| 164th Battalion | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1915–1918 |
| Country |  |
| Type | Infantry |
| Part of | 13th Brigade, 5th Canadian Division |
| Engagements | World War I |
The 164th Battalion (Halton and Dufferin), CEF, was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Orangeville, Ontario, the unit began recruiting in late 1915 in Halton and Dufferin Counties.
The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. The force fielded several combat formations on the Western Front in France and Belgium, the largest of which was the Canadian Corps, consisting of four divisions. The Canadian Cavalry Brigade and the Canadian Independent Force, which were independent of the Canadian Corps, also fought on the Western Front. The CEF also had a large reserve and training organization in England, and a recruiting organization in Canada. In the later stages of the European war, particularly after their success at Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele, the Canadian Corps was regarded by friend and foe alike as one of the most effective Allied military formations on the Western Front. In August 1918, the CEF's Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force travelled to revolution-torn Russia. It reinforced an anti-Bolshevik garrison in Vladivostok during the winter of 1918–19. At this time, another force of Canadian soldiers were placed in Archangel, where they fought against Bolsheviks.
World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars", it led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history. It is also one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide.
Orangeville is a town in south-central Ontario, Canada, and the seat of Dufferin County.
Prior to sailing for England in April 1917, the battalion was reinforced by a draft from the 205th (Tiger) Battalion, CEF from Hamilton, Ontario. In June 1917, the battalion was further reinforced by drafts from the 2nd, 5th, and 12th Reserve Battalions totalling over 400 men.[ citation needed ] The 164th (Halton and Dufferin) Battalion, CEF was assigned to the 13th Brigade of the 5th Canadian Division, [1] and was based at Witley Camp.
The 205th (Tiger) Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Established in late 1915, it was stationed in Hamilton, Ontario and began recruiting toward the end of February 1916. In late 1916, the unit was redesignated a machine gun battalion, but a few months later, in April 1917, the 205th (Tiger) Battalion was broken up for drafts. One company was transferred to the 164th Battalion, CEF, which was recruiting in nearby Halton County. The unit continued to exist as the 205th Machine Gun Depot and then the 205th Machine Gun School.
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. An industrialized city in the Golden Horseshoe at the west end of Lake Ontario, Hamilton has a population of 536,917, and a metropolitan population of 747,545. The city is located about 60 km southwest of Toronto, with which the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) is formed.
On February 12, 1918, it was learned that the 5th Canadian Division would cease to exist. Over the course of the next two months, the battalion was slowly broken up through a series of drafts for frontline units, in particular the 102nd and 116th Battalions, CEF. Sizeable drafts were also sent to the 21st Battalion, CEF, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and the Canadian Machine Gun Depot at Seaford. On April 16, 1918, the remaining members of the battalion—six officers and 92 other ranks—were absorbed into the 8th Reserve Battalion.
The 102nd Battalion, CEF, was an infantry battalion of the Great War Canadian Expeditionary Force. The 102nd Battalion was authorized on 22 December 1915 and embarked for Britain on 18 June 1916. It disembarked in France on 12 August 1916, where it fought as part of the 11th Infantry Brigade, 4th Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battalion disbanded on 30 August 1920.
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. It is named for Princess Patricia of Connaught, daughter of the then Governor General of Canada. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a Primary Reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers. The PPCLI is the main lodger unit of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Edmonton in Alberta and CFB Shilo in Manitoba, and attached to 3rd Canadian Division; as such it serves as the "local" regular infantry regiment for much of Western Canada. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (LER), a Reserve Force battalion, is affiliated with the PPCLI but is not formally part of it. As part of this affiliation, the LER carries the designation '4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry'.
Other ranks (ORs) in the Royal Marines, British Army, Royal Air Force and in the armies and air forces of many other Commonwealth countries are those personnel who are not commissioned officers, usually including non-commissioned officers (NCOs). Colloquially, members of the other ranks are known as "rankers".
The 164th Battalion, CEF, had two Commanding Officers: Lieutenant Colonel Percy Domville (April 22, 1917 – June 19, 1917) and Lieutenant Colonel B. M. Green (June 19, 1917 – April 16, 1918).
A listing of 164th soldiers from Dufferin County can be found in the Dufferin County Museum and Archives. It includes where they enlisted, enlisted number, next of kin, date of birth, plus, if known, if they earned a medal, if they were wounded, or killed in battle. A copy of the enlistment papers is also included in the binders holding The 164th Battalion Project. These binders are available for the public to view in the archives.
The 164 Battalion (Halton and Dufferin), CEF, is perpetuated by The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment). [2]
The Lorne Scots is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is part of the 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group.
