50th Battalion, CEF
| 50th Battalion, CEF | |
|---|---|
| Active | November 7, 1914 – August 30, 1920 |
| Country | Canada |
| Branch | Canadian Corps |
| Type | Line infantry |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | 1 battalion (500–1,000 men) |
| Part of | |
| Nickname(s) | Mason's Man-Eaters |
| Colors | Oxford blue over Cambridge blue |
| March | "A Hundred Pipers" |
| Engagements | |
| Battle honours | Somme, 1916; Ancre Heights; Ancre, 1916; Arras, 1917, '18; Vimy, 1917; Hill 70; Ypres, 1917; Passchendaele; Amiens; Scarpe, 1918; Drocourt-Quéant Line; Hindenburg Line; Canal du Nord; Valenciennes; France and Flanders, 1916–18 |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
N/A |
| Colonel of the Regiment |
Colonel E.G Mason (1915 – March 1917) Lieutenant-Colonel Page (March 1917 – November 1918) |
The 50th Battalion (Calgary), CEF, was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the Great War. The 50th Battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 27 October 1915. The battalion disembarked in France on 11 August 1916, where it fought as part of the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 4th Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war.18 The battalion was disbanded on 30 August 1920.
The 50th Battalion recruited in and was mobilized at Calgary, Alberta.
The 50th Battalion had four Officers Commanding:
One member of the 50th Battalion was awarded the Victoria Cross. Private John George Pattison was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 10 April 1917 during the Battle of Vimy Ridge. He was subsequently killed in action at Lens, France, on 3 June 1917
The battalion was ordered to Ancre Heights in October. Ancre Heights was the scene of Canada's first involvement in the Battle of the Somme, which had begun on July 1 and which ultimately resulted in 25,000 Canadian casualties. Later, the 50th was ordered into the fighting and during the battle, the 50th Battalion's non-commissioned officers (NCOs) suffered heavily. Positioned in the second wave, they were killed by hidden German machine-gun posts that had been bypassed by the initial assault.
From the Somme, the battalion was moved northward to Artois in November 1916, where they spent their winter and Christmas preparing for the offensive against Vimy Ridge. From January to March, the 4th Division's artillery provided part of the pre-battle barrage. In March, the Canadian Corps changed the commander of the battalion, as Colonel E.G. Mason was transferred to another battalion and replaced Lieutenant-Colonel Page. In April, the Canadians made their three-day offensive, starting the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
The 50th Battalion and the rest of the 4th Canadian Division were assigned to attack Hill 145. After many attempts to capture the hill, they finally managed to take it from the Bavarian Reserve force. For the next two days, the 4th Canadian Division and 50th Battalion tried to attack the little knoll known as the Pimple. Finally, the Bavarians, low on food and having suffered many casualties, surrendered the Pimple and retreated from Vimy. The 50th, having suffered heavy casualties, were taken out of the line and rested for a while.
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