45th Battalion CEF

[Gorgo]

Quick question to those who might know these things:

What exactly were the battle honours bestowed on the 45th Battalion of the CEF during WW1 (the unit that ended up being perpetuated by the Manitoba Rangers [which, after WW1, was transformed into what today is called 26th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA])?  And what exactly was its unit assignment during WW1; was it part of the 3rd or the 4th Division or broken up for reinforcements in England before being shuttled onto the Western Front?  I've looked and looked and looked all over the place through Google and can't find a thing.

Cheers!

Fred

 

[exspy]

Fred,

I took the following from my copy of "The Militia of Manitoba 1883-1979" by that noted Winnipeg historian, Bruce Tascona.  He wrote the following on the 45th Battalion, CEF;

NAME: 45th Battalion CEF (1st Battalion Manitoba Rangers)

The 45th Battalion CEF was authorized for active service in July of 1915.  The 45th CEF was recruited by the Manitoba Rangers of Brandon, Manitoba.

The 45th CEF went overseas in March of 1916.  Once in England the 45th was slated to be broken up for reinforcements to the Canadian Corps.  In July of 1916 the 45th became part of the 11th Reserve Battalion.  The strength of the 45th CEF was approximately 720 men when it went overseas.

Commanding Officer:    Lt. Col. F.J. Clarke      1916

Battle Honours:    The Great War 1916


This unit was perpetuated by The Manitoba Rangers which, as you stated, was converted to Artillery in the 1936 militia reorganization.  The 11th Reserve Battalion had a Manitoba affiliation and provided reinforcements to the 16th, 27th and 43rd Battalions in France.

I hope this helps,
Dan.

 

[Michael OLeary]

You will find some further background on the 11th Reserve Battalion here:

http://cefresearch.com/matrix/Utilities/reserves/11th.htm

The 11th also absorbed a number of battalions arriving from Canada as well as drafts from various Canadian battalions:

The 45th Battalion which had arrived in Liverpool March 25, 1916 with a compliment of 38 officers and 1119 other ranks and had been used as a reinforcing unit until it was absorbed on July 7, 1916.

 

[Gorgo]

Fred,

I took the following from my copy of "The Militia of Manitoba 1883-1979" by that noted Winnipeg historian, Bruce Tascona.  He wrote the following on the 45th Battalion, CEF;

NAME: 45th Battalion CEF (1st Battalion Manitoba Rangers)

The 45th Battalion CEF was authorized for active service in July of 1915.  The 45th CEF was recruited by the Manitoba Rangers of Brandon, Manitoba.

The 45th CEF went overseas in March of 1916.  Once in England the 45th was slated to be broken up for reinforcements to the Canadian Corps.  In July of 1916 the 45th became part of the 11th Reserve Battalion.  The strength of the 45th CEF was approximately 720 men when it went overseas.

Commanding Officer:     Lt. Col. F.J. Clarke       1916

Battle Honours:     The Great War 1916


This unit was perpetuated by The Manitoba Rangers which, as you stated, was converted to Artillery in the 1936 militia reorganization.  The 11th Reserve Battalion had a Manitoba affiliation and provided reinforcements to the 16th, 27th and 43rd Battalions in France.

I hope this helps,
Dan.

Thank you so kindly, Dan!  But what about the other two units perpetuated by the Manitoba Rangers, the 79th and the 181st Battalions?  Same (or similar) situation as the 45th?

Fred

 

[Michael OLeary]

The 79th Battalion was absorbed into the 17th Battalion, it saw no service in France as a unit.
http://cefresearch.com/matrix/Utilities/reserves/17th.htm

The 181st battalion was was absorbed into the 18th Reserve Battalion, it saw no service in France as a unit.

 

[exspy]

Mike,

Very interesting site.  Glad you provided it.

Fred,

If you're still interested here are the entries by Tascona for the 79th and the 181st;

Name: 79th Battalion CEF (2nd Battalion Manitoba Rangers)

The 79th Battalion CEF was authorized for service in August of 1915.  The 79th CEF was raised and recruited by The Manitoba Rangers of Brandon, Manitoba.

