Starting our look back at the Regiment’s First World War Battle Honours, we first take a look at how the Regiment prepared for the war in Europe. On 04 August 1914, war is declared. Unanimously the officers of the 48th agreed to send a full battalion. When mobilization orders arrived on the 15 August, the battalion had already recruited to strength. On 29 August, in the rain and in front of 100,000 Toronto citizens, the battalion, 970 strong, marched to the Don Station. Their destination was Valcartier, Quebec, where they would become part of the first wave of a new Canadian army. Following training, they embarked on 3 October from Quebec city in the largest armada yet recorded - 30,621 Canadians in 32 transports escorted by seven warships. After a short four months of training in the muddy fields of Salisbury Plain in England, they transferred to France. The need was too great for their services to spend any more time in England. They embarked, sailing through a stormy Bay of Biscay ...