The First World War 1914 - 1918

When the Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinated on 28th June, 1914 in Serajevo, few people realized that the complex alliances which existed at that time would soon plunge most of Europe into a world war. Initially Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on France, Russia and Serbia. Because the Germans invaded the neutral country of Belgium in order to defeat France, King George V declared war on behalf of the Empire on the 4th August, 1914. The Dominion of Canada offered a division as an expeditionary force.

On 4th February, 1915, the 7th Bn was reviewed by King George V, who can be seen on horseback taking the salute. Two of the drums are on display in our Regimental Museum.

General Sam Hughes, who had taken over as Minister of Militia and Defence in 1911, decided to concentrate the force in a brand new camp which was to be built at Valcartier, Quebec. General Hughes has been much maligned over the years due to his erratic and pompous behavior, and for his support for the Ross Rifle (interestingly Major Hart-McHarg won the Palma Trophy using a Ross Rifle), and his great pushing and enthusiasm for military reforms has largely been forgotten. His achievements included new armouries, new rifle ranges, better weapons and larger defence funds, and most importantly, a militia which numbered 66,000 men (twice the number which Canada possessed in 1902).

By the first week of September over 33,000 officers and men were assembled in Valcartier. General Hughes decided that rather than mobilize existing Regiments that he would take draughts of volunteers and form them into new numbered battalions. Our Regiment contributed the largest detachment of the 7th Battalion (1st British Columbia Regiment), CEF. The commanding officer was to be Lt-Col Hart-McHarg. The Regiment embarked on October 3rd aboard the "Virginian" as part of the great convoy which carried the First Canadian Divisions overseas where they were encamped on Salisbury Plain for further training.

At the Drill Hall in Vancouver, the Regiment continued to recruit volunteers and sent the 62nd Battalion CEF overseas, and in November 1915 the 158th (DCOR) Battalion was sent to England, where it was broken up for reinforcements. Many DCOR officers and men also found their way into the ranks of the 29th Battalion CEF "Tobin's Tigers."

The 7th Bn's first major action was at Ypres at the Battle of St. Julien. The Regiment had been in brigade reserve an 22nd April, 1915, when poison chlorine gas had been unleashed on the French Division to the left and north of the Canadian positions at Ypres. Before the gas came many Turcos and Algerians running in all directions, throwing their weapons away and falling as they ran. The 7th was fallen in, less No.1 Company which was left with the 8th Bn as the Reserve, and the 7th was marched up the Grafenstafel Ridge where they remained until midnight occupying support trenches. At midnight they were moved to a new position in the hollow ground North of St Julian at Keerselaere. They began to dig in at the foot of a ridge, occupying old artillery dugouts and along a hedge line. On the 23rd, Col Hart-McHarg was mortally wounded whilst conducting a reconnaissance forward of our positions, and command fell to Major V.W.Odlum. The fighting for St Julien was fierce and the Battalion barely managed to escape capture when it was surrounded by the Germans. Lt Bellew won our first Victoria Cross for his efforts with Sgt Peerless and the Machine Gun section, who stayed behind to try to hold off the Germans long enough for the Battalion to withdraw. Of the 24 officers and 900 men who went into battle, only 6 officers and 325 men returned safely to our lines on the 25th. The men in No 1 Coy and the 8th Bn had been ordered out to the left to help fill the gap left by the French. They were able to hold out until the 26th in the face of gas and being unsupported on either flank. Twenty-two out of a hundred returned to the battalion.

With reinforcements, the 7th was soon back to strength after duty in the trenches during the summer, they organized and conducted the first trench raid in November 1915. The raid resulted in the capture of 12 prisoners and at least 30 enemy being killed, for the loss of one man accidentally killed.

Other major battles were Festubert, the Somme in 1916, the taking of Vimy Ridge in 1917, Hill 70, and Passchendaele.

Perhaps the greatest day for our Regiment was its attack at Amiens, on 8th to 9th August, 1918, where the 7th led with the 10th Bn and gained 14 miles in one of the fiercest actions of the war. It marked the beginning of the Hundred Days which shattered the German Army.

On 1st September, 1918 the 7th assaulted the Drocourt-Queant line and took over 600 prisoners in a few hours of fighting. A couple of weeks later we followed behind the 3rd Bn across the Canal Du Nord and then took over the advance at Marquinon, where they drove the Germans from their positions at the point of their bayonets.

Fighting continued with successes against the Germans until the end of the war on 11th November, 1918. The 7th took its place with the 1st Division in its march to the Rhine, and in 1919 returned home to a hero's welcome to Vancouver.

The Regiment had won 3 VC's, 1 CB, 4 CMG's, 1 CBE, 4 OBE's, 14 DSO's (including 4 bars), 51 MC's (including 6 Bars), 51 DCM's and 192 MM's (including 11 bars). Almost six thousand men had served in the battalion of which 1,440 were killed and 3,294 wounded. Of note, only 4 officers and 130 men served:without having been wounded in action.

On 24th April 1915 during the second Battle of Ypres at St Julien, Lt ED Bellew won the Victoria Cross.

On 15th August 11917 at Hill 70 Pte O'Rourke won the Victoria Cross.

On 2nd September, 1918 at Drocourt-Queant, Cpl Rayfield won the Victoria Cross

"Up The Dukes!"

The British Columbia Regiment
620 Beatty Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6B 2L9

Recruiting: (604) 666-4288
Orderly Room: (604) 666-4368
E-mail: history@bcregiment.com