Cap Badge - 123rd (Toronto) Battalion, CEF The official authorization to raise the 123rd Overseas Battalion, Royal Grenadiers, CEF, was Militia General Order 151, dated December 22, 1915. They were based in Toronto, Ontario. The Battalion was separated into two groups in Halifax for mobilization to England, the first group sailing on the S.S. Cameronia and the second group sailing on the S.S. Metagama, which departed Halifax harbour August 9, 1916, arriving in England August 17th and 18th, 1916, respectively. They mobilized with the 124th Battalion (Governor General's Body Guard), CEF. On January 17, 1917, 5 months after arrival in England, the Battalion was repurposed as a pioneer battalion and redesignated as the 123rd Pioneer Battalion, Royal Grenadiers, CEF, but continued to report through the 3rd Infantry Division. While most of the other Canadian Pioneer Battalions reported through the Canadian Engineers, the 123rd (and 124th) continued to report through the Infantry organization. In many cases the 123rd Battalion served with front line troops, and in fact, in front of the front line troops, to install barbed wire, improve roads, and establish battlements, fortification and dugouts for the front-line infantry troops to use and occupy. They suffered many casualties. One of their principal roles was to install bridge works and build plank roads to facilitate movement of troops, artillery pieces, and supply columns, only to have the Germans shell the roads, requiring immense efforts to get Canadian forces to and from the front. The 123rd Battalion was awarded the following battle honours: ARRAS, 1917, '18+ Vimy, 1917, 9–14 April 1917+ Arleux Scarpe, 1917,3-4 May 1917 HILL 70, 15–25 August 1917+ Ypres 1917, 31 July–10 November 1917 Passchendaele, 12 October 1917 or 26 October–10 November 1917+ FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1917-18[2] The 123rd Overseas Battalion, Royal Grenadiers, was demobilized and disbanded on September 15, 1920 and is perpetuated by The Royal Regiment of Canada