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56th Battalion (Calgary), CEF
The 56th Battalion (Calgary), CEF, was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. The 56th Battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 20 March 1916. It provided reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field until 6 July 1916, when its personnel were absorbed by the 9th Reserve Battalion, CEF. The battalion was disbanded on 15 September 1917. The battalion recruited in and was mobilized at Calgary, Alberta.Meek, John F. ''Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War.'' Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971. The battalion was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel W.C.G. Armstrong from 1 April 1916 to 6 July 1916. Members of the battalion included future Calgary Mayor James Cameron Watson, oilman Eric Harvie, and Scottish footballer William Strang. The 56th Battalion was awarded the battle honour . The 56th Battalion (Calgary), CEF is perpetuated by the Calgary Highlanders. References Sources * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry division. The division subsequently fought at Ypres on the Western Front, with a newly raised second division reinforcing the committed units to form the Canadian Corps. The CEF and corps was eventually expanded to four infantry divisions, which were all committed to the fighting in France and Belgium along the Western Front. A fifth division was partially raised in 1917, but was broken up in 1918 and used as reinforcements following heavy casualties. Personnel Recruitment The Canadian Expeditionary Force was mostly volunteers; a bill allowing conscription was passed in August, 1917, but not enforced until call-ups began in January 1918 (''see'' Conscription Crisis of 1917). In all, 24,132 conscripts had been sent to France to take part ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Charles Gordon Armstrong
William Charles Gordon Armstrong, was one of the "best known pioneers" in the early history of Calgary, Alberta, Canada."Calgary Old-Timer Celebrates Birthday", ''The Calgary Herald'', Tuesday, November 2, 1948 Armstrong was a successful and influential real estate magnate, municipal politician, and military officer. Bercuson, David J. "Treasuring the Tradition: The Story of the Military Museums". Published by The Military Museums Foundation, 2020. Accessed online at https://prism.ucalgary.ca/bitstream/handle/1880/111578/9781773850597_web.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y He is chiefly remembered for organizing Calgary's first military unit, the Canadian Mounted Rifles, as well as organizing and commanding Calgary's first official infantry unit, the 103rd Regiment (Calgary Rifles). Early life Armstrong apprenticed as a tea-tester before coming to Canada in 1892 due to health reasons. Armstrong settled in Calgary and worked as a surveyor and in real estate. Armstrong had a wife, Evelyn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine infantry. Although disused in modern times, heavy infantry also commonly made up the bulk of many historic armies. Infantry, cavalry, and artillery have traditionally made up the core of the combat arms professions of various armies, with the infantry almost always comprising the largest portion of these forces. Etymology and terminology In English, use of the term ''infantry'' began about the 1570s, describing soldiers who march and fight on foot. The word derives from Middle French ''infanterie'', from older Italian (also Spanish) ''infanteria'' (foot soldiers too inexperienced for cavalry), from Latin '' īnfāns'' (without speech, newborn, foolish), from which English also gets '' infant''. The individual-soldier term ''infantry ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are exclusively infantry, while in others battalions are unit-level organizations. The word battalion came into the English language in the 16th century from the French language ( French: ''bataillon'' meaning "battle squadron"; Italian: ''battaglione'' meaning the same thing; derived from the Vulgar Latin word ''battalia'' meaning "battle" and from the Latin word ''bauttere'' meaning "to beat" or "to strike"). The first use of the word in English was in the 1580s. Description A battalion comprises two or more primary mission companies which are often of a common type (e.g., infantry, tank, or maintenance), although there are exceptions such as combined arms battalions in the U.S. Army. In addition to the primary mission companies, a battal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fighting occurring throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, and parts of Asia. An estimated 9 million soldiers were killed in combat, plus another 23 million wounded, while 5 million civilians died as a result of military action, hunger, and disease. Millions more died in genocides within the Ottoman Empire and in the 1918 influenza pandemic, which was exacerbated by the movement of combatants during the war. Prior to 1914, the European great powers were divided between the Triple Entente (comprising France, Russia, and Britain) and the Triple Alliance (containing Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy). Tensions in the Balkans came to a head on 28 June 1914, following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdina ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canadian Corps
The Canadian Corps was a World War I corps formed from the Canadian Expeditionary Force in September 1915 after the arrival of the 2nd Canadian Division in France. The corps was expanded by the addition of the 3rd Canadian Division in December 1915 and the 4th Canadian Division in August 1916. The organization of a 5th Canadian Division began in February 1917 but it was still not fully formed when it was broken up in February 1918 and its men used to reinforce the other four divisions. The majority of soldiers of the Canadian Corps were British-born Canadians until near the end of the war, when the number of those of Canadian birth who had enlisted rose to 51 percent. They were mostly volunteers, as conscription was not implemented until the end of the war (''see'' Conscription Crisis of 1917). Ultimately, only 24,132 conscripts made it to France before 11 November 1918. In the later stages of the war the Canadian Corps was regarded by friend and foe alike as one of the most e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
