Name/Title
Canadian Grenadier Guards WW1 Recruiting Poster - TYPE 2 - 87th Battalion CEFDescription
There are 8 different rare or unique examples of original recruiting posters used by CGG during the First World War. Many with less than 20 original copies known to exist.
Type 2: Published at the same time as type 1 by The Montreal Lithographing Co. Circa 1915 it was designed for local Montreal recruiting efforts. Titled ‘Attention 87th Bn Canadian Grenadier Guards’. This poster features Pte James Boon 177079. He survived the war and represented CGG at The Vimy Memorial unveiling in 1936. Less than 10 Copies known to exist.
The 87th. Bn. (CGG) CEF was unique in many respects.
. It was the first CEF Bn. (outside of the 22nd. Bn. the so-called "Vandoos") where the majority of its original recruits were Canadian born. All previous CEF Bns., the majority were actually born in the UK.
. It was also the first CEF Bn. allowed to recruit nationally, as opposed to recruiting from a local geographic area. Thus, aside from the officer and NCO cadres, most of the original recruits were from outside of Montreal. Only 283 of the first 700 were actually Montrealers. The next largest group, 162, were from the Eastern Townships 112 came from the Ottawa Valley and Eastern/Northern Ontario.
. The Regiment actively reached out to smaller rural communities where no other recruiters had been, sending recruiting parties accompanied by the Regimental band to draw recruits.
. It had higher physical standards than other CEF Bns. enlisting, for example, only men over 5 ft. nine inchesCreated By
Lieutenant Michael Hayes-Rivet, retired.Create Date
May 24, 2022Updated By
R. John Dolbec C/Sgt. (ret.)Update Date
February 19, 2026