First to Volunteer to go Overseas

[Broznitsky]

I've found a reference to the 72nd (Seaforths) Canadian Militia Regiment [who became the 72nd Battalion CEF] volunteering en masse "before August 1st 1914" to serve overseas.

I wonder if any other units from other countries did so before the outbreak of war, particularly in the British Territorial Army.

Peter

[brownag]

Peter

I'm curious that if the 72nd Regt. volunteered en masse before Aug '14 why they then supplied a detachment of volunteers to the 16th Bn CEF. Why didn't they form their own CEF Bn like the 13th CEF straight away? Wasn't the 7th Bn formed from B.C. units? Couldn't that have been the Seaforths own battalion rather than the later 72nd Bn? Was it the case that other Canadian Militia units had also done the same and volunteered en-masse as well?

Loads of questions I'm afraid, the way the CEF was formed in 1914 is still a bit of a mystery to me!

Cheers

Adam

[Broznitsky]

Of course you're right, Adam, the 72nd did not go overseas together (as a regiment). Sam Hughes kiboshed the pre-war call-up plan and instituted his own scheme that resulted in the kinds of battalion formations you mention, with regiments contributing as required/ordered.

What I was intrigued about was the "idea" of a militia unit volunteering to go, even before war had been declared.

Peter (on course in Ottawa)