The 21st Battalion (Eastern Ontario), CEF was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

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 ...

in 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 battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 6 May 1915. It disembarked in France on 15 September 1915, where it fought as part of the

4th Canadian Brigade The 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Canadian Army active during World War I and World War II. Raised in 1915, the brigade formed part of the 2nd Canadian Division and fought on the Western Front between 1916 and 19 ...

2nd Canadian Division The 2nd Canadian Division (2 Cdn Div; ) is a formation of the Canadian Army in the province of Quebec, Canada. The present command was created 2013 when Land Force Quebec Area was re-designated. The main unit housed in this division is the Roy ...

in France and Flanders. The battalion was disbanded on 30 August 1920. The 21st Battalion recruited in Eastern Ontario and was mobilized at

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the south end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is near the Thousand Islands, ...

.Meek, John F. ''Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War.'' Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971.

Officers Commanding

The 21st Battalion had five Officers Commanding: *Lt.-Col. William St Pierre Hughes, 6 May 1915 – 18 July 1916 *Lt.-Col. E.W. Jones, DSO, 18 July 1916 – 7 January 1917 *Lt.-Col. Thomas F. Elmitt, 7 January 1917 – 1 July 1917 *Lt.-Col. Elmer Watson Jones, DSO, 1 July 1917 – 8 August 1918 *Lt.-Col. H.E. Pense, DSO, 8 August 1918-Demobilization The Ottawa Branch of the 21st Battalion Association erected a memorial plaque at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (Ottawa) which is dedicated to Brigadier General William St Pierre Hughes, DSO, VD, first Commanding Officer of the battalion.

Perpetuation

The 21st Battalion (Eastern Ontario), CEF, is perpetuated by

The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

Battle honours

The 21st Battalion was awarded the following battle honours: * Mont Sorrel *

Somme, 1916 The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...

1918 The ceasefire that effectively ended the World War I, First World War took place on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of this year. Also in this year, the Spanish flu pandemic killed 50–100 million people wor ...

* Flers-Courcelette *

Thiepval Thiepval (; ) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Thiepval is located north of Albert at the crossroads of the D73 and D151 and approximately northeast of Amiens. Population First World War The ...

Ancre Heights The Ancre (; ) is a river of Picardy, France. Rising at Miraumont, a hamlet near the town of Albert, it flows into the Somme at Corbie. It is long. For most of its length it flows through the department of Somme. For a short stretch near Puisi ...

Arras, 1917 The Battle of Arras, also known as the Second Battle of Arras, was a British offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British troops attacked German defences near the French city of Arras on the We ...

* Vimy Ridge, 1917 *

Hill 70 The Battle of Hill 70 took place in the First World War between the Canadian Corps and attached units against five divisions of the German 6th Army. The battle took place along the Western Front on the outskirts of Lens in the Nord-Pas-de-Ca ...

* 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 ...

Scarpe, 1918 The Battle of the Scarpe was a World War I battle that took place during the Hundred Days Offensive between 26 and 30 August 1918. 26 August The Canadian Corps advanced over 5 kilometres and captured the towns of Monchy-le-Preux and Wancourt. L ...

* Drocourt-Quéant *

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 The Canal du Nord (, literally ''Canal of the North'') is a long canal in northern France. The canal connects the Canal latéral à l'Oise in Pont-l'Évêque to the Sensée Canal in Arleux. The French government, in partnership with coal-min ...

* Cambrai, 1918 *

Pursuit to Mons Pursuit may refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Pursuit'' (1935 film), a 1935 American action film * ''Pursuit'' (1972 American film), a made-for-TV film directed by Michael Crichton * ''Pursuit'' (1972 Hong Kong film), a Shaw Brot ...

* France & Flanders, 1915-18

Media

Capt. Herbert W. McBride, who served with the 21st Battalion, wrote two books about his experiences as a member of the unit during the Great War as a sniper and machine gunner: "A Rifleman Went To War" and "The Emma Gees."McBride, Herbert W., A Rifleman Went to War, Plantersville, SC: Small Arms Technical Publishing Co. (1935)

Notable members

* Frank McGee

References

Sources

* Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1919 by Col. G.W.L. Nicholson, CD, Queen's Printer, Ottawa, Ontario, 1962 * A Rifleman Went To War, by Capt. Herbert W. McBride, MM, Small Arms Technical Publishing Company 1935, * The Emma Gees, by Capt. Herbert W. McBride, MM, The Bobbs-Merrill Company Publishers, 1918, ISBN

External links

{{Commons category * http://21stbattalion.ca

021 069 is: * in Brazil, the telephone area code for the city of Rio de Janeiro and surrounding cities (Greater Rio de Janeiro) * in China, the telephone area code for the city of Shanghai. * in Indonesia, the area code for the city of Jakarta and su ...

Military units and formations of Ontario