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The 249th
Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force was a unit
raised for service in the First World War.
History
The 249th
Battalion was organized in Regina, Saskatchewan in accordance
with General Order 11 of 1 February 1917 and General Order
48 of 1 May 1917.1
The battalion
was composed of recruits from Regina, Saskatoon, Swift
Current, Moosomin, Weyburn, Melville, Maple Creek and
Estevan. The unit left Regina for Valcartier on 22 May 1917
with a public send-off.2
Lieutenant-Colonel
Clifford Benjamin Keenleyside, a Methodist missionary, was
also a real estate financier. Born in London, Ontario (then
known as Canada West) in 1865, he moved to Winnipeg as a
young man and then later to Regina with experience in
newspapers and real estate. He was elected to city council
and published pamphlets on missionary work. He had also been
involved with Winnipeg's 90th Regiment in the pre-war
Militia, and again served in the 95th Regiment. After war
broke out, he enlisted as paymaster of the 195th Battalion
and took command of the 249th Battalion in October 1916. His
cousin, Captain Samuel Richard Hosford, helped raise the
249th.3
The battalion
was at Valcartier when it absorbed the 250th Battalion on 10 October
1917. The unit embarked for overseas from Halifax on 21
February 1918 aboard S.S. Saxonia and S.S.
Megantic and disembarked in the U.K. on 4 March
1918 with a strength of 15 officers, 709 other ranks. The unit
was absorbed by the 15th Canadian Reserve Battalion on 6
March 1918, and disbanded on 27 July 1918 by Privy Council
Order 1717.4 |
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249th
Battalion, CEF |
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Organized:
October 1916
Initial Strength: 15 officers, 709 other
ranks
Service: Absorbed by 15th Reserve Battalion.
Disbanded: Privy Council Order 1366 & 1863 eff
4 June 1917
Perpetuated by: Not perpetuated |
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During its time in
Canada, the battalion had its own band (Stewart lists it as a pipe
band), and its Colours are deposited in the Legislative Building in
Regina. The unit was not perpetuated in the Militia after the Otter
Commission reorganizations.5
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."6
Metal cap and collar badges were
worn on service dress.
Battle Honours
General Order No. 123 of 1929 granted a
single battle honour to the 249th Battalion, CEF:
The Great War, 1918
Notes
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Guide to Sources,
p.674, (copy in RG24, vol. 1258, file HQ 593-2-1, pt. 1).
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"Regina Citizens Say Goodbye to
249th Battalion", The Leader-Post (Regina), 22 May
1917 p.10
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"The Preacherr", Patriots,
Crooks and Safety-Firsters: Colonels of the Canadian
Expeditionary Force, accessed online at
https://matthewkbarrett.com/2015/12/09/the-preacher/#more-2343
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Guide to Sources, Ibid
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Love, David W. A Nation in Making: The Organization and
Administration of the Canadian Military During the First World
War (Service Publications Ltd., Ottawa, ON, 2012) ISBN
978-1-894581-72-1 Volume II, p.332
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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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Badges
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Inspection reports
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Audit reports
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Colours
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Mobilization accounts
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Contagious diseases
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Unfits
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Enlistment of aliens
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Inspection reports, clothing and
equipment
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Transport issue
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Treatment of recruits
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Band, recruiting tour
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Pay and paysheets
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Appointment of officers
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Organization
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Returns and statistics
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Organization
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Extract from OMFC Routine Order, 28
August 1918, re disbandment
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Inspection reports prior to leaving
Canada
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Argyll House file
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