Reserve Battalions

The work on the redesignated and reorganized Infantry Battalions as noted on the main Matrix page for the Reorganized Units, requires regular checks on what unit went to what reserve battalion, which unit trained who and where did the absorbed units likely go in the end? The Matrix relies on secondary references and many of you out there may have the primary references - so please do send in corrections.  Comments and/or corrections are recorded at the end of the table for tracking purposes (click here to go there now).  Additional information may also be found (or posted) on the main Matrix page that deals with units "Absorbed by Reserves".  Questions or comments can be posted to the Forum Reserve Battalion topic.

In response to our request for additional information on the formation and structure of the Reserve Battalions, CEFSG Member "Stonetown" kindly provided this analysis, cautioning us as to the complexity of the dynamic organization of the reserve battalions:

	The first Training/Training Reserve/Reserve Brigades (terminology varied depending on time and the commentator), were formed at Shorncliffe in September 1915 when the Canadian Training Division was established. By 1 January 1917, there were fifteen of them, although the 13th, 14th and 15th Training Reserve Brigades were actually the infantry brigades with the 5th Division. Of the twelve ‘real’ training brigades, six were disbanded in January 1917, two in January 1918 and the remaining four in June 1918.
	There were also two Canadian Training Divisions: one at Shorncliffe and the other at Bramshott, although the latter enjoyed several disbandments. In practice, Bramshott received battalions from Canada and then provided reinforcements to top up Shorncliffe which in turn fed the Corps in France. There were, however, numerous exceptions to this rule.
	Locations varied between East/West Sandling, Shorncliffe, Otterpool, Witley and Bramshott with some brigades being stationed at two or more of these camps. The Training/Training Reserve/Reserve battalions were not necessarily at the same camp as their brigade HQ although efforts were made to concentrate the brigades.
	Training/Reserve Battalions: by August 1916, there were 47 with another 29 battalions being drained of trained soldiers as the need arose. Seems odd, but the policy at that time was to deplete newly-arrived battalions leaving only the HQ and unfit soldiers to be disposed of at some time in the future. By January 1917, there were 57 reserve battalions in England plus another 50 or so battalions that were not designated as reserve units.
	Once the Office of Military Forces of Canada (O.F.M.C.) (officially known as Ministry of Overseas Military Forces of Canada) was established in December 1916, the organization was rationalized. The battalions in England were combined to form 26 reserve battalions and an effort was made to establish territorial affiliations. Six reserve battalions were disbanded in January 1918 and a further five in June 1918, leaving 15 reserve battalions which were still in existence at the end of the war.
	The 30th, 32nd, 35th, 36th and 39th Reserve Battalions were absorbed by one of the ‘new’ reserve battalions in January 1917. Until the O.M.F.C. reforms took effect in January 1917, there was no sequence of numbers assigned to reserve battalions and these units were known by their original title. Thus the 30th, for example, was a reserve battalion whereas the 31st joined the Canadian Corps on the continent. The 27th, 28th and 29th Battalions  were part of the 2nd Division. (Matrix note: thus they do not belong in the table of reserve battalions and have now been removed.)

Please note that the format of the summary table may change as additional information regarding the Reserve Battalions becomes available.  We have already added the "Units Absorbed" column. Some of the units absorbed and reported here were split and thus absorbed by more than one of the reserve battalions.  Some were also split amongst active units as well as the reserve battalions.  Therefore it is suggested that if you are using this table that you use the "Edit / Find On Page" function in Explorer to search this page if you are checking a specific battalion.

Cap Badge Images courtesy of Larry Will's Collection

Comments and/or Corrections made:

1. 93rd removed from 39th Reserve, it went to the 39th Infantry Battalion
2. From Annette May 20, 2008:
   
   The following reserve battalions moved during January 1919: 
   
   Report of the Department of the General Staff of O.M.F. of C. for the month of January 1919 
   Unit, From, To, Date 
   6th Reserve Battalion, Witley, Seaford, 27-1-19 
   13th Reserve Battalion, Witley, Seaford, 27-1-19 
   15th Reserve Battalion, Bramshott, South Ripon, 21-1-19 
   17th Reserve Battalion, Bramshott, South Ripon, 23-1-19 
   20th Reserve Battalion, Bramshott, South Ripon, 21-1-19 
   21st Reserve Battalion, Bramshott, South Ripon, 25-1-19 
   23rd Reserve Battalion, Bramshott, South Ripon, 1-2-19 
   
   Source: War diaries - Progress Charts, General Staff [Overseas Military Forces of Canada], Reference: RG9, Militia and Defence, Series III-D-3, Volume 5055, Reel T-10949 File: 953 (not online).