Cap Badge - Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Upon the outbreak of the First World War, the "Strathcona's" were again mobilized and sent to England. They arrived in France in 1915 where they were sent into the trenches to serve as infantry. In February 1916 they were reconstituted as a mounted regiment, where they next saw action as a cavalry unit during the Battle of the Somme in 1917. During the last German offensive in March 1918, Lt Gordon Flowerdew and his 100 man squadron charged a superior German force and dislodged them from Moreuil Wood. An action that caused over 50 casualties and left Lt Flowerdew mortally wounded. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his "conspicuous bravery and dash" in reaching his objective. After the Regiment returned to Canada in 1919, they moved into the Mewata Armoury in Calgary. It was also during the inter-war period that saw the Regiment's inclusion into the Permanent Force when the transition began from horses to mechanized armoured vehicles.