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2nd Canadian Division    On 6th of October 1914 the Governor-General of Canada offered a second Division. The 2nd Canadian Division sailed in May 1915 and arrived in England shortly afterward. It completed training at Shorncliffe and crossed to France 15-18 September 1915. Thereafter the Division fought in many of the major actions of the war. 1916 The Actions of St Eloi Craters The Battle of Mount Sorrel The Battle of Flers-Courcelette - Somme The Battle of Thiepval - Somme The Battle of Le Transloy - Somme The Battle of the Ancre Heights - Somme 1917 The Battle of Vimy - Arras Offensive The Attack on La Coulotte - Arras Offensive The Battle of Arleux - Arras Offensive The Third Battle of the Scarpe and the capture of Fresnoy - Arras Offensive Operations towards Lens - Arras Offensive The Battle of Hill 70 - Arras Offensive The Second Battle of Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres) 1918 The Canadian Divisions were not affected by the restructuring of the army to having three brigades per Division, that took place in the British Divisions in February 1918. The First Battle of Arras 1918 The Battle of Amiens and actions around Damery The Battle of the Scarpe The Battle of Cambrai (Hindenburg Line) The pursuit to the Selle The Battle of the Sambre, notably the passage of the Grand Honelle The Division was selected to advance into Germany but demobilisation commenced in late 1918. The last elements returned home in May 1919. The order of battle of the 2nd Canadian Division 4th Canadian Brigade - formed when the original 4th Brigade, initially with 1st Canadian Division, was converted into a reserve 18th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (Western Ontario) 19th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (Central Ontario) 20th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (Central Ontario) 21st Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (Eastern Ontario) 4th Canadian Machine Gun Company formed January 1916, left to move into 2nd Canadian MG Battalion March 1918 4th Canadian Trench Mortar Battery joined March 1916 5th Canadian Brigade 22nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (Canadien Francais) 24th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force(Victoria Rifles) 25th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (Nova Scotia Rifles) 26th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (New Brunswick) 5th Canadian Machine Gun Company formed January 1916, left to move into 2nd Canadian MG Battalion March 1918 5th Canadian Trench Mortar Battery joined March 1916 6th Canadian Brigade 27th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (City of Winnipeg) 28th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (North West) 29th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (Vancouver) 31st Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (Alberta) 6th Canadian Machine Gun Company formed February 1916, left to move into 2nd Canadian MG Battalion March 1918 6th Canadian Trench Mortar Battery formed May 1916 Divisional Troops 2nd Canadian Pioneer Battalion joined March 1916 14th Canadian Machine Gun Company joined February 1917, left to move into 2nd Canadian MG Battalion March 1918 2nd Canadian Machine Gun Battalion formed March 1918 2nd Canadian Divisional Train ASC later titled 672, 673, 674 and 675 Companies 2nd Canadian Mobile Veterinary Section AVC 2nd Canadian Divisional Employment Company joined June 1917 Divisional Mounted Troops - under direct command of Divisional HQ A Sqn, 7th Canadian Mounted Rifles joined March 1916, left May 1916 2nd Canadian Cyclist Company joined May 1915, left May 1916 Borden's Armoured Motor Battery joined May 1915, left December 1916 Divisional Artillery 4th Canadian Brigade, RFA left May 1917 5th Canadian Brigade, RFA 6th Canadian Brigade, RFA not sent to France and disbanded 7th Canadian Brigade, RFA broken up March 1917 2nd Canadian Divisional Ammunition Column CXXXI (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA British unit. Joined September 1915, left June 1916 6th Canadian Brigade, RFA formed as 8th Brigade but retitled before joining January 1916 W.2.C Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA joined June 1916, retitled as V.2.C in 1918 X.2.C, Y.2.C and Z.2.C Medium Mortar Batteries RFA formed March 1916; in February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each Royal Engineers Field Companies formed into a 2nd Brigade in June 1918 4th Canadian Field Company 5th Canadian Field Company 6th Canadian Field Company 2nd Canadian Divisional Signals Company Royal Army Medical Corps 4th Canadian Field Ambulance 5th Canadian Field Ambulance 6th Canadian Field Ambulance 16th Sep 1915 Move 17th Sep 1915 Inspection 18th Sep 1915 Instruction 19th Sep 1915 Instruction 20th Sep 1915 Instruction 21st Sep 1915 Reliefs 22nd Sep 1915 Artillery Bombardment 23rd Sep 1915 Enemy Active 24th Sep 1915 Trench Work 25th Sep 1915 Exchange of Fire 26th Sep 1915 Shelling 27th Sep 1915 Reliefs 28th Sep 1915 In Billets 3rd Oct 1915 Reliefs 13th October 1915 Zeppelin raid on London  13th October 1915. After three more raids were scattered by the weather a five-Zeppelin raid which became known as the "Theatreland Raid" was launched by the Navy on 13 October. Arriving over the Norfolk coast around 1830 the Zeppelins encountered new ground defences installed since the September raid under the guidance of Sir Percy Scott. These new gun sites proved ineffective, although the airship commanders commented on the improved defences of the city. A 13-pounder near Broxbourne was put out of action by three bombs dropped from L 15, which continued to London and began bombing over Charing Cross, the first bombs striking the Lyceum Theatre and the corner of Exeter and Wellington Streets, killing 17 and injuring 20. Further bombs were dropped on Holborn: as the airship neared Moorgate it was engaged by a new 75 mm gun sited at the Honourable Artillery Company grounds in Finsbury. L 15 quickly recognised this new threat and jettisoned ballast, dropped only three more bombs (one landing on Aldgate High Street causing much damage) before departing, having suffered some engine damage from the shells. L 13 dropped some bombs around Guildford and later others near Woolwich. L 14 dropped bombs on Otterpool Army Camp near Folkestone, killing 14 soldiers and injuring 12, and later bombed Tonbridge and East Croydon. Both the other Zeppelins, L 16 and L 11 were even further off course, L 16 dropped up to 50 bombs on Hertford and L 11 scattered a few bombs over Norfolk before heading home. In total, 71 people were killed and 128 injured. Zeppelin L14, commanded by Alois Bocker, had made its way to the south-west until the airship reached the English Channel. Turning back inland near Hythe, the airship crew spotted Otterpool and Westenhanger Camps, which at that time were occupied mainly by three Brigades of the Canadian 2nd Division. Five bombs were dropped in quick succession, the first exploding harmlessly in a hedge, but three of the others did what was intended, one struck the guard tent and killed the occupants instantly, another fell among the tents of the men's lines, and another struck the stables. Five more bombs were dropped as the Zeppelin moved off towards Westenhanger Camp, but fortunately for the Canadians at this site the bombs all fell within the nearby race-track enclosure. Thirteen Canadian soldiers were killed in the attack or died immediately after, with two of the most seriously wounded dying in the following days, raising the total number of dead to fifteen. Departing from the devastated military camp, Bocker headed further inland and disposed of L14's remaining ordnance over Tunbridge and Croydon, causing further casualties when houses near to a railway junction at Croydon were damaged. The Zeppelin then made its way back to the Continent, having inflicted a severe blow against what was, after all, only a military 'target of opportunity'. This was the last raid of 1915, as bad weather coincided with the new moon in both November and December 1915 and continued into January 1916. There were a total 20 raids in 1915, in which 37 tons of bombs were dropped, killing 181 people and injuring 455. John Doran 14th October 1915 Bombing of Otterpool Camp 3rd Nov 1915 On the March   4th Nov 1915 In the Trenches   5th Nov 1915 Working Parties   6th Nov 1915 Working Parties   7th Nov 1915 Trench Work   8th