(Last Updated on December 04, 2008
)
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Important Notice:
In using the information on the page, you agree not to republish this
information in any form or to use it for any commercial
purpose. At any time the material is used, you must acknowledge
the source of the information and reference the original text as
follows:
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.
Updates:
 | December 27, 2006:
For those that want to download the Nicholson files directly, we
have added a table that will take you to the "raw
directory". There are no index pages in these
directories, just the files. |
| November 29, 2006: The Matrix index was
reconfigured so that all files can be downloaded from this
page. The references and Index pages have not been completed
as of this date. |
| November 30, 2006: The Google Earth links
were changed so that you now go directly to the Google Earth
Community, so as long as your google earth program is open the
images will automatically load. If you wish to download the
KMZ file (KML file + images) you can use the secondary link. |
In the Fall of 2006, the Matrix Team (rlaughton;
2003springy)
initiated another major assignment, that being the transcription of the DND PDF Version of the Nicholson text back
into the original format, as the PDF version is not
paginated properly and lacks the maps, sketches and appendices.
This was accomplished using text recognition software, manual
reformatting of the pages, and a laborious task of proofreading and
corrections. For more information on this project, links to the
material or and additional updates, please check the Nicholson
Text Transcription Project on the Forum. Please
see the Google
Earth Overlay topic for additional instructions on that topic (manual
use of KMZ or KML files).
|
DIRECTORIES FOR RAW DATA
DOWNLOADS |
|
LINKS TO INDIVIDUAL
ITEMS IN THE NICHOLSON MATRIX |
| Section |
Transcription |
Normal Maps |
Google Earth Overlays |
Sketches |
| Front Cover |
none |
Operations,
CEF France and Belgium 1915-1917 |
Operations,
CEF France and Belgium 1915-1917
- Download
KMZ file
|
none |
| Back Cover |
none |
Operations
CEF France and Belgium 1918 |
Operations
CEF France and Belgium 1918 - To Mons
- Download
KMZ file
Operations
CEF France and Belgium 1918 - To Cologne and Bonn -
Download
KMZ file |
none |
| Contents |
Contents |
none |
none |
none |
| Forward |
Forward |
none |
none |
none |
| Preface |
Preface |
none |
none |
none |
| Chapter 1 |
Canada
At War |
none |
none |
none |
| Chapter 2 |
Forging
the Weapon |
none |
none |
1:
Camp Valcartier
2: Canadians on
Salisbury Plain 1914-1915
3: The Western
Front Initial German Advances August-September 1914 |
| Chapter 3 |
The
Battles of Ypres, 1915 |
1: Ypres
The Gas Attack 22 April 1915 |
1:
Ypres The Gas Attack 22 April 1915
- Download
KMZ file
|
4:
The Battle of Neuve Chapelle 10-12 March 1915
5: The Northern
Sector 21 April 1915
6: The Open
Flank 23 April 1915
7: Closing The
Gap 23 April 1915
8: The Apex
Lost 24 April 1915
9: The Battle
of St. Julien 24 April 1915
10: The Second
Brigade Holds Firm 25 April 1915
11: The Battle
of St. Julien 25 April 1915
12: The Attack
by the Lahore Division 26 April 1915
13: The
Salient 22 April - 4 May 1915
14: The Battle
of Frezenberg Ridge 8 May 1915 |
| Chapter 4 |
Festubert
and Givenchy, 1915 |
2:
Festubert 15-21 May 1915 |
2:
Festubert 15-21 May 1915
- Download
KMZ file
|
15:
The Front from Ypres to Arras
16: Givenchy
15 June 1915
17: The
Canadian Corps in the Line 23 September 1915
18: The
Approaches to the Black Sea 1915
19: The
Eastern Front 1915
20:
North-Easter Italy 1915
21: La Petite
Douve Night Raid 2nd Brigade 17 November 1915
22: The
Canadian Corps Front 23 December 1915 |
| Chapter 5 |
The
St. Eloi Craters and Mount Sorrel, 1916 |
3: The
St. Eloi Craters 4&6 April 1916
4a: The Battle of
Mount Sorrel 2 June 1916
4b: The Battle of
Mount Sorrel 3 June 1916
4c: The Battle of
Mount Sorrel 13 June 1916 |
3:
The St. Eloi Craters 4&6 April 1916
- Download
KMZ file
4a:
The Battle of Mount Sorrel 2 June 1916
- Download
KMZ file
4b:
The Battle of Mount Sorrel 3 June 1916
4c:
The Battle of Mount Sorrel 13 June 1916 |
23:
The St. Eloi Craters 10 April 1916
24: The Attack
on Hooge 6 June 1916 |
| Chapter 6 |
The
Battles of the Somme, July-November 1916 |
5: The
Battles of the Somme July-November 1916
6: Courcelette 15
September 1916 |
5:
The Battles of the Somme July-November 1916
- Download
KMZ file
6:
Courcelette 15 September 1916 - Download
KMZ file |
25:
Pozières Ridge 3-8 September 1916
26: Pozieres
Ridge 9-11 September 1916
27: The
Courcelette Sector 20 September 1916
28: The
Courcelette Sector 22 September 1916
29: Thiepval
Ridge 26 September 1916
30: Thiepval
Ridge 27 September 1916
31 Thiepval
Ridge 28-29 September 1916
32: The Battle
of Ancre Heights Regina Trench 1 October 1916
33: The Battle
of Ancre Heights Regina Trench 8 October 1916
34: The Battle
of Ancre Heights Regina Trench 21 October 1916
35: The Battle
of Ancre Heights Regina Trench 11 November 1916
36: The Battle
