On Nelson Cenotaph as L - 54th Bn Canadian Infantry, 1915

AMAS, Corporal Charles Lawrence

(On Nelson Cenotaph as L.C. Amas)

Regimental Number: 442320

Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, Central Ontario Regiment, 54 th

Battalion

Date of Death: 30 September, 1918 (Cambrai)

Age at Death: 23

Place of Burial: Canada Cemetery (Tilloy-les-Cambrai), Nord, France

Medals :

Attestation: 14 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness, Lieut. H.C. Green)

Previous Military Experience:

Date and Place of Birth: 5 February, 1895; Vernon, BC

Occupation: Grocer

Residence: Nelson, BC

Next of Kin: Harry Amas and Maud Mary (Glover) Amas (Parents), Nelson, BC

Religion: Wesleyan

Marital Status: Single

Newspaper items; Letters; Other information:

The Daily News , October 25, 1916:

Pte. Charles Lawrence Amas, 442220, is in hospital at Rouen, France, suffering form a gunshot wound in the chest, according to the official announcement received yesterday by his father, Harry Amas of Nelson. Pte. Amas was wounded in action and admitted to hospital

Oct. 14. No further word has been received regarding the extent or seriousness of his injury.

The wounded soldier enlisted in Nelson during the summer of last year and was attached to a western infantry battalion.

The Daily News , November 7, 1917:

Letter from Lieut. D.A. McQuarrie: “Lawrence Amas is back in A company and is looking better than he ever did.”

The Daily News , September 20, 1918:

In a letter from Pte. Laurence Amas received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. Amas, he states that he has fully recovered from his recent operation and is back with his old battalion. Only three of the original members of his company are left with the battalion in France. Pte. Amas spoke highly of the treatment he received in the hospital in France. The nursing sisters and nurses did their utmost for him. He was the first Nelson boy to reach the particular hospital where he underwent the operation. The nurses were delighted to see him, especially Miss

Fletcher and Miss Noble, both of Nelson. He said they were in good health. Pte. Amas said he expected to get Blighty leave soon and would visit in Scotland with some friends he had met.


Mr. and Mrs. H. Amas have received a letter from their son, Corp. C.L. Amas, in which he says he saw Albert Sullivan, who was principal of the Nelson central school for a number of years. He also saw Tommy Madden and several other Nelson boys, all of whom were well.

All wished to be remembered to their Nelson friends. Corp. Amas said that the YMCA had just received a shipment of Canadian goods and the boys were especially eager for the canned peaches, biscuits and cream. Incidentally he mentioned that the canned heat came in handy in the trenches for making hot drinks. Corp. Amas was an original 54 th battalion man and has been in France over two years. He recently had leave in England and Scotland.


Corp. Charles Lawrence Amas, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Amas, was killed in action on Sept.

30, according to an official report received by his parents yesterday. He was a member of the

54 th battalion and it is believed he was killed at the same time as Capt. Donald McQuarrie and Capt. W.G. Foster, although it was not reported until yesterday, and it is thought the delay was caused by the military records office waiting for details as to whether he was killed, wounded or missing. Corp. Amas enlisted in May, 1915, and was wounded in

November of 1916. He was born at Vernon, 23 years ago. Besides his father and mother, he is survived by a sister, Beatrice and two brothers, George and Percy. George Amas is agent for the British Columbia Telephone Co. at Rossland and Trail.

Circumstances of Death Registers, First World War.

(Library and Archives Canada):

Killed in action. Killed during an advance which started near the Douai-Cambrai railroad.

No detailed information available as to the actual circumstances.

ANDREWS, Private Harry

(On Nelson Cenotaph as H. Andrews)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, British Columbia Regiment, 7 th

Battalion

Date of Death: 25 July, 1916 (Ypres Salient)

Age at Death: 31

Place of Burial: Menin Gate (Ypres) Memorial, Belgium (no known grave)

Medals :

Attestation: 29 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (54 th

Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 29 April, 1885; Broadclyst, Exeter, Devonshire, England

Occupation: Deckhand


Next of Kin: Robert Andrews, Exeter, England; Mother, Emma A.

Religion: Church of England



Listed on the Broadclyst, Devonshire War Memorial as:

“Harry Andrews: Not yet confirmed but believed to be the younger brother of Private

Reginald Andrews of the 8 th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. Son of Robert and Emma

Andrews of Kerswell Cottage, Broadclyst…Died 9 May, 1917, age 34.” [1891 Census confirms that Harry and Reginald were brothers]



Killed in action, Ypres Salient.

APPLETON, Private Lancelot

(On Nelson Cenotaph as L. Appleton)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, Eastern Ontario Regiment, 2 nd

Battalion

Date of Death: 10 July, 1917 (Vimy Sector)

Age at Death: 24

Place of Burial: La Targette British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :


Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 24 October, 1892; Ripon, Yorkshire, England

Occupation: Rancher

Residence: Castlegar, BC

Next of Kin: William Appleton (Father), Castlegar, BC, and Mary Appleton

(Mother), Scriven, Yorkshire, England

Religion: Wesleyan



The Daily News , May 13, 1915:

Enlisted with the 54 th battalion at Nelson.

Immigration Records:

Immigrated to Canada 30 April, 1906 (age 15), Liverpool to Montreal with parents and brother; destination at that time—Regina.

2 nd

Battalion War Diary:

10 July/17—Brigade Reserve—Working parties as usual. In the early morning up to 3:00 a.m., an intermittent bombardment of this area was kept up by enemy artillery. One O.R. was killed. Considerable aerial activity.

W.W. Murray, The History of the 2 nd

Canadian Battalion (East Ontario Regiment)

Canadian Expeditionary Force in the Great War 1914-1919 —Nominal Roll:

Killed in action.

AUDY, Lieutenant Prosper John Theodore Long

(On Nelson Cenotaph

as P.J. Audy)

Regimental Number:

Military Unit: 2 nd

Canadian Mounted Rifles (British Columbia Regiment)

Date of Death: 28 July, 1916 (Ypres Salient)

Age at Death: 42

Place of Burial: Poperingh New Military Cemetery, Belgium

Medals : Long Service Medal

Attestation: 18 June, 1915, Vernon Camp

Previous Military Experience: Served for 5 years with Cape Mld. Riflemen; for one year with the King’s Colonials; for 6 months with the Irish Fusiliers of Canada; served in

South African campaign.

Date and Place of Birth: 16 July, 1874; London, England

Occupation: Estate agent

Residence: Vernon, BC; formerly Nelson

Next of Kin: John Prosper Theodore Audy [Master Tailor] & Fanny Audy (Parents),

London, England





Went overseas with the 2 nd contingent of the 54 th battalion

Barry Shandrow, Legion of Frontiersmen in Canada: A Timeline 1904-1929, Part

Two, 1908-1913, in Geoffrey A. Pocock, The Frontiersmen Historian , 2002-2009 http://www.frontiersmenhistorian.info/canadatimeline2.htm

1908 – According to a small 16 page British Columbia Command handbook published

1974, “The Frontiersmen were first organized in British Columbia in 1908 in the Nicola

Valley”. And “The first Vancouver Squadron was formed in 1910”.

1911 - Okanagan Squadron formed about April 1911, headquartered at Vernon BC and led by Legion Captain J.P. Audy (killed in action WW1), note correct name is Prosper

John Theodore Audy.

2 nd Canadian Mounted Rifles War Diary:

28 July/16—Ramparts-Ypres—6 p.m.—Enemy shelled Ypres fairly heavily with H.E. and shrapnel. Lieut. P.J.T. Audy & one man killed and five wounded by explosion of a shell in

Monastery.

The Daily News , August 24, 1916:

Lieut. Audy, formerly connected with the ship yards at Nelson, was killed by a high explosive shell while in reserve billets several weeks ago, according to word received in the city yesterday. Lieut. Audy joined the 54 th Battalion at Vernon last summer and went overseas with the draft from that unit. Later he was transferred to a detachment of the army service corps, with which he was serving when killed.

BEER, Sapper Albert

(On Nelson Cenotaph as A. Beer)


Military Unit: Canadian Overseas Railway Construction Corps

Date of Death: 11 February, 1919 (Influenza)

Age at Death: 37

Place of Burial: Bramshott (St. Mary) Churchyard, Hampshire, England

Medals :

Attestation: 24 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain F.T. Lucas) (54 th Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 3 August, 1881; Stowting, Kent, England

Occupation: Locomotive Engineer


Next of Kin: Miss K. Beer, Leinster Square, London, England; Richard & Catherine

Beer (Parents), Folkestone, England





Immigrated to Canada in 1906; Liverpool to Halifax and St. John, NB on the Pretorian


Went overseas with the 2 nd contingent of the 54 th battalion.

Rootsweb.com [Posting by Michelle Purnell, February 21, 2001]:

Register of the names of those who fell in the Great war and are buried in Bramshott ( St.

Mary) churchyard and in Grayshott (St. Joseph) Roman Catholic Churchyard Hampshire,

England.

Register of the Graves, Bramshott (St. Mary) Churchyard:

BEER, Spr. Albert, 442936. Canadian Overseas Railway Construction

Corps. Died of pneumonia 11th Feb, 1919. Age 38. Son of Richard and

Catherine Beer, of 87, Black bull Rd., Folkestone, England.

BERE, Private Robert

(On Nelson Cenotaph as R. Bere)

[Name is spelled BEER in 1881 and 1891 UK Census]


Military Unit: 2 nd


Date of Death: 27 March, 1916 (Hooge—St. Eloi Craters)

Age at Death: 40

Place of Burial: Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium

Medals :

Attestation: 10 June, 1915, Vernon Camp (54 th Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 11 February, 1876; Devonport, Devonshire, England

Occupation: Labourer

Residence: Fruitvale, BC

Next of Kin: Eliza Ann Bere (Mother), West Hartlepool, England

Religion: Presbyterian




Went overseas with the 2 nd contingent of the 54 th battalion

G. Chalmers Johnston, The 2 nd

Canadian Mounted Rifles (British Columbia Horse), in France and Flanders, From the Records of Lt. Col. G. Chalmers Johnston:

Pte. Robert Bere died of wounds at Hooge, March 27, 1916

BERNARD, Private Jacques (Jean)

(On Nelson Cenotaph as J. Bernard)



Battalion

Date of Death: 26 December, 1916 (Camblain—L’Abbe)

Age at Death: 34

Place of Burial: Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :

Attestation: 29 May, 1915, Vernon Camp


Date and Place of Birth: 15 April, 1882; Montreal, Quebec

Occupation: Lumberman

Residence: Appledale, BC

Next of Kin: Jean Baptiste Bernard & Angelique Simon (Parents), Annunciation,

Quebec

Religion: Roman Catholic



Also listed on the Silverton Memorial Hall dedicated “To the Boys of the Slocan Who

Answered Canada’s Call, and Paid the Supreme Sacrifice.”

Enlisted in Nelson in the spring of 1915.

54 th Bn Canadian Infantry, 1915-1919—Nominal Roll:

Killed in action.



Died of wounds at No. 9 Canadian Field Ambulance.

BLAND, Private Percival Charles

(On Nelson Cenotaph as T.C. Bland)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, Manitoba Regiment, “C” Company, 27 th

Battalion

Date of Death: 15 September, 1916 (Courcelette)

Age at Death: 27

Place of Burial: Courcelette British Cemetery, Somme, France

Medals :

Attestation: 31 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (54 th Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 30 January, 1889; Birmingham, England

Occupation: Accountant


Next of Kin: Mrs. Margaret Bland (Mother), Birmingham, England




The Daily News , June 12, 1915:

Enlisted with the 54 th battalion at Nelson; Member of the Nelson YMCA.



UK, De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour, 1914-1924, Ancestry.com.

BLAND, PERCIVAL CHARLES, Private, No. 442940, 27 th Battn. Canadian Expeditionary

Force, elder s. of the late Charles Bland, by his wife, Margaret Harman (79, Ryland Road,

Edgbaston, Birmingham), dau. of the late Edward Skinner, of Edgbaston, Birmingham; and brother to Gunner A.E. Bland; b. Birmingham, co. Warwick, 30 Jan. 1889; educ. St.

George’s School, Edgbaston, Birmingham; went to Canada in 1913, and settled in Nelson,

British Columbia, as an Accountant on the Staff of the Hudson Bay Company; volunteered for foreign service and joined the Canadian Infantry 2 June, 1915; served with the

Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from April, 1916; was reported missing after fighting on the Somme 15 Sept. following, and is now assumed to have been killed in action on that date. His Commanding Officer wrote: “He was loved by all the officers of his platoon, and all men thought so much of him throughout his regiment.”

27 th

Battalion War Diary :

Report on the operation by 27 th (City of Winnipeg) Battalion on the morning of September

15, 1916—At 6:20 a.m. the artillery barrage opened, 50 yards in advance of German trench and the first wave commenced crawling over. As the barrage lifted the Bttn. advanced onto the first German line and were met with heavy rifle and machine gun fire. As soon as our men reached the trench, the Germans threw up their hands and surrendered. At least 70 dead

Germans were counted in this trench. The Battn. followed up the barrage closely and met very little opposition at Sunken Road, Germans surrendering in large numbers. By this time the first wave was nearly wiped out and the second wave took its place. A Company then swung to the left and captured its last objective with one Corpl. and 15 O.R. C and D

Companies reached their objectives and immediately commenced to dig in….Enemy attempted to advance up Sunken Road but were driven off by our Lewis Gun fire….The enemy artillery fire was very intense for 48 hours on our front line….Runners were employed continuously and although 75 per cent became casualties, a good number of messages were got through. Visual signalling was attempted with flags and flappers but this drew the enemy’s fire and could not be carried on. During the first 24 hours, owing to the intense barrage it was only possible to get through limited supplies. Coys and Sections were instructed to collect water, ammunition, bombs and rations from the dead. Our stretcher bearers worked unceasingly carrying out the wounded….Our Bttn. evacuated the trenches at

2 a.m., 17 th September, 1916 and proceeded to Brigade Reserve. Our casualties amounted to:

Killed 5 officer, 67 O.R.; wounded 7 officers, 243 O.R.; missing 1 officer, 71 O.R.; Total all ranks 394.


Pte. P.C. Bland, former accountant at the Hudson’s Bay Company’s local store, who left here with the 54 th battalion, is reported in the casualty lists as missing and is thought to have died of wounds. He was a member of St. Saviour’s church choir and his name is inscribed on the honor roll unveiled at the church last Sunday. He has been missing since last fall. He was unmarried. Pte. Bland was given a handsome present by the firm and the staff of employees.

BROUGHTON, Private Albert

(On Nelson Cenotaph as A. Broughton)



Battalion

Date of Death: 1 October, 1918 (Bourlon Wood/Cambrai)

Age at Death: 36

Place of Burial: Duisans British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :

Attestation: 8 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness A.D. Oliver)


Date and Place of Birth: 29 March, 1882; West Hartlepool, England

Occupation: Miner

Residence: Silverton, BC

Next of Kin: Joseph W. Broughton (Father), Exeter, Devon, England










This soldier was severely wounded in the abdomen by enemy shrapnel while with his

Battalion in the assembly position South of Sancourt, on the morning of September 30 th

1918, just a few minutes prior to an attack. He was speedily removed to the dressing station, and evacuated to No. 1 Casualty Clearing Station, where he succumbed to his wounds the following day.

BURROWS, Lance Corporal Michael

(On Nelson Cenotaph as

M. Burrows)


Military Unit: Canadian Machine Gun Corps, 7 th

Battalion

Date of Death: 9 April, 1917 (Vimy Ridge)

Age at Death: 35

Place of Burial: La Chaudiere Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :

Attestation: 10 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness W. Swannell) (54 th

Battalion)

Previous Military Experience: Served with the 2 nd

V.B. Gloucester Regiment

Date and Place of Birth: 31 May, 1881; St. John’s, Nfld.

