{"product_id":"ww1-cef-123rd-battalion","title":"WW1 CEF 123rd Battalion, Royal Grenadiers, sweetheart.","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHigh quality gilt and coloured enamel brooch back sweetheart\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRaised in Toronto in late 1915, the 123rd Battalion drew its identity and many of its early officers and men from the 10th Royal Grenadiers, a militia regiment whose roots went back to 1862. Lieutenant-Colonel Walter Bernard Kingsmill, then commanding officer of the Royal Grenadiers, gave up his command to raise, train and lead the new battalion, which was ordered into existence in November 1915.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRecruiting began that November, and the battalion trained at home before sailing for England, arriving in August 1916. Once in Britain it continued training as infantry, but just before it was due to move to France in January 1917, it was converted and redesignated the 123rd Canadian Pioneer Battalion, Royal Grenadiers.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe battalion landed in France in March 1917 and served as the pioneer battalion of the 3rd Canadian Division through the rest of the war in France and Flanders. Though raised as infantry, the 123rd made its name as a pioneer unit, becoming what's been called the unsung heroes of the 3rd Canadian Division — pioneers did the engineering and construction work that kept the front-line troops fighting, from trench digging to road and bridge building under fire. The battalion's first battlefield casualty came on the eve of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917, and it went on to lose men through the Vimy and Arras fighting that spring.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn May 1918, the 123rd was broken up and its men used to form three new Canadian Engineer Battalions, the 7th, 8th and 9th. The battalion was formally disbanded in September 1920.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe badge is a nice detail for this maple-leaf sweetheart pin, marked \"Canada,\" \"123,\" and \"Royal Grenadiers,\" would have been worn by a wife, mother or sweetheart back home while the man was overseas.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gradia Militaria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54107966112072,"sku":"10197","price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0924\/1103\/5976\/files\/IMG-2528.heic?v=1790065245","url":"https:\/\/www.gradiamilitaria.com\/products\/ww1-cef-123rd-battalion","provider":"Gradia Militaria","version":"1.0","type":"link"}