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{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 78th Battalion
| native_name = Winnipeg Grenadiers
| image =73-78 Bn CEF.jpg
| alt =
| caption = The distinguishing patch of the 78th Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers), CEF.
| dates = 10 July 1915 - 15 September 1920
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| current_commander =
| commander1 = Lt.-Col. J. Kirkcaldy, [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]]
| commander1_label = Commanders
| commander2 = Lt.-Col. J.N. Semmens
| commander2_label = Commanders
| commander3 = Lt.-Col. J. Kirkcaldy, [[Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George|CMG]], [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]]
| commander3_label = Commanders
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}}

The '''78th Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers), CEF ''' was an [[infantry]] [[battalion]] of the [[Canadian Expeditionary Force]] during [[World War I]]. The 78th Battalion was authorized on 10 July 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 20 May 1916. It disembarked in France on 13 August 1916, where it fought as part of the 12th Brigade, [[4th Canadian Division]] in France and Flanders until the armistice. The battalion was disbanded on 15 September 1920.<ref name="A-DH-267-003">Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.</ref>

==History==
The 78th Battalion recruited in [[Winnipeg, Manitoba]] and the surrounding area and was mobilized at Winnipeg.<ref name="Meek">Meek, John F. ''Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War.'' Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971. {{ISBN|0906158109}}</ref>

During the attack on Vimy Ridge the 78th was a followup battalion to the 38th, 72nd, and 73rd Battalions and was meant to exploit gains made by their initial attack. Unfortunately an intact German trench held up the attack and the 78th were hit by a German counterattack. The battalion lost 75 killed, 261 wounded and 159 missing.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Tim |title=Vimy |date=7 March 2017 |publisher=Allen Lane |isbn=978-0735233164 }}</ref>

The 78th Battalion had three officers commanding:
*Lt.-Col. J. Kirkcaldy, DSO, 22 May 1916 – 15 November 1917
*Lt.-Col. J.N. Semmens 16 November 1917 – 19 March 1918
*Lt.-Col. J. Kirkcaldy, CMG, DSO, 19 March 1918-Demobilization<ref name="Meek"/>

[[File:James Edward Tait VC.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Lt. James Edward Tait, VC, 78th Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers), CEF.]] [[File:Samuel Lewis Honey VC.jpg|thumb|200px|Lt. Samuel Lewis Honey VC, DCM, MM, 78th Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers), CEF.]]Two members of the 78th Battalion were awarded the [[Victoria Cross]]. Lt. [[James Edward Tait]] was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 9 August 1918 during the Battle of Amiens. Lt. [[Samuel Lewis Honey]] was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 27 September 1918 during operations in the vicinity of Bourlon Wood. He had previously been awarded the [[Distinguished Conduct Medal]] and the [[Military Medal]].<ref name="Meek"/>

== Battle Honours ==
The 78th Battalion was awarded the following battle honours:
*[[Battle of the Somme|SOMME, 1916]]
*[[Battle of Ancre Heights|Ancre Heights]]
*[[Battle of Ancre|Ancre, 1916]]
*[[Battle of Arras (1917)|ARRAS, 1917]], [[Battle of Arras (1918)|'18]]
*[[Battle of Vimy Ridge|Vimy, 1917]]
*[[Battle of Passchendaele|Ypres 1917]]
*[[Battle of Passchendaele|Passchendaele]]
*[[Battle of Amiens (1918)|AMIENS]]
*[[Battle of the Scarpe (1918)|Scarpe, 1918]]
*[[Drocourt-Quéant Line|Drocourt-Quéant]]
*[[Hindenburg Line|HINDENBURG LINE]]
*[[Battle of the Canal du Nord|Canal du Nord]]
*[[Pursuit to the Selle|VALENCIENNES]]
*[[Battle of the Sambre (1918)|SAMBRE]]
*[[Western Front (World War I)|FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1916-18]]<ref name="Meek"/>

== Perpetuation ==
The 78th Battalion, CEF is perpetuated by '''[[The Winnipeg Grenadiers]]''', currently on the [[Supplementary Order of Battle]].<ref name="A-DH-267-003"/>

== See also ==
* [[List of infantry battalions in the Canadian Expeditionary Force]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1919 by Col. G.W.L. Nicholson, CD, Queen's Printer, Ottawa, Ontario, 1962
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}

[[Category:Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force|078]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of Manitoba]]
[[Category:Winnipeg Grenadiers]]

78th Battalion Winnipeg Grenadiers CEF - Revision history

Bot at 23:54, 25 October 2022