Newspapers at the time often referred to the Third Battalion as the Queen’s Own Rifles, not surprising since it was the most prestigious Canadian regiment of the time, and the majority of Originals had indeed belonged to the QOR. But it wouldn’t take very long for this association to fade. Before the Third Battalion even arrived in France, a large draft of Albertans from the nearly disbanded Ninth Battalion filled gaps in the ranks left by sick men, underage recruits, those selected for special duties outside the battalion, and wife-deserters sent home to face unimpressed spouses. After the Third’s first major action at Ypres in April 1915, hundreds of reinforcements were needed. Soon men from across Canada were finding themselves with the Third.
This cycle of casualties and reinforcements would continue throughout the war, though some effort was made to keep the battalion supplied with men from Toronto whenever feasible.
By the summer of 1916 most of the early “Originals” were gone. The early battles had taken a heavy toll on the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and replacements, some with overlooked shortcomings, joined the ranks with startling regularity. The identity of the battalion remained, but its personnel were constantly changing.
By the time the Third returned to Toronto in April 1919, just forty men could claim status as an “Original.” Although the overseas service battalions were disbanded, the Third wasn’t about to fold. Much to the surprise of the Queen’s Own Rifles, ex-members of the Third who wanted to serve in the post-war militia were not interested in joining their ranks. Instead, a new militia unit was founded in 1920, “The Toronto Regiment.” The men wore their wartime cap and collar badges, and still considered themselves members of the now-extinct Third.
But it would be a short run. In 1936, The Toronto Regiment was amalgamated with The Royal Grenadiers, forming the Royal Regiment of Canada. The Royal Regiment of Canada and The Queen’s Own Rifles served in Europe during the Second World War, and continue to exist to this day. Both regiments jointly perpetuate the Third Battalion, sharing its history, traditions, and battle honours.
THREE MEN OF THE THIRD
A few seemingly extraordinary events occur in BOMBPROOF, which are in fact based in reality.
On October 30th, 1915, Private George Lewis Eastman, a Third Battalion Original, performed an astonishing deed. The war diary for that day states “PTE. EASTMAN, G, caught and threw back a grenade, saving several comrades.” A month later he would be awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for this feat, and later promoted to corporal, only to be killed in action at Mount Sorrel on June 13th, 1916. He was 40 years old.
Corporal William Joseph Walsh was also an Original member of the Third, and had previously been awarded the Military Medal for his courageous conduct. After the disastrous attack at Regina Trench, he made the ultimate sacrifice. The battalion’s war diary for October 8th, 1916 states: “Cpl. W Walsh of ‘A’ Coy, realizing they were being forced back, managed to collect a few bombs from wounded and killed and tried to make a stand to cover our retirement, but was killed a few minutes later, and the remnants of the Battalion were forced back to their jumping off trench.” He was 33 years old.
Corporal Kenneth Lloyd Sherman was 19 years old when, at the battle of Fresnoy, the following deed took place. “This N.C.O. is recommended for remarkable bravery and coolness during and after the attack on Fresnoy, May 3rd, 1917. He was in charge of a Lewis Gun and engaged several advancing lines of the enemy very successfully causing them many casualties and compelling them to retreat. Again, later in the day, when he had run out of ammunition he, at great personal risk, crawled out, both in front and behind our lines, and collected S.A.A. from dead bodies, this being done under a heavy and direct machine gun and rifle fire. This ammunition was instrumental, in the afternoon of May 3rd, in repulsing an enemy counterattack.” He was awarded the Military Medal for this act, and was later wounded, being invalided back to Canada in early 1918.
Eastman, Walsh, and Sherman were exceptional soldiers who exemplified all the best traits of the military. When I learned about their stories, I was compelled to include fictional versions of their heroics in my novel. Several of my fictional characters owe some measure of themselves to these factual members of the Third. I strongly encourage readers who enjoyed BOMBPROOF to learn more about the real men of the Third Battalion.
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