The 178th (Canadien-Français) Battalion, CEF was a unit in the

Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF; French: ''Corps expéditionnaire canadien'') was the expeditionary warfare, expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed on August 15, 1914, following United Kingdom declarat ...

during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Based in

Victoriaville, Quebec Victoriaville () is a town in south-central Quebec, Canada, on the Nicolet River. Victoriaville is the seat of Arthabaska Regional County Municipality and a part of the Centre-du-Québec (Bois-Francs) region. It is formed by the 1993 merger of A ...

, the unit began recruiting during the winter of 1915/16 in Military Districts 4 and 5, and in eastern

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. The

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

absorbed the 233rd Battalion (Canadiens-Français du Nord-Ouest), CEF, in March 1917, and sailed to England later that same month. Upon arrival, the 178th Battalion was absorbed into the 10th Reserve Battalion on March 16, 1917. The 178th (Canadien-Français) Battalion had one officer commanding: Lieutenant-Colonel René-Arthur de la Bruère Girouard. The battalion badge is a beaver ''

couchant In heraldry, the term attitude describes the ''position'' in which a figure (animal or human) is emblazoned as a charge, a supporter, or as a crest. The attitude of a heraldic figure always precedes any reference to the tincture of the figure an ...

'' on plinth inscribed above the numeral 178, below an arch inscribed supporting the

Tudor crown The Tudor Crown was a crown created in the early 16th century for either Henry VII of England, Henry VII or Henry VIII, the first House of Tudor, Tudor monarchs of Kingdom of England, England, and destroyed in 1649 during the English Civil War. ...

, and surrounded by scrolls inscribed " Arthabaska", " Drummond", "Nicolet", and . The perpetuation of the battalion was assigned to the Three Rivers Regiment in 1920. This regiment is now named 12^e Régiment blindé du Canada.

References

* Meek, John F. ''Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War.'' Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971. {{DEFAULTSORT:178th (Canadien-Francais) Battalion, Cef Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force