19 October 1914 marked the second major detachment of troops from the region being shipped out for training. A magnificent send-off was witnessed on this day with songs such as A Long Way to Tipperary being sung by the crowds. Over 8,000-10,000 individuals attended the parade. Public and separate schools marched their students to the town square for the sendoff. The enthusiasm that saw men off in August was still visible in Waterloo Region in October.
A total of twenty-five volunteers left on this day. Although this was a small number, these men proudly enlisted themselves as part of the government’s goal of 100,000 volunteers. In the words of Berlin’s Mayor Euler, “this was one of the greatest events in the history of the city.”
(“Berlin Send-Off to the Front,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 19 October 1914)
