21st Battalion (Eastern Ontario), CEF
| 21st Battalion (Eastern Ontario), CEF | |
|---|---|
First World War |
The 21st Battalion (Eastern Ontario), CEF was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the Great War.
History
The battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 6 May 1915. It disembarked in France on 15 September 1915, where it fought as part of the
The 21st Battalion recruited in Eastern Ontario and was mobilized at Kingston, Ontario.[2]
Officers Commanding
The 21st Battalion had five Officers Commanding:
- Lt.-Col. William St Pierre Hughes, 6 May 1915 – 18 July 1916
- Lt.-Col. E.W. Jones, DSO, 18 July 1916 – 7 January 1917
- Lt.-Col. Thomas F. Elmitt, 7 January 1917 – 1 July 1917
- Lt.-Col. Elmer Watson Jones, DSO, 1 July 1917 – 8 August 1918
- Lt.-Col. H.E. Pense, DSO, 8 August 1918-Demobilization[3]
The Ottawa Branch of the 21st Battalion Association erected a memorial plaque at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (Ottawa) which is dedicated to Brigadier General William St Pierre Hughes, DSO, VD, first Commanding Officer of the battalion.[4]
Perpetuation
The 21st Battalion (Eastern Ontario), CEF, is perpetuated by
Battle honours
The 21st Battalion was awarded the following battle honours:
- Mont Sorrel
- 1918
- Flers-Courcelette
- Thiepval
- Ancre Heights
- 1918
- Vimy Ridge, 1917
- Hill 70
- Passchendaele
- Amiens
- Scarpe, 1918
- Drocourt-Quéant
- Hindenburg Line
- Canal du Nord
- Cambrai, 1918
- Pursuit to Mons
- France & Flanders, 1915-18[6]
Media
Capt. Herbert W. McBride, who served with the 21st Battalion, wrote two books about his experiences as a member of the unit during the Great War as a sniper and machine gunner: "A Rifleman Went To War" and "The Emma Gees."[7]
Notable members
See also
References
- ^ Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.
- ISBN 0906158109
- ISBN 0906158109
- ^ "Brigadier General William St Pierre Hughes plaque". National Defence Canada. 2008-04-16. Archived from the original on 2014-05-22. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
- ^ Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.
- ISBN 0906158109
- ^ McBride, Herbert W., A Rifleman Went to War, Plantersville, SC: Small Arms Technical Publishing Co. (1935)
Sources
- Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1919 by Col. G.W.L. Nicholson, CD, Queen's Printer, Ottawa, Ontario, 1962
- A Rifleman Went To War, by Capt. Herbert W. McBride, MM, Small Arms Technical Publishing Company 1935, ISBN 978-1-62358-028-5
- The Emma Gees, by Capt. Herbert W. McBride, MM, The Bobbs-Merrill Company Publishers, 1918, ISBN
External links
