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The 17th
Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force was a unit
raised for service in the First World War.
History
The 17th
Battalion was organized in Valcartier Camp in accordance
with Camp Order 241 of 2 September 1914.1
The battalion
was composed of recruits from Nova Scotia and one company
from Toronto and was
commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel S.G. Robertson. The
unit embarked for overseas from Quebec City on 30
September 1914 aboard S.S. Ruthenia and disembarked in the U.K. on 14 October
1914 with a strength of 44 officers, 624 other ranks.
The unit
remained in England; a draft of 250 men went to Princess
Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, then serving with the
British Army, in December 1914.
The unit was redesignated the 17th Canadian Reserve
Battalion on 25 April 1915, personnel transferred to new
17th Canadian Reserve Battalion on 4 January 1917, and the
unit was disbanded on 4 June 1917 by Privy Council Order
1366 and 1863 dated 21 May and 6 July 1917 respectively. |
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17th
Battalion, CEF |
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Image courtesy of Bill Ellis |
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Organized: 2
September 1914
Initial Strength: 44 officers, 624 other
ranks
Service: Redesignated as 17th Reserve
Battalion.
Disbanded: Privy Council Order 1366 & 1863 eff
4 June 1917
Perpetuated by: The Pictou Highlanders |
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The battalion had its
own newsletter entitled "The Clansman" between November 1916 and
October 1917.2
The battalion was a kilted unit wearing the Mackenzie tartan, and
had its own pipe band.
The battalion was
affiliated with the 246th Battalion and was perpetuated after the
war by The Pictou Highlanders. When that regiment was amalgamated
into The North Nova Scotia Highlanders, the perpetuation was
maintained by the latter regiment, and again when The North Nova
Scotia Highlanders and The Cape Breton Highlanders were merged into
The Nova Scotia Highlanders.
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.
Battle Honours
General Order 123 of 1929 awarded "The
Great War, 1914-17" to the 17th Battalion.4
Notes
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Guide to Sources,
p.95, (copy in RG24, vol. 1258, file HQ 593-2-1, pt. 1).
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Ibid
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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
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Stewart lists several other honours:
Ypres 1915
Mount Sorrel |
Festubert, 1915
Somme, 1916 |
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Amiens |
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, 22 Sept. - 30 Nov. 1914
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Enquiry by Sir Robert Borden
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Purchase of kilts
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Badges and colours
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Appointment of officers
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DHS file
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Manitoba’s contribution to battalion
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Summary
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Inspection
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Muster parades
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Nominal rolls of men for transfer to
Canada
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General
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Greetings to 22nd Battalion
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Badges
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Colours
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Historical record
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Photographs
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Nominal roll on embarkation from
Canada, 1914
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Purchase of kilts
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