[Illustration: Cover]
[Illustration: COLOURS OF SOME CANADIAN BATTALIONS ON WOLFE'S MONUMENT
IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY
The 116th Batt. Colours are in the centre. These colours were worked
and presented to the Battalion by the ladies of Ontario County]
THE
116TH BATTALION
IN FRANCE
[Illustration: 116 CANADA OVERSEAS BATTALION]
BY
THE ADJUTANT
1921
_Copyright, Canada, 1921,
by E. P. S. Allen, Toronto_
PRESS OF THE HUNTER-ROSE CO. LIMITED
PREFACE
With the assistance of the official "War Diary" and the proud memory
of two years' service with the 116th Battalion C.E.F. in France,
the writer has compiled this small book for all ex-members of the
Battalion, with the hope that they may find somewhere within its
pages the reminiscence of days spent together, battles fought, and
friendships made; and for the parents, relatives, and friends whose
loved ones fell whilst fighting in the ranks of the Battalion, as a
token of remembrance and sympathy.
THE ADJUTANT.
CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTION 7
CHAPTER I.--SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE 13
CHAPTER II.--VIMY RIDGE 19
CHAPTER III.--UMPTY UMPS 27
CHAPTER IV.--THE RAID 31
CHAPTER V.--HILL SEVENTY 40
CHAPTER VI.--PASSCHENDAELE 49
CHAPTER VII.--REST BILLETS 53
CHAPTER VIII.--AUGUST 8TH 62
CHAPTER IX.--THE BOIRY SHOW 72
CHAPTER X.--CAMBRAI 80
CHAPTER XI.--MONS 87
HONOR ROLL 94
INTRODUCTION
There were very few, if any, Canadian Militia Regiments that succeeded
in keeping their identity in France throughout the Great War. The
reasons for this were--Firstly, the recruiting system, by means of
which men were gathered into the Battalions of the Expeditionary Force,
through the different Militia Regiments; the majority of the overseas
Battalions being formed by drafts from three, four, five and sometimes
more different Regiments. Secondly, the method of reinforcement, which
distributed officers and men to Battalions in France disregarding any
other principle except that these officers and men were from the same
Province as the Battalion to which they were going. And even this did
not hold good at all times.
The fact remains, however, that the 116th Battalion was recruited and
fostered in the County of Ontario and led to France and in France by an
officer of the 34th Regiment. In consequence, a few details concerning
the military history of that County and the parent regiment may be of
interest to those members of the 116th who joined the Battalion from
other parts of the Province and through other regiments.
The County of Ontario can justly claim credit to have been one of the
first counties in the Province to recognize and fulfil its militia
obligations, the first company of militia in the County being formed at
Oshawa and known as The Oshawa Rifle Company.
Lieut. Colonel Bick, the Commanding Officer of the 34th Regiment, has
in his possession a bugle with the following inscription:
"Presented by the Ladies of Oshawa to the Oshawa Rifle Company on
their return home from the Front, June 1866."
The 34th Ontario County Regiment was organized in accordance with
the general orders of September 14th, 1866, and was composed of ten
companies and H.Q. as follows:--
Battalion and Staff H.Q. Whitby
No. 1 Company Whitby
2 " Brooklin
3 " Oshawa
4 " Greenwood
5 " Port Perry
6 " Uxbridge
7 " Beaverton
8 " Pickering
9 " Columbus
10 " Cannington
Sometime afterwards the Battalion was reduced to seven companies, those
at Greenwood, Port Perry and Columbus being eliminated.
In 1905 one more Company was added with Headquarters at Brechin and the
distribution at the present time is as follows:--
Regimental H.Q. Whitby
A. Company Oshawa
B. " Whitby
C. " Oshawa
D. " Beaverton
E. " Uxbridge
F. " Port Perry
G. " Cannington
H. " Oshawa.
During the Fenian Raids of 1866 and 1868, Ontario County contributed
its quota and a number of Ontario County men saw service in the
North-West Rebellion of 1885, some of whom are still living in the
County.
When war broke out in August, 1914, recruiting centres were established
throughout Ontario County, and almost immediately the 34th Regiment was
asked to supply a draft of 125 men for the First Contingent.
So great was the response to the call for this draft that finally 7
officers and 200 other ranks went to Valcartier to join the 2nd and 4th
Battalions.
During the interval between the departure of the First Contingent and
the enrolling of the Second, a great deal of preparatory work was done,
but recruiting was not the only military activity of the times, as
there was considerable anxiety felt throughout the County regarding the
attitude of the alien population.
The public buildings throughout the County were placed under guard, and
upwards of 300 aliens were paroled and kept under surveillance. Great
credit is due to Major A. F. Hind, at that time Chief of Police in
Oshawa and later an officer in the 116th Battalion, for the efficient
way in which this work was carried on.
