Owing to transfers and discharges in the ranks of
the l64th, this was necessary in order to go overseas as a
Unit. On April 5th, 1917, the Battalion left its quarters in
Hamilton and entrained for overseas; sailing from Halifax on
April 11, 1917 onboard H. M. Troop Ship “CARPATHIA”.
Incidentally, this was the ship that picked up the first
survivors of the “Titanic” that sank April 12, 1912, after
collision with an iceberg. Few incidents occurred during
passage, but a constant lookout was kept day and night for
submarines.
Arriving in Liverpool, England on April 22, the troops
immediately took the London and South-Western train for
Otterpool Camp, were the 164th remained for some 10 days.
Otterpool was a segregation camp for all units arriving from
Canada. From Otterpool the 164th was moved to East Sandling
to be absorbed into the 8th Reserve Battalion. While in East
Sandling, a number of the 164th men were drafted to France,
and after three weeks in the Reserve, the Battalion was
re-assembled. At this point, only some 400 men who came to
England with the Battalion were able to rejoin it. The
Battalion was then sent to Witley Camp to join the 5th
Canadian Division. Many changes took place in the personnel of
the Battalion after their arrival at Witley. With a new
Colonel in command, and additional Officers and
reinforcements from various other Units, the 164th held a high
position in the Division, of which it may well be proud.
Early in January, 1918, rumors were spreading around that the
5th Division was going to be disbanded and the troops sent to
reinforce the Canadian Corps in France. In February, the
first draft of 250 men from the 164th marched off at the usual
time of 12 midnight to entrain at Milford Station, again on
the L and S. W. for Folkstone, to board a troop ship for
Boulogne, France, and be assigned to the 116th Ontario County
Battalion of the 9th Brigade, third Division, C. E. F. Thus
most of the 164th Infantry Battalion saw action with this
Unit.
The memory of the first march was brought back to the men when
they had treked from Borden to Hamilton, as they now moved
form Boulogne to Estaples. From Estaples they again entrained
for the front line in trains. The L and S. W. in England was
heaven compared to the cattle cars of the French Railway. The
cars were marked for 40 Chevaux or 8 Hommes, but what did that
matter now! The men reached the 116th Battalion at Houdain,
and were divided amongst the 4 Companies of the 116th.
Lieutenant Colonel G. R. Pearkes, V. C., D.S.0., M. C., was in
command of the 116th Battalion at the time.
In March, 1918, when the German Armies broke through the
British and French at Albert, the Canadian Corps was to hold
the line beyond Vimy. The 116th Battalion was located at
Merricourt and the boys of the 164th Battalion were given
their first experience under fire, in the trenches sometimes
filled with water and other debris, not saying anything about
the lice that invaded every dugout and trench. Then there were
the rats.
During the summer months of 1918, no large scale event took
place other than holding the line; raiding parties at night on
enemy Lines; and of course always repairing the wire in no
man’s land at night. Early in June the 116th was marched
well back of the front lines and commenced training for open
warfare which came on August 8, 1918.
On
the evening of August 5, the 116th was at Boves Wood where the
men were resting in bivouacs after a series of long night
marches from the rear areas, which were conducted with so much
secrecy as to almost warrant a suggestion that the Unit might
be transferred to the Italian or some other front. At the
time, a printed order entitled “Keep Your Mouth Shut”
dealing with the advisability of strict silence concerning all
movements of troops or operations of a military nature, had
been pasted in the pay book of every soldier in the Canadian
Corps, so that whenever any one on the line of march was over
curious about the destination, there was always the simple
answer: “remember your pay book!”
During the battle of Ameins, in August 1918, the 116th
Battalion was to carry out an attack on a front of 1000 yards,
starting from the village of Hourges, with a final destination
5000 yards in front. At 2130 hours on the night of August 7,
the Battalion was moved off to occupy the assembly position.
Each man was issued 2 water bottles, 48 hours of ration, and
70 extra rounds of ammunition.
The jumping off position was reached at 0215 on the 8th of
August, giving the men of the 116th ample time to locate their
positions. At 0430 hours sharp, one of the greatest barrages
in the history of the war, by artillery and machine-guns
opened up. The 116th Battalion now went forward, and by 0730
hours had captured 16 artillery pieces, 40 machine-guns and
450 prisoners. The Battalion suffered heavy casualties, going
into battle some 900 strong; and when the roll was called 48
hours later, less than 240 Officers and men answered their
names. Many of the casualties were from the men of the 164th
Battalion.
The 116th Battalion, once reinforced took part in the battles
of Cambrai, the Hindenberg Line, Canal Du Nord, finally
reaching Mons on November 11, 1918.
Here ended the active service of the remnants of the 116th
Battalion. When the 1st and 2nd Divisions started their
advance to the Rhine River in Germany, the Battalion’s
posts were withdrawn; and on December 26, 1918, after marching
as far as Brussels in Belgium with the object of relief of
part of the 1st and 2nd Division forces, the order was
received to “about turn”. This was accomplished in two
beats of quick time! The men were marched to Blandain on the
border of France and Belgium, from where they passed through
LeHarve and on to Bramshott in England. From here they
returned to Canada aboard “OLYMPIC”.
For
the men who had enlisted in the 164th Battalion, C. E. F. the
war was over.