Occupation: Miner

Residence: Nelson area

Next of Kin: Mrs. Helen Scott, c/o P.J. Sheran, 918 Baker St., Nelson




The Daily News , April 30, 1917:

Corp. Michael Burrows, 442342, formerly of Nelson, was killed in action April 9, according to an official communication received by P.J. Sheran. Corp. Burrows enlisted at Nelson with a Kootenay-Boundary battalion during the summer of 1915 and went overseas under the command of Major Gilbert Anderson. He was transferred to an overseas draft shortly after his arrival in England. He served with the 2 nd V.B. Gloucester regiment. His next of kin is given as Mrs. Helen Scott of Nelson. For ten years prior to enlisting, Corp. Burrows had been well known in the mining and logging camps throughout the district. He received promotion at the front.



Killed by enemy machine gun fire, during the attack at Vimy Ridge.

BUTLER, Private Alfred Charles

(On Nelson Cenotaph as A.C. Butler)



Battalion

Date of Death: 3 June, 1916 (Mount Sorrel)

Age at Death: 37


Medals :

Attestation: 19 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness W. Swannell) (54 th

Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 18 March, 1879; Merton, Surrey, England

Occupation: Jute Manufacturer

Residence: Nelson, BC (212 Latimer St.)

Next of Kin: Mrs. A.C. Butler (Wife), Nelson, BC


Marital Status: Married


Enlisted in Nelson with the 54 th Battalion in the spring of 1915.

7 th


3 June/16—During morning 2 companies make counter attack, successful but suffered severely in casualties. Intense bombardment all night and during this day. Bn consolidated positions gained. Beautiful weather. Battalion relieved at night during which enemy attacked on our front and repulsed.

Circumstances of Death Registers, First World War . (Library and Archives Canada):

Killed in action, vicinity of Maple Copse.

Photo from 54 th

Bn Canadian Infantry 1915-1919

CAMPBELL, Lance Corporal Allan

(On Nelson Cenotaph as A. Campbell)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, British Columbia Regiment, 72 nd

Battalion

Date of Death: 29 March, 1918 (Moreuil Wood)

Age at Death: 33

Place of Burial: Anzin-St. Aubin British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :

Attestation: 3 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain G. Anderson) (54 th

Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 12 July, 1884; Stornoway, Scotland

Occupation: Stone Cutter

Residence: Rossland

Next of Kin: William & Mary Campbell (Parents), Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland




Also listed on the Lewis War Memorial, Isle of Lewis, Scotland.

Military Records:

First admitted to hospital (Etaples) 2 April/17; Posted to 72 nd Bn 13 October/17; Died of wounds 29 March/18.

72 nd


29/30 March/18—In the Trenches—Orders were received at noon to move at 1:30 p.m. to

Flanders Camp Ecurie, on arrival there dinner was served and at 7 p.m. the Battn moved forward and relieved the 8 th Bn Middlesex Regt, 167 th Bde 56 th Division in the front line of the right sub-sector of the Moreuil Sector. The relief was complete at 3:30 a.m. on the

30 th ….During the relief our casualties were thirteen, three killed and ten wounded.

CAMPBELL, Private Malcolm

(On Nelson Cenotaph as M. Campbell)



Battalion

Date of Death: 26 April, 1917 (Arras—Arleux-en-Gohelle)

Age at Death: 32

Place of Burial: Bois-Carre British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :


Battalion)

Previous Military Experience: Served in the Cameron Highlanders, 2 nd

Bn – 7 years

Date and Place of Birth: 10 July, 1884; Isle of Lewis, Scotland


Residence: Ymir area (1911 Census)

Next of Kin: Mrs. N. Campbell, Stornoway, Scotland




Also listed on the War Memorial at Lewis, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

Canadian Letters and Images Project: World War I :

Malcolm Campbell was born in Scotland in 1884, emigrated to Canada, and enlisted in

Vernon, British Columbia with the 54 th O.S. Kootenay Battalion.


Assigned to Regimental Police.



Thomas Venables Scudamore, A Short History of the 7 th

Battalion, C.E.F

.—Nominal

Roll:

Reported killed in action.

Photo from Faces from the Lewis War Memorial

< http://facesmemorial.blogspot.com/2007/06/arnol.html

CHAPMAN, Private Samuel

(On Nelson Cenotaph as S. Chapman)



Battalion

Date of Death: 28 October, 1916 (Regina Trench)

Age at Death: 39

Place of Burial: Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France

Medals :

Attestation: 17 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain G. Anderson)


Date and Place of Birth: 15 July, 1877; Wadebridge, Cornwall, England

Occupation: Miner


Next of Kin: Thomas & Elizabeth Chapman (Parents), Wadebridge, Cornwall, England




Also listed on the war memorial in Wadebridge, Cornwall.

The Daily News , December 21, 1916:

Pte. Samuel Chapman, formerly a member of the Nelson city band, died in hospital in

France Oct. 26 as the result of wounds received Oct. 20. Pte. Chapman was well known in the city, having made his home in Fairview for about 12 years prior to his enlistment in

Nelson during the summer of 1915.

54 th


20 October/16—Tara Hill—Weather cold but fine. Nothing special to report. Three men accidentally wounded in an explosion which occurred near Y.M.C.A. Hut Tara Hill.



Died of Wounds—(Shrapnel Wound Back, Perforated) at No.2/lst South Midland Casualty

Station.

CHRISHOP, Private Thomas

(On Nelson Cenotaph as T. Chrissop)



Battalion

Date of Death: 13 August, 1917 (Hill 70—Lens Sector)

Age at Death: 19

Place of Burial: Vimy Memorial, France (no known grave)

Medals :

Attestation: 15 August, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain G. Anderson)


Date and Place of Birth: 14 December, 1897; Waterhouses, Durham, England

Occupation: Messenger

Residence: 915 Water St., Nelson, BC

Next of Kin: Mrs. Robert Chrishop (Mother), 915 Water St., Nelson, BC




Originally rejected under former medical regulations in August, 1915; enlisted in June, 1916.

Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935, Ancestry.com.

Immigrated to Nelson, BC at the age of 13, with his family, in March, 1911, on the vessel

Virginia , Liverpool to Halifax.

The Daily News , March 19, 1917:

Wounded but remained on duty.


Mrs. Robert Chrishop, 911 Water Street, has received word of the death in action of her son,

Pte. Thomas Chrishop, aged 19. He was killed in France on Monday, Aug. 13. His father,

Pte. Robert Chrishop, is in France. The late Pte. Chrishop enlisted with a Kootenay battalion on July 17, 1915 and was invalided to England, returning to France July 19, 1917.

Photo from Bob Richardson, The Toronto Regiment: 3 rd (Toronto) Infantry Battalion C.E.F.

1914-1919 http://groups.msn.com/3rdTorontoBattalionCEF/

“This photo was kindly submitted to us by noted British author and historian, John Sheen. It is a portrait of Private Thomas Chrishop #443747.Young Pte. Chrishop was born in

Waterhouses, Durham Co. and was working as a railway messenger probably with the Kettle

Valley (CP) when he enlisted with the 54th as an original on 17/08/15. He was a resident of

915 Water St., Nelson, BC and was barely 18 years on enlistment. Pte. Chrishop was KIA

13/08/17 with his remains being unfound. According to the war diary for the 54th, the unit

was holding the trenches near Lieven (Lens) on August 13, 1917. Five soldiers of the 54th lost their lives that uneventful day. His name along with two others is on the Vimy Memorial.”

CHRISTISON, Corporal John Brown

(On Nelson Cenotaph as J.B.

Christison)



Battalion

Date of Death: 1 March, 1917 (Hill145—Vimy)

Age at Death: 39

Place of Burial: La Chaudiere Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals : Military Medal

Attestation: 1 September, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain G. Armstrong)

Previous Military Experience: Served in Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders – 8 years

Date and Place of Birth: 18 April, 1877; St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland

Occupation: Shoemaker

Residence:

Next of Kin: Mary Brown Christison (Mother), St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland; Jim

Christison (Brother), Vancouver, BC




54 th

Bn Canadian Infantry, 1915-1919 :

Re: Military Medal; London Gazette.....19/02/17.

R.O. 386 Watson. Date 17/12/16.

Cpl..B. Christison was killed in action on the 1st of March 1917, age 39. He is buried in

Contay British Cemetery, France. [Note discrepancy with the VAC Canada

Remembers web site’s place of burial.]

"During the attack on Desire Trench by the 54th, Can; Inf; Battn; 18th, Nov: 1916, was conspicuous for his coolness and gallantry. He was placed in charge of a post owing to all

N.C.O.'s becoming casualties and did remarkably well. Later he was active in organizing parties to carry in wounded."

Pierre Berton, Vimy , p. 128-32

By now a strong wind was blowing toward the Canadian lines, and it was obvious, at the battalion level, that an attack would be suicidal. The battalion commanders realized this and protested. Lieutenant-Colonel A.H.G. Kemball, the crisply handsome C.O. of the 54 th

Kootenays, tried to convince the brass hats in the rear that the raid [on Hill 145] should be postponed or cancelled. The higher ups would have none of it….Kemball was ignored. That gallant officer—the adjective in his case is deserved—defied orders and refused to stay in the rear when his men were in peril. He led them personally on an attack he knew was futile.

For the Germans knew everything. They had heard the clanking of the gas cylinders being brought forward days before. They knew the details of the plan from two of their own men, prisoners who had escaped from the compound and made it back to their own lines. The young men from the Kootenays, the Seaforths, from Vancouver, the boys from Mississauga and the Highlanders from Montreal were mowed down almost before they left the security of their own lines. And when they tried to take cover in the shell holes they died horribly. The

gas—the ultimate weapon, which was supposed to nullify all opposition—was waiting for them in the slime.

Kemball’s Kootenay battalion was immediately mowed down by the German machine guns….Only five men of the Kootenay battalion actually reached the enemy front line. Of these only three managed to scale the parapet, all dying in the attempt. The surviving pair miraculously escaped, crawling back from shell hole to shell hole, through their own gas and the enemy fire. Of the four hundred and twenty members of the battalion who took part in the attack, more than two hundred were casualties, including thirteen officers. Kemball himself had died, as he almost certainly knew he would, caught on the German wire.

54 th Battalion War Diary:

1 March/17—Vimy Ridge—The Battalion took part in a Divisional gas attack…object, to destroy enemy works and gain information. The 2 nd Canadian Division on our right cooperated with a smoke barrage. First gas discharge 3 a.m., second gas discharge 4:45 a.m.

Advance from Assembly Trench to No-Man’s Land 5:15 a.m.; Assault 5:40 a.m.

Owing to unfavourable wind second discharge of gas did not take place on the Brigade frontage. Enemy retaliated as first wave was discharged with heavy machine gun fire and gas shells, quieting down about 3:45 a.m. Advance in No-Man’s Land. First discharge of gas apparently had no effect on the enemy. In the face of heavy rifle and machine gun fire assault was carried out at 5:40 a.m., but owing to strong wire entanglements before their front line no headway could be made….Artillery barrage was not sufficiently concentrated and caused no slackening of the enemy’s fire. Was registered correctly on our right, but very short on our left and centre, where the chief casualties occurred. Casualties—officers 6 killed, 7 wounded. Other Ranks 77 killed, 126 wounded, 10 missing. At night efforts were made to bring in wounded from No-Man’s Land but owing to the alertness of the enemy had to be abandoned. Casualties in officers: Killed—Lieut. Col. A.H.G. Kemball, C.B., D.S.O.,

Major F.T. Lucas, Capt. N.L. Tooker, Lieuts. A.J. Jackson, W.A. Reddock, J.L. Evans.

COOK, Private Walter

(On Nelson Cenotaph as W. Cook)


Military Unit: 2 nd


Date of Death: 17 May, 1916 (Hooge)

Age at Death: 32

Place of Burial: Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Belgium

Medals :


Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 6 September, 1883; Bexley Heath, Kent, England

Occupation: Miner


Next of Kin: R. & W.G. Cook (Parents), Bexley Heath, Kent, England; George

Cook (Brother), Regina, Sask.





Enlisted in Nelson with the 54 th battalion .

2 nd

Canadian Mounted Rifles War Diary:

17 May/16—Halfway House—One officer (Lieut. Fennel, T.H.) and one other rank killed and four other ranks wounded in front line during night. 5 a.m.—clear and very warm.

Enemy put through new observation balloons near Salient. Enemy aeroplanes very active.

10 a.m.—Two other ranks killed and three wounded in Trench R72. 10 p.m.—One other rank killed and one wounded by snipers. Received gas alert.

COWAN, Private John Joseph

(On Nelson Cenotaph as J. Cowan; there are 2

listings on the Cenotaph for J. Cowan – unable to identify a second J. Cowan)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, British Columbia Regiment, 29 th Battalion


Age at Death: 32


Medals :


Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 20 March, 1885; London, England

Occupation: Decorator / Painter


Next of Kin: George J. Cowan, Broughton, England





John Cowan, a painter in Nelson, had a narrow escape from drowning on Tuesday night last and quick action by some of the men employed on the steamer Kuskanook in getting out a lifeboat probably saved his life. Mr. Cowan states that he struck a log with the canoe just as he was coming out from a boathouse and when he turned to look around the canoe capsized.

He sat astride the canoe which drifted out toward the end of the wharf, where he was found by the rescuers clinging to the upturned canoe and holding on with his knees as his hands were so numbed with the cold that he could not hold on with them. The rescuers, Richard

Hale, John Chalmers, John McLeod and William Monroe, took him aboard the Kuskanook in an almost unconscious condition, applied restoratives and put him to bed. P. Hayden, steward of the Kokanee, A. Bartholomew and Samuel Butler took charge of him and soon brought him round so that in a short time he was able to don some clothing and go home….He had been in the water for 20 minutes when rescued.



COWE, Private William Alexander

(On Nelson Cenotaph as W.A.

Cowie)



Battalion


Age at Death: 23


Medals :



Date and Place of Birth: 7 May, 1893; Aberdeen, Scotland



Next of Kin: Alexander and Jennie Cowe (Parents), Aberdeen, Scotland




54 th

Bn Canadian Infantry, 1915-1919 :

Missing in action



Previously reported Missing, now for official purposes presumed to have died. From information available, he took part in a raid on the enemy trenches at St. Eloi, but was missing afterwards. Since then no information has been received concerning him.


16/17 September/16—Micmac Camp—The 54 th Battalion raid was made on crater No.Z and resulted in the capture of 6 prisoners & 1 machine gun. The following casualties were sustained: wounded [4 officers] & 21 O.R.; Missing [1 officer] & 7 O.R.; Killed 4 O.R.

After the raid a search was made for the missing, without success.

DALLEN, Private Ernest Thomas

(On Nelson Cenotaph as E.T. Dallen)



Battalion

Date of Death: 29 May, 1916 (Trenches near Mount Sorrel)

Age at Death: 23

Place of Burial: Railway Dugouts Burial Ground, Belgium

Medals :

Attestation: 16 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain F.T. Lucas) (54 th Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 6 January, 1893; Gloucestershire, England

Occupation: Miner

Residence: Nelson Avenue, Nelson, BC

Next of Kin: Edwin W. & Clara Dallen (Parents), South Wales





E.T. Dallin of Nelson avenue, Fairview, will leave on the Boundary train this morning for

Grand Forks where he will join the corps of sharpshooters of the Boundary city.


Went overseas with the 2 nd contingent of the 54 th battalion .

7 th


27 May/16—(Mt. Sorrel area)—Severe bombardment on our immediate front.

The Carmarthenshire Roll of Honour, Landebie War

Memorial http://www.laugharnewarmemorial.co.uk/page23.htm

Ernest Thomas

Dallen, Private, 442967, Canadian Expeditionary Force. Ernest was born on January 6 th ,

1893 at Gloucester, the Son of E. W. and Clara Dallen, later of 185, Monument Rd.,

Edgbaston, Birmingham. He had emigrated to Canada prior to the war, and enlisted on the

16 th May, 1915 at Vernon Camp, British Columbia, into the 7 th Battalion, Canadian Infantry.

His next of kin was Mrs. C. Dallen, of Llandebie, so the family must have moved from

Gloucester to Llandebie, and then back to Edgbaston after the war. The 7 th Battalion were part of the 2 nd Brigade, 1 st Canadian Division, which had been in France since February,

1915. Ernest would have arrived in France by late 1915, and would have joined the Battalion near Mount Sorrel, south of Ypres. Sadly he was Killed in Action there on the 29 th May,

1916 aged 24, and is buried at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground.

