50th Battalion, CEF
Encyclopedia
The 50th Canadian Battalion was a battalion of the First World War Canadian Expeditionary Force
. The battalion was commanded by Colonel
E.G. Mason at the beginning of the war. Later in the war, he was put with another battalion and Lieutenant-Colonel Page took over the battalion. The battalion recruiting headquarters was in Calgary, Alberta. It was formed to increase the numbers of the newly forming 4th Canadian Division
.
of Canadian Mounted Rifles
had taken over the last few spots in the 3rd Canadian Division
. They were recruited when the war started, trained in Calgary, sailed for England on October 27, 1915, and sent off to the Western Front
with the rest of the 4th Division, disembarking in France on August 11, 1916.
of the 50th. Since the NCOs were usually in the second wave, they were shot by hidden German machine-gun posts.
in November 1916, where they spent their winter and Christmas preparing for the offensive on Vimy Ridge. From January to March, the division's artillery was part of the pre-battle barrage. In March, the Canadian Corps changed the commander of the battalion. They took Colonel E.G. Mason and put him in charge of another battalion while giving the 50th to Lieutenant-Colonel Page. In April, the Canadians made their three-day offensive, starting the Battle of Vimy Ridge
.
The 50th Battalion and the rest of the 4th Canadian Division
were assigned to attack Hill 145. After many attempts to capture the hill, they finally managed to take it from the Bavarian Reserve force. For the next two days, the 4th Canadian Division and 50th Battalion tried to attack the little knoll known as the Pimple. Finally, the Bavarians, low on food and having suffered many casualties, surrendered the Pimple and retreated from Vimy. The 50th, having suffered heavy casualties, were taken out of the line and rested for a while.
, started preparations for the Battle of Lens
. They fought the Germans in the streets of Lens and in the generating plant, which a group of Germans had fortified. After a hard-fought battle there, the Canadians gained a reputation as elite or storm troops. During this battle, they were taken out of the line for a little bit, and put into billets. They stayed with French families in their remaining small houses.
Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig ordered them into the heavy fighting at Liévin
and Hill 65 in June and July 1917. After suffering low casualty rates, the Canadians were ordered to one of the costliest battles in the war, the Third Battle of Ypres. The Canadians suffered 16,000 dead and many more wounded, while 50th Battalion lost a quarter of their fighting men. The Canadian Corps was successful however, by capturing Passchendaele
Village. After the battle at Passchendaele, the Canadians finally got a break and they had Christmas dinner at Château de la Haie. In the German Spring offensive
, the 50th Battalion, along with the other Canadian units, were training instead of being on the front lines of the heavy fighting.
, where they subsequently managed to halt the German advance. The Germans, wasted after having to sacrifice a large amount of their troops during the offensive, could not withstand the strong Allied push that followed and which ultimately brought about an end to the war.
was halted by the Second Battle of the Marne
. After years of stalemate on the Western Front
, the war was finally coming to an end. In the last 100 days, the 50th Battalion fought at the Battle of Amiens on August 8–10; the Second Battle of the Somme (1918)
, which was also known as the Battle of Arras; the Battle of Cambrai
, where they helped recapture Cambrai and hold it against German attacks; the battle of Drocourt-Quéant
where the 50th Battalion helped to defeat the German defensive line; the Battle of the Canal du Nord
, where the Canadian Corps, with 50th Battalion crossed the canal; and the Battle of Valenciennes, one of the last battles of the war, where Mons was captured. By then, the Germans were retreating from France
and Belgium
. On November 11, on the eleventh hour, the Germans agreed to an armistice, ending the First World War.
and the Vimy Memorial
. Soldiers of the battalion killed in action are commemorated on the Calgary Soldiers' Memorial
, dedicated in April 2011. There is also a bridge over the Elbow River
in Calgary named after John George Pattison, VC.
