60th btn CEF

[stephenh]

I wonder if any of our Canadian Pals can help me on this one. I am researching at present a soldier KIA on 24/4/1917 with Acoy 60th battalion and I am trying to find out where the battalion was fighting when my man fell. According to the on line war diary it merely states that they where at Villiers Au Bois -Training? However I have come across in my research that they were a part of the 3rd Canadian Div. which attacked La Coulotte on the 23/4 April. This seems to make more sense and provides something for me to go on. Can anybody provide further help on this one for me.

Stephen

[jhill]

The 60th Bn moved up to the GRANGE TUNNEL (in Corps Reserve) on the 24th. The advance party started in the morning, and the main body around noon. We can see the operational order here .

Of course, this was not in the forward area at the time, and there was no battle going on, so we might have to speculate about how your man died. The 3rd Division intelligence summary reports enemy artillery with 5.9's on the Vimy Defences, so that is a possibility (ain't these on-line war diaries grand!). The 3rd Division Administrative diary reports 9 other ranks killed on this day.

You will already have noticed, that on April 24 word was received that the 60th Bn was to be broken up. This may help explain the scanty war diary entries at this time; the battalion officers were probably distracted. The 60th was the second battalion raised by the Victoria Rifles of Montreal (the 24th was the first). By this time it was obvious that English Quebec could not possibly provide reinforcements for all their fornt line battalions, so the 60th was broken up and replaced in the line by the 116th from Ontario.

Hope this helps.

[stephenh]

Fantastic James

Certainly clears up a lot of queries I have. Its facinating stuff and have just spent the last 3 hours playing with my new toy the trench map CD going through the 60th locations through that time. Cant seem to find Grange Tunnel on my map, however on another map which I have 'googled' it seems to suggest that it was approx 1km west of Petit Vimy north east of Neuville St Vaast.Thank you again James for your expertise it is very much appreciated.

Stephen

Of course, this was not in the forward area at the time, and there was no battle going on, so we might have to speculate about how your man died. The 3rd Division intelligence summary reports enemy artillery with 5.9's on the Vimy Defences, so that is a possibility (ain't these on-line war diaries grand!). The 3rd Division Administrative diary reports 9 other ranks killed on this day.

You will already have noticed, that on April 24 word was received that the 60th Bn was to be broken up. This may help explain the scanty war diary entries at this time; the battalion officers were probably distracted. The 60th was the second battalion raised by the Victoria Rifles of Montreal (the 24th was the first). By this time it was obvious that English Quebec could not possibly provide reinforcements for all their fornt line battalions, so the 60th was broken up and replaced in the line by the 116th from Ontario.

Hope this helps.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Borden Battery]

There are only two references to the 60th Battalion in Official History of the Canadian Army in the First World War - Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1919, Colonel G. W. L. Nicholson. Unfortunately, neither is linked to your timeframe. However, in case they may be of interest. The referenced pages are from the online version of this document.

Regards

Borden Battery

====================================================

p 118

The 7th Brigade, formed on 22 December 1915 under Brig.-Gen. A.C. Macdonell,

consisted of one veteran battalion and three units with no field experience. From the 27th

British Division, after a year's distinguished service in France with the 80th Brigade, came

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. The Royal Canadian Regiment, at that time the only Permanent Force battalion, had been employed on garrison duty in Bermuda for

eleven months; it had arrived in France in November 1915 and trained with the 2nd

Brigade. The two remaining units, the 42nd Battalion (from Montreal) and the 49th

(Edmonton), had both undergone a tour of non-operational duty in France. The 8th

Brigade was organized on 28 December and Colonel Williams, though still holding the

appointment of Adjutant General, was placed in command with the appropriate rank. It

was made. up of the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Battalions, Canadian Mounted Rifles, formed by

the conversion to infantry of the six C.M.R. regiments (above, p. 110). The units of the 9th

Brigade (Brig.-Gen. F. W. Hill), which joined the division in February 1916, were the 43rd,

52nd, 58th and 60th Battalions. They came from Winnipeg, Port Arthur, the Niagara area

and Montreal, respectively, and in the main had reached England in November. Except in

artillery, the 3rd Division was complete by late March 1916. Until the middle of July, when

its own gunners arrived, it was supported by the artillery of the Indian 3rd (Lahore) Division.

In accepting the offer of a fourth Canadian division, the War Office stipulated that

Canada's first obligation was to complete the provision of 18 reserve battalions in

England; these were required as a source of reinforcement drafts for the 36 battalions of

the three existing divisions. For that reason the 4th Division did not go overseas as such

but was formed from units already there, or soon to arrive, on 26 April 1916. A tentative

selection was made by representatives of the Canadian Training Depot and the War

Office.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

p. 137

The Canadian Corps remained in the Ypres Salient until the beginning of

September - its role "stationary yet aggressive". Though holding their positions but thinly

the Canadians continued to harry the enemy with bombardment, mining and raids. A

German attempt to recapture The Bluff on 25 July [1916] by blowing a mine beneath our trenches

was frustrated when the 7th Battalion, warned by the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company of

the forthcoming explosion, seized the crater ahead of the enemy. Advanced patrolling

entered its third stage on the 29th, when twenty members of the 19th Battalion raided

enemy trenches opposite St. Eloi in broad daylight to secure identifications and evidence

of mine-shafts or gas cylinders. They killed or wounded an estimated 50 Germans,

identified as Württembergers, and found the suspected gas-cylinder boxes; Canadian

casualties were only minor. Encouraging as this success was, with complete surprise an

essential factor such raids could be carried out at only irregular intervals. On 12 August an

enemy attack in company strength at Hill 60 was repulsed by the 60th Battalion, whose

"steadiness and tenacity" brought commendation from the Army Commander. There was

warm praise for the support given on the occasion by the Canadian Corps Heavy Artillery

and the 1st Divisional Artillery.

[stephenh]

Borden

Thanks for checking that, not much for me to go on thre I,m afraid

Stephen