The No. 2 Construction Battalion, better known as the Canadian Expeditionary Force, is historically significant for Canada and Canadians because it was the first time a black unit was formed in the military while also revealing the racist policies of Canadians during World War 1. At the beginning of the war, black men who tried to enlist were rejected. There were around 200 black men who were denied the opportunity to fight in the war because white men had refused to work alongside them. Although black men were initially excluded from participating in the war, black communities pressured the Militia Headquarters into accepting black men by sending letters demanding a reason as to why their applications were being rejected. Thus resulting in a …show more content…
2. Construction Battalion, black soldiers continued to be disrespected despite being equal to their white colleagues. A black sergeant tried to arrest a white soldier because of his arrogance, but because of his race, none of the white soldiers followed his orders, regardless of his higher authority. Although the black sergeant had a higher rank compared to some of the white troops, he was still not respected only because of his race. Thus establishing the difference in treatment between black and white soldiers. The British did not want black men to be enlisted in the war and be able to fight on the western front because they were afraid that these men would use their combat skills against them. Since the British refused to allow black soldiers to fight on the west front, they instead created a group for mostly black men. Still, there weren’t enough men, resulting in this unit becoming a labour company. This group performed many tasks that helped the men on the battlefield immensely. They completed numerous duties, the most important being the collection of lumber. Lumber was essential for the military because, with it, the soldiers were able to build observation posts, bridges, walkways, and even fighter