E.T. Dallen on the left; Picture from 54 th

Bn Canadian Infantry, 1915-1919

DAVIES, Private David Glyn

(On Nelson Cenotaph as D.G. Davies) (Correct surname is Glyn Davies)



Battalion

Date of Death: 15 April, 1916 (St. Eloi)

Age at Death: 27


Medals :

Attestation: 16 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain F.T. Lucas) (54 th

Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 20 November, 1888; Glyn Ruabon, Wales

Occupation: Miner

Residence: Sheep Creek, BC

Next of Kin: John Davies [brother], Glyn Ruabon, Wales


Marital Status: Single





Among those listed as killed in action in a recent casualty list is Pte. David Glen Davies,

442969, who enlisted at Grand Forks about a year ago and afterwards left for mobilization camp from Nelson. Pte. Davies, who was a Welshman, and has several brothers and sisters at present living in Wales, was well known for the past 12 years in the city and throughout the district as a mining man and prospector, having located a number of claims near Ymir and

Salmo. The last word heard from him was in the form of a letter received about two weeks ago and dated from England, by Albert Whitehead, with whose son he had chummed both while in training and at the front. Two of his brothers, it is said, have been wounded at the front and are now in English hospitals.

7 th


7 April/16—[In trenches]—Severely shelled by H.E. Howitzers.

Picture from 54 th


DAY, Private Frederick Charles

(On Nelson Cenotaph as F. Day)



Battalion


Age at Death: 28

Place of Burial: Contay British Cemetery, Somme, France

Medals :

Attestation: 31 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness W. Swannell)


Date and Place of Birth: 16 May, 1888; Farnham, Surrey, England

Occupation: Rancher

Residence: Crawford Bay, BC

Next of Kin: Mrs. Lucy Legg (Sister), Crawford Bay, BC




Enlisted at Nelson in the spring of 1915.

Edward L. Affleck, Kootenay Lake Chronicles, p.142:

Permanent settlers who took up land in Crawford Bay and Kootenay Bay during the height of the land boom between 1910 and 1912 came principally from Britain and the colonial service. Represented among this group [was] Fred Day (Mrs. Legg’s brother)….


Frederick Charles Day, a rancher of Crawford Bay, who enlisted with the 54 th battalion and went with it to Vernon, has been rejected and returned to his home owing to varicose veins which he developed after the medical board at Vernon had passed him as medically fit.



Died of wounds at No. 9 Casualty Clearing Station.

54 th


14 October/16—Courcellette—Situation quiet in morning. In afternoon enemy opened heavy bombardment on our right and left to which our artillery retaliated. All available officers and

O.R.s proceeded from Brickfields to 11 th Canadian Infantry Brigade Headquarters at Chalk

Pits under command of Major R.D. Davies in order to act as carrying and fatigue parties in forthcoming operations. Casualties 4 O.R. killed and 15 O.R. wounded.

Nelson Daily News , January 24, 1968:

A land search involving a former member of the federal parliament, veterans’ affairs offices here and in England, and pioneer ranchers in the Kootenay has finally succeeded in locating a property more than 50 years old which was lost for more than half that time. A former member of parliament, H.W. (Bert) Herridge, was asked six months ago to locate a property owned by one of his fellow soldiers, Freddie Day, at the turn of the century. After a long search and many letters, Mr. Herridge finally succeeded in finding the land and tracing its history. The story began last June, when Mr. Day’s brother, W.H. Day, who lives in

England, wrote to the veterans’ affairs branch in London asking for information on “how his estate finished up.” The only information he could offer was that his brother owned a ranch on Kootenay Lake and lived with his sister, a Mrs. Legg. Mrs. Legg was married to a Mr.

Jones first, the letter said, and they had a son. “I tried to contact my brother while I was on active service,” Mr. Legg said, “but he was always one jump ahead of me. I visited his grave at Albert in France to pay my last respects.” The London office forwarded the letter to

Vancouver, where a search was instituted. The search through records failed to produce any information on the ranch. G.S. Mahon wrote to Mr. Herridge in July in his capacity as district director, veterans’ affairs, to ask if the long-time MP had any information on the ranch or Mr. Day. Mr. Herridge remembered Mr. Day but couldn’t recall the ranch he owned. Mr. Herridge wrote to Mr. Mahon, promising to do all he could to find the ranch and telling of the death of his fellow-soldier. “I had just been promoted to the exalted rank of corporal,” Mr. Herridge recalled. “Freddie Day in the midst of an artillery barrage, dedicated a song to me and was singing the song, My Hero, from an opera of that time, when a shell went through his body and killed him. I was knocked down but after the initial shock was able to get the remnants of his body up over the rear parapet of the trench. Later, when the shelling ceased, I got the stretcherbearers to carry out his body for burial,” he wrote. Then

Mr. Herridge’s long search began. He wrote a series of letters to pioneer ranchers in the district, asking them for any information they might have on Freddie Day. One by one, the replies trickled in. “I am not certain if his farm was at Harrop or Sunshine Bay or Procter but

I do know he was a close friend of Francis, who was in our platoon and came from that district. “Our directory lists a D. Day, No. 442367, with an address of Mrs. L. Legg,

Crawford Bay, B.C.” Finally the answer came: “Day’s place was next to Connie Millar’s,

eventually bought by Alfred Hawkins and now owned by the Kokanee Springs Development

Co.” Finally, Mr. Herridge had received the answer, after research in the land registry office in Nelson, with the assistance of W.D. Sutherland, registrar, the memories of pioneer residents and an advertisement for information placed in the Daily News. E.H. Jones of

Crawford Bay, a nephew of Freddie Day, read the ad and wrote Mr. Herridge, giving the location of the ranch. “It was located about a quarter of a mile directly north or northwest of the Crawford Bay School,” Mr. Jones said. At the end of November, Mr. Herridge was able to write the veterans’ affairs department that he had located the property and in addition, a nephew of Freddie Day. The information was passed on to Day’s brother in early December.

Picture from Remembering When: Celebrating 100 Years of Crawford Bay on Kootenay

Lake, British Columbia (From Madge Draper Collection)

DEWAR, Private Patrick Stewart

(On Nelson Cenotaph as P.S. Dewar)



Battalion

Date of Death: 9 September, 1916 (Pozieres Ridge/Courcelette)

Age at Death: 28

Place of Burial: Vimy Memorial, France (no known grave)

Medals :

Attestation: 6 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain G. Anderson) (54 th Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 28 May, 1888; Nairn, Scotland

Occupation: Deckhand


Next of Kin: Ernest Dewar (Brother), formerly of Australia







Enlisted at Nelson in the 54 th battalion.



Killed in Action. During an attack in the vicinity of Courcelette, he was instantly killed by an enemy shell on the afternoon of September 9 1916.

2 nd Battalion War Diary:

9 September/16—Trenches (Bapaume Sector)—Moved up 9 a.m. to relieve 4 th Can Bn in front line trenches. Relief completed 1:25 p.m. Companies moved up into position preparatory to attack. 3 p.m. companies entered “Jumping Off Trench,” dug toe-holds, and fixed bayonets. 4:25 p.m. everything in readiness. 4:45 p.m. barrage opened, men leaped over parapet, and advanced as close as possible to German front line. 4:48 p.m. barrage lifted and our right companies gained objective. On left, our men were held up for a few minutes by heavy machine gun fire. At this time, one of our officers, Lieut. J. Pringle, alone, charged the machine gun which was holding up his men, and silenced the gunners, himself being riddled with bullets. 5:24 p.m. message dispatched to O.C. Attacking party to H.Q. stating that objective had been gained and situation was well in hand. Trenches blocked and consolidated. Enemy M.G. fire from direction of Martinpuich made consolidation very difficult.

10 September/16—Morning very foggy. Dead buried and our own and German wounded all taken out. Our casualties for this tour were—2 officers killed, 8 officers wounded (3 of whom died of wounds), other ranks 43 killed, 142 wounded.

ENDACOTT, Corporal William

(On Nelson Cenotaph as W. Endicott)



Battalion

Date of Death: 6 October, 1918 (Marquion—Cambrai)

Age at Death: 32

Place of Burial: Queant Road Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :

Attestation: 6 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness A.D. Oliver) (54 th

Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 5 June, 1886; Okehampton, Devonshire, England


Residence: Koch’s Siding

Next of Kin: William Endacott, Okehampton, Devonshire, England




Listed also on the cenotaph in South Tawton, Devon, England (near Okehampton)

Ellis Island Passenger Records:

Arrived in US by ship from Liverpool in 1893 .




Went overseas with the 2 nd contingent.

7 th


6 October/18—Marquion - Weather fine. Operation order 176 was issued with reference to the relief of the 1 st Battalion Rifle Brigade in the front line by the 7 th Canadian Infantry

Battalion, and in accordance with this order, the Battalion moved into billets Marquion at

1630 hours on the 7 th October. Casualties—9 O.R.s killed; 3 O.R.s wounded; 1 O.R. died of wounds.



Killed in Action. Whilst billetted in a hut in the vicinity of Lecluse, an enemy high explosive shell made a direct hit on the hut and he was instantly killed.

ENGLAND, Company Sergeant Major John Herbert

(On Nelson Cenotaph as J. England)


Military Unit: Canadian Army Gymnastic Staff, 2 nd

Date of Death: 14 November, 1918 (Influenza)

Age at Death: 24

Place of Burial: Brebieres British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :

Attestation: 16 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain F.T. Lucas)


Date and Place of Birth: 19 August, 1894; Barnsley, Yorkshire, England

Occupation: Nurseryman


Next of Kin: John Matthews England & Frances England (Parents), Barnsley,

Yorkshire, England

Religion: Baptist




Went overseas with 2 nd contingent of the 54 th battalion.

The Daily News , February 14, 1916:

Listed as a marksman.


Sergt.-Major John H. England, who went overseas with the 54 th battalion, died in France of influenza on Nov. 14, according to word received by Mr. and Mrs. H. Hillyard of Fairview.

Sergt-Major England enlisted with the Sharpshooters at Grand Forks in 1915 and was transferred to the 54 th battalion and went overseas in the fall of the same year .

FOSTER, Captain William Garland


W.G. Foster)



Battalion

Date of Death: 14 October, 1918 (Cambrai)

Age at Death: 39

Place of Burial: Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals : Military Cross; Mentioned in Despatches


Previous Military Experience: Served in 43 rd

Regiment, Governor General’s Foot

Guard; also 107 th

Regiment

Date and Place of Birth: 25 April, 1879; Bill’s Corner, Carleton Co., Ont.

Occupation: Newspaperman


Next of Kin: Annie Harvie Foster (Wife), Nelson, BC; Benjamin & Mary Garland

Foster (Parents)




The Daily News:

Member of the local YMCA; Nelson Legion of Frontiersmen Civilian Rifle Assoc.; Nelson

Rowing Club

London Gazette. Date 30/07/19, Canada Gazette. Date 20/09/19, Page 15Sup.

Military Cross : "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty at Cambrai on September

27th, 1918. During the operations round Bourlon Wood when the attack was held up he went forward during a very heavy enemy barrage and made a reconnaissance, establishing the situation and bringing back very valuable information. Later, he led up reserves to the forward line and placed them in position, thereby enabling a heavy enemy counter-attack to be defeated. He did excellent work".

The Daily News, November 2, 1914:

Left Nelson with the 2 nd contingent. Editor and manager of The Daily News, first vicepresident of the Alberta and Eastern British Columbia Press association, and formerly of the

Governor-General’s foot guards, Ottawa. Mr. Foster has also had considerable additional military training in Ottawa. He had been in Nelson for six years.

The Daily News , November 9, 1914 :

Newspapers in Kootenay and Boundary and other parts of the west refer in complimentary terms to W. Garland Foster who is now at Victoria with the second contingent from this district. Some of the comments which have been received are: Phoenix Pioneer

: “Among the members of the fourth estate now rallying to the standard of Britain and her overseas dominions is Garland Foster, for the past six years managing editor of The Nelson Daily

News. Mr. Foster has offered his services with the next contingent and expects to go into training with the men from Kootenay now assembling at Victoria. That he will bring honor to the regiment under whose colors he will fight his friends will vouch for, and that he will return safely to the province for which he has accomplished so much is the earnest hope of his brother journalists in the Boundary”; Fernie District Ledger : “Mr. Foster has been in charge of The Nelson News for nearly six years and during that period the paper has been much improved, while the job printing portion of the business has also been most successfully managed. Mr. Foster is a capable writer and a very thorough and systematic business manager, and under him the plant and paper enjoyed a period of prosperity which had previously been denied. He not only brought the paper up to date and gave the paper a reputation that extends throughout the whole of western Canada, but he also reorganized and equipped the commercial end of the business, with the result that The Nelson News company has today one of the best job printing businesses between the coast and Calgary. There is possibly no man in Nelson who is held in higher esteem … and it would be difficult to find a man in that district who knew him personally, that could not speak in terms of the highest of his ability and fairness. In enlisting Mr. Foster has proved the courage of his convictions: he has shown that having principles and shouting them is not enough—he is ready to make the greatest sacrifice possible of comfort and position to vindicate his belief. This is real courage and should prove to many of the business men of Fernie and elsewhere who have expressed a desire to volunteer, that one man has solved the difficulties of the business question and gone.… We wish Mr. W. Garland Foster a safe return.”


Letter written at Bramshott camp, July 29/16: “By the time this letter reaches Nelson the 54 th

Canadian battalion, Kootenay regiment will be in France. While for manifest reasons the date of our departure cannot be mentioned, it has been decided that so far as the 54 th is concerned it is ready. While we are still the 54 th , it is a different 54 th from that which left

Nelson close on 14 months ago for Vernon—different to a large extent in personnel, although we still have many of our old standbys with us, and vastly changed as a fighting unit. Fourteen months ago the battalion consisted of recruits—today those recruits and others who have joined the battalion since are trained soldiers who should give a good account of themselves when their day of action arrives. Not only is the battalion trained along the lines thought sufficient in militia circles in pre-war days, but it also has its various special sections, such as bombers, snipers, scouts, experts in the construction of barbed wire entanglements of trenches of many and wonderful kinds and of dugouts, etc. The scope of the work of the machine gunners, signalers, stretcher bearers, water details, etc. has been very much enlarged, so that old ideas of a four or eight company battalion trained to fight with rifle and bayonet fall to the ground. While the four companies are still the basis of the

54 th as of every other battalion greater stress day by day is being laid on the importance of the work and training of the special sections. These special sections are composed, generally speaking, of the cream of the battalion and they are as necessary to the battalion as are the companies with their rifles and bayonets. As the battalion stands today it is well over strength, as a result of the drafting in of men from other battalions which have been broken up. We got two good bunches of western men, one from the 65 th battalion of Saskatoon and the other from the 53 rd of Prince Albert. We have also had a draft from the 71 st , a western

Ontario regiment. The bulk of our men, however, are those with whom we left Vernon last

November. By the time base details are provided, that is a party to remain behind to clear up and settle anything that cannot be settled before we move out, and allowance made for those who may be sick, our strength will be reduced to that of an infantry battalion, that is about

1000 officers and men by the time we leave for France. As we go we do so as part of the

Fourth Canadian division. It may interest westerners to know that nine out of the thirteen battalions comprising the division are from Winnipeg and west of that city and no less than four are from British Columbia. There is also a very large number of westerners among the various corps which with the infantry battalions go to make up a division. In fact the division could very well by styled the Western Canada division. The people of Kootenay and

Boundary will be interested to know that the 102 nd is brigaded with us. I can tell you it was like a breath from Kootenay lake to meet Jimmy Grant, Billy Sturgeon, Charlie Taylor,

Raymond T. Hickes, George Massie, Leon McCandlish, Ed Peters’ younger son and others whom we knew at home, which to the old timers in the battalion it was a treat to meet Jack

Kirkpatrick, the “K” of the K.W.C. block and at one time one of Nelson’s best known business men, who is paymaster of the 102 nd . There was also another surprise for men in the

54 th the other day when Harry F. Muerling, now a captain, arrived in camp to command of the Yukon machine gun battery, which goes over to France with this division it is likely.

Capt. Muerling will be remembered as having been engaged on work in connection with reclaiming the Kootenay flats and with the improving of the Arrow lakes for navigation.

