The 185th (Cape Breton Highlanders) 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.
History
The 185th (Cape Breton Highlanders) Battalion, CEF was authorized on 15 July 1916. Based in
Broughton, Nova Scotia, the unit began recruiting during the winter of 1915/16 throughout
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.
The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...
,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
and embarked for Great Britain on 12 October 1916. There 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 19 ...
in the field until 15 February 1918, when its personnel were absorbed by the
17th Reserve Battalion. The battalion was subsequently disbanded on 29 November 1918.
The 185th (Cape Breton Highlanders) Battalion, CEF had one officer commanding: Lieutenant-Colonel
Frank Parker Day
Frank Parker Day (9 May 1881 – 30 July 1950) was a Canadian athlete, academic and author.
Since Day's father was a Methodist minister who moved to a new congregation every three years, Day spent his youth living throughout Nova Scotia, in Wa ...
.
In 1920 the perpetuation of the battalion was assigned to the
Cape Breton Highlanders.
See also
*
Military history of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia (also known as Mi'kma'ki and Acadia) is a Canadian province located in Canada's Maritimes. The region was initially occupied by Mi'kmaq. The colonial history of Nova Scotia includes the present-day Maritime Provinces and the northern ...
References
*Meek, John F. ''Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War.'' Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971.
Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Military units and formations of Nova Scotia
Military units and formations established in 1916
Military units and formations disestablished in 1918
1916 establishments in Nova Scotia
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