54TH KOOTENAY BATTALION

Hedley Cenotaph

54th Kootenay Battalion - Hedley Cenotaph

(Continued from Hedley Main Page)

The Battalion trained at Vernon Camp until mid-November 1915 when the unit then traveled by train across the country to Halifax and there embarked on the ship “Saxonia” for an eight day voyage across the Atlantic. The Battalion landed safely in Plymouth, England, and then took a train to Liphook and a march to Bramshott Camp nearby, where they would settle in for the next 8 ½ months of training.

In England, the 54th Battalion was made part of the 11th Brigade, under command of Brig. Gen. VW Odlum and, this brigade was made part of the 4th Canadian Division.

While the 54th was still in England, the Hedley boys lost the first two of their ranks: Pte. E. William “Willy” Vans passed away from illness while they were in training camp and, Lcp. Blair W. Mills transferred out of the 54th to join the No. 1 Tunneling Co., Canadian Engineers, to get to quicker action in France. Lcp. Mills was then killed in action within weeks of arriving in France.

13th August 1916, the 54th departed Southampton, England, by boat and arrived in Havre, France. From there, the Battalion travelled by train to the Ypres Salient (Hopoutre) and saw their first two days of instructional duty in the front line trenches August 21st. A few days later the Battalion was made responsible to hold this same front line. After a month in the Salient, the 54th was then relieved to continue further training in preparation fro battle at the Somme.

In October 1916 the Hedley boys of the 54th lost two more of their rank, within two days of each other. Pte. Rod MacDougall and Pte. Bert Shubert were both killed in action during events while preparing to attack the Regina Trench on the Somme.

At the end of 1916 the 54th was relieved from the Somme and again went into training and absorbing large reinforcements into their ranks to fill the places of their many fallen of recent months. Christmas then saw the 54th on the static front line at Vimy Ridge. And 1917 began with bitter freezing cold which the 54th endured in the trenches through out January and February.

A trench raid was scheduled for the 1st of March, which would use poison gas projectiles - instead of artillery - to neutralize the Germans before going over. Lt. Col. Kemball, CO of the 54th foresaw a great failure in this raid, due to contrary wind patterns and other circumstances and so he protested vigorously to his superiors to cancel the attack. Lt. Col. Kemball concerns were unheeded and the attack went ahead as scheduled.

Defying orders, Lt. Co. Kemball then chose to personally lead two of his companies in an action for which he foretold near certain failure. And Maj. Lucas led his boys of “C” Co. into No Man’s Land as well. The 54th suffered drastic casualties from this failed raid; of the 405 men involved, 200 were casualties including the officers CO Lt. Col. Kemball and Maj. Lucas of “C” Co. And two more of his Hedley boys.

Cpt. Arthur “Doc” Martin of Hedley was one of the only five men who made it to the German trenches in this raid. He was captured and died of wounds in enemy hands two days later. And Pte. Robert “Bobby” Robertson of Hedley was badly injured in the raid and died of wounds eight weeks later.

After the raid, a truce was called on both side to collect the dead. The Germans personally carried Lt. Col. Kimball’s body and returned him to the Canadians with great respect for their fallen adversary. Maj. Lucas was also spoken of by the enemy with admiration for his dogged courage under impossible conditions.

The 54th continued to service in France throughout the war - amongst them, the remaining 11 Hedley boys whom had originally enlisted with the Battalion in the summer of 1915 (3 other Hedley men also transferred out of the Battalion).

The 54th Battalion was demobilized in Belgium in the spring of 1919 and returned to Canada for final dismissal of duty in Revelstoke, BC in mid-June of 1919.

Researchers:

Jennifer Douglass &

Andy English