Today I had a surprise as I was riding along the road when I met Jack McCarthy, late of the

Hume. He looks fit as a fiddle. The officer commanding the field ambulance to which he is attached was the medical officer of Vernon camp last year, while the quartermaster of the ambulance was in the army service corps at Vernon so they are old friends of ours. Dr.

W.H.K. Anderson of Fernie is in command of another field ambulance mobilized here to proceed overseas with the fourth division. It is plain that all the Kootenay-Boundary men in camp are not on the parade strength of the 54 th by any means. Not only are Kootenay-

Boundary men to be found all through the division, but an ex-Nelsonite, Brig. Gen. Victor

W. Odlum, formerly of The Daily News staff in the days of the late F.J. Deane, is in command of our brigade. Gen Odlum went over with the first contingent as major of the 7 th battalion, and was promoted from the command of that battalion after being wounded twice, to his present rank and given command of our brigade. I met a well know Kootenay man in

London the other day in the person of Lieut. Leo B. Reynolds, who had just returned from sick leave in Canada to resume his duties with the Royal engineers. Lieut. Reynolds was one of the party of engineers who left Nelson shortly after the outbreak of the war and came across with the first contingent. Other members were Angus Davis, Cyril North, Tom

Browne, G.B. Webster, B.T. O’Grady, R.G. McFarlane and the late G.E. Revell. By the way in closing how is “Koots,” our erstwhile mascot? The boys often ask about her. Give her our kind regards.”

Mrs. William Garland Foster, wife of Capt. Foster, quartermaster of the 54 th battalion and a former editor of The Daily News, is at present in England serving as a Red Cross sister in the auxiliary military hospital at Isleworth, Middlesex. Capt. Foster states (in a letter) that his wife will in all likelihood be sent to France in the Red Cross service.

The Daily News, December 5, 1916:

Letter home: It’s a great game, trekking about the country as part of one of the finest armies the world has ever seen, and let us hope ever will see. An American gentleman who knew something of the game once said that war was Hell. If he were here now he would be surprised at his moderation in making that statement. The desolation of the country, the awful efforts for the destruction of human life and the gigantic scale upon which the war is being waged, are simply appalling. No one who has not been here can begin to realize what

is going on, and what must go on for a very considerable time to come. In my humble opinion it will be many a day before the 54 th returns to the Kootenay to be disbanded.

I may be a pessimist in this respect, but even so, I have no doubt as to the ultimate outcome.

Victory is assured but it is necessary that victory be complete; to make it so must necessarily take a long time. A regiment is but a minor unit here. Brigades consisting of four regiments have no separate entity. They are merely part of a division which is about the smallest unit that cuts any real figure here. In fact, we speak of division, army corps, and armies, where previously regiments, brigades and divisions were spoken of. As for artillery, it booms night and day. It lulls us to sleep at night, we hear it any time we wake during the night and it is with us every hour of the day. While I write, it is a case of cannon to the right of us, cannon to the left of us, cannon all round us and certainly it bellows and thunders. But with all this, there is a tameness and deliberateness about the whole thing that is at times intensely wearing. There is a lack of the whirlwind action that formerly made war glorious. I am writing this letter in the shelter afforded by canvas thrown over two wagons. In the contracted space thus provided, from four to seven officers sleep every night. The men are sleeping on the ground, packed like sardines and protected by a canvas supported by their rifles. Sometimes we have fairly decent billets in farm houses, convents, priest’s residences, etc. Other times we have fought for sleep with rats and fowl.”


Capt. W. Garland Foster, former editor and manager of The Daily News, has been mentioned in dispatches by Gen. Sir Douglas Haig for meritorious work in the field with the

Canadian expeditionary force. Capt. Foster was among those selected for special mention in the King’s birthday honors list.

The Daily News, October 3 1917:

Capt. W. Garland Foster, who resigned from the management of The Daily News to enlist for service overseas, has been promoted to be adjutant of the battalion with which he as been in the field for many months.


Letter home from Capt. D.A. McQuarrie: Capt. W. Garland Foster, adjutant, was the only combatant officer in the battalion who was not a casualty during their part of the recently successful drive. His battalion took every objective named for them and their colonel was recommended for an honor. This Kootenay battalion has made a name for itself and did not fall down when asked to capture hard positions in the recent operations.


Capt. W. Garland Foster, former editor and manager of the Nelson Daily News, died of wounds on Oct. 14, according to word received yesterday by his parents, Mr. and Mrs.

Benjamin Foster, 605 Pretoria Avenue, Ottawa. This has been confirmed by a telegram from

Mrs. Foster, who is at Woodstock, N.B. Capt. Foster was wounded early in the month when a Kootenay battalion of which he was adjutant, was caught in intense shell fire after the smoke barrage, under cover of which he and his troops were advancing, was caught by a strong wind. No particulars have been received regarding the wounds he received at that time. Capt. Foster went overseas as quartermaster of the 54 th battalion after training at

Vernon in the early part of 1915. While in France he acted as transport officer for some time and about a year ago was transferred to the position of adjutant of his battalion. Capt. Foster was born at Carleton county, Ontario, in 1879. He started his newspaper career as a reporter on the Ottawa Free Press. Later he worked on the Winnipeg Telegram. He was editor of the

Evening Review, Portage La Prairie, and went from there to Victoria, where he became news editor of the Colonist, and was later with the Victoria Times. Coming to Nelson in 1908 he became editor and manager of the Nelson Daily News which position he held until the time of enlistment. He was a member of the council of the Nelson board of trade and was also a member of the Nelson club. In 1914 Capt. Foster married Miss Anne H. Ross, former teacher at the public school and later principal of the Fairview school. She went overseas as a nurse early in the war and had returned to her relatives at Woodstock.

The Daily News , October, 1918:

On the morning of the 28th the 3rd Division passed through our line on the way to Cambrai, the Battalion reassembling west of Bourlon Wood and getting part of a night's rest in old cellars, etc. At 6:30 on the morning of the 29 th we moved forward again north of Bourlon village to an assembly position preparatory to putting in a new attack north of Cambrai. Here we waited all day expecting to attack at any time, but it was decided late in the day not to attack until the following morning, and at 4:30 the next morning we moved forward to our jumping-off place, having very considerable difficulty in finding same owing to the darkness and poor guides. At 6 a.m. on the 30 th of September, zero hour, our attack was launched, with the 75 th leading and our Battalion following. The enemy was, however, resisting very strongly, and no headway could be gained. He put down a very heavy barrage on our positions and his shelling was the worst ever experienced by this Battalion. As it was evident he was in considerable force and meant to fight, and as our flanks were not able to get forward, it was decided not to press the attack. Both the 75 th and ourselves suffered very heavy casualties. Among our casualties were Major McDiarmid and Capt. MacQuarrie killed, and Lieut.-Col. Carey. Capt. Foster and our M.O., Capt. Day, and Lieuts. Fitzpatrick,

P. Price and major wounded. Of these, Capt. Foster later died of wounds. It is impossible to pass over this incident without referring to the great and terrible loss which the death of

Capt. Foster, our Adjutant, was to the Battalion. From the time of mobilization in Canada to the day he was wounded he was one of the principal figures of the Battalion, first as Quartermaster, where he easily outshone every other quartermaster in the division, and later as

Adjutant. He was thoroughly reliable and hard-working, and it is no exaggeration to say that

Capt. Foster, was in large measure, responsible for the good work and general efficiency of the Battalion. Poor old Foster, how we wish you were here with us now!



Died of Wounds (Gun shot wound, chest). At No. 33 Casualty Clearing Station.


Letter to Mrs. Foster from Lieut. Ronald Preston, 11 th brigade headquarters, France: “… I feel poor Garland’s death very deeply as he has always been a staunch and true friend to me.

As you know I worked with him and lived with him for over 12 months and during that time we rarely had a cross word. As quartermaster he was excellent and afterwards as adjutant.

He pulled the battalion together when it was in a very precarious condition. What he did for the battalion when it was being raised you know better than I do. A more painstaking, hardworking and devoted officer to duty and his battalion never lived in the British army. If I had any trouble I could always go to Garland and I always got good advice and encouragement. I am now the only officer left in the battalion that left England with the 54 th and I am really not with them. I am now brigade T.O. and this job your husband had a lot to do in getting for me. I have lost three of my best friends in your husband, McQuarrie and

Eaton (the latter was killed on Sept. 27) and I feel it very bitterly. It must, I feel sure, be a source of comfort to you to know how respected by all ranks Garland was. If he could get anything for the boys or help them out he always did and what is more he never let his right

hand know what his left did. He has died in a noble cause and was, I am sure and know, prepared to make the greatest sacrifice of all for our great and glorious empire in its fight for right and freedom. I wish I could express better my feelings for you in your irreparable loss but words seem empty and futile. I have no particulars to give you as I have seen none of the very few who are left. As soon as I do I will send you the fullest particulars possible. … As I said before, no man was more esteemed or did more for the 54 th than your husband and his name will go down in history with the glorious deeds of our dear old battalion.

54 th


Letter to Mrs. Garland Foster from Hilda Copley, Oct. 15, 1918:

It is with deep regret I am writing a few lines to you tonight to tell you your dear husband died in my ward last night. We have all tried so hard to save him and although when he came into hospital he was not thought to be able to do yet after a day or so we picked up hope and until a week ago trusted he would continue to improve and come back to you once again. His wound was very severe penetrating the lung & his condition was very bad all the time, but he was a perfect “brick” of a patient and if anyone deserved to get well he did. Never have I known a more patient man, & until he died he always had a smile for me. It was a bitter blow to me to realize he was gradually sinking, but the end came very suddenly at the finish and so peacefully one could not wish him to stay because tho so cheery and always patient and smiling, he must have suffered untold agonies at times. One felt the last few days it would be a blessing to see him go. His batman Pte. Hatch was with him to the end and waited to see him buried today. I asked him if he had written to you, the poor man’s greatest regret is that he was on leave when your husband was hit. Kindly accept my deepest sympathy. I feel so deeply for you poor wives & mothers at home. It is terrible.



FYFE, Private George Leith

(On Nelson Cenotaph as G. Fyfe)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, British Columbia Regiment, 72 nd

Battalion

Date of Death: 30 October, 1917 (Passchendaele—Crest Farm)

Age at Death: 34


Medals :

Attestation: 2 June, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness D.O. Thomas) (54 th

Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 20 September, 1883; Kincardine, Bruce Co., Ont.

Occupation: Painter


Next of Kin: Dorothy Fyfe (Wife), Nelson, BC




Also listed on the Kincardine, Ont. Cenotaph

The Daily News , July 2, 1917:

Reported wounded.

The Daily News , 21 December, 1917:

George Fyfe of Nelson, described by his friends here as “one of whitest of men,” died as he lived, doing his duty, and contributing to one of the most complete victories that the

Canadians have won on the western front, states Lieut. H.C. Waterfield, in a letter to Mrs.

Fyfe. Lieut. Waterfield is in command of the company to which Fyfe was attached. His letter follows:

“I have an exceptionally painful task before me to tell what I can (and I am afraid it is not much) about your husband. But first of all, on behalf of my platoon as well as myself, I wish to express our most sincere condolence with you. The circumstances were as follows: We were planning an attack on the strong German position at Passchendaele (east of Ypres) and

I had to detail four men from my platoon to act as tump liners—that is carrying ammunition, rations, etc., behind the firing line. It is usually hard work, so men for that job have to be strong and physically fit; also the work, as you can imagine, is of such vital importance that it is of no use putting anyone on the tump line unless he has plenty of grit and determination and is endowed with the spirit of getting up with his load if humanly possible. I mention all this because I should like you to know the opinion I had formed of your husband during the brief period he had been under my command, for I considered that his character and capabilities fitted him for this rather trying work. Another reason that I put him on the tump line for this “show” was that he was married man, for a tump liner’s job is usually safer than that of a man who goes over the top and is fighting in front. We went into the line on Oct.

28, “over the top” on the morning of the 30 th and were relieved early on Nov. 3. When I came out I heard that your husband and another man of the same platoon, with whom he had very likely been working, were both posted as missing. I have waited some days in hopes of hearing that he had been wounded and reported at the casualty clearing station of some other unit, but no such information has come along and I am afraid I have personally given up hope. You may think me brutally frank, but I think it better to be so, rather than to encourage you to hope on indefinitely when the reasons for hoping are so few—in fact I consider practically nil. You see, there is no chance in the case of your husband having been taken

prisoner. All areas in this battle were frightfully heavily shelled at times and there were many cases in which men were blown to pieces and who would have been posted as missing unless someone had seen what had occurred. My own opinion is that your husband was killed by a shell and I am thankful to think that he would have suffered no pain. Perhaps I ought to postpone sending this letter, just to make quite sure but on the other hand I know the authorities would cable to you at once if your husband is found to be alive. I can only repeat that I am very sorry for you and trust that it might be some slight consolation to you to know that your husband died as he had lived, doing his duty and that the action in which I presume that he met his death was a splendid victory, for we not only accounted for a very large number of Huns, killed and wounded and taken prisoner, but captured commanding positions which the Germans had considered impregnable.”



Killed in Action. Was one of a Tump Line party and during a severe enemy attack on trench south of Passchendaele where the party was taking cover the trench was blown in by shell fire and he was buried in the debris.

GILLESPIE, Sergeant David Bryce


D.B. Gillespie)



Battalion

Date of Death: 12 September, 1916 (Pozieres Ridge/Courcelette trenches)

Age at Death: 36

Place of Burial: London Cemetery and Extension, Somme, France

Medals :

Attestation: 10 June, 1915, Vernon Camp (54 th

Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 22 May, 1880; London, England

Occupation: Rancher

Residence: Fruitvale, BC

Next of Kin: Mrs. Louise Gillespie (wife), Fruitvale, BC




Also listed on the Trail Cenotaph

29 th


12 September/16—Trenches in front of Pozieres—Fine day. Usual shelling. Enemy plane brought down about 9:00 a.m. near our support trenches. Killed 1 Officer, 9 O.R.; wounded

34 O.R.

GOODWIN, Armoured Corporal William Henry

(On Nelson Cenotaph

as W.H. Goodwin



Battalion


Age at Death: c. 40

Place of Burial: Albert Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France

Medals :


Previous Military Experience: Served for 3 years with the 192 nd Rocky Mountain

Rangers

Date and Place of Birth: 24 January, 1877; Buckingham, Que.

Occupation: Blacksmith


Next of Kin: Mr. & Mrs. W.H. Goodwin (Parents), Nelson, BC

Religion:




The death of Pte. W.H. Goodwin was reported yesterday in an official telegram received by his father, W. Goodwin of Nelson. Pte. Goodwin, who was born in Buckingham, Que., had followed his trade as a blacksmith in and about Nelson for several years before enlisting in the city for overseas service during the summer of 1915. He was for 2 years a member of the

192 nd Rocky Mountain Rangers. His death occurred in action October 15. Survived by two brothers, George and Israel Goodwin, and a sister, Mrs. R.J. Campbell .

VAC Canada Remembers:

William Henry Goodwin was born on the 24th of January, 1877 in Buckingham, Quebec. He was a blacksmith by trade and resided in Nelson, British Columbia when he joined the 54th

Kootenay Battalion in May of 1915. He arrived in England on the 2nd of December 1915 via the S.S Saxonia. Father to George, Grand-father to Edward and Leslie Brian, Greatgrandfather to David and Christine, and Great-great grandfather of Cameron Allan and Jason

Brian Goodwin. William was killed in action at Regina Trench on October 15th, 1916.



GUILLE, Private Harold

(On Nelson Cenotaph as H. Guille)



Battalion

Date of Death: 15 April, 1916 (Trenches at Mount Sorrel/St. Eloi)

Age at Death: 31


Medals :

Attestation: 6 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness D.O. Thomas) (54 th Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 2 April, 1885; Reading, England

Occupation: Mill Hand

Residence: Granite Siding, BC

Next of Kin: Mrs. May Guille (Wife), Granite Siding, BC


Marital Status: Married [Married in Nelson, 1909, May Larerick]


Also commemorated in the Reading (England) Cemetery






Pte. Harold Guille of Granite siding has been killed in action, according to a cable received

Saturday night. He was a member of the first detachment of the 54 th Kootenay battalion to be sent overseas and was a brother of Pte. E.E. Guille, better known as “Teddy,” who was wounded and returned to England last fall. Pte. Guille was well known in Nelson and leaves a widow and family who are living at Granite siding.

