JulianB Posted 22 August , 2004 Share Posted 22 August , 2004 I think I had seen posts about a lot of CEF archives appearing on the internet. Are WDs available, there - or copies held anywhere else, OR does anyone happen to have the last wk of Sept for this unit ??!! thanks Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigantian Posted 22 August , 2004 Share Posted 22 August , 2004 Julian The war diaries for September 1916 are online here Regards Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulianB Posted 22 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 22 August , 2004 Mark, Thank you very much, brilliant. I'm printing it out right now. however, I can't see where the reference is, presumably Nat Arc Can then something, something any ideas how I find this out. thanks Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigantian Posted 22 August , 2004 Share Posted 22 August , 2004 Julian The full reference is at No 2 here Regards Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulianB Posted 22 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 22 August , 2004 thanks, bit of a long winded reference but there you are ! (I'm going to try to find the 89th Overseas Batttalion, CEF now !!) Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 22 August , 2004 Share Posted 22 August , 2004 Out of curiousity, what is your interest in the 31st BN CEF in September 1916? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.wight Posted 22 August , 2004 Share Posted 22 August , 2004 Julian, you won't find any war diaries for the 89th as they did not see active service with the CEF in France. They were absorbed by the 9th Reserve Battalion in Britain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulianB Posted 22 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 22 August , 2004 Thank you all very much, (Paul I've sent you a post off forum) I think I have a phot of 89th Bn (or a bit of it) in UK, when I work out how to send pictures to the firum I will post it. The impression I get is that gt gt uncle - enl 89th which then came to UK, was transf to 31 Bn as he left for France. Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc leroux Posted 23 August , 2004 Share Posted 23 August , 2004 Julian, if you can provide the name/regimental number I'd be happy to look it up for you in the 31st regimental history. marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulianB Posted 23 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 23 August , 2004 Marc, thank you, it is Pte 183590 James Reid that I'm interested in, he wasn't with the 31st long though, being wounded on 26.9.1916 However, this picture, if It manages to get through shows him in Canada or UK (more likely) presunably with 89th Bn, can anyone verify (& who is the distinguished looking officer) thanks J. oh dear, PLEASE help & tell me how to 'post' a picture. I have it as a 500 jpeg in 'my pictures' on my C drive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.wight Posted 23 August , 2004 Share Posted 23 August , 2004 Julian, this will explain posting photos, link. If that doesn't help, you can email your photo to me and I will do it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc leroux Posted 24 August , 2004 Share Posted 24 August , 2004 Julian, your man was wounded while part of the 31st. I scanned through the regimantal history but the only place I found a reference was in the nominal roll. The "O" beside the name indicates that he was wounded. marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc leroux Posted 24 August , 2004 Share Posted 24 August , 2004 oops! Sorry, I thought I had rotated this before posting marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulianB Posted 24 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 24 August , 2004 ok, thanks to some technical help, and a lot of brain damage, I think I can post this picture. this shows James Reid 3rd row. he enlisted in 89th Nov 1915, in early June 1916 they arrived in Liverpool UK, on 27.8.'16 JR was transf to 31st Bn, he sailed to CBD at Le Havre next day. presume he spent some time there, but on 17.9.'16 he went to 2nd Ent. Bn (what, where & how was that !!??) trhen finally joined 31st Bn in the fiel, only to wounded & invalided out after the 26th. OK this picture is printed on the reverse as a POST CARD , I presume it is a platoon sized unit - though the officer looks a little elderly for that (?), I also presume that it is the 89th because he had little time in the 31st, but whether this was taken in Canada or UK I don't know. Any ideas v grateful Marc thank you very much, could I trouble you for the publication details, page no etc etc. Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broznitsky Posted 24 August , 2004 Share Posted 24 August , 2004 Julian, many of the men don't have cap badges, so I think I agree it was with the 89th. Men in the Second Division (of which 31st Btn was part) were often sent from Canadian Base Details to the 2nd Entrenching Battalion on their way to join their fighting battalion. This was a unit that served as a softening up, warm up to the front lines. Men were employed digging trenches and doing other labouring tasks, within enemy artillery range. They could get their five senses exposed to the trenches, and maybe suffer some casualties from shellfire or gas attack. Peter in Vancouver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc leroux Posted 24 August , 2004 Share Posted 24 August , 2004 Julian, the Regimental History for the 31st Battalion is: History of the 31st Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF by H. C. Singer, published in 1938. The scan is from page 501, which is in the Noninal Roll section. The book is somewhat hard to find, but there is (currently) one copy at www.AbeBooks.com If you want some general insight, you could also try The Journal of Private Fraser, 1914-1918, Canadian Expeditionary Force by Donald Fraser (Edited by Reginald Roy). CEF Books, 1998 (334 pp) ISBN 1896979289 This is a book that is well worth reading. marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhill Posted 24 August , 2004 Share Posted 24 August , 2004 There are a few bits of stuff about the 89th Battalion at the Glenbow Institution. For example, if you search their photo archive index here: http://ww2.glenbow.org/lasearch/photo.htm using the keyword "89th battalion", you come up with samples of eight photographs, including this one of the 9th platoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulianB Posted 24 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 24 August , 2004 Thanks jhill, chris alerted me to these ones, but I couldn't see any of the same men - buildings ! Marc, thanks, sorry to be a bore, but - publisher and place of publication ??? (my historical training wouldn't let me get away without this !!!) J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc leroux Posted 25 August , 2004 Share Posted 25 August , 2004 Julian, I don't have answers to your last question. I can surmize that it was privatly printed as there is no publisher information, and I'd suspect that it was published in 1939 as the foreward (by A. H. Bell) was written in November 1938. The Nominal Roll is in the Appendix section, and although they are not numbered in the text, the table of contents lists it as Appendix 8. Hope this helps marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broznitsky Posted 25 August , 2004 Share Posted 25 August , 2004 I found these variations: History of the Thirty-First Battalion, C.E.F.: from its organization, November 1914 to its demobilization, June 1919 / by Canada. Canadian Army. Battalion, 31st. - material compiled and assembled by H.C. Singer. Calgary: Knight, 1939. (Peel bibliography on microfiche). FC3237 .P42 NO.3701 Major H.C. Singer, History of the 31st Canadian Infantry Battalion, C.E.F. (Unknown publisher, 1938). Author Singer & Peebles...pub.Private ..calgary 1939..photo plates, text maps..nominal role.. There is one copy currently available on eBay Canada. 19 hours left!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc leroux Posted 25 August , 2004 Share Posted 25 August , 2004 Thanks, Peter. I didn't know there were so many variations. Julian, the copy I have appears to be the 1939 version. The one on eBay is quite reasonably priced (right now anyway), so it might be worthwhile to keep an eye on. marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.wight Posted 25 August , 2004 Share Posted 25 August , 2004 Odd that the seller didn't list it under WW1 items. This one might just slip by most people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc leroux Posted 26 August , 2004 Share Posted 26 August , 2004 Well, at $71.50 US, whomever bought it got a great deal. Who says there aren't good deals on eBay? The seller probably could have tripled the price by putting it under WW1. marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulianB Posted 26 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 26 August , 2004 Marc, Peter, Chris et al, Thank you all very much. JR was a cousin of my gfthr and so not the main focus of my story but since no one knew much about him I wanted to do the basics. With the NAC & your help I believe I have, eg App 13 of the 31 Bn WD gives a good account of the action on the 26th which I think I can tie in with his service record. I may go & look up the Singer hist in a library here, but although grateful for advice I wouldn't have considred buying a copy for myself. Much better to go to someone who is more totally immersed in hist of 31bn & CEF generally thanks J (any more ideas about te photo ?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.wight Posted 26 August , 2004 Share Posted 26 August , 2004 Julian, the 9th Reserve Battalion's war diary isn't on-line yet but once it is, it may offer a clue as to a location in the UK. Peter, was that you bidding on the book last night? If it was I pulling for you to win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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