The 63rd Battalion (Edmonton), 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 63rd Battalion was authorized on 20 April 1915. During its recruitment phase the battalion sent three reinforcing drafts to England on 11 September 1915, 22 January and 2 March 1916. The battalion as a whole embarked for Great Britain on 22 April 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 7 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 subsequently disbanded on 1 September 1917. The battalion recruited in

Medicine Hat Medicine Hat is a city in Southern Alberta, southeast Alberta, Canada. It is located along the South Saskatchewan River. It is approximately east of Lethbridge and southeast of Calgary. This city and the adjacent Town of Redcliff, Alberta, ...

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

and

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

, Alberta, and was mobilized at Edmonton.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 G.B. McLeod from 25 April 1916 to 6 July 1916. The battalion was awarded the battle honour . The perpetuation of the 63rd Battalion (Edmonton), CEF, was assigned in 1920 to the 4th Battalion, the Edmonton Regiment. This regiment, now the Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) continues to perpetuate the 63rd's history and traditions.

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 063 Military units and formations of Alberta Loyal Edmonton Regiment