The 157th (Simcoe Foresters) 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 divisi ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. On 30 November 1915, the 35th Regiment "Simcoe Foresters" was authorized to raise the 157th Battalion. Based in

Barrie, Ontario Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically ...

, the 157th Battalion, Simcoe Foresters, began recruiting in late 1915 in

Simcoe County Simcoe County is located in the central portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. The county is just north of the Greater Toronto Area, stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west. Simcoe County forms part of the ...

. 2,450 volunteers were recruited, of which 1,070 officers and other ranks were enlisted in the battalion. Of the remainder, about 700 were rejected as being medically unfit, 75 were transferred to the 76th Battalion, and the approximately 600 remaining were transferred to the

177th Battalion (Simcoe Foresters), CEF The 177th (Simcoe Foresters) Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force raised during the First World War by the 35th Simcoe Foresters. Based in Barrie, Ontario and later at Camp Borden, the unit began recruiting during the wi ...

. Under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel D.H. MacLaren, the 157th was tasked with constructing a new army training camp on the Simcoe Pines Plain, which was to be named Camp Borden. Construction began in May 1916 with the companies from Barrie and Collingwood. A second company from Barrie arrived in June to help speed up the construction. As such, the 157th became the founding battalion of Camp Borden, which it constructed to accommodate 40 infantry battalions in 10 brigades. Before the camp was opened the remainder of the 157th and the entire

, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel J.B. McPhee, arrived. By that summer, Camp Borden was home to 36 CEF battalions in nine brigades before they embarked overseas. On the night of Camp Borden's official opening, a riot by members of other battalions was suppressed by both the 157th and 177th battalions of the Simcoe Foresters, which were turned out with bayonets fixed. On 12 October 1916, the battalion received its

regimental colours In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours (or colors), standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some ...

at Camp Borden, which were subsequently laid up in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church,

, after the war on 10 October 1919. The colours were reclaimed by

The Grey and Simcoe Foresters The Grey and Simcoe Foresters is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. Within the Canadian Army, it is part of the 4th Canadian Division's (formerly known as Land Force Central Area) 31 Canadian Brigade Group. Due to the re ...

, which perpetuates the 157th, on 18 June 1982 and deposited in the regiment's Barrie Officers' Mess. Training at Camp Borden ended on 13 October 1916, when the 157th Battalion departed for Halifax, Nova Scotia. Embarking on board the on 18 October 1916, the battalion sailed for Liverpool, England, arriving on 28 October. From Liverpool, the 157th was stationed for only a week at Witley Camp before proceeding to

Bramshott Camp Bramshott Military Camp, often simplified to Camp Bramshott, was a temporary army camp set up on Bramshott Common, Hampshire, England during both the First and Second World Wars. Camp Bramshott was one of three facilities in the Aldershot Comma ...

as part of the 7th Training Brigade. Like so many CEF Battalions arriving in England at that time, the 157th Battalion, Simcoe Foresters was broken up for reinforcements to units already in the field. Immediately a draft of 150 men was sent to the

1st First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

, followed by a further 50 men to the

19th 19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number. Mathematics 19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...

, on 5 December 1916. Three days later, a further 400 men were sent to join the 116th, which was in theatre in France. The balance of the 157th Battalion went to the 125th and the

8th Reserve Battalion 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of ...

. Before being transferred to other units, the officers were sent to Crowborough for additional instructional training. By war's end, these Foresters had fought in the following battles: Arras, 1917; Vimy Ridge, 9-14 April 1917; Arleux, 28-29 April 1917; Capture of Fresnoy, 3-4 May 1917; Affairs, South of Souchez River, 3-25 June 1917; Capture of Avion, 26-29 June 1917; Battle of Hill 70, 15-25 August 1917; Ypres, 1917; and

Second Battle of Passchendaele The Second Battle of Passchendaele was the culminating attack during the Third Battle of Ypres of the First World War. The battle took place in the Ypres Salient area of the Western Front, in and around the Belgian village of Passchendaele, bet ...

, 26 October–10 November 1917. Today, the volunteer Borden Pipes & Drums band wear the Hunting Stewart tartan in honour of the 157th Battalion, Simcoe Foresters, founding battalion of the base. In June 2015, a contingent of civilian donors from the Borden Legacy Project and military personnel from

CFB Borden Canadian Forces Base Borden (also CFB Borden, French: Base des Forces canadiennes Borden or BFC Borden), formerly RCAF Station Borden, is a large Canadian Forces base located in Ontario. The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, C ...

travelled to

Vimy Ridge 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 ...

to patriate soil, which will be encapsulated into a new memorial at the base marking its centennial of service. During this Vimy pilgrimage, the graves and memorials for 13 members of the 157th Simcoe Foresters who lost their lives during the

Battle of Vimy Ridge 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 ...

were visited. During the First World War, the 157th Battalion, Simcoe Foresters suffered 133 killed-in-action or died-of-wounds. This was a huge sacrifice by the families of Simcoe County through just one of its CEF battalions. From the four CEF battalions perpetuated by

(147th, 157th, 177th, and 248th) over 450 lost their lives during the First World War. The battalion had one commanding officer: Lieutenant-Colonel D. H. MacLaren.

References

*Meek, John F. ''Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War.'' Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971. *Chajkowsky, William E. "The History of Camp Borden, 1916-1918, land of Sand, Sin and Sorrow. Viveland: Station Press, 1983. *Fisher, Major J.R. and Captain E.J. Fuller. "The Grey and Simcoe Foresters, A Concise Regimental History." Barrie: The Grey and Simcoe Foresters, 2008 *Frost, Honourable Leslie. "Fighting Men" Toronto: Clark, Irwin, 1967 *Rutherford, Brigadier Tom, ed. "An Unofficial History of The Grey and Simcoe Foresters Regiment 1866 to 1973." Owen Sound: The Grey and Simcoe Foresters, 1973 *Telford, Major Murray M. "Scarlet to Green, the colours, uniforms and insignia of The Grey and Simcoe Foresters." Erin: The Boston Mills Press, 1987 {{ISBN, 0-919783-82-1 Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Organizations based in Barrie