Well trained men

First World War Audio Archive

Well trained men

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Transcript

We had what they called the chocolate shoulder straps. Instead of

Hill 62 Memorial Belgium.

having the Canada on the shoulder strap, this was a chocolate

Courtrai Memorial Belgium.

Le Quesnel Memorial Belgium.

covered or coloured shoulder strap. And it was sewn on around your shoulder. The 46th had won that on Clapton Commons in

Gueudecourt Memorial France.

manoeuvres. That was in the divisional camp and it was the

Dury Memorial France.

different actions; shooting, and all kinds of things like that -

Monchy Memorial France.

Passchendaele Memorial Belgium.

manoeuvres and all, it was for the brigade. One thing that was

Masnières memorial France.

noticeable for the 46th was the rifle brigade training. The rifle or rifle training, you see, the rifle battalion training.

Bourion Wood Memorial France.

You’d turn to your right and salute. And when we got to France

Courcelette Memorial France.

they, first thing they noticed over there when we turned to our right and saluted they said it was awfully nice, but we’d have

Beaumont-Hamel Memorial France.

to salute facing the front. And it was notable.

St. Julien Memorial Belgium.

Things like that because everyone of the 46th that went,

Canadian National Vimy Memorial France.

left at that time as reinforcements to other battalions. They were all well trained men.

Description

Mr. Young describes the 46th Battalion earning the chocolate shoulder stripe for its superiority in all aspects of field training.

Percy Young

Percy Young was born in New Brunswick on September 13, 1896. At an early age he learned to shoot, driving nails with a .22 calibre rifle. Mr. Young later found employment with the Canadian Pacific Railway in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, the hub of western rail travel. Because there were 22 passenger trains a day in Moose Jaw, it was an active recruiting area. On September 15, 1915, Mr. Young, along with 14 friends, enlisted in the 46th Battalion. He took his basic training at Camp Sewell, Saskatchewan and qualified as a sniper. Currently, our information doesn’t indicate in which battles Mr. Young saw action, but he does describe the 46th Battalion being awarded the Chocolate Stripe for its superiority in all aspects of field training. Mr. Young joined the Saskatchewan Security Corps during the Second World War and later became active in the Royal Canadian Legion.

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