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The 14th
Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force was a unit
raised for service in the First World War.
History
The 14th
Battalion was organized in Valcartier Camp in accordance
with Camp Order 241 of 2 September 1914.1
The battalion
was composed of recruits from Montreal, Quebec, and was
initially commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel F. S. Meighen. The
unit embarked for overseas from Quebec City on 30
September 1914 aboard S.S. Alaunia and S.S.
Andania and disembarked in the U.K. on 16 October
1914 with a strength of 46 officers, 1101 other ranks.
The unit
moved to France on 10 February 1915 as a battalion of the
3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade, a component of the (1st)
Canadian Division.
The unit was
eventually reinforced by the 23rd Canadian Reserve
Battalion.
At the
conclusion of the war, the battalion returned to England on
15 March 1919, and returned home to Canada on 18 April 1919,
with official demobilization following on 20 April 1919.
Disbandment occurred by General Order 149 of 15 September
1920 |
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14th
Battalion, CEF |
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Organized: 2
September 1914
Initial Strength: 46 officers, 1101 other
ranks
Service: Component of the 3rd Infantry
Brigade, 1st Canadian Division in France and
Flanders.
Disbanded: G.O. 149/1920 eff 15 September 1920
Perpetuated by: The Royal Montreal Regiment |
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A regimental
newsletter entitled “The Growler” began publication on 1 January.
1916, copies of which may be found in Library and Archives Canada,
Borden Papers, file OL81.
The unit had a brass
band, and a stand of Colours presented by the Duke of Connaught in
February 1919, which were deposited in the Church of St. James the
Apostle on 28 September 1919.
The battalion was
officially perpetuated by The Royal Montreal Regiment of the
Canadian Militia.
Two
soldiers of the battalion were awarded the Victoria Cross:
Captain Francis Scrimger (Ypres, April 25, 1915) and
Lieutenant George McKean, MC, MM (Gavrelle Sector, 27-28
April, 1918).2
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."3
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 14th Battalion was further distinguished by a blue semi-circle
worn above the rectangle, the blue indicating the 3rd 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
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Ypres 1915, 17
St. Julien
Mount Sorrel
Pozieres
Ancre Heights
Vimy, 1917
Scarpe, 1917, '18
Passchendaele
Drocourt-Quéant
Canal du Nord |
Gravenstafel
Festubert, 1915
Somme, 1916
Thiepval
Arras 1917, '18
Arleux
Hill 70
Amiens
Hindenburg Line
Pursuit to Mons |
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France and Flanders, 1915-18 |
Notes
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Guide to Sources,
p.76, (copy in RG24, vol. 1258, file HQ 593-2-1, pt. 1).
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Stewart, p.8
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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)
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Guide to Sources Relating to
Units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Infantry Battalions (Library
and Archives Canada, Ottawa, ON, 2012)
Archival Holdings
The following holdings at Library and
Archives Canada may be useful for further research on this unit:
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War diary, 14 Oct. 1914 - 9 April
1919
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Title, “Royal-Montreal Regiment
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Badges
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Inspection reports, clothing and
equipment
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Demobilization
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History
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Appointment of officers
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Organization, 1915 - 1920
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RG 24, vol. 4490, file 4D.
48-14-1
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RG 24, vol. 1828, file GAQ 7-21
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DHS file
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Overseas Ministry file, 1915 - 1916
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Records of personnel
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Promotions
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Promotions, appointments
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Absentees and deserters
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Aliens
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Attachments
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Attestations
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Barrack and camp equipment
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Billeting
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Claims
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Clothing and equipment
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Commissions
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Courts of inquiry
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Courts martial
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Correspondence
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Deaths and wills
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Dentition
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Discharges
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Reports on patrols, 22-24 Dec. 1915
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RG 9, III-C-1, vol. 3866, folder
102, file 1
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Badges, 1916
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RG 9, III-C-1, vol. 3876, folder
6, file 3
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Machine gun captured by Germans,
1917
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RG 9, III-C-1, vol. 3890, folder
46, file 12
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Strength, Dec. 1918 - Jan. 1919
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RG 9, III-C-1, vol. 3894, folder
57, file 32
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Report on minor operations, June -
Dec. 1916
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RG 9, III-C-3, vol. 4017, folder
34, file 11
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Report on minor operations, 25 Feb.
1917
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RG 9, III-C-3, vol. 4017, folder
35, file 22
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Report on minor operations, 26-27
March 1917
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RG 9, III-C-3, vol. 4053, folder
24, file 3
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Operation orders, 27 Feb. 1917
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RG 9, III-C-3, vol. 4055, folder
30, file 4
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Operation orders, 11 Dec. 1917
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RG 9, III-C-3, vol. 4067, folder
6, file 5
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Band
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RG 9, III-C-3, vol. 4074, folder
1, file 1
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Patrols, 22-23 Dec. 1915
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RG 9, III-C-3, vol. 4076, folder
5, file 1
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Operation orders, April - Oct. 1917
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RG 9, III-C-3, vol. 4077, folder
4, file 19
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Orders, 9 July 1916
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RG 9, III-C-3, vol. 4139, folder
9, file 6
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Orders, March - April 1917
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RG 9, III-C-4, vol. 4341, folder
2, file 6
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Operation orders, 14 July 1917
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RG 9, III-C-9, vol. 4541, folder
4, file 6
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Badges
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RG 9, III-D-1, vol. 4691, folder
45, file 16
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Historical record
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RG 9, III-D-1, vol. 4691, folder
45, file 15
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Correspondence re routine orders
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RG 9, III-D-1, vol. 4691, folder
45, file 17
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Nominal roll on embarkation, 1914
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Promotions, appointments
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Donation of tobacco, etc.
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Daily Orders
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RG 150, vol. 67
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File Part
1=1915/01/01-1915/03/07
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File Part
2=1915/03/14-1915/12/25
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File Part
3=1914/10/24-1914/12/31
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File Part
4=1916/01/01-1916/06/30
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RG 150, vol. 68
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File Part
5=1916/07/07-1916/12/31
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File Part
6=1917/01/05-1917/05/05
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File Part
7=1917/05/05-1917/09/30
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File Part
8=1917/10/02-1918/03/31
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File Part
9=1918/04/05-1918/06/30
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File Part
10=1918/07/04-1918/09/29
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File Part
11=1918/10/02-1920/02/04
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