7 th


7 April/16—[In trenches]—Severely shelled by H.E. Howitzers.

The Old Redingensian, October 2002:

In 2002 a party of students from Harold Guille’s old school, Reading School in England, were taken to the battle sites at Ypres and a “cross of remembrance” was placed on his grave .



HALL, Lance Corporal Ernest Swannell


E.T. Hall)



Battalion


Age at Death: 21

Place of Burial: Canadian Cemetery No. 2, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :



Date and Place of Birth: 10 April, 1896; Lancashire, England

Occupation: Rancher

Residence: Burton, BC

Next of Kin: Samuel & Elizabeth Hannah Hall (Parents), Burton, BC

Religion: Wesleyan






Reported wounded.


Severely wounded March 1, Corp. E.S. Hall of Burton, BC, recovered rapidly, but just after joining his battalion he was killed during the memorable battle of Vimy Ridge, April 9. The

story of the gallant soldier’s devotion to duty is told in a letter which Quartermaster Sergt.

George Croft of Nakusp, BC has sent to the parents of Corp. Hall. While the letter affords them the consolation of knowing that their son died heroically, it also dispels hopes which they were cherishing that he was alive, in consequence of the fact that the official notice of

Corp. Hall’s death was incorrect as regards his regimental number.

In his letter Sergt. Croft states: “No doubt you have read reports of our doings. Of course we cannot achieve the success we have won without making sacrifices, and I deeply regret to inform you of the death of your son, E.S. Hall, who, however, fell like the gallant soldier he was.… I was daily touch with your son and knew of his doings, and I am sure I feel his loss very keenly. It was only on March 1 last that he received his first wound, when the bullet which struck him down first passed through a man in front of him. The bullet struck your son under the left eye and entered his mouth. He made a rapid recovery and was back in time to go forward with the battalion April 9, when he made the supreme sacrifice—a splendid record of devotion to duty without a doubt. Ernest was a splendid soldier, and I am sure was loved by all his comrades, and I am deeply sorry that his young life was taken from us. His spirit was typical of that which is breaking the Germans today. May his soul rest in peace. I may say that shortly before your son left on his final journey, I was looking over the plan of operations with him when he was being given his instructions for the morrow by his platoon officer. I noticed then how interested he was in his portion of the work and how unconcernedly he spoke of it, just as if it were an ordinary piece of maneuvers. He seemed to know exactly what to do and where to go, and I can just see him carrying out faithfully those duties till the last. His body now rests in a new cemetery, near the place where he fell on

Vimy ridge.” Corp. Hall enlisted with the 54 th battalion when he was just 18 years of age and when the written consent of his parents had to be obtained. He was for a time in the bombers’ section, and a circumstance which reveals his intrepid spirit is that he preferred this section because, as he told his parents, “there was more excitement in it.” However, he was later transferred to the infantry, and it was with this that he was serving when he made the supreme sacrifice .



Killed in Action. During the attack on Vimy Ridge he was instantly killed by enemy shell fire.

HALLIDAY, Sergeant Robert John


R.J. Halliday)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, Manitoba Regiment, 87 th Battalion

Date of Death: 29 September, 1916 (Thiepval Ridge)

Age at Death: 31

Place of Burial: Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :

Attestation: 6 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness D.O. Thomas) (54 th

Battalion)

Previous Military Experience: Served in Town Guard, Kimberley Regiment

Date and Place of Birth: 3 January, 1885; Kimberley, South Africa

Occupation: CPR Fireman

Residence: 920 Falls St., Nelson, BC

Next of Kin: May Halliday (Wife), Nelson, BC




Member of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Nelson; member of Nelson and District

Veterans’ Association.


Sergt R.J. Halliday of Nelson appears in the list of those wounded. Halliday left for overseas about a year ago. Before enlistment he was a fireman on the Canadian Pacific railway and is a veteran of the South African campaign, having been in the siege of Kimberley. His next of kin is Mrs. May Halliday of 920 Falls street. The extent of his injuries is not yet known.

The Daily News, November 8, 1916:

Several weeks before he died in a hospital in France, Sergt R.J. Halliday, one of the boys who “went from Nelson,” was talking with a member of a gun crew behind the fighting line.

Halliday was trying to get one of the big empty brass cartridges that the gunner’s battery had used. He explained to the gunner that at one time, before he had become a railroad man in

Nelson, he had been a watchmaker and had worked at Birks, one of the big jewellery concerns in Vancouver. “I had an idea I could engrave some kind of a design on one of those shells,” Halliday explained. “I thought my wife would like some little thing from over here, sort of a little Christmas present for her. You see, you could put a bunch of flowers in it and stand it on the table,” he added. “So your idea is to put bo-kays in brass shells,” the gunner snorted. “The British army has something besides bo-kays to put in these shells. And it’s against all regulations, with the metal so dear and everything. And what’s more, it can’t be done.” But it was hard to deny a request from Bomber Halliday. The gunner had heard more than one tale of the reckless daring of this laughing-eyed boy who was the idol of the men of a whole section, and who carried so modestly honors he had won when he was made a senior sergeant. And the gunner had heard, too, the story that had come to the front from

Bramshott camp, the story of when an awkward recruit had fumbled a live bomb, with its spluttering seven-second fuse, and had dropped the thing among the men in a practice trench, it was Halliday who leaped forward in the last second of grace as the others shrank back and had tossed the peril aside and then merely laughed over the exploit. No, whatever the regulations might say about saving precious shell metal, it was hard to say no to that man, the gunner reflected, and so that night with a cumbersome bundle under his tunic, he hunted out Halliday. “It was bo-kays you was talking about,” he said gruffly, as he placed the bundle in Halliday’s hands. “Over there on the other side was a schoolhouse that they made a barracks out of, and it was full of German soldiers when the bo-kay from this beauty dropped through the roof. So take it, but mind now, when they find you’ve got it, it’s you who’ll be doin’ all the explainin’.”

Halliday squatted in the mud in the bottom of a trench the next day and pondered over the problem of a design to work out on the big 18-pounder shell the gunner had given him. From the leaden clouds overhead the rain descended in a clammy drizzle that searched out every dry thing and made a quagmire of the ground underfoot. It fell steadily and insistently as though it meant never to stop. The reek of the trench and the odor the wind carried from things out there beyond the wire in “No Man’s Land”, things Halliday did not like to think about, offended his nostrils and the unceasing monotonous uproar of the guns and the shrieking shells overhead tortured his eardrums. He tried to shut out from his mind the din and stench and the misery of it all as he closed his eyes and then his fancy traveled back across the sea to his home country, and to Nelson as it is in springtime. Nelson, under a turquoise sky, with a purple mist on the peaks, and the dancing sunlight on the water as a

soft, warm wind bore the perfume of apple blossoms and the sweet and pungent smells of new life bursting from the earth—the home town rose before him. When he awakened from the dream he knew the design his mind had groped for, a groundwork of budding, growing things and over it, swift-singed birds in full flight. He would carve into the metal all of his longing for Nelson and home.

Halliday rubbed his bruised and stiffened fingers in an effort to make them supple, and with a sigh as he thought of the tools of his watchmaker’s bench, he set to work with a bayonet and a jackknife. Men of Halliday’s section who saw him day after day toiling over the big shell that he carried about under the stress of all the heartbreaking difficulties that beset the fighting men at the front, smiled indulgently. Halliday and his brass kettle served at times as one of the little jests to take their minds off the grimness of life as they lived it. A group stood watching him one day when the design had begun to take form and one of the fellows, leaning over him saw that Halliday had woven into the intricate figure a flowing scroll. The soldier read aloud the words Halliday had carved in the space – “To my wife”—Halliday looked up with a whimsical grin. “It’s a bit of a Christmas present for her,” he explained.

The others grinned back at him, but after that no one ever joked about the brass kettle and after a time Halliday completed his task.

The day Halliday died a very high officer of the British army was inspecting the hospital. It was a kind of trip of inspection the officer was making to gather together loose ends and to see that all the lesser cogs in this particular part of the great war machine were running smoothly. As he passed through a ward of the hospital his eye caught a glint of metal and he stopped short with a frown. “How does this come to be here?” he asked in even tones. One of the nursing sisters picked up Halliday’s shell from the stand beside the cot. As she handed it to the officer his face lighted with a look of surprise. It did not need a second glance to tell that here was the work of a master craftsman and his eyes shot a question at the nurse. “They say he worked over it for days and days,” she said simply. “When he was wounded and brought here his men sent it along with some of his other things. He was conscious before he died and wanted it beside him, so we let him have it.” She pointed to a part of the design.

“He meant it to be a Christmas present for her,” she added. The officer turned his eyes to the cot and for a long time let them rest on the still figure there. Then he turned slowly and, as though it were a fragile and priceless thing, he placed the shell very gently back on the stand.

“Try and see that she gets it,” he directed and turned away. When Halliday’s shell left the hospital it carried with it a brief note that gave it free passage everywhere and in time it came into the hands of Maj. E.B. Milward. It was he who sent it on to Nelson to Mrs.

Halliday.

News of Halliday’s death had been cabled to Nelson long before the shell arrived. Many and various were the letters that came to Mrs. Halliday. The words of sympathy the men at the front wrote to the wife at home clearly told how great had been their loss. “He never asked a man of us to do what he wouldn’t do himself,” wrote James Coleman, one of

Halliday’s company of bombers. “He was loved by us to a man,” Coleman says further, “and there wasn’t a man of us but would have risked his life for him. We are, perhaps, not given to expressing our feeling very clearly, but Bob was a man of the bravest, noblest type, always sacrificing himself that his men might have a square deal. So it happens that when we lose him we know that our loss is irreparable. It was from the letters that Mrs. Halliday learned the manner in which her husband died, how while instructing a squad of bombers, disregarding danger, he had mounted a parapet to direct the work and had been hit by a fragment of flying metal. And then the shell, her last Christmas present from him, arrived.

Aside from all of its tender associations and its peculiar value to her, Mrs. Halliday realized that the shell was a unique and wonderful war trophy, a thing of interest to all the thousands whose thoughts are now turned hopefully overseas, so she consented to have it exhibited in

the show window of the Nelson Hardware company. And very often she is asked to tell about the shell. “It’s my Christmas present,” she says.



Died of Wounds (Accidental). He was acting as instructor during bombing practice at the training area near Nordisque on the 25 th September 1916, when a bomb thrown by one of the leading throwers exploded prematurely and a piece of shrapnel struck Sergeant Halliday in the chest wounding him severely. After first aid had been given he was taken to No. 10

Stationary Hospital, St. Omer, where he succumbed to his injuries four days later.

HANNAH, Lance Corporal John

(On Nelson Cenotaph as J. Hannah)



Battalion

Date of Death: 21 August, 1916 (Trenches—Reninghelst/St. Eloi)

Age at Death: 36

Place of Burial: Reninghelst New Military Cemetery, Belgium

Medals :

Attestation: 15 September, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain G. Anderson)

Previous Military Experience: Served for 5 year in Galloway Rifles

Date and Place of Birth: 25 July, 1880; Dalbeattie, Scotland

Occupation: Stonecutter

Residence:

Next of Kin: Charles Hannah (Father), Dalbeattie, Scotland




54 th


—Nominal Roll:

Killed in action .

L/Cpl. Hannah’s obituary appeared in the

Calgary Herald in 1916.

54 th


21 August/16—Reninghelst—Moved to Chippewa Camp just beyond Reninghelst (on

Reninghelst-La Clythe Road). Advice of first casualties received—1 O.R. killed and 5 O.R. wounded.



HANNELL, Private Frank

(On Nelson Cenotaph as F. Hannel)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, Manitoba Regiment, 27 th

Battalion


Age at Death: 22

Place of Burial: Puchevillers British Cemetery, Somme, France

Medals :


Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 15 December, 1893; St. Albans, Hants, England

Occupation: Express Messenger


Next of Kin: William & Harriet Hannell (Parents), St. Albans, Hertfordshire; Alice

Hannell, Cookham, Berkshire, England




1911 Census of Canada:

Residing in Nelson; immigrated to Canada in 1908.





Died of Wounds at No. 44 Clearing Station.

HENLY, Private Lionel Frank

(On Nelson Cenotaph as F. Henley)



Battalion

Date of Death: 11 May, 1916 (Trenches at Hill 60, Zillebeke)

Age at Death: 33

Place of Burial: Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery, Belgium

Medals :

Attestation: 11 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (54 th Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 20 November, 1882; Calne, Wiltshire, England

Occupation: Rancher

Residence: Cranbrook, BC

Next of Kin: Henry & Emily M. Henly (Parents), Calne, Wiltshire, England




Also listed on the Wall of Remembrance in Cranbrook, B.C. and the Calne, Wiltshire War

Memorial


Immigrated April, 1905, Liverpool to Halifax, on passenger ship Victorian .




11 May/16—Trenches 38 to 44—Trench mortars and enemy 5.9s active during afternoon. 2 killed and 2 wounded in No.1 Coy in T’s 38 & 39. Also 3 men in No.1 Coy wounded by rifle grenades and sniping.

HEPPELL, Private William

(On Nelson Cenotaph as W. Heppell)



Battalion

Date of Death: 6 November, 1917 (Passchendaele)

Age at Death: 24

Place of Burial: Poelcapelle British Cemetery, Belgium

Medals :


Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 3 June, 1893; Healey, Northumberland, England



Next of Kin: Mrs. Margaret Heppell (Mother), Nelson, BC




E-mail from Enid James, Suffolk, England:

Both William & Robert gave an incorrect date and place of birth. They were both born at

Healey, Northumberland. Healey is a small farming community in the parish of Bywell St

Peter in the Hexham Registration District. The 1901 census gives the family’s address as

Millshields, after some searching I’ve found Millshields on an online map situated right at the edge of the Derwent Reservoir (built in 1967). In 1901 the family was living with

George Oliver Heppell’s father John Heppell who was a farmer. John died in 1904 (his wife

Rebecca had already died in 1900) The 1881 Census describes John Heppell as a farmer of

180 acres. Without knowing the full story it is likely that John was a tenant farmer and when he died either George didn’t want the tenancy, or the landowner didn’t want to renew the tenancy agreement and the family would have had to move.


Immigrated with parents and siblings June 1907, Liverpool to Quebec, on passenger ship

Empress of Britain , destination Nelson, BC.


Word has been received by Mrs. Margaret Hepple, that her son, Pte. William Hepple, who enlisted at Nelson and has been at the front with the Canadian expeditionary forces, was suffering from a gunshot wound in the elbow.


Word reached the city yesterday of the death in action “somewhere in France” of William

Heppell. His brother Robert was reported killed in the trenches Nov. 13. His mother, a sister and two brothers, Walton and Jack, living in Nelson, survive him.

HOARE, Private Walter

(On Nelson Cenotaph as W. Hoare)



Battalion

Date of Death: 1 February, 1917

Age at Death: 40

Place of Burial: Lapugnoy Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :

Attestation: 15 September, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain G. Anderson)


Date and Place of Birth: 5 August, 1876; Edenbridge, Kent, England

Occupation: Salesman

Residence: Nakusp, BC

Next of Kin: George Hoare (Brother), Leigh, Kent, England




Also listed on the Silverton Memorial Hall Memorial (for Nakusp, New Denver, Silverton,

Appledale, Sandon, Slocan City and Edgewood).

54 th


1 February/17—No. 443987, Pte. Hoare, W. died of wounds in No. 23 C.C.S.

HODGE, Private Percy

(On Nelson Cenotaph as P. Hodge)



Battalion

Date of Death: 11 April, 1917 (Trenches at Farbus/Vimy Ridge)

Age at Death: 20


Medals :

Attestation: 11 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness A.D. Oliver) (54 th Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 17 September, 1896; South Molton, Devonshire, England

Occupation: Teamster

Residence: 719a Victoria St., Nelson, BC

Next of Kin: Mrs. Janet Hodge (mother), Nelson, BC





Pte. Percy Hodge of Nelson was killed in action April 11, according to word received yesterday by his mother, Mrs. F. Hodge of 924 Latimer Street. Pte. Hodge enlisted in Nelson

May 17, 1915 with the 54 th battalion, with which unit he went to England, where he was transferred to a machine gun section. At the time of his enlistment he was in the employ of the city and prior to that had worked as a driver for R.G. Joy. He was 18 years of age and was the son of the late Francis Hodge, formerly of the Bluebell mine at Riondel, who died in

Nelson in August, 1914. His father was a South African war veteran and held the King’s medal with two clasps and the Queen’s medal with four clasps. He is survived by his mother, two brothers and a sister, who is the wife of R.C. Brindle of the 1 st Canadian Pioneer corps.

