Chapter XVII: THE 185th BATTALION (CAPE BRETON HIGHLANDERS)

BY CAPT. ANGUS L. M‘DONALD.

LIEUT.-COL. F. P. DAY.]

It is a difficult task indeed to compress a history of the 185th Battalion into the space allotted for the purpose in this book. It is a difficult task, because, if we exclude those Battalions that saw active service as complete Units, the history of the 185th is longer than that of any other Nova Scotia Battalion. It is a difficult task because, through this long association and through the high standard of efficiency to which the Battalion attained, there grew up between all ranks a spirit of pride in their Unit and of affectionate regard for each other, which may be fairly said to be almost unique, and which deserves a monument much grander and more enduring than this sketch can hope to raise.

The origin of the 185th may be said to be in the 85th Nova Scotia Highland Battalion, recruited by Lieut.-Col. A. H. Borden in the autumn of 1915. The enthusiasm with which the people of Nova Scotia hailed the advent of the 85th Battalion engendered the more ambitious idea of a Nova Scotia Highland Brigade, and in the months of February and March, 1916, there was conducted in Nova Scotia a recruiting campaign for the raising of three additional Battalions, to form, with the 85th, a complete Brigade. The remarkable success of that campaign is now part of our Nova Scotian history.

The Island of Cape Breton was given the task of raising a Battalion, to be known as the 185th and to be under the command of Lieut.-Col. F. P. Day (then Major Day) of the 85th Battalion. Though Cape Breton had already given men to the colors, in numbers far in excess of her due proportion, nevertheless, the prospect of seeing active service with a Unit distinctly and entirely Cape Breton, so fired the imagination of the young men of the Island that in three weeks the Battalion was recruited to full strength.

The system of recruiting employed was well calculated to obtain the best results. First, the officers were selected. Some of them were Cape Bretoners, serving with the 85th Battalion, a few came from the Officers’ Training Corps of the Colleges, but the majority were drawn from the 94th, the Cape Breton Militia Unit. These officers were sent out into their own native districts to recruit men for their own Companies or Platoons, and the assurance was given that men from the same locality would be placed together in the same Company, Platoon, or Section as the case might be, and under an officer from that locality. That assurance was kept sacredly.

The motto selected for the Battalion was the same as that of the 85th—“Siol Na Fear Fearail”—“Seed of Manly Men.” That motto was highly appropriate, for the ranks of the Battalion were in large part filled by descendants of Highlanders—those manly men who peopled Cape Breton in late 18th and early 19th centuries. To the Highland element in the population of Cape Breton the 185th made its greatest appeal, for the promise had been given that the Battalion should wear Highland garb, and the prospect of joining a Unit which should be clad in that picturesque and historic dress undoubtedly touched the Highland imagination. But the other races did not lag behind. The French, Irish and English elements were well represented, and there were not a few recruits of Italian and Russian extraction.

“A” Company of the 185th came from the counties of Inverness, Victoria and Richmond; “B” Company from Glace Bay and New Waterford; “C” Company from North Sydney and Sydney Mines; and “D” Company from Sydney. Broughton, eighteen miles from Sydney, was chosen as a mobilization centre, and there the Battalion assembled during the first week of April, 1916.

At Broughton, three bands, Pipe, Brass and Bugle were organized. The citizens of Glace Bay, the Royal Cape Breton Yacht Club, the “Green Feather” Societies of North Sydney and Sydney Mines, and Mr. Thomas Cantley, of New Glasgow, each presented four pipes and three drums to the Battalion. Money for the purchase of instruments for the Brass Band was subscribed by the citizens of Sydney. For the Regimental March, the stirring Highland air, “A Hundred Pipers,” was chosen.

Broughton did not offer a suitable ground for advanced training; and so on May 26th, 1916, the Battalion entrained for Aldershot, N.S., where the Highland Brigade was to spend the summer of 1916, under the command of Lieut.-Col. A. H. Borden, who had recruited and commanded the 85th Battalion. The other Battalions of the Brigade were the 85th, 193rd and the 219th. During the summer the Brigade was reviewed by H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught, Governor-General of Canada; by Sir Sam Hughes, Canadian Minister of Militia; by Major-General Lessard, Inspector-General for Canada. It was twice reviewed by Sir Robert Borden, Prime Minister of Canada. On the last visit of Sir Robert Borden, he was accompanied by Lady Borden, who presented colors to the Battalion. The colors are of beautiful design, rich material and elegant workmanship. They were received on behalf of the Battalion by Major Harrington and Lieutenants Purves and Livingstone, and were blessed by Capt. Michael Gillis, Roman Catholic Chaplain to the Battalion. (The colors were taken to England with the Battalion and after the War were returned to Canada, deposited in the Cape Breton County Court House at Sydney.)

