A First War 61st Infantry Canadian Battalion Sweetheart Badge

"Winnipeg Battalion" : Sterling silver with red, white and blue enamels, maker marked "SSR" and marked "STERLING SILVER" on the reverse, 28.7 mm x 34 mm, horizontal pinback, chipping evident in the blue enamels, very fine.

Footnote: The 61st Infantry Battalion was raised and mobilized in Winnipeg, Manitoba under the authority of G.O. 103A, August 15, 1915. The Battalion sailed from Canada on April 5, 1916 under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel F.J. Murray with a strength of 37 officers and 1,091 other ranks, arriving in Liverpool, England on the 12th. In England, the Battalion was absorbed into the 11th Reserve Battalion. It was disbanded on September 15, 1920.