It is believed that he met his death during the British offensive at Vimy.



HUNT, Private Walter Michael Carew


M.C. Hunt)

[Surname is Carew Hunt]



Battalion

Date of Death: 27 December, 1916

Age at Death: 22

Place of Burial: Albury (St. Helen) Churchyard, Oxfordshire, England

Medals :

Attestation: 6 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain G. Anderson)


Date and Place of Birth: 24 September, 1894; Hughendon, Bucks., England

Occupation: Rancher

Residence: Greenwood district

Next of Kin: Rev. Robert Walter Carew Hunt (Father), Wheatley, Oxfordshire,

England




Also listed on the Rock Creek Cenotaph, as from the Greenwood district.

Walter’s older brother, Captain Aubrey N. Carew Hunt, Oxford and Bucks Light

Infantry, was killed 5 June, 1916. His older brother Robert Nigel Carew Hunt, was a political scientist who wrote many books on communist theory and practice; died 1959.

INGRAM, Private John Archibald

(On Nelson Cenotaph as J.A. Ingram)



Battalion

Date of Death: 26 August, 1916 (Reninghelst)

Age at Death: 43 [more likely, 48; see note below]

Place of Burial: Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium

Medals :



Date and Place of Birth: 5 March, 1873; Shetland Isles, Scotland

Occupation: Streetcar Conductor


Next of Kin: Mrs. Frances Ingram, Edinburgh, Scotland




Genealogy web site for the Ingram family gives the birth year for John Archibald Ingram as

1868, in Shetland Islands, 5 years earlier than that listed on his attestation papers.

Member of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Nelson; member of Clan Johnstone; on honour roll of Knights of Pythias.


The following Diary of the trip of the 54 th battalion has been received from Pte. J.A. Ingram,

332405 A company, 54 th battalion, Bramshot camp, Hampshire, England: “Got to Atlantic coast at 5 o’clock in the morning and sat in the blamed old coaches until 10 o’clock, when we went for a march around town. It looks a lot like an old country town, as it has a lot of old looking stone and brick buildings. Went back to the train. No grub in sight, so bought pies and cakes from the kids outside. About 2 o’clock we marched down to the dock and went aboard and it was goodbye to Canada for quite a time I guess”

“Beautiful day today, bright and not cold. We have very comfortable sleeping quarters.”

“Fine day but colder. Not rough at all but some of the men got sick yesterday.”

“Cold wind all day today. We passed several ships. I have been on guard duty watching a bulkhead door in case of fire.”

“On guard until 9 o’clock this morning. Another fine day but windy. Quite a number of the men are sick. I think it is the change of food.”

“Today is quite mild. I have often seen Kootenay Lake rougher than the ocean is now. We were all served out with life belts and assigned to various boats today. There are all kinds of boats and life rafts. The officers are getting very particular about striking matches on deck after dark. There are no lights to be seen on the boat except at the crowsnest. It is very calm tonight and it is certainly proving a great trip, only there is such a crowd you can hardly move about.”

“Pretty rough today and raining too. Had a boat parade with life belts in the morning and church service at 10 o’clock.”

“Going up the channel. The land looks pretty around here. Everything is green and when the sun came out it certainly looked fine. We passed three old wooden battleships tonight, they are training ships I think, as the boys were all over the rigging.

“We were landed on tenders and took the train to the camp. It was a very pretty country we travelled through, all green and must beautiful in the summer time. We stopped at a station and lot of ladies fed us with tea and buns. (My God! It’s dear old England.) We arrived at our destination and marched about a mile and half to the camp. I don’t know whether our overseas detachment is here or not. Some say it is, but this is a big scattered place.”

“We are quartered in huts holding about 40 men each. I am looking forward to spending a weekend in London when I get leave.”


Pte. John Ingram, an oldtimer in Nelson, died in Flanders [of wounds] on Aug. 26. A cable containing this news was received yesterday by F.C. Ingram, his brother, in Nelson. Pte.

Ingram crossed to France with his battalion on Aug. 14 and a letter telling of the movement to the front reached Mr. and Mrs. Ingram Saturday night. He was born in Shetland Island 48 years ago last March and came to the Canadian northwest in 1889. He lived in Nelson 18 years.


A letter received from Scotland last night stated that Pte. John Ingram, news of whose death in France on Aug. 26 was received recently, died from wounds received in a trench on Aug.

21. The wound was a fractured hip and although serious it was at first believed that he would pull through. But gangrene set in and he died on Aug. 26. He died in hospital and was buried with full military honors in a grave which has been registered in the records that are kept for the benefit of relatives of men who fall at the front.



Died of Wounds. He took part in operations East of Ypres and whilst running to avoid an exploding shell was wounded by shrapnel and sustained a broken thigh. After receiving first aid, and attention he was taken to No. 10 Casualty Clearing Station where he succumbed to his injuries.


F.C. Ingram was presented with a Knights of Pythias medal for his brother who was killed in action.

Picture from 54 th Bn Canadian Infantry, 1915-1919

Photo from www.ancestry.com

(from Geoffrey Haynes)

IRVINE, Lance Corporal Robert Fraser


R.F. Irvine)



Battalion

Date of Death: 27 March, 1917 (Trenches—Vimy area)

Age at Death: 29

Place of Burial: Vimy Memorial, Pas de Calais, France (no known grave)

Medals :

Attestation: 9 October, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain G. Anderson)

Previous Military Experience: Served for 6 months in the Edinburgh City

Volunteers

Date and Place of Birth: 2 May, 1887; Lerwick, Shetland Isles, Scotland

Occupation: Forest Guard

Residence: Waneta, BC

Next of Kin: Janet Miller Irvine (Wife), Waneta, BC; William & Jessie Irvine,

Edinburgh, Scotland




1911 Census of Canada:

Immigrated from Scotland to Canada in 1905.


News of the death of Robert Irvine will be heard with much regret at Waneta and surrounding districts, where deceased was well known, he having acted as forest ranger for two years previous to his enlisting in the fall of 1915. He was killed in action on March 27 in

France. He was 29 years old and leaves a widow, daughter of Fred Adie, and four young children.

54 th


27 March/17—Vimy Ridge—Fairly clear. Enemy artillery very active. “A” and “B” Coys. digging Assembly Trench “B”. Small working parties supplied for maintenance per schedule. Casualties 5 killed and 8 wounded.

JAMES, Captain Reginald Arthur

(On Nelson Cenotaph as R.A. James)


Military Unit: Royal Air Force, 54 th

Squadron*

Date of Death: 16 July, 1918

Age at Death: 24

Place of Burial: Arras Flying Services Memorial (no known grave)

Medals :


Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 2 April, 1894; Farnham, Surrey, England

Occupation: Bank Clerk


Next of Kin: H.R. James, London, England





Member of the Nelson Legion of Frontiersmen Civilian Rifle Assoc.


Went overseas with the 2 nd contingent of the 54 th battalion .


Capt. R.A. James of the Royal Air Force, formerly of the Bank of Montreal staff here, has been missing since July 16, according to news which has reached the city. Capt. James enlisted from Nelson with the 54 th battalion and later transferred to the air service.

The Daily News , January 7, 1919:

Capt. Reggie James, who was reported missing last June, may be among the 15,000 British prisoners discovered in Germany, but of whom no record was forthcoming. Capt. James was formerly of Nelson and a member of the staff of the Bank of Montreal. He was a member of the Royal Flying corps at the time of the heavy fighting on the western front last summer.

After one of the big engagements he was reported missing and nothing further was heard of him in Nelson until yesterday, when R.W. Hinton received news from England that Capt. R.

James is among the 15,000 British prisoners recently discovered in Germany. It is not definitely known that the Capt. James referred to is Capt. Reggie James of Nelson, but it is stated that the British war office has expressed the belief that the officer mentioned is the missing Nelson man.

________________________________

[Information that he served in the 54 th Squadron, RAF, is from the Commonwealth War Graves

Commission records; 54 th might be a reference to the 54 th Bn with which he originally enlisted. RAF 54 th Squadron was not formed until October, 1918.]

JENKINS, Private Harold

(On Nelson Cenotaph as H. Jenkin)



Battalion

Date of Death: 17 August, 1917 (Trenches Northeast of Loos/Hill 70)

Age at Death: 25


Medals :

Attestation: 11 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness D.O. Thomas) (54 th Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 13 May, 1892; Summerside, PEI

Occupation: Miner

Residence: Silverton, BC

Next of Kin: William & Mary Jenkins, Silverton, BC







Canadian Battalion (East Ontario Regiment) Canadian

Expeditionary Force in the Great War 1914-1919

—Nominal Roll:

Killed in action

“Bob Spencer and his loading gang at the Standard Mill….Here is a photograph, taken around 1913, of Bob Spencer (third from right) and his gang of loaders, contracted to haul the concentrates from the mill to the boxcars waiting on barges beside the ramp on the lake….The fine young man second from the left is Harold Jenkins, son of Wm. Jenkins, the

CPR station agent, the man who bought ‘Benedum Villa’. In a year or two, when the Great

War comes along, he will join up and go overseas to die in the trenches.” (p.164-65).

B.C. Provincial Archives picture, from Old Silverton by John Norris.

JOHNSON, Private Charles Montague


C.M. Johnson)



Battalion

Date of Death: 26 December, 1917 (Mericourt—Lens area)

Age at Death: 24

Place of Burial: Villers Station Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :



Date and Place of Birth: 26 March, 1893; Cardiff, Wales

Occupation: Druggist


Next of Kin: Evangeline G. Johnson (Mother), High St., Nelson, BC





The following letter has been received from Pte. Charles Montague Johnson of Nelson, who up until receiving his wounds, was attached to the medical staff of the Canadian expeditionary forces. Letter to his mother from a hospital in France: “My Dear Mater –

White sheets at last! Don’t worry, mother. I have bullet wound in my face and shrapnel in my left chest as result of a raid. Am in a ripping hospital and am going under X-ray today and expect an operation tomorrow. Tell Ruby am O.K. and get the very best of everything here. Don’t worry till you hear from me again. Will write in a couple of days. Very best love, MONT. “


Pte. Charles Montague Johnson has been officially reported killed in action, Dec. 26, according to a telegram received last evening by his mother, Mrs. Evangeline Johnson, High

St. Pte. Johnson was well known in the city as a druggist employed in the Rutherford drug store before enlisting in the 54 th battalion in June, 1915. He was attached to the medical corps. The following year he was wounded, in connection with which is an incident relative to Canadian bravery. Stunned from wounds in the face and chest, he went to the assistance of a comrade, Dicky Gill, who was a Vancouver boy. He managed to fetch his comrade back behind the trench before he fell. After spending some months in a base hospital he went back to the battlegrounds. Other incidents of his bravery on the field found their way to Nelson and it was stated that he was recently recommended for the Military Medal for dashing over the top to rescue one of the boys who had fallen wounded in No Man’s Land. He carried the inert form back to the British lines and dressed the wounds. His father, C.G. Johnson, is in a forestry battalion now in France. Mr. Johnson, Sr., was an engineer in the city and enlisted with the Canadian forces shortly after his son was first wounded. Pte. Johnson was a native of England and had been in Canada for about five years previous to his enlistment. He was educated in England and on his arrival in Canada took up the study of drugs. He resided in

Vancouver until he graduated from pharmacy and then accepted a place in the Rutherford drug store. Relatives, besides his mother, who lives with her daughter, Mrs. G.L. Gilchrist,

Mr. and Mrs. I. G. Johnson of the city survive.

54 th


December/17—On the night of November 20/21, the Battalion relieved the 26 th Canadian

Infantry Battalion in the right sub-sector of the Mericourt sub-section, where it remained 10 days, acting as support to the 102 nd Battalion, who was [sic] holding the front line, and doing working parties. During these 10 days the Battalion had 8 casualties, 3 killed and 5 wounded. [Listed among the 3 killed is 442412, Johnson, C.M. – S.B. – 26/12/17.

Photo from VAC, Canadian Virtual War Memorial

LABERGE, Private Francis Edwin

(On Nelson Cenotaph as F. Leberge)



Battalion

Date of Death: 21 August, 1917 (Lens)

Age at Death: 47 [Veterans Affairs web site gives his age at death as 50]


Medals :

Attestation: 13 August, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Maj. G. Anderson) (54 th

Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 29 May, 1870; Long Tanion, Ont.

Occupation: Lumberjack

Residence: Nakusp, BC

Next of Kin: John Laberge, Longtinville, Ont. (on Attestation Papers); Francois & Orelie

Desgroseiller Laberge (Parents). [Will in military papers lists father as Joseph Laberge]


Marital Status : Single





Nakusp, B.C., Aug 16 – One of the largest gatherings in the history of Nakusp attended the patriotic concert at the opera house on Saturday night, the occasion being a farewell to the

Nakusp men of the 54 th Kootenay regiment, who have been here on furlough. There were

400 present. … In response to the chairman’s call for recruits, three presented themselves and were uproariously cheered by the big audience as they rushed through the aisles to the stage. They were Christopher Love, Frank Laberge and Joseph Birkett, the latter having walked 12 miles from Summit Lake to join. Three little girls then pinned the Nakusp colors in the shape of a pretty red and white silk badge on their coats.

Military Papers:

Was originally with the 54 th Battalion. Reported missing, now presumed to have died on or since August 21, 1917 (4 Dec. 1918)

3 rd

Pioneer Battalion Web Site:

Transferred from the 3 rd Canadian Pioneer Battalion to 29 th Bn 9-5-1917.

LANDRETH, Private Andrew Cameron


A.C. Landreth)



Battalion


Age at Death: 24

Place of Burial: Givenchy Road Canadian Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :



Date and Place of Birth: 21 September, 1892; Cameron Municipality, Man.

Occupation: Clerk


Next of Kin: Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Landreth (Parents), Lauder, Man.

Religion: Wesleyan



VAC Canada Remembers: Canadian Virtual War Memorial :

Private Andrew Cameron "Cam" Landreth was the youngest son of Andrew and Agnes

Landreth of Lauder, Manitoba. Born Sept. 23, 1892, he was younger brother to Janet (Jen),

Mary, George, Esther, Annie, Jean and Anderson. Some time before WW1, Cam left the family farm and headed west to British Columbia to find work. He ended up in Nelson and when the war broke out he enlisted along with many other young men from that town. He trained at the Vernon Army Camp and served with the 54th Kootenay Battalion, "A

Company". In November 1915 they crossed Canada by train to Halifax and embarked on the

Saxonia to Britain as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. After nine months of more training at Bramshott Camp in England, his Battalion left for France in August 1916. Cam died on April 9, 1917 at Vimy Ridge.

VAC Canada Remembers: Canadian Virtual War Memorial :

Letter written to his sisters on Dec 5, 1915 from Bramshott Camp, England: “Dear Jen and

Mary, Our trip across was rather eventful the night before we docked we were chased by a submarine but thanks to our skipper we got through alright, although a transport of horses and munitions fifteen miles behind us was sunk. We were met by two torpedo boat destroyers and three men of war on Tuesday morning. They had been sent out to pick us up on Monday morning but our skipper had changed his course so they had missed us. We docked at Plymouth at 11:30 a.m. on the 30 th but we were not allowed off until 9 a.m. on the first, when we boarded our train for here. It is rather a different looking train from ours eight in a compartment and indoors locked. We left Plymouth at 11 a.m. and got here at 8 p.m. when we were given a big reception at Exeter also a lunch which we all enjoyed. We had a two mile walk into camp with our packs. The 35 th had a big supper ready for us on arrival.

We are in houses, 44 in each, electric lights and stoves. Have our own bath house with hot water so are far better off than in Vernon. It has rained every day since coming here.