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
. The battalion was commanded by Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
E.G. Mason at the beginning of the war. Later in the war, he was put with another battalion and Lieutenant-Colonel Page took over the battalion. The battalion recruiting headquarters was in Calgary, Alberta. It was formed to increase the numbers of the newly forming 4th Canadian Division
4th Canadian Division
The Canadian Corps - 4th Canadian Division – World War I:The 4th Canadian Division was formed in the Britain in April 1916 from several existing units and others scheduled to arrive shortly thereafter. Under the command of Major-General David Watson, the Division embarked for France in August of...
.
Formation
The 50th Canadian Battalion was a battalion of volunteers from Calgary and its local area. They were added into the newly forming 4th Canadian Division because the brigadeBrigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of Canadian Mounted Rifles
Canadian Mounted Rifles
Canadian Mounted Rifles was part of the designation of several mounted infantry units in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.* The Canadian Mounted Rifle Corps, formed in 1885, now part of The Royal Canadian Dragoons...
had taken over the last few spots in the 3rd Canadian Division
3rd Canadian Division
The 3rd Canadian Division was a formation of the Canadian Corps during the First World War.The 3rd Canadian Division was formed in France in December 1915 under the command of Major-General M.S. Mercer. Its members served in both France and Flanders until Armistice Day...
. They were recruited when the war started, trained in Calgary, sailed for England on October 27, 1915, and sent off to the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
with the rest of the 4th Division, disembarking in France on August 11, 1916.
Ancre Heights/Somme
The battalion was ordered to Ancre Heights in October. Ancre Heights was the first Canadian participation in the Battle of the Somme, which had begun on July 1. Later, they were ordered into the Battle of the Somme, where the Canadians suffered 25,000 casualties. The battle saw the deaths of many non-commissioned officers (NCOs)Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
of the 50th. Since the NCOs were usually in the second wave, they were shot by hidden German machine-gun posts.
Vimy Ridge
From the Somme, they went northward to ArtoisArtois
Artois is a former province of northern France. Its territory has an area of around 4000 km² and a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras , Saint-Omer, Lens and Béthune.-Location:...
in November 1916, where they spent their winter and Christmas preparing for the offensive on Vimy Ridge. From January to March, the division's artillery was part of the pre-battle barrage. In March, the Canadian Corps changed the commander of the battalion. They took Colonel E.G. Mason and put him in charge of another battalion while giving the 50th to Lieutenant-Colonel Page. In April, the Canadians made their three-day offensive, starting the Battle of Vimy Ridge
Battle of Vimy Ridge
The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought primarily as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps, of four divisions, against three divisions of the German Sixth Army...
.
4th Canadian Division
The Canadian Corps - 4th Canadian Division – World War I:The 4th Canadian Division was formed in the Britain in April 1916 from several existing units and others scheduled to arrive shortly thereafter. Under the command of Major-General David Watson, the Division embarked for France in August of...
were assigned to attack Hill 145. After many attempts to capture the hill, they finally managed to take it from the Bavarian Reserve force. For the next two days, the 4th Canadian Division and 50th Battalion tried to attack the little knoll known as the Pimple. Finally, the Bavarians, low on food and having suffered many casualties, surrendered the Pimple and retreated from Vimy. The 50th, having suffered heavy casualties, were taken out of the line and rested for a while.
Lens and Passchendaele
After Vimy the 50th Battalion, with the rest of the Canadian CorpsCanada Corps
Canada Corps was a Canadian government program created to help developing and unstable countries to promote good governance and institution building. The programme was administered by the Canadian International Development Agency...
, started preparations for the Battle of Lens
Battle of Lens
The Battle of Lens was a French victory under Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé against the Spanish army under Archduke Leopold in the Thirty Years' War . It was the last major battle of the war....
. They fought the Germans in the streets of Lens and in the generating plant, which a group of Germans had fortified. After a hard-fought battle there, the Canadians gained a reputation as elite or storm troops. During this battle, they were taken out of the line for a little bit, and put into billets. They stayed with French families in their remaining small houses.
Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig ordered them into the heavy fighting at Liévin
Liévin
Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and...
and Hill 65 in June and July 1917. After suffering low casualty rates, the Canadians were ordered to one of the costliest battles in the war, the Third Battle of Ypres. The Canadians suffered 16,000 dead and many more wounded, while 50th Battalion lost a quarter of their fighting men. The Canadian Corps was successful however, by capturing Passchendaele
Passchendaele
The Battle of PasschendaeleThe Battle of Passchendaele...
Village. After the battle at Passchendaele, the Canadians finally got a break and they had Christmas dinner at Château de la Haie. In the German Spring offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
, the 50th Battalion, along with the other Canadian units, were training instead of being on the front lines of the heavy fighting.
Kaiser's Battle
During this German offensive, dedicated to the German Kaiser, the Germans managed to penetrate the Allied front lines and push them back. The Allies fell back almost all the way to Paris, which was the German objective, but the Allies took advantage of the barrier of the Marne River situated just outside of ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where they subsequently managed to halt the German advance. The Germans, wasted after having to sacrifice a large amount of their troops during the offensive, could not withstand the strong Allied push that followed and which ultimately brought about an end to the war.
Llandovery Castle Operations
In 1918, a Canadian medical ship, was sunk by a German U-boat, even though Llandovery Castle had a white flag put up. The Canadians, furious with the Germans, started an offensive dedicated to Llandovery Castle. The 50th fought in Llandovery Castle operations and they managed to liberate a few towns and villages.Canada's Hundred Days
The German advance to ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
was halted by the Second Battle of the Marne
Second Battle of the Marne
The Second Battle of the Marne , or Battle of Reims was the last major German Spring Offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The German attack failed when an Allied counterattack led by France overwhelmed the Germans, inflicting severe casualties...
. After years of stalemate on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, the war was finally coming to an end. In the last 100 days, the 50th Battalion fought at the Battle of Amiens on August 8–10; the Second Battle of the Somme (1918)
Second Battle of the Somme (1918)
During the First World War, the Second Battle of the Somme of 1918 was fought on the Western Front from the end of the summer, in the basin of the Somme River...
, which was also known as the Battle of Arras; the Battle of Cambrai
Battle of Cambrai (1918)
The Battle of Cambrai was a battle between troops of the British First, Third and Fourth Armies and German Empire forces during the Hundred Days Offensive of the First World War. The battle took place in and around the French city of Cambrai, between 8 and 10 October 1918...
, where they helped recapture Cambrai and hold it against German attacks; the battle of Drocourt-Quéant
Drocourt-Quéant
The Drocourt-Quéant Line was a set of mutually supporting defensive lines constructed by Germany between the French cities of Drocourt and Quéant during World War I...
where the 50th Battalion helped to defeat the German defensive line; the Battle of the Canal du Nord
Battle of the Canal du Nord
The Battle of Canal du Nord was part of a general Allied offensive against German positions on the Western Front during the Hundred Days Offensive of World War I. The battle took place in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, along an incomplete portion of the Canal du Nord and on the outskirts...
, where the Canadian Corps, with 50th Battalion crossed the canal; and the Battle of Valenciennes, one of the last battles of the war, where Mons was captured. By then, the Germans were retreating from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. On November 11, on the eleventh hour, the Germans agreed to an armistice, ending the First World War.
After the war
In 1919, the 50th Battalion was sent back to Canada and they were allowed to return to their own homes in Calgary and its surrounding area. The 50th Battalion was subsequently disbanded on August 20, 1920, and was never reformed again. The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) perpetuates the 50th Battalion, CEF.Battle honours
First World War:- Somme, 1 July–18 November 1916*
- Ancre Heights, 1 October–11 November 1916
- Ancre, 1916, 13–18 November 1916
- Arras 1917, 9 April–4 May 1917
- VimyVimyVimy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography and history:Vimy is a farming town, situated some north of Arras, at the junction of the D51 and the N17 roads....