of Ancre Heights Desire Trench 18 November 1916 |
| Chapter 7 |
Behind
the Front |
none |
none |
none |
| Chapter 8 |
The
Battle of Vimy Ridge, 9-14 April 1917 |
7: Vimy
Ridge 9-12 April 1917 |
7:
Vimy Ridge 9-12 April 1917
- Download
KMZ file
|
37:
The Balkan Front 1916
38: Nivelle's
Plan and the German Withdrawal Spring 1917
39: The
Battles of the Scarpe April-May 1917 |
| Chapter 9 |
The
Capture of Hill 70, 1917 |
8: Hill
70 and Lens 15-25 August 1917 |
8:
Hill 70 and Lens 15-25 August 1917
- Downloaded
KMZ file
|
40:
Arleux-En-Gohelle 28 April 1917
41: Fresnoy
En-Gohelle 3 May 1917
42: The
Souchez-Avion Sector May-June 1917 |
| Chapter 10 |
Passchendaele,
October-November 1917 |
9:
Passchendaele 26 October - 10 November 1917 |
9:
Passchendaele 26 October - 10 November 1917
-Download
KMZ file
|
43:
Flanders 1917
44: The
Italian Front 1917
45: Cambrai
November-December 1917 |
| Chapter 11 |
Conscription |
none |
none |
none |
| Chapter 12 |
The
German Offensives of 1918 |
10: The
German Offences March-July 1918 |
10:
The German Offences March-July 1918
- Download
KMZ file
|
46:
Moreuil Wood and Rifle Wood 30 March and 1 April 1918 |
| Chapter 13 |
Amiens,
8-11 August 1918 |
11: The
Battle of Amiens 8-18 August 1918 |
11:
The Battle of Amiens 8-18 August 1918
- Download
KMZ file
|
47:
The Western Front from Avricourt to the Sea July 1918
48: Amiens The
Battle Area 8 August 1918
49: Amiens The
Battle Area 9-19 August 1918 |
| Chapter 14 |
Through
the Hindenburg Line to Cambrai |
12: The
Battle of Arras 26 August - 5 September 1918
13: The Canal du
Nord and Cambrai 27 September - 11 October 1918 |
12: The
Battle of Arras 26 August - 5 September 1918
- Download
KMZ file
13: The Canal du
Nord and Cambrai 27 September - 11 October 1918 -
Download KMZ file |
50:
The Advance to the Hindenburg Line and The Canal du Nord 20
August - 26 September 1918
51: Rolling
Back the Enemy 8 August - 15 October 1918
|
| Chapter 15 |
The
Final Advance, 12 October-11November |
14:
Valenciennes 1-2 November 1918
15: The Final
Advance Cambrai to Mons 12 October - 11 November 1918 |
14:
Valenciennes 1-2 November 1918
- Download
KMZ file
15: The Final
Advance Cambrai to Mons 12 October - 11 November 1918
- Download
KMZ file |
52:
The Canadian Cavalry Brigade at Cateau 9 October 1918
53: Operations
Canadian Division Between the Scarpe and the Sensee 8-12 October
1918 |
| Chapter 16 |
Outside
the Corps |
none |
none |
54:
The Middle East 1915-1918
55: Northern
Russia 1918-1919 |
| Chapter 17 |
After
the Armistice |
none |
none |
none |
| Appendix A |
Person's Holding
Principal Appointments |
none |
none |
none |
| Appendix B |
Canadian Units in France
and Belgium, November 1918 |
none |
none |
none |
| Appendix C |
Appointments,
Enlistments, Strength and Casualties (4 Tables) |
none |
none |
none |
| Appendix D |
Infantry Battalions,
Names and Mobilization |
none |
none |
none |
| Appendix E |
Results of Military
Service Act (Conscription) |
none |
none |
none |
| Appendix F |
CEF Battles and Engagements
1915-1919 |
none |
none |
none |
| Appendix G |
Distinguishing Patches
Canadian Units in the Field |
none |
none |
none |
| Table Page 226 |
Composition of the
Territorial Regiments in November 1918 |
none |
none |
none |
| Abbreviations |
Abbreviations |
none |
none |
none |
| References |
References |
none |
none |
none |
| Index Part I |
Index
Part I |
none |
none |
none |
| Index Part II |
Index
Part II |
none |
none |
none |
A great deal of supporting information for the Matrix
Project comes from the classic text by Colonel G. W. L. Nicholson, C.D.
of the Department of National Defence, Army Historical Section. This text was published in 1962 and is considered a "Rare
Book" by most standards. You can expect to pay upwards of
US$350 for a copy of this text, if you can find one. Note however,
that many local libraries have this book in their Archives, they just
have no idea how valuable it is!
Appendix D is the primary reference for the Matrix, along with Love's
text "A Call to Arms" for the Matrix outline. As such,
the Matrix as it now exists is a representation of the 1918 ORBAT (Order
of Battle) for the Army Corps and Army Troops listings. However,
the Matrix is more than just a "static" ORBAT as you will now
see that we have added the "Fluid ORBAT" data for 1914 to 1917.
The Government
of Canada was contacted on numerous occasions to seek permission to reprint the book
from the original master. A contract to another firm to do this in 2004 failed due to
lack of interest. As the text is available in PDF
format from the Government of Canada, they have in essence made this
book available by that means. The transcription that appears here
on the Matrix was made from the web based PDF version released to the
public on the DND site. As such, they do not have any issue
with the additional posting of the missing components, as found here or
on the Great War web site. If at any time an objection is filed,
these pages will be removed, however that possibility is very remote. |
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