REORGANIZED AS INFANTRY.
The Division was withdrawn from the trenches in December, 1915, and orders were subsequently received that the 1st and 2nd C.M.R. Brigade should be reorganized into the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade, consisting of 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Battalions of Mounted Rifles. The junior Regiments in each Brigade, namely the 3rd and 6th C.M.R., were split up between the two senior Regiments, thus forming four Infantry Regiments.
The ostensible reason for this was the necessity of relieving infantry in trenches and the unsuitability of the cavalry formation for that purpose. The change in formation necessitated the transfer to England of officers of senior rank.
The command of the reorganized Brigade was assumed by Brig.-Gen. V. A. S. Williams on January 1, 1916, and training in infantry drill and tactics was gone at in dead earnest by all ranks.
This training continued both in the line and out and the Brigade occupied the Ploegsteerte area until March, 1916, when it was moved to the Ypres Sector as part of the newly-formed 3rd Division, commanded by General Mercer, and took over the Hooge-Hill 60 Sector.
The disposal of the various Squadrons of the 6th C.M.R. was as follows:
“A” and “C” Squadrons were formed into “D” Company of the 5th C.M.R. Battalion, the company officers and warrant officers being:
Captain B. W. Roscoe (later Major, D.S.O., 2nd I.C. 5th C.M.R. Battalion, wounded June 3, 1916, at Sanctuary Wood); 2nd I.C., Captain H. H. Pineo (later killed in action at Mt. Sorrell, Ypres Sector, July, 1916); Lieuts. A. T. Ganong, G. N. D. Otty, G. R. Barnes; Lieut. J. P. Knowlton (later to record office at Rouen, and received promotion there to Captain); C.S.M. George Gill (later R.S.M. 5th C.M.R. Battalion); “B” Squadron was formed into “D” Company of the 4th C.M.R. Battalion, the company officers and warrant officers being: Major C. H. McLean (later 2nd I.C. 4th C.M.R. Battalion); Capt. M. A. Scovil; Lieut. George Morrisey.