46th Battalion (South Saskatchewan), CEF


The 46th Battalion, CEF, was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the Great War.

History

The 46th Battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 23 October 1915. On 11 August 1916 it disembarked in France, where it fought with the 10th Infantry Brigade, 4th Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battalion was disbanded on 30 August 1920.
The unit has come to be known as "The Suicide Battalion". The 46th Battalion lost 1,433 killed and 3,484 wounded – a casualty rate of 91.5 percent in 27 months.
The battalion recruited throughout Saskatchewan and was mobilized at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
The 46th Battalion had two officers commanding:
  • Lieutenant-Colonel H. Snell, 22 October 1915 – 29 August 1916
  • Lieutenant-Colonel H.J. Dawson, CMG, DSO, 29 August 1916-Demobilization
One member of the 46th Battalion was awarded the Victoria Cross. Sergeant Hugh Cairns was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Valenciennes on 1 November 1918.

Battle honours

The 46th Battalion was awarded the following battle honours:

Perpetuation

The perpetuation of the 46th Battalion was assigned in 1920 to 2nd Battalion, The [South Saskatchewan Regiment (1920-1924)|The South Saskatchewan Regiment], and it is now perpetuated by The Saskatchewan Dragoons.