American Battalions in CEF

[Guest Bigorca]

For a book I am writing I am attempting to find info and photos concerning the Americans who signed up with the CEF in what was known commonly but unofficially as "the American Legion." The first battalion of these American volunteers was the 97th, based in Toronto. Over the next months four more battalions were added from right across the country: the 211th, 212th, 213th, and 237th. They were both a source of pride and of discomfort to the Canadian Govt while to the American Govt they were simply a source of discomfort as the USA, being neutral, was not supposed to have its nationals fighting Germans, particularly in such large numbers. By the time the Legion reached Halifax for embarkation overseas, the brigade had become too hot a potato for the Canadian Govt, so the units were disbanded and those who made it to the UK were assigned to other fighting units of the CEF. Some members of the Legion seemed to have joined primarily for the pay, free shelter, and the food--and then they deserted just before embarkation at Halifax. But most stayed and fought with the Canucks out of conviction and disappointment their own govt hadn't joined the fighting. Once the States did join the War, it seems almost all of the Americans who had once been part of the Legion then quickly joined battalions of the US Army. I am especially interested in obtaining photos or info about these units of the American Legion while they were in Canada, although info about individuals who later fought with CEF units in France or Flanders is also welcome. All assistance will be acknowledged in my book.

[marc leroux]

I have approximatly 336 soldiers with a country of birth of USA identified. You can find them here.

marc

[jhill]

I am afraid I cannot provide much information about any of these units. I have an interest in the 211th (Alberta Americans) Battalion, seeing as they werely partly raised in this area. I have not, alas, yet got to looking at them in detail, but I ran across them when looking at the 218th Battalion (Edmonton irish Guards).

As a teaser, you might have a look at the document located here:

http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e059/e001472669.jpg

This is a letter from Col. Sage, commanding the 211th, to his superior. It was written after they had arrived in England and argues strongly that, in view of the impending American entry into the War, the Battalion not be broken up, but should be brought up to strength as some sort of model American battalion. He is especially proud of their all-american band of professional musicians under Mr. Chenette.

Of course, the colonel's pleas were in vain as the 211th was merged with the 218th to form the 8th Canadian Railway Troops. I believe the 8th CRT War diary later on mentions special celebrations for the fourth of July.

Good luck with your project!

[Canadawwi]

Hi!

Here's an article from the Toronto Star dated May 30th, 1917. It is about the depositing of the colours of the American Legion CEF units at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England. I will continue to check for more articles for this project.

Best regards, Marika

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AMERICAN LEGION COLORS

Deposited in St. Paul's Today - Five Battalions Were Represented.

Canadian Associated Press Cable.

London, May 30. - The colors of five Canadian battalions, the 97th, 211th, 212th, 213th, and 237th, formerly known as the American Legion, were deposited in St. Paul's today.

Forty-five of forty-eight States in the Union were represented. The original flag was presented by American women of Toronto, a second by those of Winnipeg, and a third by Calgary.

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[Guest Bigorca]

Thank you for your prompt response and helpful offer. Please send anything else you find. Much appreciated.

[Borden Battery]

I have included some information on following CEF unit. The websource is listed at the bottom of the page.

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127th Battalion (Second Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops)

Canadian Expeditionary Force

Mobilization

When the 12th York Rangers were given the task of raising a battalion of their own for the CEF, the Rangers had already contributed over 1100 soldiers, all ranks, (more than double their peacetime strength), to various overseas units, including the 20th CEF Battalion. That new York Ranger battalion, the 127th CEF, was authorized by the Privy Council on 22 December 1915 and mobilized on 10 April 1916 in Newmarket, Ontario. The first and only Commanding Officer was Lieutenant Colonel F.F. Clarke, who was recalled from duty at a prisoner of war camp at Kapuskasing to command. The Battalion departed Camp Borden by train on 18 August 1916, embarking at Halifax on 21 August, and arriving at Liverpool on 30 August.

