The 15th Battalion spent the majority of its front-line time in 1916 in the Ypres salient sector of Belgium mainly back along The Messines Road in January and March and in the area around the infamous Hill 60 where the Commanding Officer, Lt Col William Marshall DSO was killed in action in May.
During the opening phase of the battle for Mount Sorrel, the battalion conducted the Canadian Corps first counterattack of the war when it assaulted Observatory Ridge on the morning of June 3rd. The remainder of June, July and August was spent back in the Hill 60 area before departing Belgium for The Somme in August.
September saw intense fighting and heavy casualties on the Somme near Albert at Pozieres Ridge, Courcelette and Regina Trench / Ancre Heights. After leaving The Somme in mid-October, the battalion spent the reminder of 1916 doing trench tours in the Carenchy sector.
![Pipe Band marching from billets in Kortepyp, Belgium and entering Bailleul, France, the early afternoon of March 25th, 1916](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/42..jpg)
Regimental Museum
![Pipe Band marching from billets in Kortepyp, Belgium and entering Bailleul, France, the early afternoon of March 25th, 1916](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/42a..png)
Regimental Museum
![Band Order
Front Row (left to right) – P/M Alexander Keith, David Braidwood, Archibald MacDonald, P/S Alexander Newlands (4)
2nd Row – William Sturrock left, Alexander Donaldson, far right (2)
3rd Row – AJ Gordon left, Norman Ross 2nd from left, William Wick, far right (3)
2 Unseen Pipers in picture - WH Wick, AD Donaldson](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/42b..jpg)
![LCol Marshall leading the 15th Bn along a road near Ploegstreet, Belgium 1916.](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/42d..jpg)
Regimental Museum
![LCol Marshal being carried out of the line on a stretcher just after being killed by a sniper 1916.](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/42e..jpg)
Regimental museum
![Period photo of the grave at Lijssenthoek of LtCol WR marshall DSO KIA June 1916.](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/42f..jpg)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission/Lijssentoek Project.
![Period photo of the grave at Lijssenthoek of Capt ES Botterell OC No. 3 Company KIA June 1916.](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/42g..jpg)
Bent collection
![Officers 26 Sept 1916 – Courcelette on the Somme. Lt Mavor front, Lt Chipman and LtCol Bent seated. Lt Fatcher(sp?) and W Proudfoor standing L and R. Middle ? All are holding items of German equipment.](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/42i..jpg)
Regimental Museum
![Same photo as "42i" but with standing middle officer removed?. Evening Telegram. Toronto 24 Oct 1916.](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/42j.-scaled.jpg)
Unidentified museum scrapbook.
![Lt Col Bent and officers. 10 Oct 1916. Somme. L-R: ground-Lts Cameron
and Haldane. Seated-Lt Haldenby, LtCol Bent, Lt
Mavor, Lt Ansley. Standing Futcher, Shaw and unidentified.](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/42k.jpg)
Regimental museum P0677
![LCol Bent ,Maj Alfred Ansley, Lts Ewen MacGregor and Ian Mackenzie
Cameron 16 Oct 1916, Somme.](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/42k..jpg)
Regimental museum P0676
![Officers. Back row L-R: Lt EM
Haldane, Lt BM Loudon, ? Seated L-R: Maj Mavor, ? Front ? 16 Oct 1916.](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/42l..jpg)
Regimental museum P0676