The 79th CEF went overseas in June of 1916.  Once in England the 79th CEF was slated to be broken up for reinforcements to the Canadian Corps.  In July of 1916 the 79th became part of the 17th Reserve Battalion.

Commanding Officers:    Lt. Col. G. Clingan    1916

Battle Honours:    The Great War 1916


Name: 181st Battalion CEF (3rd Battalion Manitoba Rangers)

The 181st Battalion CEF was authorized for active service in January of 1916.  The 181st CEF was raised and recruited by the Manitoba Rangers.  This battalion went overseas in April of 1917, where in England was slated to become used as reinforcements to the Canadian Corps on the Western Front.  The 181st Battalion CEF was absorbed into the 18th Reserve Battalion in May of 1917.

Commanding Officers:    Lt. Col. D.W. Beaubier    April 18, 1917

Battle Honours:    The Great War 1917


According to D.W. Love in "A Call to Arms" the 17th Reserve Battalion was affiliated to Nova Scotia and supplied reinforcements to the 25th and 85th Battalions and to The RCR.  The 18th Reserve Battalion had a Manitoba affiliation and provided reinforcements to the 8th, 78th and 52nd Battalions.

Again, I hope this helps your research.
Dan.

 

[Gorgo]

Thanks again, Dan.  I really appreciate this.

Hypothetical question, now:  if the Manitoba Rangers were not converted into the 26th Brigade of the RCA and allowed to continue as an infantry regiment, would they have been allowed to bear battle honours from what their drafts helped to do during the Great War?  Or would the only battle honour they would have received be THE GREAT WAR 1916-17?

Just curious.

Fred

 

[exspy]

Fred,

I've found some more information on the Great War Battle Honours awarded to The Manitoba Rangers prior to its disbandment in 1936.  Rather than clear the issue up I think it may even muddy the waters further.

According to the 1936 Militia List the Man. Rang. (the official abbreviation) were entitled to eight Battle Honours as follows;
"Mount Sorrel"  "Somme, 1916"  "Arras, 1917, '18"  "Hill 70"  "Ypres, 1917"  "Amiens"  "Hindenburg Line"  "Pursuit to Mons."

Now I have no idea what the formula was for determining Battle Honours for those units which contributed draughts to the combat units of the CEF, but the 'The Militia of Manitoba' has the following short quote;

The battle honours of the CEF battalions not on the "Order of Battle" were drawn from the following two lists to extract these battle honours.
General Order Number 110, 1929 List No. 1
General Order Number 123, 1929 List No. 2

I don't copies of these two 1929 G.O.'s on hand but I think I know where I can find them.  I will let you know when I do.

I can also provide the following quote from the 'History of The Lincoln and Welland Regiment' on this matter;
When a militia regiment contributed 200 or more men to a fighting battalion on organization (as the 44th Regiment contributed 202 to the 4th Battalion, CEF), it was entitled to carry the honours won by that battalion during the first seven months in action. The militia regiments were also awarded battle honours won by the men of the CEF battalions they perpetuated. When a CEF battalion had 250 men in a battle area, the regiment perpetuatng it was awarded a battle honour: if the 250 were in units which attacked or were attacked the perpetuating regiment carried the battle honour on its regimental colour. When a regiment perpetuated more than one CEF battalion (as The Lincoln Regiment perpetuated the 81st and 176th), the men in both perpetuated CEF battalions could be added together to arrive at the necessary figure of 250. CEF battalions which were broken up were not themselves awarded battle honours, but received theatre of war honours which were not carried over to the perpetuating unit.

Unfortunately even with all this information at hand I don't believe we are any closer to answering your battle honour question, however the hunt has just begun.

When I learn anything further I will post it,
Dan.

 

[Michael OLeary]

The 45th Bn CEF is listed in General Order 123 of 1929:

45th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF: "The Great War, 1916"

The Manitoba Rangers are listed in General Order No. 71 of 1930:

"Mount Sorrel, Some, 1916, Arras, 1917, '18, Hill 70, Ypres, 1917, Amiens, Hindenburg Line, Pursuit to Mons."

The published order don't provide any further enough data which would permit connecting these honours to specific drafts. 

If the unit had not been converted, that is the list of battle honours they would bear.

 

[Gorgo]

Thanks.  I really appreciate this.