History of the Twentieth Canadian Battalion (Central Ontario Regiment) C.E.F. 1914-18 (by Download).

$27.00

Cat No.:   CA0369-DL: File Size 48 MB:

This book is the result of work by a committee formed for the purpose of writing a commemorative history of the Battalion and led by Maj. D. J. Corrigall, D.S.O., M.C. It was published in 1935. The history takes 323 pages, including the first three appendices. Appendix IV is a Nominal Roll of the Battalion and consists of a further 268 pages for a total of 591.

The Battalion went to Europe in 1915 as a part of the Second Canadian Contingent after being raised in Central Ontario starting just after the declaration of war in 1914. The originating core was drawn from 12 existing military units in the region being: The 12th York Rangers; The 20th Halton Rifles; The 23rd Northern Pioneers; The 31st Grey Regiment; The 34th Ontario Regiment; The 35th Simcoe Foresters; The 36th Peel Regiment; The 37th Dufferin Rifles; The 39th Haldimand Rifles; The 44th Lincoln & Welland Regiment; The 77th Wentworth Regiment, and The 97th Algonquin Rifles.

The main narrative of the book provides a chronological account of the overseas operations of the Battalion when it was called into active service in the European theatre. This narrative is well written and amply illustrated with interesting anecdotes, maps and portraits. Much of the basis for the narrative was taken from archived official documents but the salient facts have been cross checked with, and confirmed by, many personal recollections and records.

When the Battalion was returned to Canada at the end of the war, and was facing demob., it became clear that the Battalion name would soon cease to exist along with all of its citations and battle honours so those interested in maintaining the traditions requested permission to become part of the Active Militia as the West Toronto Regiment, and in 1920 the permission was given. In 1925 the Battalion was merged with the 2nd Battalion, the York Rangers, to become The Queen’s Rangers. This name carried a long and creditable history reaching back to well before the war of American independence and also carried - with Royal ascent - the additional appellation, “The First American Regiment.”

Following the main narrative come four appendices, the first three of which record the Battalions honours and awards while the fourth runs about half the length of the entire volume and provides the Nominal Roll of the 20th Battalion in the period from 1914 to 1919.

Well illustrated with 39 plates and maps, this is an excellent account of the 20th Battalion’s part in the Great War, including a briefer account of the preceding, and post demob., history, well supported with factual appendices including a very long Nominal Roll. The whole text of the book is fully computer searchable.

You can also reach the Sampler by clicking on the following link Sampler, Nominal Roll Names List.

You can return to this page by closing the Sampler Page when you are ready to purchase.

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Delivery of physical products (CDs) IS STILL AVAILABLE see CA0369 for the CD version of this product.

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