Special Service Battalion in WW1

[Dave26]

A relative of mine was transferred from the 3rd Canadian Field Ambulance Company to the Special Service Battalion on 16 November 1917.

Can anybody tell me anything about the Special Service Battalion in WW1. I have tried the internet but no joy.

[MaxD]

Reference is to be found in this book https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=pXiGCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA42&lpg=PA42&dq=special+service+battalion+CEF&source=bl&ots=T4HivI3Szm&sig=1O_7DZBqt_PSheVxJqe22LTg258&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiF_K2Pm-3TAhXDJcAKHXcPDskQ6AEIWjAN#v=onepage&q=special%20service%20battalion%20CEF&f=false

You should be able to find your relative's record in the Canadian archives

maxD

[JDC]

Good morning maxD,

I am not sure what it is either, however you may want to contact the Canadian military museum in London Ontario. Their website link is: http://www.thercrmuseum.ca/. Hope this helps.

JDC

[MaxD]

Good morning to Ontario!  Hopefully the poster has seen your post.  I was hoping he would post the name of the relative so we could dig around in Library and Archives Canada.. I have subsequently found records there of the Garrison Regiment which "absorbed the Special Service companies".

maxD

[JDC]

LOL MaxD,

Hope so too - not sure I didn't address my response to Dave. Poor eye sight I recon hehe.

JDC

[Dave26]

Hi

My relative's name is John Lailey, born 14 April 1877 in Greenham Common, Berkshire, England. Married 1904 to Amelia Kate Talbot in Thatcham, Berkshire. They emigrated to Canada about 1906.

[MaxD]

His Canadian service record clarifies that, as seen in the references quoted, the Special Services Company to which he was transferred on 16 Nov 1917 later became No 3 Battalion Canadian Garrison Regiment. Formed in April 1918 to perform garrison duty in Canada, the thirteen battalions absorbed the Special Service companies. There was a battalion in each of the thirteen military districts.  There are papers in the archives (see the 3 Battalion page here - http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/Documents/canadian%20garrison%20regiment.pdf and in the archives under Military District No 3 but these don't appear to have been digitised.

This Canadian forum might be of use for specifics of the 3rd Battalion (as well as the museum cited by JCDC in the land of the round doorknobs.

maxD.

PS Presumably you have his R Berks record?

[JDC]

Hi MaxD,

Thx for that info, I have a couple of g-uncles that joined the CEF and were transferred to different units as the war proceeded. It would be nice to be able to download a copy of the book :-).

JDC

[MaxD]

If you mean the one I gave the link to above then that can be downloaded.   Have you identified the g uncles records?

maxD