At five o’clock on the evening of October 13th the Olympic steamed out of Halifax Harbor, bearing the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade, surely the most precious cargo that Nova Scotia ever entrusted to the mighty Atlantic. The docks at Halifax were thronged on that day with thousands of people from all parts of Nova Scotia who had come to say good-bye—in many cases unfortunately a last good-bye—to relatives and friends. Nova Scotia loves her own, sorrows over their departure from her bosom, and watches their fortunes under foreign skies with a fond eye and an anxious heart. I was told in London that, after any battle in which Canadian troops had taken part, there were more enquiries at Canadian Headquarters in London, from Nova Scotians, than from people of any other Province of Canada. I could well believe this to have been so, for in Nova Scotia character, friendship and loyalty to kith and kin are outstanding characteristics.
The officers of the 185th at the time of sailing for England were as follows:
| Honorary Colonel | Col. D. H. MacDougall. | |
| Officer Commanding | Lieut.-Col. Frank P. Day. | |
| Second in Command | Major J. G. Johnstone. | |
| Adjutant | Capt. R. C. Jackson. | |
| Medical Officer | Capt. J. A. Munro. | |
| Paymaster | Capt. R. MacDougall. | |
| Quartermaster | Capt. J. T. Malone. | |
| Protestant Chaplain | Capt. A. J. MacDonald. | |
| R. C. Chaplain | Capt. Michael Gillis. | |
| Machine Gun Officer | Lieut. J. A. Holland. | |
| “A” Company— | ||
| Officer Commanding | Capt. J. MacIsaac. | |
| Second in Command | Capt. A. L. Macdonald. | |
| Lieutenants | H. N. Price, John MacKenzie, J. D. MacKenzie, E. M. Johnstone. | |
| “B” Company— | ||
| Officer Commanding | Major G. S. Harrington. | |
| Second in Command | Capt. A. J. MacInnis. | |
| Lieutenants | C. MacLeod, W. F. Carroll, J. A. McKinnon, J. H. MacIvor. | |
| “C” Company— | ||
| Officer Commanding | Capt. W. W. Nicholson. | |
| Second in Command | Capt. Alex. MacDonald. | |
| Lieutenants | T. D. A. Purves, D. N. MacDonald, L. G. MacCorrison. | |
| “D” Company— | ||
| Officer Commanding | Major J. W. Maddin. | |
| Second in Command | Capt. C. W. Sutherland. | |
| Lieutenants | A. M. Fraser, D. M. Wiswell, G. D. Crowell, D. Livingstone. | |
The voyage from Halifax to Liverpool was made in a little over five days. The Battalion disembarked on the morning of October 19th, the Pipe Band playing the men down the gangway. Immediately the train was taken to Witley Camp, which was reached after a journey of eight hours. Here the Battalion settled down to work as part of the 12th Canadian Infantry Training Brigade, which name replaced the old name, “Nova Scotia Highland Brigade.”
In early December there came tidings which nearly every Canadian Battalion that ever went to England had grown to dread. The Battalion was called on to supply a draft of 192 men for France. The other Battalions of the Brigade had received similar orders, the total number of men required from the Brigade being 800. The call for these drafts seemed to spell the disruption of the Brigade, notwithstanding promises to the contrary in Canada. The strongest protests were made by officers of the Brigade, but to no avail. On December 5th the drafts set out for Southampton whence they were to embark for Havre. The 185th sent 20 men to the 42nd (Montreal) Battalion, and 172 men to the 73rd Battalion, also of Montreal.
Each Battalion of the Brigade had now been considerably reduced in strength, and the Canadian authorities in England decided to amalgamate the 219th with the 85th Battalion, and the 193rd with the 185th Battalion. Officers and men in any one of these four Units who were not physically fit were sent to the 17th Nova Scotia Reserve Battalion at Bramshott. The Nova Scotia Highland Brigade was no more, and the hope in every heart now was that the two Battalions—85th and 185th—which constituted what was left of that Brigade, might reach France as Units.
After the amalgamation of the 193rd, the officers of the 185th were as follows:—
| Officer Commanding | Lieut.-Col. F. P. Day. | |
| Second in Command | Lieut.-Col. R. J. S. Langford. | |
| Adjutant | Major J. W. MacDonald. | |
| Medical Officer | Capt. J. A. Munro. | |
| Quartermaster | Capt. F. C. Baird. | |
| Paymaster | Capt. R. MacDougall. | |
| Assistant Adjutant | Lieut. W. E. Macdonald. | |
| Machine Gun Officer | Lieut. J. A. Holland. | |
| Musketry Officer | Lieut. D. M. Wiswell. | |
| Scout Officer | Lieut. H. N. Price. | |
| Bombing Officer | Lieut. J. D. MacKenzie. | |
| “A” Company— | ||
| Officer Commanding | Capt. J. MacIsaac. | |
| Second in Command | Capt. A. L. Macdonald. | |
| Lieutenants | John MacKenzie, E. M. Johnstone, T. E. Logan, C. J. Markham. | |
| “B” Company— | ||
| Officer Commanding | Major J. P. LeGallais. | |
| Second in Command | Capt. F. B. Schurman. | |
| Lieutenants | J. A. McKinnon, J. H. MacIvor, J. Soy, P. T. Andrews, H. A. Dickson, A. D. Baxter. | |
| “C” Company— | ||
| Officer Commanding | Capt. W. W. Nicholson. | |
| Second in Command | Capt. Alex. Macdonald. | |
| Lieutenants | D. J. MacGillivray, H. F. Orman, L. G. MacCorrison, H. D. Cunningham, D. Livingstone. | |
| “D” Company— | ||
| Officer Commanding | Capt. R. C. Jackson. | |
| Second in Command | Capt. C. W. Sutherland. | |
| Lieutenants | A. M. Fraser, J. O. MacLeod, J. J. Murray, G. D. Crowell, H. C. Lowther. | |
About this time the Battalion received permission to use as its official name, “185th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Cape Breton Highlanders),” instead of “185th Canadian Infantry Battalion,” as before.
In the spring of 1917, the 5th Canadian Division was organized at Witley Camp, under the command of Major-General Garnet Hughes, who had already won high distinction in France. The 185th was given a place in that Division. The Division was assured that it would be sent to France, and in that hope it set to work with such earnestness that in the summer of 1917 it was regarded as one of the most efficient Divisions that had ever trained in England. The 185th by hard and persevering work had won the reputation of being unexcelled, and by many unbiased observers it was regarded as unequalled, in the whole Division. Certainly, the Battalion was often specially complimented by Inspecting Officers and was often singled out for particular honor. At the great Dominion Day Parade in London, in 1917, the Guard of Honor for the Colors was drawn from the 185th. Again and again its teams won from other Battalion teams in competitions in Musketry, Bayonet Fighting, Physical Training, Drill and Machine Gun Work.