| The 8th Infantry Brigade of
the 3rd Canadian Division was composed of four (4) Canadian
Mounted Rifle (C.M.R) units that were "dismounted" and
used as regular infantry Battalions. As such the 8th
Infantry Brigade consisted of the Brigade Headquarters, the 8th
Trench Mortar Battery and the 1st C.M.R., 2nd C.M.R., 4th C.M.R.
and 5th C.M.R.
From Library and Archives Canada "8th
Infantry Brigade":
The 8th Canadian Infantry
Brigade was part of the 3rd Canadian Division and was formed
from regiments of the Canadian Mounted Rifles (CMR) initially
raised for possible duty in the Middle East. The brigade
included the 1st CMR from Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the 2nd
CMR from British Columbia, the 4th CMR from Toronto, and the
5th CMR from Quebec. It was commanded successively by
Brigadier-Generals V.A.S. Williams (December 1915 to June
1916), J.H. Elmsley (June 1916 to May 1918), and D.C. Draper
(May 1918 to April 1919). The 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade
was demobilized in April 1919.
Nicholson reports on page 134 that the 8th
Brigade was organized on December 28, 1915 under the command of
Colonel Williams, who was the Adjutant General at the
time. The six Canadian Mounted Rifle units were converted
to infantry to facilitate the development of the 8th Brigade.
The 8th Brigade had the unfortunate honour
of taking the brunt of the German artillery attack at Mount
Sorrel during the infamous battle of June 2nd 1916. The
trenches and garrisons of the 4th C.M.R. were annihilated, with
89 percent casualties. Brig.-Gen. Williams was captured
and the commander of the 3rd Division (General Mercer) was
killed.
The 8th Brigade saw significant action
later in the year during the attack on Regina Trench in the
Battle of the Somme, once again taking a terrible tool, nearly
wiping out a company of the 4th C.M.R.
Other references for the 8th Infantry
Brigade are given in Nicholson as follows:
 | Vimy Ridge 250, 255 |
| Passchendaele 318-319, 321-322 |
| Amiens 398-399 |
EastCoastLobster:
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Authority for the formation of the 6th
Mounted Rifles Regiment was issued from Militia Headquarters,
Ottawa, on 25th February, 1915. The personnel was drawn from
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island and
mobilized at Amherst, N.S. was completed by 31st March 1915, the
date on which the P.E.I. detachment of one Officer and 56 other
ranks arrived from Charlottetown.
The unit moved into Valcartier Camp on June 8th and 9th; it was
trained as dismounted cavalry and equipped as a dismounted unit.
Embarked on S.S. "Herschel" at Quebec on 18th July,
1915, arrived at Devonport, England, on July 26th and was in
training at Schorncliffe until proceeding to France vie
Flokestone and Boulogne on 24th October, 1915. It was employed
as an Infantry Battalion in France and on the 1st January 1916,
was absorbed into the 4th and 5th C.M.R. Battalions which, with
the 1st and 2nd C.M.R. Battalions constituted the 8th Canadian
Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division.
The 4th and 5th C.M.R. Battalions served continuously in France
until February 1919, and participated in or were present at the
following battles:- Mount Sorrel, Flers-Courcelette, Ancre
Heights, Vimy 1917, Hill 70, Ypres 1917 (Passchendaele), Amiens,
Scarpe 1918, Canal Du Nord, Cambrai 1918, and in the pursuit to
Mons.
These Battalions retuned to Canada on board S.S. "Carmania",
sailing from Liverpool on the 9th March, 1919, and arriving at
Halifax, N.S., on March 17th. The 4th C.M.R. Battalion was
demobilized at Toronto and the 5th C.M.R. Battalion at Montreal.
The 6th Canadian Mounted Rifles is perpetuated in the Canadian
Militia by 1st Regiment The King's (Nova Scotia) Rifles.
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