The 52nd Battalion (New Ontario), CEF, was an infantry 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 ...

during the Great War.

History

The 52nd Battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 23 November 1915. It disembarked in France on 21 February 1916, where it fought as part of the

9th Canadian Brigade The 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Canadian Army that saw active service during World War I and World War II as part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. The brigade fought on the Western Front during World War I ...

3rd Canadian Division The 3rd Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of all army units in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as all units extending westwards from th ...

in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battalion was disbanded on 30 August 1920.Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments. The 52nd Battalion recruited in Port Arthur,

Kenora Kenora (), previously named Rat Portage (french: Portage-aux-Rats), is a city situated on the Lake of the Woods in Ontario, Canada, close to the Manitoba boundary, and about east of Winnipeg by road. It is the seat of Kenora District. The his ...

Fort Frances Fort Frances is a town in, and the seat of, Rainy River District in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The population as of the 2016 census was 7,739. Fort Frances is a popular fishing destination. It hosts the annual Fort Frances Canadian Bass Cham ...

and Dryden, Ontario and was mobilized at Port Arthur.Meek, John F. ''Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War.'' Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971. The 52nd Battalion had seven Officers Commanding: *Lt-Col A.W. Hay, 23 November 1915 – 3 June 1916 *Lt.-Col. D.M. Sutherland, 27 July 1916 – 25 September 1916 *Lt.-Col. W.B. Evans, DSO, 25 September 1916 – 11 July 1917 *Maj. E.A.C. Wilcox, 11 July 1917 – 4 August 1917 *Lt.-Col. W.W. Foster, DSO, 4 August 1917 – 24 September 1918 *Lt.-Col. D.M. Sutherland, DSO, 24 September 1918 – 9 October 1918 *Lt.-Col. W.W. Foster, DSO, 9 October 1918-Demobilization

One member of the 52nd Battalion was awarded the Victoria Cross. Captain

Christopher O'Kelly Christopher Patrick John O'Kelly (18 November 1895 – 15 November 1922) was a Canadian First World War officer and prospector. O'Kelly was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of ...

was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 26 October 1917 at Passchendaele, Belgium. He had previously been awarded the Military Cross.

Battle Honours

The 52nd 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 * Flers-Courcelette *

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, '18 * Vimy, 1917 * HILL 70 *

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 * Scarpe, 1918 * Drocourt-Quéant * 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 * Valenciennes *

France and Flanders, 1916-18 The Western Front was one of the main theatres of war during the First World War. Following the outbreak of war in August 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of imp ...

Perpetuation

The 52nd Battalion (New Ontario), CEF, is perpetuated by The Lake Superior Scottish Regiment.

References

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Sources

*Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1919 by Col. G.W.L. Nicholson, CD, Queen's Printer, Ottawa, Ontario, 1962 052 Military units and formations of Ontario Lake Superior Scottish Regiment

History

Battle Honours

Perpetuation

See also

References

Sources