, 9–12 April 1917* - Hill 70, 15–25 August 1917*
- Ypres 1917, 31 July–6 November 1917
- Passchendaele, 12 October 1917 or 26 October–6 November 1917*
- Amiens, 8–11 August 1918*
- Arras 1918, 26 August–3 September 1918
- Scarpe, 26–30 August 1918*
- Drocourt-Quéant Line, 2–3 September 1918
- Hindenburg Line, 12 Sep – 9 October 1918
- Canal du Nord , 27 September – 2 October 1918
- Valenciennes, 1–2 November 1918
- France and Flanders 1916–18Western Front (World War I)Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
Records
The history of the 50th Battalion is recorded in books and in letters that kept by their families, or discovered by historians later in years. A few examples of members whose stories have been told are Richard Playfair and Victor W. Wheeler.Notable 50th Battalion men
- Private "Ducky" Henry NorwestHenry NorwestHenry Norwest MM & Bar was a distinguished Canadian sniper in World War I.-Military career:...
(Sniper) - Private Victor Wheeler (Signaller)
- Colonel E.G. Mason (commander)
- Colonel Page (commander)
- Private John George PattisonJohn George PattisonJohn George Pattison VC , was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
, VC
Memorials
Soldiers of the 50th Battalion that went missing in action are memorialized on the Menin GateMenin Gate
The Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing is a war memorial in Ypres, Belgium dedicated to the commemoration of British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of the First World War and whose graves are unknown...
and the Vimy Memorial
Vimy Memorial
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is a memorial site in France dedicated to the memory of Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during the First World War. It also serves as the place of commemoration for First World War Canadian soldiers killed or presumed dead in France who have no known...
. Soldiers of the battalion killed in action are commemorated on the Calgary Soldiers' Memorial
Calgary Soldiers' Memorial
The Calgary Soldiers' Memorial is a war monument in Calgary, Alberta that was dedicated on April 9, 2011, the anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The monument is dedicated to Calgary area soldiers who have given their lives in war and military service overseas...
, dedicated in April 2011. There is also a bridge over the Elbow River
Elbow River
The Elbow River is a river located in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows from the Canadian Rockies to the city of Calgary, where it merges into the Bow River....
in Calgary named after John George Pattison, VC.
Training, 1914–1916
- Formation to August 1916: training in various places in CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Somme Front, 1916
- October 1 – November 11, 1916: the Battle of Ancre Heights
- July 1 – November 18, 1916: the Battle of the Somme
Vimy Front, 1917
- January–April, 1917: preparation for The Battle of Vimy RidgeBattle of Vimy RidgeThe Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought primarily as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps, of four divisions, against three divisions of the German Sixth Army...
- April 9–12, 1917: the Battle of Vimy RidgeBattle of Vimy RidgeThe Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought primarily as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps, of four divisions, against three divisions of the German Sixth Army...
Ypres Front, 1917
- July 31 – November 10, 1917: Third Battle of Ypres or the Battle of Passchendaele
Training, 1917–1918
- December 1917: Christmas at Château de la Haie
- January–July 1918: training in France
Hundred Days' Offensive, 1918
- August 8–11, 1918: the Battle of Amiens
- August 21 – September 2, 1918: the Second Battle of the Somme
- September 27 – October 1, 1918: the Battle of Canal du Nord
- Octover 8–10, 1918: the Battle of CambraiBattle of Cambrai (1918)The Battle of Cambrai was a battle between troops of the British First, Third and Fourth Armies and German Empire forces during the Hundred Days Offensive of the First World War. The battle took place in and around the French city of Cambrai, between 8 and 10 October 1918...
- November 11, 1918: the Battle of Valenciennes (also known as the Capture of Mons)