Battalion (American Legion). The unit embarked for Europe in May 1916 at Toronto, but were held at Aldershot, Nova Scotia, due to objections by the US Government, causing a number of desertions and resignations. The battalion finally arrived in England in September, having officially dropped the "American Legion" title, although the term continued to be used informally throughout the war. Further American battalions followed, but were either used as drafts for other CEF units or had been merged with the 97th Battalion by the end of the war. Approximately 2,700 US citizens are interred in Commonwealth War Graves. On returning to New York after the war, some 2,700 US citizens who had fought with British Empire forces, including 300 African Americans, were detained at Long Island because they lacked the correct documentation to be readmitted. A United States Department of War report in early 1918 estimated that 25,000 to 30,000 Americans were serving in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Establishment of corps When it was deployed in 1914, the Canadian Expeditionary Force was simply combat elements and became clear by 1915 support and administrative units needed to included in the Western Front. After September 1915 it expanded to include what was considered administrative corps: Canadian Cavalry Brigade Canadian Forestry Corps Canadian Machine Gun Corps Corps of Guides (Canada) HQ Corps of Military Staff Clerks Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps Royal Canadian Army Service Corps Royal Canadian Army Veterinary Corps Royal Canadian Corps of Signals Canadian Military Engineers Canadian Postal Corps Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery Reserves and training The Canadian Expeditionary Force also had a large reserve and training organization in England, and a recruiting organization in Canada. Labour Chinese labourers were also brought over to Europe, especially the Canadian Railway Troops. From 1917 to 1918 84,000 Chinese labourers were recruited for the Chinese Labour Corps from China (via Shandong Province) that were shipped to Canada and then some to the Western Front. Many of these labourers died in Belgium and France. Operations Battle of Ypres The 1915 Battle of Ypres, the first engagement of Canadian forces in the Great War, exposed Canadian soldiers and their commanders to modern war. They had previously experienced the effects of shellfire and participated in aggressive trench raiding despite a lack of formal training and generally inferior equipment. They were equipped with the frequently malfunctioning Ross rifle, the older, lighter