The 127th had been originally raised and trained as infantry, and destined for the 5th Canadian Division. However, after the colossal losses at the Somme in the summer of 1916, it was decided not to form a fifth division, but to keep the first four at full strength. Unlike most other 5th Division battalions, the 127th was not broken up in England for reinforcements. LCol Clarke had been a professional engineer for the Grand Trunk Railway in pre-war life, and he recruited both officers and men primarily from the railways and from construction and engineering trades. Because of this special experience, the 127th was assigned to the new Corps of Canadian Railway Troops as the Second Battalion.

Railway troops were considered a theatre asset for the British Expeditionary Force. As such, the 127th worked directly with the Canadian Corps but once, at Passchendaele, when both were assigned to the II British Army. Interestingly, one of the unskilled labour units under command of the 127th at Passchendaele was the 5th Provisional Cavalry Pioneer Battalion, consisting of otherwise unoccupied cavalrymen from the Life Guards, Dragoon Guards, Royal Canadian Dragoons, Lord Strathcona's Horse, Fort Garry Horse, 8th Bengal Lancers, and 17th Lancers.

France and Flanders 1917-18

The battalion arrived in France at Le Havre at midnight of 12/13 January 1917 and was immediately dispatched to an area recently captured from the Germans in the battle of the Somme. The tasks which faced them were formidable. Railway construction was vital to the war effort in an era with few motor vehicles and no paved roads, an era when the only other methods to haul the vast quantities of food, water, fuel, artillery munitions, and soldiers required by an army relied upon horses and mules and men. Methods of construction were also crude by today's standards, relying chiefly on manual labour, block and tackle, and horses and mules.

The construction work was difficult, dangerous, and back-breaking, with the men frequently labouring 16-18 hours a day. A great deal of emphasis was placed on training the non-commissioned officers in the technical aspects of construction, so that they could supervise the unskilled labour that was regularly under command. Pioneer battalions, labour battalions, and even line infantry were attached to the Battalion from time to time. Men from the labour battalions sometimes fell short of the ideal, being physically unfit, lacking military training, poorly clothed for inclement weather, and complaining of insufficient food. Also, the labour battalions were often filled with the previously wounded and shellshock casualties no longer fit for other work.

They frequently worked under the observation of the enemy, and would be shelled as a result. This made it sometimes necessary to work at night, without lights. Fresh water for men, horses, and steam locomotives was a problem, as the enemy had in most cases blown, plugged, or poisoned the wells. The battalion was often assigned to repair railways that had been deliberately destroyed by the enemy, with bridges over gaps blown, overhead bridges dropped on the track, cratering, dud shells, and booby traps. Disease would affect not only the men of the battalion, but also the horses and mules who were just as necessary.

The types of skills required were varied, and included: surveying, bridge building, roadbed grading, track laying, and steel and lumber salvage. The nature of their work meant that the battalion was frequently widely dispersed, with companies and detachments working on separate projects. In addition to its construction duties, the 127th was also occasionally given the task of actually operating the railways, relieving the formation staff from the difficult logistical problem of moving tons of artillery shells forward every day and moving casualties to the rear.

March 1918: The German Bid for Victory

Throughout March of 1918, rumours of an enemy offensive persisted. The Russians had capitulated on the Eastern Front, and the Germans were known to be moving their divisions west at a frantic pace. The Germans were intent on seizing the initiative and winning the war before the United States could fully mobilize and land their forces in Europe. Unfortunately for the Allies, it would be several months before the United States could be a significant factor in the field. Furthermore, it was impossible for France to make any new effort, after the losses at Verdun in 1917 and the mutinies that followed, and there had not yet been any recruitment in Britain large enough to fill the gap left by the casualties of 1917 at Passchendaele (Third Ypres) and Cambrai.

These facts were well known to friendly troops, and most units adopted a "packed and ready" posture, laying extra wire in front of improved trenches. The 127th continued to lay track at a feverish pace, and it was at this time they achieved the record for most track laid in a single day during the war in France: 6500 feet. A a new medical officer was also deemed to be required for the 127th, and 1st Lieutenant A. Button of the United States Reserve was posted in on 1 March 1918.

