46TH Battalion Memorial Stone

A memorial stone and plaque honouring the memory of those who served with the 46th Canadian Infantry Battalion (South Saskatchewan), Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1918, sits under a tree on the northeast corner of the Bowl. Formed in February of 1915, the 46th battalion was filled primarily with Saskatchewan youths, many via USask. Also known as the “suicide battalion,” it fought in some of the bloodiest encounters of the war. Of the 5,374 men in the 46th battalion, 4,917 were either killed or wounded. A particularly costly battle was Passchendaele, where there were 403 casualties from the battalion’s strength of 600 men. With the end of the war came demobilization and the end of 46th battalion. The soldiers became veterans and returned to civilian life. Many re-enrolled or entered the university for the first time. Many others did not return. The memorial stone sits in the northeast corner of the Bowl. The 46th Battalion was known as the suicide battalion because of its incredibly high casualty rate.

Inscription

SOUTH SASKATCHEWAN
XLVI
OVERSEAS
CANADA
[Frist column/première colonne]
ANCRE HEIGHTS 1916
SOMME 1916
VIMY 1917
HILL 70
ARRAS 1917-1918
YPRES 1917
[Second column/deuxième colonne]
PASSCHENDAELE
AMIENS
SCARPE
DROCOURT-QUEANT
FRANCE AND FLANDERS 1916-1918

1914-1918
IN MEMORY OF ALL RANKS OF THE 46TH BATTALION CEF
THEY ARE TOO NEAR TO BE GREAT, BUT OUR CHILDREN SHALL UNDERSTAND
WHEN AND HOW OUR FATE WAS CHANGED AND BY WHOSE HAND.

Monument commémoratif militaire répertorié par Anciens Combattants Canada. Aucune description n’est encore disponible.

Le texte de l’inscription figure dans la section anglaise.