With the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Canada responded by sending the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The Queen’s Own provided the vast majority of men to the Third Battalion CEF . While it was thought The Queen’s Own would be allowed to retain its regimental identity, Ottawa refused to allow the battalion to wear its cap badge. Instead, small groups from the 10th Grenadiers (Toronto) and the Governor General’s Bodyguard (Ottawa) were posted into the already over strength battalion, making the 3rd Battalion (Toronto Regiment) CEF a composite unit.
One of the most extraordinary decisions taken by Colonel, The Honourable, Sam Hughes Minister of Militia and Defence at the outbreak of the First World War was that the Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Expeditionary Force would lose their proud titles and revert to a quasi-anonymous numbered method of identification. This would cause endless problems after the war with Battle Honours and perpetuation, as we shall see. Two notable exceptions were the Royal Canadian Regiment, which had not proceeded to France with the original contingent, but sailed to Bermuda to relieve the 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment and the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry which was originally raised for service in the British Army.
The QOR also recruited the 83rd, 95th, 166th, 198th and 255th Battalions. All were QOR battalions and perpetuated by the QOR. The 19th, 35th, 58th, 74th, 81st, 123rd and 216th Battalions, though not perpetuated by the Regiment, also consisted largely of QOR personnel.
The 3rd Battalion CEF fought in Northern France and Belgium, from Amiens to Langemark. Twenty-one battle honours were awarded during the war and by 11 November 1918, 7,562 Queen’s Own had served overseas. Of these 1,254 were killed in action, died of wounds or of other causes.
War Diaries
Thanks to an amazing group of 27 online volunteers, we have been able to transcribe and post to our website, 53 months the 3rd Battalion CEF war diaries which started in October 1914 and ending with demobilization in February 1919. You can see completed transcriptions on these pages:
- War Diaries 1914 (Complete)
- War Diaries 1915 (Complete)
- War Diaries 1916 (Complete)
- War Diaries 1917 (Almost complete)
- War Diaries 1918 (Almost complete)
- War Diaries 1919 (Complete)
Victoria Crosses
Six soldiers who had served with or been attached to The Queen’s Own were awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry:
| Battle Honours | |
| St Julien | 23-27 April 1915 |
| Festubert | 21 – 31 May 1915 |
| Givenchy | 15 June 1915 |
| Ploegsteert* | 28 June – 7 October 1915 |
| R.E. Farm* | October 1915 – March 1916 |
| Hill 60/St. Eloi* | March – May 1916 |
| Mount Sorrel | 3 – 13 June 1916 |
| The Somme* | June – August 1916 |
| Regina Trench | 8 October 1916 |
| The Pimple | 9 December 1916 |
| Souchez/Vimy* | December 1916 – April 1917 |
| Vimy | 9 – 12 April 1917 |
| Fresnoy | 3 May 1917 |
| Mericourt* | June – August 1917 |
| Hill 70 | August 1917 |
| Hill 70/Lens* | September 1917 |
| Passchendaele | 6 November 1917 |
| Lens* | November – December 1917 |
| St. Emile* | January – March 1918 |
| Arras/the Scarpe* | March – July 1918 |
| Amiens | 8 – 25 August |
| Vis-en-Artois Switch | 30 August 1918 |
| Drocourt-Queant, Hindenburg Line, Canal Du Nord | 2 September 1918 |
| Hendecourt | 15 September 1918 |
| Cambrai | 27 September |
| Sensee Canal | October 1918 |
| Cambrai-Douai road, St. Amand, Montigny | October- November 1918 |
