The 56th Battalion (Calgary), CEF, was an

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 i ...

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 ...

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

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 ...

. The 56th Battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 20 March 1916. It provided reinforcements for the

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 ...

in the field until 6 July 1916, when its personnel were absorbed by the

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, ...

. 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 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 ...

, and Scottish footballer

William Strang William Strang (13 February 1859 – 12 April 1921) was a Scottish painter and printmaker, notable for illustrating the works of Bunyan, Coleridge and Kipling. Early life Strang was born at Dumbarton, the son of Peter Strang, a builder, an ...

. The 56th Battalion was awarded the battle honour . The 56th Battalion (Calgary), CEF is perpetuated by

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 3 ...

References

Sources

*Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1919 by Col. G.W.L. Nicholson, CD, Queen's Printer, Ottawa, Ontario, 1962 {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017

056 56 may refer to: * 56 (number) * one of the years 56 BC, AD 56, 1856 Events January–March * January 8 – Borax deposits are discovered in large quantities by John Veatch in California. * January 23 – American paddle steame ...

Military units and formations of Alberta Calgary Highlanders