During the month of May, 1915, Lieut. Colonel Bick, Officer Commanding
the 34th Regiment, prior to his departure for Niagara with the 37th
Overseas Battalion, appointed Captain G. W. P. Every of Whitby (later
transferred to the 116th Battalion), to carry on recruiting throughout
the County. Many small drafts of officers and men were despatched to
the different overseas Battalions at that time being formed, including
27 other ranks to the 58th Battalion which was afterwards closely
connected with the 116th in France; and so things went along until
October, 1915, when the 116th Ontario County Battalion was authorized.
Major S. S. Sharpe, second in command of the 34th Regiment, was given
the command of the Battalion. Headquarters were established at Uxbridge
with companies distributed as follows:--
A. Company Uxbridge Major H. P. Cooke
B. " Beaverton Major F. H. Moody
C. " Whitby Major G. W. P. Every
D. " Oshawa Major A. F. Hind
Lieut.-Colonel Sharpe immediately set to work to enlist the sympathy
and secure the co-operation of the citizens in all parts of the County.
A Civilian Recruiting League was formed and a deputation sent to
wait upon the County Council and ask for financial assistance. The
County Council responded in a magnificent manner to the request and
voted $5,000 to the 116th Battalion--$2,000 for the purchase of band
instruments, and $3,000 for recruiting purposes.
Many other generous donations were made to the Battalion by the people
of Ontario County including the Colours of the Battalion, which were
carried through Belgium, with great pride, after the Armistice.
The progress made in recruiting during the winter was such that by
May, 1916, the Battalion was 1,145 strong, and on the 23rd of July,
1916, set sail from Halifax for England on the old reliable H.M.T.
"Olympic."
[Illustration: LT.-COL. S. S. SHARPE, D.S.O.]
CHAPTER I.
SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE.
On the 8th February, 1917, the 116th Battalion, quartered at Witley
Camp, England, was warned to proceed to France on Sunday, 11th
February. Everything, in consequence, was hustle and bustle, and the
Battalion Orderly Room, which at the best of times is no haven of rest,
was inundated with requests for additional information and leave.
There was very little information to be got, other than that we were
really for duty in France, and absolutely no leave, and so we gradually
subsided and commenced preparations for our departure.
The next few days seemed an eternity, for it was greatly feared
that, even though we had received official warning for France, the
Battalion's departure might be delayed on account of mumps; at least
four huts just now being quarantined with that disease. Notwithstanding
many pessimistic prophecies emanating from the M.O. (Capt. James
Moore), the fateful day arrived, and the Battalion, less its horses and
half the transport section, which had been sent on in advance under Lt.
Proctor, entrained at Milford Station at the usual army hour for such
operations (1.10 a.m.), one ten ack emma.
The London and South Western Railway seemed determined to make up for
all its past bad behaviour, and by ten o'clock the same morning we were
all safely tucked away on board His Majesty's Transport "Victoria" with
part of the 66th Imperial Divisional Headquarters and some drafts.
Nothing of any importance happened during the voyage, and no "subs"
were sighted, so far as we knew, so that by noon we had arrived at
Boulogne. A short march brought us to St. Martin's Camp, during which
we were carefully scrutinized by the inhabitants, who shouted many
unintelligible comments at us, but which by the expressions on their
faces we interpreted to be of a complimentary nature. A host of small,
stockingless boys accompanied us all the way from the boat to the
camp, asking the most extraordinary questions in broken English, and
generally ending by "cigarette?" or "bully beef?".
St. Martin's Camp, situated as it was on the side of a hill, and about
five kilometres from Boulogne, did not commend itself to us in any way,
and there was nothing of interest there except the odd Y.M.C.A. or
Salvation Army Hut. The men slept about ten in a tent and the officers
were billeted all together in a kind of barn; blankets and bed rolls
were freely distributed, and having vainly applied for leave to visit
the City we turned in to dream of our dear ones or to wonder what fate
had in store for us during the next few months. There is nothing on
earth quite so trying as waiting for orders, especially when confined
to a camp like St. Martin's, but we were not to be kept in suspense
very long, for at midnight (which, as has been mentioned before, is
about the usual Army hour for such things) orders were received to
move, and by 8 a.m., 12th February, the whole Battalion had entrained
for a destination "Somewhere in France."
The poor old despised London and South Western Railway was a perfect
paradise to the cattle trucks of this train, but what did anything
matter now?
By 8 a.m. the following morning we had detrained at Houdain, at that
time the centre of the rest billets occupied by the 3rd Canadian
Division, and after staying one night in the village of Divion, where
we had our first introduction to Company messing, we finally reached
a place called Haillicourt, from where we could hear the guns all day
and could see the flares along the front at night--and so the war was
getting nearer every minute, or rather we were getting nearer to the
war, and strange to tell the nearer we got the better we thought we
liked it.