Everybody has a cold and quite a few are sick. Robson has been very sick ever since we arrived he is in the hospital now. This country is certainly very pretty. Fine trees are all green

& the grounds & fields & hedges are all well kept. The houses are all built of stone, brick or plaster & are so large & nicely finished. We have been into four of the towns around us but they are hopeless as far as buying anything goes. There doesn’t seem to be any young men left at all, all old men & boys in the stores & driving rigs. Borden Camp 8 miles from here has around 35,000 English troops in it also ? camp four miles away has about 20,000

Tommies. I met ? Logan last night he is here with the 50 th from Calgary he is looking fine & is still in the ranks where he says he is going to stay. There are some 14 battalions here all 3 rd

C.E.F. & some more coming. Our draft is at Shorncliffe one of the boys was down today.

Hope to see them before long. I was very sorry not to see Mother at Brandon. Apparently the telegram had not been delivered in time. I saw Aunt Maggie and Aunt Jessie at Winnipeg at

3:30 a.m. They had some eatables for me. I also received a very nice present of five one pound notes from Aunt Maggie. Dic is at Folkstone tho not know where the other cousins are. We were given a big reception at North Bay, Montreal, Campbellton and Moncton. We were inspected at Ottawa by the Governor General & it was raining most of the time. At

Moncton the whole city was out to see us. We had splendid weather all the way across. Our boat H.M.S. Saxonia is a 15,000 ton tub built about fifteen years ago, painted dull grey. Our quarters were rotten not room to turn around in. The meals were worse than I even thought it was possible. We started a riot on board last Sunday broke into four ship canteens in the officers kitchens & got a little to eat. The meals after that were not too bad but at best very poor. Buster and I slept out on deck four nights the air below was almost impossible to breathe. Well I must close for this time with wishing you all the merriest Christmas you ever had. Your loving brother, Cam.”


Excerpt from letter written home in March, 1916: “After a very hard fight our colonel has got all the drafts cancelled as we are to be left intact. He had to cable to Canada to Sir S.

Hughes before he could get the drafts cancelled. Whether it is the best for us or not is hard to say but we will not lose our identity which is a great deal. The first casualties of former 54 th men occurred last week. Harry Mills and Harry Stephenson who left with our last draft from

Canada were killed in a tunneling party that were blown up, also two boys from our platoon who left only two weeks ago, J. Collins and Gaskill, they were killed while in the trenches for their first time. They were with a special draft of miners who left here on the 6 th of

March. Collins was the life of our platoon while Gaskill was our musician and a splendid singer. We naturally expect to hear of these accidents but it seems harder when you have seen them so lately. We have had Clarke of the B of C in Nelson with us for the last two days, he is being given a commission in a Scotch battalion. He went with the 16 th battalion

and has come through nine months of fighting without a scratch so has a lot of very interesting stories to tell us. I went up to the city with one of the boys last weekend. We were at his uncle’s, a splendid place at Highgate, four miles from the centre of the city. We had a very good time. We went to see ? at the Ambassador’s on Saturday night, it was very good.

On Sunday they all went to church but yours truly who staid at home and smoked. In the afternoon we went to a concert in the Palladium by the London Symphony Orchestra, it was splendid, had tea at the Criterion and went to a benefit concert at His Majesty for a few minutes, ending up with a big dinner at the Strand Palace. We caught the 10:30 train for camp after taking the girls home, arriving about 2 a.m. so did not feel very much like work on Monday.”


From letter to his mother of Aug 22, 1916: “Everything fine. Landed at (censored) on the

14 th spent two days there in rest camp. Splendid country around big harvest all work done by women. Left about 10:30 at night passed a great many camps on the way. Boulogne surrounded by camps. Arrived at Arras seen of a great deal of fighting about 6 p.m. reached our destination & went into Princess Pat’s lines who have moved, spent two days in outfitting when our Coy went up for instructional purposes with another battalion were in supports one night which it is somewhat nearer the firing line but huts & better accommodation. The Y.M.C.A. I am writing in is right beside it. Expect to go up for six days soon. It is very exciting but Hienie is well content to keep a respectable distance. This is a splendid part of the country. Crops are fine and the land is well tilled up to three or four miles up the front line. The land is a mass of holes and mounds back of the front line trees everything are riddled with fire. I can count myself very lucky when I tell you what happened. My first time up was rather quiet. Went up to first line next night it is some experience. A great deal of M.G. and sniping. Went out on listening post on No Man’s Land for two hours trenches are short distance apart. In the morning slept till dinner and after which we had quite a bombardment. Hienie sent over Rum Jugs, Coal boxes, whizz bangs which done quite a bit of damage. We had a few casualties one killed. Hienie stopped after our Stokes gun started also our artillery. Were relieved by B Coy and had a fierce trip instead in Dugouts most of the night. Arrived at our new camp about 10 a.m. I was sleeping in a dugout in the afternoon when a Rum-Jug fell in the trench not 8 feet away. Needless to say it failed to explode as I am writing. The shell is cylindrical about 20 inches long ll inches in diameter & is filled with shrapnel pieces of bolts, nuts, nails every kind of waste. It does a tremendous amount of damage when it explodes but a big percentage fail to explode on account of faulty construction for which I have to thank the Germans. Don’t worry Mother things look fine out here now. Forbes was over but we missed him. Your loving son, Cam.”


Letter written Dec. 25/16: “Dear Jen, Your letter of Nov. 30 just arrived last night. We are some 500 yards from the front line here in our dugouts but get our mail every night with the rations. This part of the line is very quiet until about five minutes ago. There is a fierce bombardment on just at present although our dugouts are not bomb proof they are hard to hit. I hear that a number of Fritz’s came over to the battalion on one of our flanks today for a

Xmas talk. Believe me any that stuck up their heads on our front had a bullet in it or mighty close beside. We have some splendid shots in our section and they certainly let nothing slip.

Have been on observing since coming to this front. Very interesting work but with this weather not very comfortable at times. 28 th – 3 days later: Did not finish on the 25 th . Fritz put on the best artillery display ever put on here they say. We are out in billets for New

Year’s about six days I believe. Parcels arrive every day it often seems strange that we are able to get our mail thro in such good time. Will close for this time, expect to have some

New Year’s dinner on the 1 st according to reports. Remember me to everyone. Your’s ever,

Cam.


Letter written on April 8, 1917 to his mother (Cam’s last letter): “My own dear mother,

When you receive this you will know that I am either missing or killed. I know you will grieve mother but remember we will meet above some day. I only hope that during my short time on earth I have done that for which I am fit to be with my father. In this the greatest battle of the war that is of all time I fall with many more. I only hope that what my endeavors have been are of some value to my fellows. In war against our common enemy hundreds of noble men have fallen. May I be one of them. Mother for the many years you have nursed me and worked for me I hope it is my privilege and honor to deserve your great sacrifice. To my sisters and brothers and I owe much and hope that some time I will meet them again. To my many friends, aunts, uncles and all that I know remember me kindly. I hope they deserve many honors. So I bid you goodbye Mother dear. Your sweet face looms up before me. May God bless you is the wish of your youngest son. Your loving son, Cam.”


Pte. A.C. Landreth, well known to the younger people in this city has been killed in action.

Word to this effect was received here yesterday in a private letter. Pte. Landreth enlisted with the 54 th battalion and left here in June, 1915. He saw service in several big engagements. He was a medical student and came here from Spokane to enlist. His parents reside in Manitoba.

VAC Canada Remembers: Canadian Virtual War Memorial:

Letter to Mrs. Landreth from Lieut. R.R.G. Wilson, B Company, 54 th battalion, 24 April,

1917: “You will very likely remember my name as Cam possibly mentioned it from time to time during the last four or five years, R.R.G. Wilson. Now it is very hard for me to tell you what this letter must contain. Long ere this reaches you, you will no doubt know that Cam was killed in action on April 9 th . I am at liberty to offer you my sympathy as I am also a sufferer, as Cam was very dear to me. We have been together since we left Bengaugh some four years ago and no better chums ever lived. We never disagreed and had some pleasant times together. Now Mrs. Landreth I have met a number of the family, possibly the big proportion and you can tell them all for me who knows that Cam was a noble lad, a good soldier and one of the most popular boys in the Battalion. And he died a hero’s death in the big Canadian victory at Vimy Ridge 9.4.17. He was shot by a sniper and died instantly. I carried him in got his diary which I will have some difficulty getting out of France and seeing that he was buried, I wired the Batt orderly room to see that all his personal belongings were sent home and am informed that same has been done. You will possibly know that I came over here as a private and am now a Lieut. Now Mrs. Landreth if I can in any way give you any information that you may want I will be only too pleased, anything in my power is only a small item. Now don’t forget to ask anything you would like to know. I am yours in sympathy, Sincerely, Lieut. R.R.G. Wilson.”

Picture from VAC Canada Remembers: Canadian Virtual War Memorial

LLEWELLYN, Private Thomas Vaughan


T. Llewellyn)



Battalion

Date of Death: 9 September, 1916 (Pozieres Ridge trenches—Southwest of Courcelette)

Age at Death: 34

Place of Burial: Adanac Military Cemetery, Somme, France

Medals :

Attestation: 25 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness D.O. Thomas) (54

[A note on Attestation paper says “card written in Nelson”] th

Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 15 May, 1882; Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Occupation: Miner


Next of Kin: Marie (Mrs. John) Llewellyn (Mother), Dinas Cross, Pembrokeshire,

Wales

Religion: Baptist



Enlisted at Nelson with the 54 th battalion in the spring of 1915.

Pembroke County (Wales) War Memorial. http://www.pembrokeshire-warmemorial.co.uk/page18.htm

Thomas Vaughan Llewellyn, Private, 442718, Canadian Infantry.

Thomas was born at Spring Hill, Dinas Cross on 15 May 1882, the son of John and Maria Llewellyn. He became a miner, and emigrated to Canada prior to the outbreak of the Great War. On 17

August 1915, Tom enlisted at Vernon Camp into the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Tom then embarked for Britain as one of a batch of reinforcements for the 2nd Battalion

(Eastern Ontario), CEF, attached to 1st Canadian Brigade, 1st Canadian Division. The

Battalion had arrived at Plymouth from Canada on 14 August 1914, aboard the SS

Cassandra. After months of training, the Battalion landed with the 1st Canadian Division in France during February 1915, and took the line at Ypres, where they were among the first troops to have ever been attacked with poison gas. After a desperate defence, which saw the Canadians valiantly hold their line, they remained at Ypres over the coming months, and saw plenty of action during the Second Battle of Ypres. The Division moved to the Somme in July 1916, which is probably where Tom joined his Battalion, and took up positions near Flers. On 9 September 1916 the 2nd Battalion moved back into the front line, relieving the 4th Battalion. The battalion moved into positions, and launched an attack on the German lines at Flers at around 4.48 p.m. By 5.27 p.m. the Canadians had attained their objectives, although a large number of men had been cut down by

German machine-gun fire. The dead were buried the following morning, before the 2nd

Battalion was relieved and returned to billets at Albert. Among the dead was Tom

Llewellyn. He was 38 years old, and is now buried at Adanac Military Cemetery,

Miraumont, France.


9 September/16—Trenches (Bapaume Sector)—Moved up 9 a.m. to relieve 4 th Can Bn in front line trenches. Relief completed 1:25 p.m. Companies moved up into position preparatory to attack. 3 p.m. companies entered “Jumping Off Trench,” dug toe-holds, and fixed bayonets. 4:25 p.m. everything in readiness. 4:45 p.m. barrage opened, men leaped over parapet, and advanced as close as possible to German front line. 4:48 p.m. barrage lifted and our right companies gained objective. On left, our men were held up for a few minutes by heavy machine gun fire. At this time, one of our officers, Lieut. J.

Pringle, alone, charged the machine gun which was holding up his men, and silenced the gunners, himself being riddled with bullets. 5:24 p.m. message dispatched to O.C.

Attacking party to H.Q. stating that objective had been gained and situation was well in hand. Trenches blocked and consolidated. Enemy M.G. fire from direction of

Martinpuich made consolidation very difficult.

10 September/16—Morning very foggy. Dead buried and our own and German wounded all taken out. Our casualties for this tour were—2 officers killed, 8 officers wounded (3 of whom died of wounds), other ranks 43 killed, 142 wounded.

W.W. Murray, The History of the 2 nd Canadian Battalion (East Ontario Regiment)

Canadian Expeditionary Force in the Great War 1914-1919 —Nominal Roll:

Killed in action

LOEWEN, Private Jack

(On Nelson Cenotaph as J. Loewen)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, Central Ontario Regiment, 54 th Battalion


Age at Death: 21

Place of Burial: Givenchy Road Canadian Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :

Attestation: 7 June, 1915, Vernon Camp


Date and Place of Birth: 10 May, 1895; Rosthern, Sask.

Occupation: Boilermaker


Next of Kin: Catherine (Mrs. John) Loewen (Mother), 517 Victoria St., Nelson, BC

Religion: Methodist






Pte. John Loewen of Nelson has been killed in action, according to word received by his family yesterday. Pte. Loewen, who was 22 years of age, was born at Rosthern, Sask., and came to Nelson with his mother and other members of the family seven years ago. At the time of his enlistment with a Kootenay-Boundary battalion in 1915 he was employed as a boilermaker apprentice in the Canadian Pacific Railway company’s shops at Nelson. He is survived by his mother, Mrs. John Loewen, of 420 Victoria Street, three brothers, Jacob, who is in the employ of the News Publishing company’s job printing department; Henry and

Gilbert and three sisters, Mary, Kathleen and Alma.

54 th


9 April/17—Vimy Ridge—Weather snow and rainstorms. 5:30 a.m. Bn. attacked—350 all ranks in four waves behind 102 nd Bn. Distance about 500 yards. Objective Beer and Blue

Trenches. Dispositions “A” Coy. on the right, “B” Coy. “C” Coy. on the left, “D” Coy. forming the fourth wave….Our casualties approximately 4 Officers and 20 O.R. killed, 5

Officers and 100 O.R. wounded, 100 O.R. missing.

Pierre Berton, Vimy , p.266

In the other mini-battle on the right, the remaining two battalion of Odlum’s brigade, faced by unexpectedly strong opposition from Hill 145 and the flanking fire from the German salient, quickly lost their momentum. The Kootenay battalion [54 th ] was supposed to leapfrog through [102 nd Bn.]and seize Hill 145, but that proved impossible…the Kootenay troops were pinned down. A few struggled toward their objective, none returned. The rest were thrown back into the arms of Warden’s Warriors [102 nd Bn.], causing further confusion.

MacANDREW, Sergeant James Napier


J.H. McAndrew)



Date of Death: 18 November, 1916 (Desire Trench)

Age at Death: 29


Medals :


Previous Military Experience: Served 6 years in the Rocky Mountain Rangers, and

in the 108 th Regiment, Nelson

Date and Place of Birth: 17 December, 1886; Dollar, Clackmannanshire, Scotland

Occupation: Cook


Next of Kin: Emma Maxwell MacAndrew & William MacAndrew (Parents)

Dollar, Clackmannanshire, Scotland




Member of St. Paul’s United Church, Nelson.


Promoted to Lance-Corporal.


The name of Sergt. James Macandrew, with next of kin in the Shetland islands, appears as killed in action in the lists of casualties issued last night. It is believed that this is Sergt.

Macandrew of Nelson who enlisted for overseas service with a Kootenay-Boundary battalion in the summer of 1915, acting as sergeant cook at the camp at Vernon. Sergt. Macandrew was well known in the city and district and was for some in the employ of the Canadian

Pacific railway lake and river service and who held the post of clerk at the Queens hotel,

Nelson, at the time he enlisted.

54 th


18 November/16—In Line—Very cold and commenced snowing in early morning which later turned into rain. The Battalion strength 12 officers and 500 O.R. assembled for attack on Desire Support Trench in two trenches dug on the night of 17 th about 100 yards in front of Regina Trench. Preliminary bombardment, in accordance with daily routine, took place from 5:45 to 6:00 a.m. Real barrage commenced at 6:10 a.m. The Battalion moved out from trenches and formed up close behind the barrage, opening out into 4 waves as the barrage advanced. Rate of advance of barrage, 50 yards every two minutes. The objective, Desire

Support Trench, was taken according to program and a line established 100 yards beyond it.

