Assaulting My CMOS

ACROSS ATLANTIC WITH 18TH BATTALION; HEAVY SEAS CAUSED MUCH MAL-DE-MER; SOME THRILLING INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE; OFFICERS AND MEN IN PINK OF CONDITION From the Time London Men Reached Halifax, Until the Good Ship Grampian Landed Them Safely on English Terra Firma, Pte. Bartlett Tells of the Adventures Met With, of the Feeling of Enthusiasm of the Volunteers, and of the Real Joy Engendered at the…

It was the last Thursday of the year. In fact, it was the last day of the year when a 22-year-old moulder enlisted with the 160th Overseas Battalion at Southampton, Ontario. From Neustadt, Ontario, the reason for this man enlisting at Southampton was that he lived and worked there, though he originally was from Cargill, Ontario. His motivation to enlist was turned into action on 31 January 1915.…

On 3 June 1915, the Chesley Enterprise published a letter from an 18th Battalion soldier from the area. 219 days of military service had transpired by the time Private Harold Stanley Gardner’s[i] letter was published in the local paper. When he enlisted, he was a 23-year and 26-day-old man working as a furniture finisher at Chesley, Ontario. (Full news clipping below main article._ His letter,…

I am pleased to report that approximately 55 people attended the presentation. It was well-received, and I appreciated the opportunity to speak to this group. I think my presentation showed a slightly different perspective that helped with their understanding of the battle. This is a video of the presentation, and a PDF copy of the presentation, with speaker notes, is available here.

The We Are The Dead ( @WeAreTheDead ) Twitter account unfailingly posts the names of Canadian Service Men and Women who gave the ultimate sacrifice. One such tweet got my attention as I check any of the tweets with Western Ontario Regiment to see if any of these soldier commemorated are from the 18th. In a recent tweet I found two. A Private  Frank William Mills Service No. 159148 and a…

I will be giving a lecture on 8 April 2026. Details below and at this LINK. 2026 Vimy Day Lecture – Timetable for Victory: The 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade at the Battle of Vimy RidgeEvent dateWed, 8 Apr 2026 – 7:00:pmPlease join the Society at the Elgin County Museum, 460 Sunset Drive, for the annual Vimy Day Lecture. The Society is pleased to be hosting this year’s talk in cooperation with…

Approximately 10 years ago, the author purchased a packet of items that belonged to this man. This is a review of what was in the package. This does not include the book in the packet titled Infantry Training (4-Company Organization), 1914 issued by the General Staff, War Office. This document is designed to give some context to these items. Record of Scanned Documents Private Edward Frederick…

Company Sergeant Major Richardson wrote a letter home on 12 January 1916 from the relative safety of La Clytte[i], Belgium (now known as De Klijte), which was a camp used as a Divisional Reserve for the units of the Imperial Army. The 18th Battalion has spent Christmas[ii] in the trenches after arriving with the rest of the 2nd Canadian Contingent in the middle of September 1915 to buttress the…

With thanks to the contributor of this photograph to the 18th Battalion Facebook Group. The war was over. And the boys were going home. But what to do with a thousand young men fresh from occupation duty in Germany? Soccer was one such diversion. Thanks to the Ley and Lois Smith War, Memory, and Popular Culture Research Collection[i] – Western University, one can glimpse a moment in time,…

On 2 September 1918, Colonel B. H. Belson would present a Military Medal[i] to a former 18th Battalion soldier, invalided home due to illness as he was discharged from service at Toronto, Ontario, on 15 April 1918. The circumstances of the act of valour from which he earned his medal speak for themselves: “MILITARY MEDAL On August 15th 1917. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in…

Private William Cecil Sproal, Circa 1916. With the images and sounds of the now famous Battle of Vimy Ridge present in his 22-year-old mind, Private Sproal took time to write his mother while the 18th Battalion was “resting”[i] in billets at the camp located at Bios-des-Alleux[ii]. His letter, transcribed in full below, describes his experiences during the battle[iii]. April 15, 1917. Dear…

Introduction I had the honour and pleasure of speaking at an event held at the Mill Pond Gallery at Cargill, Ontario. The event was to acknowledge the service of the veterans of this proud town by hosting an event that had several speakers talking about the military heritage of Cargill. I was one of those speakers. I want to acknowledge the organizers, and in particular John Kelley, from whose…

In the summer, I gave a presentation about how to interpret Canadian Expeditionary Force Service Files to the Legion at Paisley, Ontario, which was well attended. This Remembrance Day, I am presenting at the Perth and Stratford Archives and Museum.

In a churchyard in north-eastern France, there are inscriptions left by soldiers from the First World War. English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian. One person has been diligently photographing and documenting these inscriptions, and there are several 18th Battalion men whose inscriptions live on because of his work. It puts a soldier at a place and time and connects…

On 18 July 2025 Lieutenant Raymond Earl Rouse MM MC grave was visited. This man served with the 18th Battalion, earning two decorations for valour, one as an enlisted man, and one as an officer. His military service started with his enlistment with the 18th Battalion on 27 October 1914, at Woodstock, Ontario. He was a 23-year-old steam engineer and probably was living in Tillsonburg, Ontario at…

On 18 July 2025, Lieutenant Raymond Earl Rouse MM MC grave was visited. Photo by the author. Stone remediated and flags placed 18 July 2025. This man served with the 18th Battalion, earning two decorations for valour, one as an enlisted man and one as an officer. His military service started with his enlistment with the 18th Battalion on 27 October 1914, at Woodstock, Ontario. He was a…

The Circumstances of Death Card for Private Douglas, reg. no. 54153 starkly relates that he “Killed in Action” in the vicinity of Courcelette on 16 September 1916 at the 18th Battalion’s first engagement at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. The main attack occurred on the prior day and is noted in history for the first use of the modern battle innovation, the tank. What is significant for Private…