The 17th Battalion, CEF was a
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), ...
of 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
Great 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 ...
.
History
The 17th Battalion, CEF was authorized on 19 September 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 29 September 1914 where it was redesignated as the 17th Reserve Battalion, CEF on 29 April 1915, to provide 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 19 ...
in the field. The battalion was eventually disbanded on 21 May 1917.
[Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.]
The 17th Battalion, along with the
9th,
11th and
12th
Twelfth can mean:
*The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution
*The Twelfth, a Protestant celebration originating in Ireland
In mathematics:
* 12th, an ordinal number; as in the item in an order twelve places from the beginning, follo ...
Reserve Battalions formed the Canadian Training Depot at
Tidworth Barracks.
[Meek, John F. ''Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War.'' Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971. ]
The battalion recruited in Nova Scotia and was mobilized at
Camp Valcartier
2nd Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier (2 CDSB Valcartier), formerly known as and commonly referred to as Canadian Forces Base Valcartier (CFB Valcartier), is a Canadian Forces base located in the municipality of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valca ...
, Quebec.
The battalion had three Officers Commanding:
*Lt.-Col. S.G. Robertson – 22 September 1914 – 30 January 1915
*Lt.-Col. E.B. Worthington – 30 January 1915 – 1 September 1915
*Lt.-Col. D.D. Cameron – 1 September 1915 – 4 January 1917
Perpetuations
The 17th Battalion, CEF is perpetuated by the
Nova Scotia Highlanders
The Nova Scotia Highlanders (also known as North Novies, North Novas) is an infantry regiment in the primary reserve of the Canadian Army. It is part of 36 Canadian Brigade Group, 5th Canadian Division.
Creation
The regiment was formed in 1954 ...
.
Battle honours
The battalion was awarded the battle honour "The Great War, 1914–17".
References
Sources
Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914–1919 by Col. G.W.L. Nicholson, CD, Queen's Printer, Ottawa, Ontario, 1962
See also
{{Portal, Canada
*
*
History of the Canadian Army
The history of the Canadian Army, began when the title first came into official use in November 1940, during the Second World War, and is still used today. Although the official titles, Mobile Command, and later Land Force Command, were used from ...
*
Non-Permanent Active Militia
The Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) was the military reserve force of Canada from 1855 to 1940. It was composed of several dozen infantry battalions (redesignated as regiments in 1900) and cavalry regiments. After the withdrawal of British ...
Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Nova Scotia Highlanders