WW1 CEF 46th Battalion (South Saskatchewan) sweetheart.

This is a WWI-era sweetheart brooch/badge for the 46th Battalion (South Saskatchewan), Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) — “XLVI” being the Roman numeral for 46. Sweetheart badges were worn by wives, mothers, or girlfriends of servicemen to show support while their loved one was overseas; they mirror the design of the soldier’s own cap badge. Yours has the gilt maple leaf form with crown, regimental crest, and blue enamel scrolls, consistent with badges made around 1915–1918.

The regiment

The 46th Battalion (South Saskatchewan), CEF, was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the Great War, authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarking for Britain on 23 October 1915.  It recruited throughout Saskatchewan and mobilized at Moose Jaw.  Many of its recruits came via the University of Saskatchewan, and the university’s School of Engineering even closed for a session in 1916–1917 when staff and students enlisted en masse.