The Presentation of the Colours of the 51st (Edmonton) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, Edmonton, Alberta. May 11, 1915.

 

The Presentation of the Colours of the 51st (Edmonton) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, Edmonton, Alberta early in the First World War.

On May 11, 1915, the Lieutenant-Governor Bulyea reviewed the 49th and 51st regiments at Sarcee Camp and presented them with their colours, which had been embroidered by the women of the Borden Club.

The following day, an announcement was made that the 49th would leave for England in a few days while the 51st would go to Calgary for further training.

The 51st Battalion was raised in Edmonton in July 1915. They embarked for Great Britain on April 18, 1916.

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A Soldier of the 132nd Battalion (North Shore), CEF is Seen Operating a Colt–Browning M1895 "Potato Digger" Machine Gun

 

A soldier from the M1895/14 machine gun is seen operating a Colt–Browning M1895 "Potato Digger" machine gun mounted on a tripod. Introduced in 1895, this air-cooled, belt-fed weapon was notable for its unusual gas-operated mechanism and saw service in various conflicts, including World War I. Some Canadian infantry formations, like the 21st Battalion, CEF used .303-caliber M1895/14 machine guns in combat, as did the 10th Battalion, CEF which employed them until mid-1917 when they were replaced by the Lewis gun. 

The 132nd Battalion, based in Chatham, New Brunswick, began recruiting in late 1915 in North Shore and Northumberland Counties. After sailing to England in October 1916, the battalion was absorbed into the 13th Reserve Battalion on January 28, 1917.

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Cooking in the Trenches

Canadian soldiers gather around an improvised stove. The interwoven branches in the bottom left corner could have been used to hold up trench walls or laid on the ground to offer better footing in the mud. This undated image may have been taken before the first gas attack in April 1915, as none of the soldiers are wearing respirators.

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