On 20 March 1918, all units in the Fifth British Army were ordered to stand to in expectation of an attack, which began at 0445 hours on 21 March 1918. The German offensive was overwhelming. The shelling from both sides all that morning was thunderous, but by 1130 hours, friendly artillery limbers were retiring through the Army rear area. The Italian and Chinese labour battalions under command of the 127th laid down their tools and fled, strewing their kit behind them. The word from the columns of retreating artillery was ominous, that the Germans had been wildly successful and that gas had been used. The 127th continued to lay track and dispatched parties from D Company to repair the Foreste Railhead under shellfire, where they succeeded in repairing the grade long enough to get a train of ammunition out.

By the afternoon, the survivors of front line infantry units were retiring through the battalion area. At 1730, with shrapnel starting to fall nearby, and in the absence of any orders from Army or Corps headquarters, LCol Clarke ordered that the heavy stores be loaded in preparation of a move. A Company was ordered to stand to. B and D Companies continued to work on the railway line with what remained of the labour attachments. C Company was ordered to move its machine shop and equipment rearward to Flavy. A dispatch rider was sent to III Corps HQ seeking orders.

The dispatch rider finally returned the next morning at 0415 hours with orders to move at once. The Battalion wasted no time and reveille was blown five minutes later. D Company remained at Foreste trying to maintain the line there, while B Company continued to build a crossing over the Ham road, so that the rolling stock on the Voyennes line could be saved from the enemy. The remainder of the battalion joined the column of civilian refugees moving rearward on the Ham-Flavy road. Later that afternoon, orders came from Corps HQ to abandon the Foreste line, and D company too was withdrawn. The tools, stores, and kit of B Company was sent rearward, but the men remained to help clear rolling stock. The battalion continued to move rearward, as ordered, until 27 March. The movement was complicated by French troops that were moving forward to reinforce the front, as well as the civilian refugee traffic which was further confusing matters. En route, they continued to dispatch repair parties regularly to fix track destroyed by shelling.

The Germans had hurled 64 divisions against the 19 British divisions in the III and V British Armies, whose forward positions were being continuously overrun, forcing both Armies to surrender ground daily. By 25 March the situation was sufficiently desperate that the General Officer Commanding the V British Army, was forced to order that the remainder of his forces be constituted as a reserve brigade: the stragglers, the staff of a machine gun school, the tunneling companies, the engineers and railway troops. This provisional brigade was to be commanded by an elderly brigadier just returned from leave in England.

Into the Line

At 1330 hours, on 27 March 1918, LCol Clarke called a conference of all his officers to announce that the battalion would embus for the front at 1730. The orders given to the Commanding Officer consisted of a vague message relayed by a staff officer on a horse, who believed that the unit was to be used for construction work, "but he was so indefinite that no reliance could be placed upon it." The CO ordered that all going forward would carry rifle, respirator, steel helmet, at least 50 rounds of ammunition, and two days rations. At 2330 hours the lead packet of the Battalion arrived at the village of Villers-Bretonneux, the location of the headquarters for the provisional brigade, where the CO was told that they would be taking over a section of the line before daylight.

In their retreat from the advancing Germans, a gap had formed between the 39th and 61st British Divisions. A German patrol had discovered the gap and was now occupying the eastern end of the village of Warfusee-Abancourt. The new task of the 127th was to plug this gap. The staff captain who had promised to meet the battalion and supply them failed to turn up, so the advance party set out around the village in search of whatever they could lay their hands on. They discovered, by chance, a Canadian ordinance officer attached to a British unit. He was so shocked by their plight that he turned over everything in his stores, which luckily included 16 machine guns and two lorry loads of ammunition.

By 0430 on 28 March 1918, after a long night of conflicting orders, guides who became confused, and brigade staff officers who argued amongst themselves, the Battalion decided to ignore the advice of a staff officer to encamp in an open field and took up instead a position in a wood, establishing their new Lewis Guns and digging in. Word was sent to the unit that elements of the 61st Division would be launching an attack against the enemy patrol in Warfusee-Abancourt at 0500 hours. In fact, the attack did not actually begin until 1000 hours and petered out after only an hour, as the enemy had wisely moved himself and his machine guns to the western end of the village, where he was untouched by the artillery barrage directed at the eastern end.

