Two Soldiers

185th Battalion (Cape Breton Highlanders)

Canada

1916

Studio portrait photo of two soldiers from the 185th Battalion. On the left is L-Cpl. John Michael McNeil and on the right is Cpl. Angus William Jeffers. Both men wear standard seven button tunics and balmorals with full length feathers and cap badges. Cpl. Jeffers holds a swagger stick and is missing his collar badges. The photo was taken in Canada shortly before the battalion departed for England.

The men were identified by facial comparisons to photos of named 185^th Battalion soldiers shown in the 1916 picture book for the 185^th Battalion (Cape Breton Highlanders).

Cpl. Jeffers is also pictured in the studio portrait photo below which would have been taken around the same time probably in the same photo studio.

Military Service Record – John Michael McNeil

John Michael McNeil was born in Gillis Point, Victoria County, Cape Breton, on April 26, 1886. He was a farmer and single, when at the age of 30, he enlisted in the 185^th Battalion (Cape Breton Highlanders) on April 11, 1916.  His parents were deceased. Upon enlistment with the rank of private, he was issued the service number 878155. He had no previous militia service. At the time, the 185^th Battalion was mobilizing in the abandoned mining town of Broughton, near Sydney.

The following month, John and his new unit relocated to Aldershot, NS where they joined the other battalions of the newly formed Nova Scotia Highland Brigade.  After training in Aldershot during the summer and early fall, the brigade departed Canada for England in October, 1916, on the RMS Olympic.

In early December, shortly after arriving in England, John was transferred to the 73^rd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada) which had formed in Montreal. He crossed the English Channel and joined them in the field.  On April 9, 1917, John was wounded when his battalion took part in the initial Canadian attack on Vimy Ridge in France. He was hit by shrapnel that penetrated his neck and exited between his shoulders. The following day he was admitted to a hospital in Boulogne where he was treated for his injuries before being evacuated back to England where he was hospitalized in Liverpool. By August 1, 1917, John was deemed fit for service and released from a convalescent hospital in Epsom.

In November, 1917, John was sent back to the front, where he joined the 42^nd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada). In May, 1918, he was transferred to reinforcing pool of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps before finally joining the 3^rd Battalion Canadian Machine Gun Corps for duty. He was with this unit when the war ended.

John returned to Canada, via England, in March, 1919, and was discharged from the army in Halifax at the end of the month. He passed away on July 2, 1963 in Vancouver, BC.

Military Service Record – Angus William Jeffers

Angus William Jeffers was born in Newville, Cumberland County, NS, on November 6, 1882. He enlisted in the 185^th Battalion (Cape Breton Highlanders) in Sydney, NS, on March 31, 1916. Information on his attestation papers list his present address as River Hebert, Cumberland County, his occupation as farmer, his married status as single, and his parents as deceased. The circumstances as to why he joined the 185^th Battalion in Sydney are not known. Upon enlistment with the rank of private, he was given the service number 877890. He was 33 years old. Prior militia service included one year with the 93^rd Cumberland Regiment.

The 185^th Battalion was established at the abandoned mining town of Broughton when Angus joined the unit. The men were billeted in the old buildings or in tents. In May, 1916, the battalion moved to the large training camp located in Aldershot, NS, where it united with its sister battalions of the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade. In October, 1916, the whole brigade went overseas to England on the troop ship RMS Olympic. Upon debarkation, they were sent to Witley Camp in the south of England.

Shortly after arrival in England, a decision was made to dissolve the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade. The 85^th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders), the senior unit of the four battalions of the brigade, was sent to the front in February, 1917. The 193^rd and the 219^th Battalions were broken up to be used for reinforcements for units already at the front. Meanwhile, Angus’ unit, the 185^th Battalion, remained in England to train for the time it was to be sent across the Channel.

While in England, Angus suffered from a prior toe deformity, which now caused him a lot of pain when marching. In October, 1917, he was hospitalized and operated on to repair the problem. Unfortunately post surgery complications resulted in the required amputation of his toe. It was several months later, in December, 1917, that he was pronounced fit for service again.

In early 1918, much to the disappointment of the men of the 185^th Battalion, the order came down that their unit was also to be disbanded to supply much needed reinforcements to the depleted Canadian units already fighting at the front. As a result, in early March, 1918, Angus crossed the English Channel as a reinforcement for the 85^th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders). He remained with the 85^th Battalion until the end of the war and returned to Canada, via England, in June, 1919. He was discharged from the army on June 15th of the same year. Angus passed away on January 19, 1961.

Photographer:  Unknown
Ref. Number:  0-4 (2-1-5.3)
Image Information: Scan of original photo postcard
Source:  Robert MacLellan collection

Cpl. Angus William Jeffers

185th Battalion (Cape Breton Highlanders)

Canada

1916

Studio portrait photo of Cpl. Angus William Jeffers. He wears the early 1913 pattern Canadian seven button service dress jacket and khaki balmorals with full length feathers. His cap badge appears to be General List and he is missing his collar badges. The photo was probably taken around the same time as the photo above and in the same photo studio. The back drop appears to be the same in both photos.

Photographer:  Unknown
Ref. Number:  0-4 (2-1-6.3)
Image Information: Scan of original photo postcard
Source:  Robert MacLellan collection