On October 4th the Battalion underwent successfully at the hands of Major-General Lessard its last inspection in Canada. Preparations for embarking for England were begun and on October 11th the 185th bade good-bye to Aldershot and entrained for Halifax. That evening they marched on board “His Majesty’s Transport, 2810,” the war-time designation of the great steamship _Olympic_.

At five o’clock on the evening of October 13th the _Olympic_ steamed out of Halifax Harbor, bearing the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade, surely the most precious cargo that Nova Scotia ever entrusted to the mighty Atlantic. The docks at Halifax were thronged on that day with thousands of people from all parts of Nova Scotia who had come to say good-bye—in many cases unfortunately a last good-bye—to relatives and friends. Nova Scotia loves her own, sorrows over their departure from her bosom, and watches their fortunes under foreign skies with a fond eye and an anxious heart. I was told in London that, after any battle in which Canadian troops had taken part, there were more enquiries at Canadian Headquarters in London, from Nova Scotians, than from people of any other Province of Canada. I could well believe this to have been so, for in Nova Scotia character, friendship and loyalty to kith and kin are outstanding characteristics.

The officers of the 185th at the time of sailing for England were as follows:

Honorary Colonel Col. D. H. MacDougall. Officer Commanding Lieut.-Col. Frank P. Day. Second in Command Major J. G. Johnstone. Adjutant Capt. R. C. Jackson. Medical Officer Capt. J. A. Munro. Paymaster Capt. R. MacDougall. Quartermaster Capt. J. T. Malone. Protestant Chaplain Capt. A. J. MacDonald. R. C. Chaplain Capt. Michael Gillis. Machine Gun Officer Lieut. J. A. Holland.

“A” Company—
Officer Commanding Capt. J. MacIsaac.
Second in Command Capt. A. L. Macdonald.
Lieutenants H. N. Price, John MacKenzie, J. D.
MacKenzie, E. M. Johnstone.

“B” Company—
Officer Commanding Major G. S. Harrington.
Second in Command Capt. A. J. MacInnis.
Lieutenants C. MacLeod, W. F. Carroll, J. A.
McKinnon, J. H. MacIvor.

“C” Company—
Officer Commanding Capt. W. W. Nicholson.
Second in Command Capt. Alex. MacDonald.
Lieutenants T. D. A. Purves, D. N. MacDonald,
L. G. MacCorrison.

“D” Company—
Officer Commanding Major J. W. Maddin.
Second in Command Capt. C. W. Sutherland.
Lieutenants A. M. Fraser, D. M. Wiswell, G. D.
Crowell, D. Livingstone.

The voyage from Halifax to Liverpool was made in a little over five days. The Battalion disembarked on the morning of October 19th, the Pipe Band playing the men down the gangway. Immediately the train was taken to Witley Camp, which was reached after a journey of eight hours. Here the Battalion settled down to work as part of the 12th Canadian Infantry Training Brigade, which name replaced the old name, “Nova Scotia Highland Brigade.”

In early December there came tidings which nearly every Canadian Battalion that ever went to England had grown to dread. The Battalion was called on to supply a draft of 192 men for France. The other Battalions of the Brigade had received similar orders, the total number of men required from the Brigade being 800. The call for these drafts seemed to spell the disruption of the Brigade, notwithstanding promises to the contrary in Canada. The strongest protests were made by officers of the Brigade, but to no avail. On December 5th the drafts set out for Southampton whence they were to embark for Havre. The 185th sent 20 men to the 42nd (Montreal) Battalion, and 172 men to the 73rd Battalion, also of Montreal.

Each Battalion of the Brigade had now been considerably reduced in strength, and the Canadian authorities in England decided to amalgamate the 219th with the 85th Battalion, and the 193rd with the 185th Battalion. Officers and men in any one of these four Units who were not physically fit were sent to the 17th Nova Scotia Reserve Battalion at Bramshott. The Nova Scotia Highland Brigade was no more, and the hope in every heart now was that the two Battalions—85th and 185th—which constituted what was left of that Brigade, might reach France as Units.

After the amalgamation of the 193rd, the officers of the 185th were as follows:—

Officer Commanding Lieut.-Col. F. P. Day. Second in Command Lieut.-Col. R. J. S. Langford. Adjutant Major J. W. MacDonald. Medical Officer Capt. J. A. Munro. Quartermaster Capt. F. C. Baird. Paymaster Capt. R. MacDougall. Assistant Adjutant Lieut. W. E. Macdonald. Machine Gun Officer Lieut. J. A. Holland. Musketry Officer Lieut. D. M. Wiswell. Scout Officer Lieut. H. N. Price. Bombing Officer Lieut. J. D. MacKenzie.