9th Reserve Battalion, CEF
The 9th Battalion, CEF, an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, was authorized on 10 August 1914. It embarked for Britain on 1 October 1914, where it was redesignated as the 9th Reserve Infantry Battalion, CEF, on 29 April 1915, to provide reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field. The battalion was formally disbanded on 15 September 1917. The battalion recruited in Edmonton, Alberta, and Ottawa, Ontario, and was mobilized at Camp Valcartier, Quebec.Meek, John F. ''Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War.'' Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971. The 9th Reserve Battalion formed part of the Canadian Training Depot at Tidworth Camp on the Salisbury Plain. The 9th Battalion, CEF, had three officers commanding: *Lt.-Col. S.M. Rogers, 22 September 1914 – 4 May 1915 *Lt.-Col. E.E.W Moore, 8 May 1915 – 25 April 1916 *Lt.-Col. E.B. Clegg, 25 April 1916 – 2 January 1917 Perpetuations The perpetuation of the battalion was assigned in 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Calgary, Alberta
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Canadian Prairies, Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, making it the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, third-largest city and List of census metropolitan areas and agglomerations in Canada, fifth-largest metropolitan area in Canada. Calgary is situated at the confluence of the Bow River and the Elbow River in the south of the province, in the transitional area between the Rocky Mountain Foothills and the Canadian Prairies, about east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies, roughly south of the provincial capital of Edmonton and approximately north of the Canada–United States border. The city anchors the south end of the Statistics Canada-defined urban area, the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. Calgary's economy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Cameron Watson
James Cameron Watson (October 21, 1890 – November 1, 1986) was a Canadian politician, electrician and 25th Mayor of Calgary. Early life Watson was born October 21, 1890, in Lexington, Kentucky, to British parents. He was educated in Boston, New York and Halifax and became a telephone journeyman electrician. Watson moved to Alberta to work in a coal mine, however a serious injury forced him back into the telephone industry. Watson was employed by Bell Telephone and later, Alberta Government Telephones, where he became a member of the Brotherhood of Electric Workers, and eventually chairman of the Calgary Labor Council. Military service In 1916, at the age of 25, Watson enlisted in the First World War with the 56th Battalion, and later, the 50th Battalion as a Lewis gunner where he participated in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917. Watson was transferred to the Signal Corps where he continued to see combat on the Western front at The Somme, Paschendale, Amiens and a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eric Harvie
Eric Lafferty Harvie (2 April 1892 – 11 January 1975) was a Canadian lawyer and oilman. Holding mineral rights to large quantities of land in the Edmonton area, Harvie made a fortune after the oil discoveries at Leduc in 1947 and Redwater in 1948. After 1955 Harvie devoted himself primarily to cultural and philanthropic endeavors. He is best remembered as the founder of the Glenbow Museum and Devonian Gardens in Calgary, which opened in 1966. Biography Early life and education Eric Lafferty Harvie was born on 2 April 1892 in a house located at 136 Matchedash Street in Orillia, Ontario to William Mcleod Harvie and Elizabeth Cecile "Cicely" Lafferty. Eric was the fourth of five children, Alan, Ruth, and Jean his elders, and Dane his junior. William Harvie (1856-1919) was a dentist in Orilli a who served as they town mayor from 1891 to 1892, and Cicely Harvie (1859-1940) was a school teacher. Eric Harvie was a fourth-generation Canadian. His great grandfather, John Harve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Strang (footballer)
William Strang (16 September 1878 – 7 October 1916) was a Scottish professional footballer who played in the Scottish League for Celtic as a full back. He was described as a "robust full back with a lusty kick." Personal life Strang emigrated with his family to Calgary, Canada in 1905 and worked as a printer. On 21 August 1915, a year after the outbreak of the First World War, Strang enlisted as a private in the 56th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, falsifying his age to appear two years younger. He landed with the 31st Battalion in France in July 1916 and was promoted to the rank of acting lance corporal on 22 September 1916, while he was serving on the Somme. Strang was wounded in the head shortly after his promotion and died of wounds in Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, departmen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Calgary Highlanders
The Calgary Highlanders is a Canadian Army Primary Reserve infantry regiment, headquartered at Mewata Armouries in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The regiment is a part-time reserve unit, under the command of 41 Canadian Brigade Group, itself part of 3rd Canadian Division, one of four region-based Canadian Army divisions. The regiment is one of only two regiments in the Canadian Forces (with The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's)) to wear an honorary distinction on their uniform, commemorating the counterattack at Kitcheners' Wood. On 9 January 2015, the regiment was recognized with the Canadian Forces' Unit Commendation for outstanding contributions to the war in Afghanistan. Badge The badge is based on that worn by the 10th Battalion, CEF, which the regiment perpetuates. Significantly, a St. Andrew's Cross has been added to the design (this is not a representation of the Roman Numeral ten as is often erroneously reported). The crown is of the reigning monarch; a Tudor Cro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
