Where Did The RMR Come From?

Saturday, May 8, 1915

In billets, Bailleul (Nouveau Monde)

The Battalion War Diarist wrote for this day: “New men drafted to Companies, several exchanges of men arranged with Ontario battalions and other battalions of 3^rd Brigade”. [1]

THIS DAY IN RMR HISTORY: This exchange of men between battalions was occasioned by the fact noted in the previous day’s diary – “Large draft of about 276 men arrived from England, mostly men from Toronto and Ontario points.  It was discovered that men from Montreal who had come to England with 23^rd Bn. C.E.F., and who were mostly from home units of the 14^th Bn. had been sent to Ontario units in France.  Much resentment felt by all ranks at this.  Draft sent 14^th Bn. was however, of good quality.”  [2] 

Although the First Canadian Division, C.E.F. had been mobilized in August and September 1914, and sailed for England in October, it was on this date that an article detailing its composition appeared in the national press. The article published May 8^th, 1915 in The Globe, Toronto under the following title, gave a listing of all the infantry battalions that made up the First Canadian Division.  Each battalion was listed by brigade, with the name of its commanding officer, and then the names of the various units which had contributed men to the formation of the twelve battalions.

Although it would seem rather late in the day to publish a detailed listing of the many  units making up the various infantry battalions of the First Canadian Division, such news had perhaps not been publicly disclosed before in such a detailed format.  Without repeating the details for all sixteen battalions of the Division, suffice it to say that the 14^th Battalion was correctly shown as part of the 3^rd Infantry Brigade, commanded by Colonel R.E.W. Turner, V.C., D.S.O., R.O.

The Globe’s listing for the 14^th Battalion (RMR) shows it was commanded by Lt.-Col. F.S. Meighen, (1^st Regiment), and showed the 14^th  (RMR) was composed of detachments of troops from the following regiments:

• “14^th King’s Canadian Hussars;
• 1^st Regiment (Canadian Grenadier Guards);
• 3^rd Regiment (Victoria Rifles of Canada);
• 63^rd Regiment (Halifax Rifles);
• 65^th Carabiniers (Mont Royal);
• 66^th Regiment;
• 69^th Annapolis Regiment;
• 75^th Lunenburgh Regiment;
• 76^th Colchester and Hants Rifles;  and the
• 81^st Regiment.”   [4]

This list agrees with the list recorded in Col. A.F. Duguid’s “Official History,” Vol. 1 Pt 2, which also details the numbers of officers and men coming from each unit.

This table, however, does not mention two additional units that apparently supplied troops to the 14^th on its establishment, but the 14^th Battalion history records:  “To bring the battalions of the newly formed 3^rd Canadian Infantry Brigade up to war strength, reinforcements were allotted as required.  To the 14^th Battalion drafts were allocated from the

• 45^th Lindsay Regiment (Ontario),
• 63^rd Rifles (Halifax), and a
• small detachment from the Queens Own Rifles (Toronto).”  [6]

[1]  War Diary, 14th Canadian Battalion, The Royal Montreal Regiment, May 8, 1915.  Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e044/e001089731.jpg

[2]  War Diary, 14th Canadian Battalion, The Royal Montreal Regiment, May 7, 1915.  Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e044/e001089731.jpg

[3] “Canada’s Battalions: Where they Came From,” The Globe (1844-1936), Toronto, Ontario, May 8, 1915, pg. 23.

[4]   Ibid.

[5]   Col. A.F. Duguid, “Official History of the Canadian Forces in the Great War, 1914-1919, Vol. I, Part 2, Chronology, Appendices and Maps, King’s Printer, Ottawa, 1938, appendix 85, pg. 57.

http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/docs/CFGW_VOL1Pt2_E.pdf

[6]   R.C. Featherstonhaugh, The Royal Montreal Regiment 14th Battalion C.E.F. 1914-1925, Montreal, The Gazette, Printing Co., Ltd., 1927, pg. 9.