England 1914-15

On Saturday, October 17, 1914, the 15^th Battalion arrived in West Down Camp South which was a tented camp on Salisbury Plain and began what would be a wet, cold and muddy Fall-Winter preparing for eventual deployment to The Front.

Although they almost immediately began conducting squad and section drills much of the men’s time was spent on fatigues consisting of building roads, ranges, stables and buildings. The individual infantry battalions of the contingent were organized into one division composed of four infantry brigades with each brigade having four battalions. The 15^th Battalion was brigaded with the 13^th, 14^th and 16^th Battalions to form the 3^rd Brigade under command of Brigadier General R.E.W. Turner VC. It was also during this time that the Canadian battalions reorganized from their pre-war Militia eight company structure to the newer British four or double company structure. This restructure made some Officers and NCOs surplus and a number of them were transferred to and commissioned in British Army units. The cohesion of the new units gradually improved and soon training progressed to Division sized manoeuvres.

The Canadian Division would be inspected and visited by senior leaders and government officials on a number of occasions – His Majesty the King, Lord Kitchener, Lord Roberts, Sam Hughes Minister of Militia and even Rudyard Kipling. On December 17^th, the battalion was moved out of their cold, wet tents to heated wooden barracks at Larkhill Camp not far from Stonehedge. The battalion was given mass leave at Christmas with half off at Christmas and the other half off at New Year’s. Training continued in the new year with increased time on the ranges as supplies of ammunition improved. In the last week of January, the King made a final inspection and the Division learned that it would soon be going abroad although the destination was unknown. On February 9^th the battalion had an issue of operational kit and their MkII Ross rifles were replaced with the newer Mk III version. Surplus Officers NCOs and men were sent to Tidworth Barracks to form a Base Company of replacements that might be for the battalion.

On February 11^th The Battalion marched out of Larkhill Camp to Amesbury where it entrained for Bristol, Avonmouth to board the S.S. Mount Temple. The convoy sailed on the February 12^th and following a very rough and stormy Channel crossing, landed in St. Nazaire on February 15^th.

15th Bn officers Salisbury Plain West Down
Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914. L-R: Lt Mavor, Lt Davidson,
Capt MacGregor, Lt Jago. — **24.** 15th Bn officers Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914. L-R: Lt Mavor, Lt Davidson, Capt MacGregor, Lt Jago.
*Davidson Collection Vol 1.*

15th Bn officers Salisbury Plain West Down
Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914. L-R: Lt Frank Smith, Capt Jack
Duguid, Lt Wallie Lawson, Lt Jago. — **24a.** 15th Bn officers Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914. L-R: Lt Frank Smith, Capt Jack Duguid, Lt Wallie Lawson, Lt Jago.
*Davidson Collection Vol 1.*

**24b.** Tent lines Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914.
*Davidson Collection Vol 1.*

Working
party Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914 — **24c.** Working party Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914
*Davidson Collection Vol 1.*

15th Bn officers having lunch in the field.
Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914. L-R: — **24d.** 15th Bn officers having lunch in the field. Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914. L-R:
*Davidson Collection Vol 1.*

Capt
Archie MacGregor. Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914 — **24e.** Capt Archie MacGregor. Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914
*Davidson Collection Vol 1.*

Lt
‘Jags’ Jago. Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914 — **24f.** Lt ‘Jags’ Jago. Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914
*Davidson Collection Vol 1.*

Lt
Jago and Jumbo. Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914 — **24g.** Lt Jago and Jumbo. Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914
*Davidson Collection Vol 1.*

A
Company. Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914 — **24h.** A Company. Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914
*Davidson Collection Vol 1.*

B
Company. Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914 — **24i** B Company. Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914
*Davidson Collection Vol 1.*

3rd Brigade Commander General Turner VC
inspects troops. Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16
Oct-17 Dec 1914 — **24j.** 3rd Brigade Commander General Turner VC inspects troops. Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914
*Davidson Collection Vol 1.*

What does 35 e mean? — **24k.** 35e Lt Lawson and Signal section. Salisbury Plain West Down Camp South 16 Oct-17 Dec 1914
*Davidson Collection Vol 1.*

Lt
Lawson. Unidentified location in the UK Sept 1914- Jan 1915 — **24l.** Lt Lawson. Unidentified location in the UK Sept 1914- Jan 1915
*Davidson Collection Vol 1.*

Bn
parading on Salisbury plain. — **24m.** Bn parading on Salisbury plain.
*Internet*

Newspaper
article about 15th Battalion at Salisbury. Undated — **24n.** Newspaper article about 15th Battalion at Salisbury. Undated
*Scrapbook collection Regimental Museum*

Battalion
guard. Salisbury UK Undated — **24o.** Battalion guard. Salisbury UK Undated
*Regimental museum P0836 #560C*

Battalion parading at Salisbury 1914. LCol JA Currie visible to rear of
band and at the head of the column. Pipe Major Alexander
Keith front left — **24p.** Battalion parading at Salisbury 1914. LCol JA Currie visible to rear of band and at the head of the column. Pipe Major Alexander Keith front left
*War Pictorial & Hendrie scrapbook Hamilton city archives*

24q. Battalion parading at Salisbury 1914. LCol JA Currie visible to rear of band and at the head of the column. Pipe Major Alexander Keith front left

War Pictorial & Hendrie scrapbook Hamilton city archives

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