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The 143rd (B.C. Bantams) Battalion, CEF was a unit in the
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 ...
during the
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 fightin ...
. Based in
Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. Th ...
, the unit began recruiting in 1916 throughout Western Canada. Bantam units were organized to recruit men who were shorter than the standard height required for joining the army. By the time they were fully formed, however, only about half of the men were under that standard height as they could not find enough short men to enlist. The battalion had barracks at
Beacon Hill Park Beacon Hill Park is a 75 ha (200 acre) park located along the shore of Juan de Fuca Strait in Victoria, British Columbia. The park is popular both with tourists and locals, and contains a number of amenities including woodland and shoreline trail ...
and trained for the months of July through October 1916 at Sidney Camp. After sailing to England in February 1917, the battalion was absorbed into the 1st and 24th Reserve Battalions, and the
Canadian Railway Troops The Corps of Canadian Railway Troops were part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during World War I. Although Canadian railway units had been arriving in France since August 1915, it was not until March 1917 that the units were placed under ...
in March 1917. The 143rd (B.C. Bantams) Battalion, CEF had one officer commanding: Lieutenant-Colonel A. B. Powley.Officers' Declaration Paper
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References

*Meek, John F. ''Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War.'' Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971. *Allinson, Sidney. "The Bantams: The Untold Story of World War One." London, Toronto 1981, Victoria 2005. *Ratch, Sandra "Do Your Little Bit: The 143rd Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force, 'BC Bantams'", in "BC Studies: the British Columbian Quarterly Number 182." Vancouver, 2014. Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force History of Victoria, British Columbia Military units and formations of British Columbia Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) {{BritishColumbia-stub