It might be well at this point to state that we were under orders to
join the 3rd Canadian Division, and it was generally understood that
we were to take the place of the 60th Battalion, which, although the
junior Battalion of the 9th Brigade, was held in very high esteem as
a fighting unit. The reason given for this most unusual proceeding
was that the 60th Battalion, being originally recruited in Quebec,
could not get sufficient reinforcements from its own Province, and in
consequence was receiving both officers and men from the Province
of Ontario. This method of recruiting was evidently frowned upon by
superior authority, and the 116th Battalion had been chosen out of many
others in England as an alternative to the 60th Battalion, and as a
means of overcoming the Provincial question of reinforcements.
Now, as already stated, the 60th had a wonderful record, and
individually they were as fine a lot of men as one could meet anywhere;
therefore, it is only natural that the news that they were soon to be
broken up should cause consternation in the ranks, not only of the 9th
Brigade, but the whole of the 3rd Division; and this did not increase
the popularity of the 116th.
(As later pointed out by our C.O., we were not only the "baby"
battalion of the Canadian Corps, but we were also the "orphan"
battalion.)
In addition to our family troubles we were without field kitchens or
transport, which made things far from comfortable, and it is certain
that during this period our inexperience proved to be our salvation.
We were fresh and eager to do credit to the name of our unit and our
Commanding Officer (Col. Sharpe), whose untiring energies had succeeded
in gaining a place for us in France; so we dealt with our experiences
as we found them and passed through them to others.
[Illustration: BRAMSHOTT GROUP (1916)
_Back Row_:--Lts. R. C. Henry, M. R. Jacobi, A. W. Baird, F. W. Ott,
R. J. Blain, W. S. Duncan, J. A. Proctor, W. J. Preston, M. Crabtree,
C. L. S. Newton.
_Third Row_:--Lt. H. H. Hyland, Lt. J. J. Doble, Capt. W. E. Shier,
Maj. F. H. Moody, Maj. H. P. Cooke, Capt. A. F. Hind, Maj. G. W. P.
Every, Capt. A. W. Pratt, Capt. H. V. Gould, Capt. H. L. Major, Capt.
G. E. Gilfillan.
_Second Row_:--Lt. T. W. Hutchison, Lt. G. E. Walls, Capt. J. Moore,
M.O., Capt. A. W. McConnell (Adjutant), Maj. R. B. Smith, Lt.-Col.
S. S. Sharp, Maj. C. A. V. McCormack, Capt. J. Garbutt, Capt. A. C.
McFarlane, Capt. N. E. Fairhead, Capt. C. G. Cowan.
_Front Row_:--Lt. C. S. Lennox, Lt. J. H. Hughes, Lt. K. L. Wallace.]
Whilst at Haillicourt the Battalion was inspected by Major-General
Lipsett, G.O.C. 3rd Division, and by Lieut.-General Sir Julian Byng,
G.O.C. Canadian Corps, and after about two weeks' training in the
new platoon formation we were moved to Faucquenheim, in order to be
closer to the other battalions of the 9th Brigade. The real reason
for this move was made obvious during the next few days when orders
were received on the 5th March for the Battalion to be split up in the
following manner:--
A. Company was to go to the 58th Battalion;
B. Company to the 60th Battalion;
C. Company to the 43rd Battalion;
D. Company to the 52nd Battalion.
The object of this being to give the Battalion training in actual
warfare with men who were already experienced in front line work.
Further, each Company was split up so that one platoon was apportioned
to each Company of the different Battalions as above, and all that now
remained of the youthful 116th was an ardent desire to get through the
"baptism of fire" with as much glory and as few casualties as possible.
On the 11th March the 9th Brigade, composed of the 43rd, 52nd, 58th and
60th Battalions, moved into the trenches at the foot of Vimy Ridge,
accompanied by their unwelcome but willing guests from the 116th.
Apart from working parties and general trench routine, which to the
inexperienced is all more or less exciting (especially the working
parties), nothing of any great military value was accomplished during
this tour, and by the 25th of the month our Battalion was reassembled
at old friend Houdain, where the experiences of the past fortnight
were feverishly discussed and compared. It was generally conceded that
trench warfare had not all the advantages the instructors at Bramshott
had claimed for it, and that "Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty" was not
such a rotten song after all.
Several of the Companies had encountered mud in the trenches, well
over their knees, and, as military overcoats are not constructed for
mud wading, a great many of the men in these Companies, following the
advice of the "old" soldiers in the Battalions to which they were
attached, had cut their coats in accordance, not with orders from
the 9th Brigade, but with the depth of the mud encountered. As these
tailoring alterations were for the most part made by means of the
Service Jack Knife the results were hardly in keeping with (K.R. and
O.), and by the look on the C.O.'s face when he inspected the Battalion
for the first time after its reassembly at Houdain there was certainly
trouble in store for somebody.
The next day saw about 200 brave, but ragged warriors, lined up outside
Battalion Orderly Room, awaiting sentence for destroying Government
property. The sentences were not severe, but the Battalion tailor had
his hands full for a while.