Nov 1915 Trench Work   9th Nov 1915 Heavy Shelling   10th Nov 1915 Working Parties   11th Nov 1915 Working Parties   12th Nov 1915 Engineering   13th Nov 1915 Shelling   15th Nov 1915 Trench Work   13th of March 1916 Aircraft Active   22nd of March 1916 Orders   28th of March 1916 Orders   31st of March 1916 Orders   28th of March 1916 Orders   1st of April 1916 Reliefs 1st Apr 1916 Shelling   2nd Apr 1916 Attacks Made   3rd of April 1916 Orders   3rd Apr 1916 Enemy Active 4th of April 1916 Orders   5th of April 1916 Orders   15th of April 1916 Orders 18th of May 1916 Orders 20th of May 1916 Orders   28th of May 1916 Trench Work   30th of June 1916 Orders   6th of July 1916    8th of July 1916  19th of July 1916    21st of July 1916  21st of July 1916 Orders   21st of July 1916    24th of July 1916    4th of August 1916  4th of August 1916    6th of August 1916 Orders   10th of August 1916  15th of August 1916  12th of September 1916    13th Sep 1916 Artillery Active   26th of September 1916    23rd Oct 1916 Reliefs 1st of April 1916  2nd of April 1916  4th of April 1916    27th of March 1917 In Corps Reserve   31st of March 1917 Marching Orders   31st Mar 1917 Communication Trenches   2nd of April 1917  Positions   3rd of April 1917 Training and Orders 6th of April 1917 Orders Received 8th of April 1918  Division Transferred 9th of April 1917 At the Ready   10th of April 1917 Orders 12th of April 1917 Orders and Reliefs   16th of April 1917 Heavies Bombard Wire   18th of April 1917 Divisional Front Readjusted   8th of May 1917  Orders to Attack   8th Oct 1917 Reliefs 9th Oct 1917 Patrols 10th Oct 1917 Reliefs 8th Nov 1917 On the March   28th March 1918 Line Held 9th of April 1918 Orders 10th of April 1918  Relief Postponed 10th April 1918 An early start, marching at 0700 hours to Warluzel where the Battalion billeted. 30th May 1918 Ordered to move.   25th of June 1918 WO95/1510/4   8th August 1918 Attack Made   8th August 1918 Assault 8th August 1918 In Action 9th August 1918 Advance Continues 9th August 1918 Attack Made 13th August 1918 Special Order 19th September 1918 Relief of the 5th H.L.I.   If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Want to know more about 2nd Canadian Division? There are:94 items tagged 2nd Canadian Division available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War. Those known to have served with 2nd Canadian Division during the Great War 1914-1918. Collier John Albert. Pte. All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. 1st of September 2023 marks 24 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? 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We also have a section on World War Two. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations. 260183 Pte. John Albert Collier 5th Brigade Machine Gun Coy. Jack Collier was born in London, England and emigrated to Canada in the care of the Salvation Army in 1910. He enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 18th of August 1915, embarking aboard the S.S. Adriatic with the 86th Machine Gun Battalion for Britain on 19th May 1916. He was initially stationed at the Canadian Machine Gun Depot, Risborough Barracks, in Shorncliffe, Kent and then later at Crowborough, Sussex. He was sent to the Canadian Machine Gun Pool at Camiers, France on 18 April 1917 and served with the 2nd Division's 5th Brigade Machine Gun Company for 4 and a half months. Jack was severely gassed near Cite St. Pierre, near Lens on 21st of August 1917 during the Battle of Hill 70. He was returned to Britain for treatment and convalescence before being transferred to the 11th Battalion, Canadian Engineers for the duration of the War, serving in France for an additional 20 months. Jack embarked for Canada from Liverpool on 8 August 1919 along with his English bride and their six-week old daughter. When WWII broke out, Jack guarded Canadian port and electrical facilities in the service of the Ontario Provincial Police and later enlisted in the 35th Company of The Veterans' Guard of Canada, escorting German P.O.W.s from Britain to Canada and serving as a guard at several P.O.W. camps in northern Ontario, Canada. David J. Forsyth Add to this record.

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