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The 7th
Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force was a unit
raised for service in the First World War.
History
The 7th
Canadian Infantry Battalion organized at Valcartier in
September 1914 under
Camp Order 241 dated 2 September 1914.
The battalion was raised from
British Columbia soldiers (Military District 11).1
The battalion was
commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel W.H. McHarg.
Three
soldiers of the battalion were awarded the Victoria Cross:
Lieutenant Edward Bellew, for actions near Keerselaere on 24
April 1915; Private Michael J. O'Rourke, for actions at Hill
60 15-17 August 1917; and Private Walter Leigh Rayfield, for
actions east of Arras 2-4 September 1918. |
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7th
Battalion, CEF |
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Organized: 6
August 1914
Initial Strength: 1,176
Service: Component of the 2nd Infantry
Brigade, 1st Canadian Division in France and
Flanders.
Disbanded: G.O. 149/1920 eff 15 September 1920
Perpetuated by: The British Columbia Regiment
(Duke of Connaught's Own) |
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The battalion embarked at Quebec on 25 September 1914 aboard
Virginian, disembarking in England on 14 October 1914. Its strength
was 49 officers and 1083 other ranks.
Image from The Victoria Daily Times
10 Apr 1915, showing the 7th Battalion marching past His Majesty
King George V
sometime before leaving for France in February.
The battalion disembarked in
France on 10 February 1915, becoming part of the 1st Canadian
Division, 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade. The battalion returned to
England on 26 March 1919, disembarked in Canada on 21 April 1919,
was demobilized on 24 April 1919, and was disbanded by General Order
149 of 15 September 1920.
LAC notes that the battalion had a fife and drum band while Stewart
notes a bugle band. The Battalion began publishing a unit news-sheet
entitled "The Listening Post" on 10 August 1915.2
As part of the Otter Committee recommendations
after the war, the battalion
was officially perpetuated
by The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own).3
Stewart lists the battalion as
being affiliated with the 32nd Battalion.
Insignia
In 1914, there had been little time to
adopt distinctive unit badges for the hastily assembled battalions
of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. As many battalions were drawn
from men from several of the pre-war Militia regiments, there was a
desire to avoid using existing badges and forming associations with
those existing units, in favour of creating new identities - the
General Officer Commanding the 1st Canadian Contingent (later 1st
Canadian Division) is quoted as saying sometime in October or
November of 1914 "there must be distinctive badges for each unit."4
Until unit badges were approved and issued, a mixture of
pre-war Militia badges and maple-leaf pattern General Service badges
were seen.
Metal cap and collar badges were also
worn on service dress.
In
mid-1916, cloth "battle-patches" were added to the sleeves of the
Service Dress and greatcoat. The 1st Division was distinguished by a
red rectangle, 3 inches wide by 2 inches tall, worn on each upper
arm. The 7th Battalion was further distinguished by a red
semi-circle
worn above the rectangle, the red indicating the 2nd Brigade, and
the semi-circle indicating the second senior
battalion in the brigade. More information on formation patches can
be found in the article on the
organization of the division.
Metal cap and collar badges were also
worn on service dress.
Battle Honours
Battle Honours were granted by General
Order 71 of 1930. Honours selected for emblazonment are in bold:
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Ypres 1915, 17
St. Julien
Mount Sorrel
Thiepval
Arras 1917, '18
Arleux
Passchendaele
Scarpe, 1918
Hindenburg Line
Pursuit to Mons |
Gravenstafel
Festubert, 1915
Somme, 1916
Ancre Heights
Vimy, 1917
Hill 70
Amiens
Drocourt-Quéant
Canal du Nord
France and Flanders, 1915-18 |
Notes
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The Regiments and Corps of the
Canadian Army (Queen's Printer, Ottawa, 1964), p.83 and
Love, p.137
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Surviving
copies may be found in the Borden papers (file OL 81), and at
Library and Archives Canada (RG24, Vol. 20, 294, file 934.009).
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Stewart, p.4 and some information
from Library and Archives Canada and the
CEF Matrix
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Harper, Joseph A Source of
Pride: Regimental Badges and Titles in the Canadian
Expeditionary Force 1914-1919 (Service Publications,
Ottawa, ON, 1999) ISBN 0-9699845-8-8 p.5
References
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Love, David W.
A Call to Arms: The Organization and Administration of
Canada's Military in World War One (Bunker to Bunker
Books, Calgary, AB, 1999) ISBN 1894255-03-8
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Stewart, Charles
H. Overseas: The Lineages and Insignia of the Canadian
Expeditionary Force 1914-1919 (Little & Stewart,
Toronto, ON, 1970)
