Legion Branch 157 hears the story of the No 2 Construction Battalion
The No. 2 Construction Battalion was the subject of a talk at Royal Canadian Legion Fort Malden Br. 157 as part of Legion Week.
The battalion, an all-Black battalion that served in World War I, was the topic of a presentation by Irene Moore Davis Sept. 23. Davis is the assistant curator at the Amherstburg Freedom Museum, the president of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society, as well as an educator, writer and podcaster.
Davis said the No. 2 Construction Battalion was the first and only Black battalion though it wasn’t just made up of Canadian citizens. She said there were residents of the United States and even some from Caribbean that signed up.
Many Black Canadians wanted to enlist to fight in World War I, Davis said, but a lot were rejected.
“They were rejected because of their race,” said Davis.
Appeals to the federal government at that time, specifically the Ministry of Militia and Defense, were often pushed aside or put back on the specific units that the people were trying to register for.
“There was a sense of being dismissed when the complaints were brought forward,” said Davis.
Finally, in 1916, the No. 2 Construction Battalion was founded, and it had its roots in Pictou, Nova Scotia before establishing its headquarters in Truro, Nova Scotia. There was a recruitment office in Windsor at the time at the Windsor Jockey Club, which was located in what is now Jackson Park.
“It was quite a successful recruiting station,” said Davis.
Recruitment efforts took somewhat unique approaches, with Davis stating there were recruiting concerts, dances and church functions included. Recruitment took place in not just Windsor, but also saw trips to Harrow, Chatham, Dresden and North Buxton.
The No. 2 Construction Battalion arrived in France in 1917, she continued, and that they were heavily involved in logging, construction and anything related to the construction industry. Roads, bridges, trenches and more were items the battalion were involved with.
“It was important work,” added Davis. “It was very important to our defense and in what we were doing.”
Davis acknowledged there were African-Canadian soldiers serving in other units and noted Black men served their country as far back as the War of 1812.
Davis pointed out that while there was some positive coverage back in that era, others were making derogatory remarks about the unit because of their race and their roles in the war. Most members returned home in 1919, and the unit was formally disbanded in 1920.
“They were being made fun of because they were a non-combat unit,” she said, though there were points where they came under enemy fire.
When they came home, they were often forgotten about and their contributions swept aside. There have been attempts since then to gain further recognition and honours for the battalion, including a plaque that was installed at Queen’s Park in 1926 and a formal apology for how the soldiers in the battalion were treated was issued by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2022.
Amherstburg Freedom Museum vice president Barbara Porter attended the latter event, as she had uncles and a grandfather be part of the unit. Porter has also travelled the region in recent years presenting photos of the No. 2 Construction Battalion to Legions.
Legion Branch 157 hears the story of the No 2 Construction Battalion
By Ron Giofu
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