1914 - 1918
Former CO's
Former RSM's
Honourary Appts
At the outbreak of hostilities in 1914, the Regiment was mobilized and arrived on 19 August at Valcartier, the concentration area for the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). After being brought up to war establishment strength by the addition of some 300 all ranks, the unit embarked at Quebec on 30 September and arrived in England on 16 October. Training commenced immediately on Salisbury Plain, which was turned into a quagmire by the winter rains that continued unabated for three months. There was no shelter for the horses, and the men lived under canvas, until billets were provided in January. In March 1915 the Regiment joined the rest of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade, which consisted of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, the Strathcona's, 2nd King Edward's Horse and the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. At this time, there was a need for more infantry in France and the cavalry Regiments volunteered to go into the trenches, leaving their mounts behind.The brigade arrived in France on 4 May and the Strathcona's first came under fire on 22 May when they relieved the 10th Battalion CEF at Festubert. They subsequently fought in the action at Givenchy and were transferred to the line at Messines where they remained in their dismounted role until January 1916.
On 16 February 1916, the Canadian Cavalry Brigade was reconstituted as a mounted force, with the Fort Garry Horse replacing 2nd King Edward's Horse. After training through the winter and spring the Strathcona's were sent to the Somme sector of the front in June. However, trench warfare afforded few opportunities for large scale mounted operations. The Regiment came out of winter quarters in March 1917 and played a conspicuous part in pursuit of the retreating enemy on the Somme front.
It was in the fighting at Saulcourt - Guyencourt on 25 March that Lt. F.M.W. Harvey won the Victoria Cross for rushing a machine gun post and capturing it; he jumped from his saddle, hurdled the triple barbed wire entanglement, shot the gunner, and jumped onto the gun. In late November 1917 the Regiment participated in the battle of Cambrai, where tanks were used in large numbers for the first time. When the Germans counter-attacked, the Strathcona's were again put into the line as infantry. During the last great German offensive, in March 1918, the Regiment fought mounted and dismounted in rear guard actions to relieve the hard pressed infantry. On the 30th the whole Brigade attacked the advancing Germans at Moreuil Wood.
It was here that Lt. G.M. Flowerdew, at the head of "C" Squadron, led a charge against an enemy, 300 strong and supported by machine guns. He died later from wounds he received that day and was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. Heavy action began for the Regiment during the first week of August at the battle of Amiens, where the co-ordinated efforts of Cavalry and tanks were used to good effect. The next important action came in October, when the whole Brigade was in pursuit of the retreating Germans near Cateau east of Cambrai; it was to be the last before the armistice on 11 November 1918.
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1900 - 1901
1902 - 1913
1914 - 1918
1919 - 1939
1940 - 1945
1946 - 2000
Moreuil Wood
Melfa River
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