Immediately after the failure of this attack, the wood sheltering the 127th came under an intense bombardment. The CO ordered that the Battalion disperse, spreading out B, C, and D companies to occupy the ruins of old trench systems and begin improving them. By 1500, a defensible position, with both depth and covered flanks was established. The enemy seemed uncertain as to his next move, and the Battalion reserved its fire, lest the enemy discover the number and location of Lewis Guns before any attack. Towards evening, it began to rain, adding greatly to the discomfort of the soldiers who had not yet rested. Patrols were dispatched under cover of darkness to probe the enemy and determine his positions.

The next day passed quietly, with the 127th concentrating on improving its defensive position, and sniping by both sides with machine and field guns. In the afternoon, the enemy became bolder, and began to dig machine gun positions farther forward, but the battalion put a halt to any enemy digging with some aggressive machine gun fire and harassing fire on any movement along the main road through the enemy's rear. Two more patrols were dispatched after dark, one of which had a chance contact with an enemy patrol, and dispersed it.

On the morning of 30 March, friendly troops on the Battalion's right flank were supposed to have made an attack, but instead, by mid-morning units on both of the Battalion's right and left flanks began to peel back under withering machine and field gun fire from the enemy. The 127th, in danger of being cut off, began to fall back on its support trenches. Lt Knox was killed in this action, and Sapper Flavelle was missing and presumed dead. That afternoon, the enemy advanced from the rear of the village to launch an attack on the Battalion's right flank. This was a poorly considered move by the enemy, who was obliged to move his troops down an exposed slope in front the 127th's flanking trenches and Lewis Guns. The Battalion gunners brought down devastating fire on the massed troops, killing many and abruptly halting the attack.

At 0430 hours on 31 March, Easter Sunday, the Battalion was relieved by orders, and it retired to brigade headquarters at Villers-Bretonneux. Although the 127th was in the line for only 72 hours, it suffered 29 casualties, including two killed. The next day, A Company was assisting French troops with steel and lumber salvage operations, while B, C, and D companies were paraded and inspected by the CO. After the inspection, LCol Clarke conducted the funeral for Lt Knox, which was followed by interment in a French cemetery in the town.

The Closing Days

The Battalion, now out of the line, set to training and collecting its scattered equipment. Despite the enemy advance, the battalion was able to save 60% of its tools, 95% of its survey equipment, and all of its machine shop and heavy stores. By 8 April, the enemy advance was exhausted, and the battalion could turn its attention to construction again. There was also time for sports days with American forces, against whom the 127th's baseball team had regular success. In the Fall of 1918, the success of the recent Canadian and British advances meant a concentrated effort by the 127th to repair enough track and to move forward fast enough to keep pace.

At 1115 hours on 11 November 1918 the following telegram arrived: "To 2nd C.R.T. Day's date 11th. Hostilities cease 1100 hours today. From R.C.E.4."

The 127th Battalion, CEF was perpetuated in the Canadian Militia by the 12th York Rangers, which was amalgamated in 1936 with The Queen's Rangers to form the Queen's York Rangers, 1st American Regiment, which perpetuates the 127th Battalion to this day.

SOURCE: http://qyrang.org/127th.htm

[andigger]

Here are a couple of pics of the memorial in Arlington National Cemetry from the Canadian Gov't to the Americans who joined the CEF to fight in WWI.

Andy

[182 CEF]

The most interesting American to serve in the CEF was a man named Brooks..he was black and joined up in 1916 at the age of 75!! He was told by the recruter that if he lied about his age they would let him in..he went overseas as a cook attached to a CEF Battn in France..He had been a Servant to a Confederate Officer during the CW until he was captuered by the Federals in 1865..he worked for them until the end of the war..He retired in Canada and was met by Montgomery after WW2 when he came to Canada...I have his full stroy somewhere in a book about "Black Confederates" but I can't seem to find it right now..I will keep looking.

Dean Owen]

Whitby Ontario Canada

[andigger]

Dean... He would have been 104 in 1945.... that's possible, but in many ways so incredible.

Andy