The 20th Battalion (Central Ontario), CEF was a unit of the First World War

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 ...

Service history

The battalion was composed of volunteers from militia units in central

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 ...

. Much of the unit was drawn from the 12th Regiment, the York Rangers, with men coming from ten other militia regiments – of which four still exist. The unit fought in France and Flanders as part of the 4th Canadian Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division. Notable actions include the

Somme __NOTOC__ Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places *Somme (department), a department of France * Somme, Queensland, Australia * Canal de la Somme, a canal in France *Somme (river), a river in France Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Somme'' (book), ...

, Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, Passchendaele,

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...

, the advance along the Scarpe, Canal du Nord, Canal de l'Escaut and the advance to Mons in the Last Hundred Days. The battalion was disbanded in 1920.

Casualties

4,310 officers and men served in the 20th Battalion during the war altogether. Of them, 843 (19.6%) were killed in action or died of wounds—often having been wounded earlier. Another 1,855 (43%) were wounded, often repeatedly. 91 died of disease or accidentally. Ottawa stopped counting the deaths to old injuries, mental trauma and exposure to gas as war deaths in 1922 while the nominal roll of the 20th (privately held after the battalion disbanded) attributed these to the war until 1928. Only 22 were ever taken prisoner—nine of them in one incident when a stretcher party went astray at Passchendaele. There was also one deserter who crossed to the German lines in 1916; his name and fate are not recorded.

Awards and honours

A total of 398 decorations and awards were made to soldiers of the 20th Battalion, including two awards of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

: * Sgt Frederick Hobson was posthumously awarded the VC for actions on 18 August 1917, near Lens, France at the Battle of Hill 70. * Lt Wallace Lloyd Algie was posthumously awarded the VC for actions on 11 October 1918, near Iwuy, France. In addition, ten officers earned the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

(one did so twice), while 45 officers received the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

, and four a second award of the MC. Among the enlisted men, 24 received the Distinguished Conduct Medal and 231 awards of the

Military Medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the British Armed Forces, armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, below commissioned o ...

, including 14 receiving it twice.

Perpetuations

The perpetuation of the 20th Battalion was initially assigned in 1920 to 1st Battalion (20th Battalion, CEF), The Peel Regiment. A year later in 1921, the perpetuation was reassigned to 1st Battalion (20th Battalion, CEF), The West Toronto Regiment. The perpetuation has been handed down through the following units: * 1920–1921: 1st Battalion (20th Battalion, CEF), The Peel Regiment * 1921–1925: 1st Battalion (20th Battalion, CEF), The West Toronto Regiment * 1925–1927: 1st Battalion (20th Battalion, CEF), The Queen's Rangers * 1927–1936: 1st Battalion (20th Battalion, CEF), The Queen's Rangers, 1st American Regiment * 1936–1942: The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (Machine Gun) * 1942–1947: The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) * 1947–1949: 25th Armoured Regiment (Queen's York Rangers), RCAC * 1949–1958: The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (25th Armoured Regiment) * 1958–1985: The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (RCAC) * 1985–2004: The Queen's York Rangers (RCAC) * 2004–present: The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (RCAC)

Battle honours

* Mount Sorrel * Somme, 1916, 18 * Flers-Courcelette * Thiepval * Ancre Heights * Arras 1917, '18 * Vimy 1917 *

Arleux Arleux () is a commune in the Nord département in northern France. Geography The river Sensée joins the Canal du Nord at Arleux. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 647 comm ...

* Scarpe, 1917, '18 * Hill 70 *

Ypres, 1917 The Third Battle of Ypres (; ; ), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele ( ), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by the Allies against the German Empire. The battle took place on the Western Front, from July to November 1917, f ...

* Passchendaele *

Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (, Siegfried Position) was a German Defense line, defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in France during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to ...

* Canal du Nord * Cambrai, 1918 * Pursuit to Mons *

France and Flanders 1915-18 The Western Front was one of the main theatres of war during World War I. Following the outbreak of war in August 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important ind ...

References

* * {{cite web , url=http://www.20thbattalion.com , title=Website of the 20th Battalion , work=20thbattalion.com , access-date=2018-09-24 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512223527/http://www.20thbattalion.com/ , archive-date=2008-05-12 , url-status=dead 020 1914 establishments in Ontario Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment)