The 22nd Battalion (French Canadian), CEF, was a battalion of 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 ...

in the Great War. *

History

The battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 20 May 1915. It disembarked in France on 15 September 1915, where it fought as part of the 5th Infantry Brigade,

2nd Canadian Division The 2nd Canadian Division (2 Cdn Div; french: 2e Division du Canada) is a formation of the Canadian Army in the province of Quebec, Canada. The present command was created 2013 when Land Force Quebec Area was re-designated. The main unit housed ...

in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battalion was disbanded on 15 September 1920.Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments. The 22nd Battalion recruited in Quebec and was mobilized at

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu () is a city in eastern Montérégie in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec, about southeast of Montreal. It is situated on the west bank of the Richelieu River at the northernmost naviga ...

, Quebec.Meek, John F. ''Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War.'' Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971. Thomas-LouisTremblay1918

The 22nd Battalion had six officers commanding: *Col. F.M. Gaudet, 20 May 1915 – 25 January 1916 *Lt.-Col. T.L. Tremblay, DSO, 25 January 1916 – 25 September 1916 *Lt.-Col. A.E. Dubuc, DSO, 24 October 1916 – 5 February 1917 *Lt.-Col. T.L. Tremblay, CMG, DSO, 15 February 1917 – 8 August 1918 *Lt.-Col. A.E. Dubuc, DSO, 9 August 1918 – 27 August 1918 *Maj. G.P. Vanier, MC, 27 August 1918 – 28 August 1918 *Maj. G.E.A. Dupuis, MC, 28 August 1918 – 10 September 1918 *Lt.Col. J.R.H. DesRosiers, 10 September 1918 - demobilization Two members of the 22nd Battalion were awarded the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

: Corporal

Joseph Kaeble Joseph Thomas Keable, Victoria Cross, VC, Military Medal, MM (5 May 1892 – 9 June 1918) was a Canadians, Canadian soldier during the First World War. Keable was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for galla ...

was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 8 June 1918 at

Neuville-Vitasse Neuville-Vitasse () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography Neuville-Vitasse situated southeast of Arras, at the junction of the D14 and D5 roads. Population Places of interest * The chu ...

, France, and Lieutenant

Jean Brillant Jean Baptiste Arthur Brillant (15 March 1890 – 10 August 1918) was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth for ...

was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 8 and 9 August 1918 east of Méharicourt, France, during the Battle of Amiens. The farewell (HS85-10-30885)

22ndBattalionCEFBivouacedBehindLinesAugust1918

Perpetuation

The battalion is perpetuated by the Royal 22e Régiment.

Battle Honours

The 22nd Battalion was awarded the following battle honours: *

MOUNT SORREL The Battle of Mont Sorrel (''Battle of Mount Sorrel'', ''Battle of Hill 62'') was a local operation in World War I by three divisions of the British Second Army and three divisions of the German 4th Army in the Ypres Salient, near Ypres, Bel ...

SOMME, 1916 The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

, '18 * FLERS-COURCELETTE *

Thiepval Thiepval (; pcd, Tièbvo) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Thiepval is located north of Albert at the crossroads of the D73 and D151 and approximately northeast of Amiens. Population First World ...

Ancre Heights The Ancre (; ) is a river of Picardy, France. Rising at Miraumont, a hamlet near the town of Albert, it flows into the Somme at Corbie. It is long. For most of its length it flows through the department of Somme. For a short stretch near P ...

ARRAS, 1917 The Battle of Arras (also known as the Second Battle of Arras) was a British offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British troops attacked German defences near the French city of Arras on the W ...

, '18 *

Vimy, 1917 The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of ...

* Arleux *

Scarpe, 1917 Scarpe 1917 was a battle honour awarded to units of the British and Imperial Armies that took part in one or more of the following engagements in the Great War:T.F. MillFrance and Flanders(archive of Regiments.org page) *First Battle of the Scarpe, ...

, '18 *

HILL 70 The Battle of Hill 70 took place in the First World War between the Canadian Corps and five divisions of the German 6th Army. The battle took place along the Western Front on the outskirts of Lens in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France b ...

Ypres 1917 Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...

* Passchendaele *

AMIENS Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...

* HINDENBURG LINE *

Canal du Nord The Canal du Nord (, literally ''Canal of the North'') is a long canal in northern France. The canal connects the Canal latéral à l'Oise at Pont-l'Évêque to the Sensée Canal at Arleux. The French government, in partnership with coal-min ...

Cambrai, 1918 The Battle of Cambrai, 1918 (also known as the Second Battle of Cambrai) was a battle between troops of the British First, Third and Fourth Armies and German Empire forces during the Hundred Days Offensive of the First World War. The battle too ...

PURSUIT TO MONS Pursuit may refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Pursuit'' (1935 film), a 1935 American action film * ''Pursuit'' (1972 American film), a made-for-TV film directed by Michael Crichton * ''Pursuit'' (1972 Hong Kong film), a Shaw Brot ...

FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1915-18 The Western Front was one of the main Theatre (warfare), theatres of war during the First World War. Following the outbreak of war in August 1914, the German Army (German Empire), German Army opened the Western Front by invading Luxembourg and B ...

References

Sources

* Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1919 by Col. G.W.L. Nicholson, CD, Queen's Printer, Ottawa, Ontario, 1962

External links