| The following information is an extract of
the 1918 booklet prepared on the 10th Battalion as transcribed
by Marc Leroux. This information was posted to the CEF
Study Group Forum on April 1, 2006.
Marc has kindly made the full version of this document
available on "Canadian Great War Project" web site (Download
PDF).
Mobilization in Canada
On August
24th, 1914, as soon as it became known that
Canada
's offer of men had been accepted by
Great Britain
, recruiting offices for the 10th Battalion were opened in
Lethbridge,
Edmonton,
Calgary, and many other towns throughout
Alberta. The response was instant and enthusiastic. Eager
volunteers flocked to enroll in
"Alberta's own Battalion", and practically every profession,
trade and calling in the Province was represented in the first
five hundred attestations.
In the
latter end of September, the battalion was ordered to mobilise
at Valcartier Camp, and its organisation
and training was placed in the capable hands of Lieut.-Colonel
R. L. Boyle. He at - once systematised
the battalion's affairs and placed its uncertain feet upon the
path towards military efficiency. But there were many shufflings
and rearrangements necessary before the "Tenth" took
their place as a unit in Canada's first expeditionary force, for
the composition of that force was not made known to the anxious
commanding officer until the last moment before the troops
sailed for England.
The 10th
Battalion was assigned to an old but commodious and seaworthy
vessel of the Allan Line, and shared quarters with the staff of
No. 1 Canadian
General
Hospital.
Fortunately
the inevitable discomforts of the journey were not accentuated
by rough weather, and after eleven days of uneventful voyaging
the fleet dropped anchor in
Plymouth
In England on the Salisbury Plain
(On)
February 7th, 1915, the battalions of the 1st Brigade moved
swiftly and silently from Salisbury Plain to the port of
embarkation. The 10th Battalion, with other units of the 2nd
Brigade, entrained on February the 10th, and boarded the
transport the same day. The journey was expected to be a short
one, and consequently as many men as was possible were crowded
on to each transport. Every available inch of space was
occupied, and the men of the "Tenth," with their fully
packed equipment and rifles, had hardly room to turn round. To
make mat- ters worse, head winds and
mountainous seas buffeted the transport from the moment she had
left the protection of the estuary, and, with the other ships of
the convoy, she wallowed in the
Bay of Biscay for three days before she finally made port.
On the
morning of the 15th of February the 10th Battalion disembarked.
The men, many of whom had suffered severely from sea-sickness,
were weary from the confinement and cramped quarters on
ship-board, and the march to billets several miles outside the
town, was a severe trial.
On the
following day the battalion was marched to the entraining point
from which they were to be taken to within striking distance of
the firing line.
In France on the Battle Line
"A"
and "C" Companies were chosen for the first tour of
duty in the "Plugstreet"
trenches, and received their baptism of fire on the evening of
February 22nd. From
Library and Archives Canada:
The 10th
Canadian Infantry Battalion was organized at Valcartier
under Camp Order 241 of 2 September 1914 and was composed of
recruits from Calgary and Winnipeg. The battalion was
commanded successively by Lieutenant-Colonels R.L. Boyle,
J.G. Rattray and D.M. Ormond.
The battalion left Quebec on 29 September 1914 aboard
SCANDINAVIAN, disembarking in England on 14 October 1914.
Its strength was 43 officers and 1051 other ranks. The
battalion disembarked in France on 7 February 1915, becoming
part of the 1st Canadian Division, 2nd Canadian Infantry
Brigade. It was later reinforced by the 9th Canadian Reserve
Battalion. The battalion returned to England on 16 March
1919, disembarked in Canada on 18 April 1919, was
demobilized on 23 April 1919, and was disbanded by General
Order 149 of 15 September 1920.
The battalion supported a brass band. The battalion colours
were deposited in Knox Presbyterian Church, in Calgary on 19
July 1919.
The 10th Canadian Infantry Battalion was perpetuated by The
Winnipeg Light Infantry and by The Calgary Highlanders.
Nicholson reports on the 1st Infantry
Battalion on the following pages (see the Matrix
Nicholson Transcriptions): Ypres
63, 66, 73, 76-77, 82
Mount Sorrel 150, 153
Vimy Ridge 253
Arleux 271
Hill 70 290-291
Passchendaele 326
Buissy Switch 437
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