“A” Company—
Officer Commanding Capt. J. MacIsaac.
Second in Command Capt. A. L. Macdonald.
Lieutenants John MacKenzie, E. M. Johnstone, T.
E. Logan, C. J. Markham.

“B” Company—
Officer Commanding Major J. P. LeGallais.
Second in Command Capt. F. B. Schurman.
Lieutenants J. A. McKinnon, J. H. MacIvor, J.
Soy, P. T. Andrews, H. A.
Dickson, A. D. Baxter.

“C” Company—
Officer Commanding Capt. W. W. Nicholson.
Second in Command Capt. Alex. Macdonald.
Lieutenants D. J. MacGillivray, H. F. Orman, L.
G. MacCorrison, H. D. Cunningham,
D. Livingstone.

“D” Company—
Officer Commanding Capt. R. C. Jackson.
Second in Command Capt. C. W. Sutherland.
Lieutenants A. M. Fraser, J. O. MacLeod, J. J.
Murray, G. D. Crowell, H. C.
Lowther.

About this time the Battalion received permission to use as its official name, “185th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Cape Breton Highlanders),” instead of “185th Canadian Infantry Battalion,” as before.

In the spring of 1917, the 5th Canadian Division was organized at Witley Camp, under the command of Major-General Garnet Hughes, who had already won high distinction in France. The 185th was given a place in that Division. The Division was assured that it would be sent to France, and in that hope it set to work with such earnestness that in the summer of 1917 it was regarded as one of the most efficient Divisions that had ever trained in England. The 185th by hard and persevering work had won the reputation of being unexcelled, and by many unbiased observers it was regarded as unequalled, in the whole Division. Certainly, the Battalion was often specially complimented by Inspecting Officers and was often singled out for particular honor. At the great Dominion Day Parade in London, in 1917, the Guard of Honor for the Colors was drawn from the 185th. Again and again its teams won from other Battalion teams in competitions in Musketry, Bayonet Fighting, Physical Training, Drill and Machine Gun Work.

From the first the men had looked forward eagerly to the day when kilts would be issued to the Battalion. Their wish was realized in August, 1917, when kilts of the Argyll and Sutherland tartan were authorized to be worn, and sufficient kilts were sent to the Quartermaster to clothe the whole Battalion.

Reference has been made already to the promise given to the 5th Division that it would go to France intact. That promise was repeated several times, and the hope that it would be kept was the only ground on which men could be induced to remain contentedly in England. But no phrase has done better service during the War than the phrase “military exigencies,” and it was invoked once again to justify the disbanding of the 5th Division in February, 1918.

Coincident with the breakup of the Division came the order to the 185th to furnish a draft of two officers and one hundred men to each of the three Nova Scotian Battalions in France—the 25th, 85th and R.C.R. All the men at once volunteered. Sergeants reverted to the rank of private in order to get to France more quickly; Colonels reverted and became Majors; Majors became Captains and Captains Subalterns. The drafts for France were finally selected, and the rest of the Battalion was ordered to be sent to Bramshott, to be absorbed by the 17th Reserve. On February 23rd the Battalion paraded for the last time, the drafts for France stood fast, the draft for Bramshott swung out on the London-Portsmouth Road, the pipers played their last march, and the 185th passed out of existence as an Overseas Unit forever.

It is idle now to lament its unhappy fate, or to deplore the peculiar policy that was pursued toward it and other Battalions of the 5th Division, but Cape Bretoners everywhere will always have difficulty in restraining a regretful sigh over the lot of their own and only Battalion. Let it always be remembered, however, that through no fault of its own did the 185th fail to reach France as a Unit. It kept faith with the people of Cape Breton, and it established a standard which any Battalion might be proud to emulate.

But though there never fell to this Battalion the supreme honor of battle or the glory of triumph, its individual members went forth to war, stronger in training, in discipline, in comradeship and in spirit from their association with the Cape Breton Highlanders. Every officer of the Battalion saw service in some theatre of war, and five of them now sleep on the field of honor—Lieutenants Fraser, Holland, MacIvor, Livingstone and J. O. MacLeod. Nearly every other officer of the Battalion has been wounded, and several have been decorated for bravery. Of the men it is enough to say that incomplete returns show that 136 of them fell in action. On their graves may the turf lie lightly. Truer hearts or more gallant spirits never fought for any cause, and to them we may be sure that every Cape Breton tongue will apply with heartfelt sincerity the words that have been chosen for the crosses that will mark the graves of British soldiers buried in France—“Their Name Liveth Forevermore.”

LIEUT. A. FRASER
(killed in action).]

LIEUT. J. H. M‘IVOR
(killed in action).]

LIEUT. D. LIVINGSTONE
(killed in action).]

CAPT. JOHN T. MALONE
(died on active service).]