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1915-1917
1917-1920
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Canadian Expeditionary
Force Study Group
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| Component: |
78th Infantry
Battalion |
| Active Dates: |
1915 - 1920 |
| Theatre of Operations: |
Canada: July 1,
1915 - May 22, 1916
England: May 30, 1916 - August 12, 1916
France: August 3, 1916 - May 4, 1919
Canada: returned 1919 (Adriatic) |
| Major Battles /
Battle Honours: |
YPRES 1915, 1917;
Festubert 1917; Mount Sorrel; SOMME 1916; Ancre Heights; Ancre
1916; ARRAS 1917, 1918; VIMY 1917; Hill 70; PASSCHENDAELE,
AMIENS; Scarpe 1918; DROCOURT-QUEANT; HINDENBURG LINE; CANAL DU
NORD; VALENCIENNES; Sambre; France and Flanders 1915-1918. |
| Location of War Diaries: |
 | Library and Archives Canada (WD
Link) |
| CEFSG War Diary Transcription
(in progress = IP) |
|
Background:
| Important
Note: The 85th Infantry Battalion joined the 12th
Brigade in April 1917, after the 73rd
Infantry Battalion was broken up after devastating loses at
the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917. The 78th
Battalion moved up to take the position of the 73rd and the
85th was brought into the 12th Brigade to fill the void. As
such, the 78th Battalion took over the position and patch of the
73rd Battalion and surrendered their patch and position to the
newly formed 85th.
Stewart, Meek and Love report that the
78th served in France and Flanders with the 12th Infantry
Brigade of the 4th Canadian Division from August 15, 1916 until
the armistice.
Nicholson reports on the 78th Infantry Battalion on the following pages (see the Matrix
Nicholson Transcriptions):
| The 4th Division 135 |
| Vimy Ridge 261 |
| Passchendaele 321 |
| Amiens 406, 417-418 |
| Hindenburg Line to Cambrai 438, 446,
450 |
| The Final Advance 477 |
From Library and
Archives Canada Textual Records:
The 78th Canadian Infantry Battalion
was organized in July 1915 under authorization published in
General Order 103a of 15 August 1915. The battalion was
commanded initially by Lieutenant-Colonel J.B. Mitchell who was
soon succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel James Kircaldy. The
battalion was mobilized in Winnipeg and recruited in the
Winnipeg district.
An initial draft of 5 officers and 250 other ranks was sent to
England on 25 September 1915. The battalion itself embarked at
Halifax 22 May 1916 aboard EMPRESS OF BRITAIN, disembarking in
England on 29 May 1916. Its strength was 37 officers and 1097
other ranks. The battalion arrived in France on 12 August 1916,
becoming part of the 4th Canadian Division, 12th Canadian
Infantry Brigade. It was later reinforced by the 11th Canadian
Reserve Battalion and, after 5 September 1918, by the 18th
Canadian Reserve Battalion. The battalion returned to England on
1 May 1919, disembarked in Canada on 7 June 1919, was
demobilized on 12 June 1919, and was disbanded by General Order
149 of 15 September 1920.
The battalion colours were donated by 100th Winnipeg Grenadiers
and were deposited in Canterbury Cathedral for the duration of
war. They were later deposited in St. Matthew's Church,
Winnipeg. The battalion supported a brass band. The battalion
also published a photographic record for the year 1915.
The 78th Canadian Infantry Battalion was perpetuated by The
Winnipeg Grenadiers.
|
Sub-Components:
| not listed |
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War Diary Entries:
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.
|
| Stewart, C. H. 1970. "Overseas" The
Lineages and Insignia of the Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914
-1919. Little & Stewart, Mission Press, Toronto, Canada.
|
| 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
|
| Meek, John F. 1971. "Over the Top!
The Canadian Infantry in the First World War. Privately Published,
Orangeville Ontario Canada. |
Secondary References:
Internet References:
| This Page Last
Updated On: |
Sunday February 27, 2011 02:19:06 PM -0500
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