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No. 2 Construction Battalion
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No. 2 Construction Battalion
Introduction
When did Canada permit the battalion?
Canada permitted the battalion on July 3rd, 1916, it was formed during World War I (1913-1914). They were the first and only Black battalion to serve in the war. The battalion was led by white officers until William A. White was granted Honorary Captain and became the first Black Officer in the British military.
The No. 2 Construction Battalion were a group of black Canadians who volunteered to participate in the war. The Battalion was formed during WWI, they agreed upon making a separate Battalion because of racial attitudes, so the Canadian Militia Department agreed to make the Battalion on April 16, 1916, and approved by Great Britain in early May, 1910.
At first they were ruled by White officers until William A. White became the first commissioned officer. On March 25th 1917, 3500 troops were departed from Nova Scotia to England. They arrived to England on May 20th 1917 and were sent to France to work alongside the Canadian Forestry Corps. They were assigned to build unites to support the front lines.
What were the roles of the No.2 Battalion?
Why did Canada make a Separate Battalion?
Their role was to construct unites to support the front lines, by building bridges, roads and defusing land mines on the boarder of Germany and France so advanced troops can move ahead and to also bring back the wounded safely.
They created separate Battalion because of the complaints of racial attitudes on not allowing Black Canadians fight in the war alongside White Canadians, even though some were able to volunteer in the war. Some black recruits were rejected because of their "so-called unsuitability", and also because of their bitter complaints.
Conclusion
The people who made it back safely made it back to England, and were departed back to Nova Scotia on December 4th 1918, and arrived in Canada in January 1919.