Cap Badge - 3rd Canadian Pioneers, Victoria, BC "After its arrival in England the 48th Infantry Battalion was redesignated as the 3rd Pioneer Battalion (48th Canadians) authorized under General Order 69 of July 1916, assigned as the Pioneer Battalion of the 3rd Canadian Division." The 48th arrived in England in July 1915, and provided drafts to other units, as I recall. Apparently, the excellent physical condition of the 48th made them an ideal candidate for the hard work a Pioneer Battalion would face. "The 29th Battalion had suffered severe casualties and more reinforcements were required. Among rehabilitating measures taken was the disbandment of the 48th Battalion, C.E.F. (The 3d Pioneers), which had served in France and Belgium for a long time. Two of its companies were to be sent to the 29th and two to the 7th Battalions." "The arguments put forth as reasons for breaking up the [48th / 3rd] Battalion can be summed up in a few words. Because British Columbia was unable to furnish a sufficient supply of recruits to keep the British Columbia units in the field up to strength, due to the fact that the majority of British Columbian manhood had enlisted during the early part of the war. The authorities took the stand that this was a British Columbian unit, as it was organized out of the 48th Canadian Battalion, although at the present time only 40% of the personnel come from British Columbia, the remainder being from the East and a few from the Prairies. To a certain extent, the policy of reinforcing units with men from the same province as that in which the unit was organized, was defeated, as 55% of the men sent to the 7th and 29th Battalions, both British Columbian units, came from the East." The 48th had a mascot, a bear called Bruno, who travelled to England with them.