Prisoners captured in Desire Support Trench totaled 1 officer and 51 O.R….A section of

Battalion bombers advanced up Courcellette Trench and established a Block. The new line was held until relieved by the 72 nd Canadian Inf. Bn early on the morning of the 20 th . The operation was conducted with great precision and exactly in accordance with orders received, the men showing the greatest intelligence, endurance and courage. During the six days the Battalion was in the line the weather conditions were very trying, four days of very cold weather being followed by snow and rain. Total casualties: 2 offs killed, 11 wounded.

42 O.R. killed, 160 wounded, 23 missing.



Killed in Action. Attack North of Courcelette.

McAULAY, Private William

(On Nelson Cenotaph as W. McAuley)



Battalion

Date of Death: 4 August, 1917 (Trenches—Hill 70 front, northeast of Loos)

Age at Death: 35

Place of Burial: Bully-Grenay Communal Cemetery, British Extension, Pas-de-Calais,

France

Medals :

Attestation: 16 May, 1915, Vernon, BC (54 th

Battalion)

Previous Military Experience: Served for 6 years with the Royal Naval Reserve

Date and Place of Birth: 6 July, 1881; Isle of Lewis, Scotland


Residence: Grand Forks (?)

Next of Kin: Mrs. Kenneth McLeod, 26 Carloway, Lewis, Scotland

Religion:



Military Papers:

Originally in the 54 th Bn; was transferred to the 30 th Bn, and overseas to the 16 th Bn. Seems to have enlisted in Grand Forks (had his medical examination there ).

16 th


4 August/17—Trenches—Brigade machine guns active on enemy wire. Artillery continued fairy active on C.T.s. No hostile patrols encountered. No.2 company, in Loos, supplied a work party of 110 men to improve C.T.s in our assembly positions. Enemy threw a few pineapples in our front line. Weather unsettled. Casualties, 1 O.R. accidentally killed.

McDAVID, Lance Corporal John “Jack” S.

(On Nelson Cenotaph as J.

McDavid)



Battalion

Date of Death: 1 March, 1917 (Hill 145-Vimy)

Age at Death: 32


Medals :



Date and Place of Birth: 17 June, 1884; Matapedia, Que.


Residence: Deer Park, BC

Next of Kin: Mr. & Mrs. John S. McDavid (Parents), Matapedia, Que.




Enlisted at Nelson in the spring of 1915.

54 th

Bn Canadian Infantry, 1915-1919:

Killed in action.

Information from Deb McDavid, Oshawa, Ont. (July 9, 2008):

JOHN "JACK" S. McDAVID b. June 7, l88l (Addinglon Parish, NB) d. Mar 1, 1917

(KIA---WW l-France)

Jack was the eldest child of Sarah Jane Pratt, who later married John D.F. McDavid, of

McDavid's Mtn, Restig. Tup, P Q

According to the 1881 Addington Twp., Restigouche Co., NB Census he was listed as:

"John Pratt" l0/12 months old, in NB, RC, of Irish descent, and lived with his mother &

Grandmother Ann (Pollock) Pratt

According to the 1901 Restigouche Twp, Bonaventrue Co, P.Q. Census, he was living with

John & Sarah McDavid.

His occupation was listed as lumber labourer, earning $180.00 per year.

According to Jackie McDavid (1930- ) of Riverview, NB, he was the strongest man in

Matapedia.

Jack was known as "Black Jack" McDavid.

MILITARY RECORDS:

1erial #:442441 Rank: Corporal

Enlisted: May 15, 1915 at Vernon Camp, Vernon, BC in the 54th Kootenay battalion--

Nelson Detachment- “A” Company

His birth date was given as: June 17,1BO4 (Quebec)

Embarked from Halifax Nw 22, 1915 on the H.M.f . Saxonia (paid: fi1.OO per day)

Arrived Plymouth, England: Dec 1, 1915

Granted Furlough: May 26,1916 (Bramshott, Eng)

Served in brigade Military Police: June 19,1916

Arrived Havre, France: Aug 14, 1916

Appointed Lance Corp: Dec 30,1916

Took grenade course Jan 1,1917

His Military Will states: "ln the event of my death, I give the whole of my property & affects to my mother, Mrs. John McDavid, Matapedia, Province of Quebec"

Five weeks prior to the Canadian assault on Vimy Ridge the 54 th battalion was sent forward to damage the German defences on the slopes of Hill 145. Chlorine and Phosgene gas was released to smother the Germans, but the wind reversed direction. Instead of blowing towards the enemy, the gas lay in the shell holes that the Canadians would be advancing through. Lt. Colonel Kemball of the 54 th tried to get the Canadian brass to call the raid off but failed. German machine guns mowed down most of the Kootenays as soon as they rose to attack. Only five men made it to the enemy front line, and they were all slain trying to climb the parapet.

He was killed by a sniper when he attempted to rescue a wounded soldier, in preparation for the Battle of Vimy Ridge. It was the 2 nd gas attack on the Germans. The wind changed and blew the gas back on the Canadian troops. Many Canadians died in that attack. Jack Irvine, a comrade from Mann’s Settlement, recovered his dog tag. Henry Lyons, another Mann

Settlement man, survived the attack. Buried in “No man’s land” as Corp. John McDavid.


By now a strong wind was blowing toward the Canadian lines, and it was obvious, at the battalion level, that an attack would be suicidal. The battalion commanders realized this and protested. Lieutenant-Colonel A.H.G. Kemball, the crisply handsome C.O. of the 54 th

Kootenays, tried to convince the brass hats in the rear that the raid [on Hill 145] should be postponed or cancelled. The higher ups would have none of it….Kemball was ignored. That gallant officer—the adjective in his case is deserved—defied orders and refused to stay in the rear when his men were in peril. He led them personally on an attack he knew was futile.

For the Germans knew everything. They had heard the clanking of the gas cylinders being brought forward days before. They knew the details of the plan from two of their own men, prisoners who had escaped from the compound and made it back to their own lines. The young men from the Kootenays, the Seaforths, from Vancouver, the boys from Mississauga and the Highlanders from Montreal were mowed down almost before they left the security of their own lines. And when they tried to take cover in the shell holes they died horribly. The gas—the ultimate weapon, which was supposed to nullify all opposition—was waiting for them in the slime.







McDONALD, Private Peter

(On Nelson Cenotaph as P. McDonald)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, Central Ontario Regiment, “C” Company,

54 th Battalion

Date of Death: 13 March, 1918

Age at Death: 38

Place of Burial: Rothes Old Churchyard, Moray, Scotland

Medals :

Attestation: 9 August, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain F.T. Lucas)

Previous Military Experience: Served for 10 ½ years in the Royal Navy

Date and Place of Birth: 6 January, 1888; Rossshire, Scotland

Occupation: Machinist

Residence:

Next of Kin: Ellen (Mrs. Peter) McDonald (Mother), Glasgow, Scotland




Military Papers:

Diagnosed with “myalgia of the neck and shoulders” in Aug/17; was hospitalized in Nov/17 and found to have a large tumor “twice the size of the heart;” died of aortic aneurism morning of March 13/18.

McKENZIE, Private Duncan

(On Nelson Cenotaph as D. McKenzie)



Battalion

Date of Death: 12 September, 1916 (Pozieres Ridge trenches)

Age at Death: 38

Place of Burial: Pozieres British Cemetery, Somme, France

Medals :


Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 1 December, 1877; Rossshire, Scotland


Residence: Koch, BC

Next of Kin: Malvern McKenzie, Rossshire, Scotland





Enlisted at Nelson with the 54 th battalion.



Killed (Accidentally). While engaged in sanitary duties at the Chalk Pits, one of his comrades was cleaning his rifle on the parapet of a trench, about fifty yards distant, and had

removed the magazine but owing to the mud experienced some difficulty in removing the bolt. While endeavouring to do so, he pressed the trigger not aware that a cartridge remained in the chamber. The bullet struck Private McKenzie in the chest, and although he received immediate attention, he died about fifteen minutes later.

McMILLAN, Sergeant Leonard Alexander


L. McKillan)



Date of Death: 14 April, 1917 (Vimy Ridge—Camblain L’Abbe)

Age at Death: 25


Medals :


Battalion)

Previous Military Experience: Served for 1 year in Duke of Connaught’s Own

Rifles (DCOR), Vancouver

Date and Place of Birth: 22 July, 1891; Brandon, Man.

Occupation: Surveyor

Residence: Kelowna, BC; formerly Nelson, BC

Next of Kin: Mrs. Daniel McMillan (Mother), Kelowna, BC






The Daily News , February 14, 1916 :

Was a marksman and lacrosse player.

The Daily News , May 14, 1917 :

Saturday’s casualty list contained the name of another well known former resident of

Nelson, Sergt. L.A. McMillan of Kelowna, who was killed in action somewhere in France.

Sergt. McMillan enlisted with the 54 th Kootenay battalion and went overseas with the second draft, being transferred to another unit on arriving in England. He was with Green Bros. and

Burden in Nelson for a time and was one of the best known lacrosse players in the district .

E-Mail correspondence from Robert Coon, January 12, 2010 :

[Regarding the father and family of Leonard Alexander McMillan]

Obituary for Mr. Donald (Daniel) McMillan, Kelowna Courier, Kelowna, British

Columbia [June 1927]:

Through the death of Mr. Donald McMillan at his residence, Richter Street, shortly after midnight on Tuesday morning, the city and district suffered the loss of a much respected resident….The late Mr. McMillan, better known to the general public as

"Dan" McMillan was born in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 1854 and was of pure

Scottish ancestry. He passed his youthful days in the Maritime Provinces and in 1881 ventured into the then little known West and settled near Brandon, where he engaged in

farming. Upon the Okanagan Valley becoming known on the prairies as an attractive country, he moved with his family to this province, settling first at Peachland, where he took up a pre-emption in 1897. In 1905 the family moved to Kelowna and have lived in their present homesite ever since. For a few years Mr. McMillan farmed in the

Benvoulin district, but not for long….Mr. McMillan was the father of a large family and his widow, a sister, four sons and four daughters survive him. Three sons were lost during the Great War. Neil, who enlisted in an Overseas battalion, fell a victim to influenza while at Toronto on his way to Europe. Jack, after whom the Jack McMillan

Chapter, I.O.D.E. is named joined the Rocky Mountain Rangers before the outbreak of the war and later on, going to the front in the 48th Battalion in 1915, was killed in action. Leonard, who enlisted in the 54th Battalion, also lost his life at the front .



Killed in Action. North of Acheville.

McQUARRIE, Captain Donald Archibald

(On Nelson Cenotaph as

D.A. McQuarrie)



Battalion

Date of Death: 30 September, 1918 (Cambrai)

Age at Death: 24

Place of Burial: Cantimpre Canadian Cemetery, Nord, France

Medals : Military Cross; Mentioned in Despatches



Date and Place of Birth: 5 November, 1893; Rossland, BC

Occupation: Civil Engineer


Next of Kin: Mungo Robert & Clara McQuarrie (Parents), Nelson, BC




Member of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Nelson; Member of the Nelson YMCA; Member of the Nelson Rowing Club.

London Gazette . Date 26/07/18, Canada Gazette . Date 31/08/18, Page 847.

Joined 30th Bn. Oct.1914. Received commission 2nd Lieut. Dec. 1914. Attached to G.F.S.S.

Attached to 54th Bn. Went overseas Oct. 1915. Wounded at Courcelette. Promoted to

Captain on the Field after capture of Paschendaele 04 Jan. 1918. Capt. D.A. McQuarrie was killed in action at Cambrai, on the 30th of Sept. 1918 age 23. He is buried at Cantimpre

Canadian Cemetery, Sailly, France.


Left Nelson with the 2 nd contingent for Victoria. He is a well known local real estate and insurance man and president of the Nelson Conservative association. Was employed in the office of the resident federal public works engineer.


A wire was yesterday received by M.R. McQuarrie of Nelson from his son, Donald A.

McQuarrie, who left on Nov. 1 with the second Kootenay contingent for active service and has since been in training with the 30 th battalion at Victoria, stating that he had received a commission as lieutenant and that he had been ordered to report at once to Grand Forks, where he will form part of the strength of the corps of sharpshooters.


Lieut. Don McQuarrie of Nelson was the first officer or man of the 4 th Canadian division to enter the German, lines.according to a letter from another member of that division which has been received in Nelson. Lieut. McQuarrie is acting scout officer and has led three parties into the enemy lines. Each of the raids was successful and the Canadians inflicted losses on the enemy at small cost to themselves. Gen. Victor W. Odlum personally congratulated

Lieut. McQuarrie on his good work and the commander of the Canadian and commander of the scouts also publicly commended him. “It’s great out in no man’s land, with the flares going up, the machine guns going, your eyes popping out of your head and expecting to run into a German patron every minute, and also the chance of your own men taking a pot shot at you,” says a letter dealing with these raids.


Letter from Canadian field officer: “Our battalion pulled off a little raid last night and took some prisoners. The colonel was very much pleased about it. We had two killed and 19 wounded. I think McQuarrie and Tooker will get the Military Cross for it. Young McQuarrie is a first class officer and Nelson has reason to be proud of him. Eleven of my men took part, but no senior officers went. We have been moved to a new sector and are at present in billets in a farm house.” While in training in England he took a number of courses in military tactics and was for some time physical instructor to one of the battalions. He joined for overseas service about a year and half ago and went to England with Lieut. Tooker in charge of a draft of men from Kootenay-Boundary.


Lieut. Donald McQuarrie has been wounded in action, according to an official communication received yesterday by his father, M.R. McQuarrie of Nelson. Lieut.

McQuarrie went overseas about a year ago and had recently taken an active part in the big

British drive, during which it is believed he put out of action. Word was received in Nelson several weeks ago that Lieut. McQuarrie was in line for the military cross, in recognition of individual work during a successful attack carried out by Canadian troops. Nothing has yet been heard regarding the extent of his injuries.


Praise from Lieut. Arthur Kerry of Montreal: As he was returning with two others to their trench, an enemy shell burst nearby, wounding all three. They were then met by Lieut.

McQuarrie and his detachment of scouts, who assisted them to safety. No officer in the battalion enjoys more popularity or is regarded as a better soldier than Lieut. McQuarrie. He has a reputation for daring, that has passed to other battalions, which his men would follow him anywhere and were inordinately proud of being in his command.


It was about 3 o’clock in the afternoon of Oct. 13, 1916, when Lieut. McQuarrie received the sniper’s bullet which tore away a portion of his left jaw and put him out of action. Lieut.

McQuarrie and his company of scouts reached a newly taken over section of trenches the

morning he was hit and knowing that he and his men would have to be busy that night,

Lieut. McQuarrie accompanied by two of his company started out to look over the ground by daylight. The sky was clear and the ground so torn up with shell holes that it was hard to say whether the forces behind him were in the front line trenches or not. Taking cover by dodging from shell hole to shell hole, he and his men proceeded to within about 250 yards of the German trenches. Then they were sighted and an enemy sniper began to get to work.

Several shots sang by them, which were evidently intended for one of his men, so they decided to return to the trench. Just as they began to retrace their steps, the young officer

“got his,” the bullet striking him in the jaw and smashing a portion of the bone on the left side. Upon being wounded Lieut. McQuarrie was sent to the clearing station at Contay,

France, and from there to Camiers, where he received his first treatment. When able to move he was returned to England and after spending a few days at the Royal Free hospital,

London, he was transferred to the Westcliff hospital at Folkestone, where he remained until discharged. His plans are still somewhat unsettled, be he will return to

London for further treatment, after which he expects to over to France again, under the command of Brig.-Gen. Odlum. – Interview with McQuarrie .


Letter from Pte. T.K. Macleod of Nelson: “If ever there was a man who showed himself to be every inch a man the night we had the mix-up, it was Lieut. Donald McQuarrie.… He deserves the D.S.O. for the work he did that night among the wounded. Here is one boy who would go anywhere with him and I know his scout section feels the same way.”


Menioned in dispatches of Sir Douglas Haig.


Nelson YMCA reception room was crowded to the door at the public reception given

Saturday night to Lieutenants Donald McQuarrie and William J. Sturgeon, who reached the city on the Crow boat after many months of active service at the front. The two officers were met at the wharf by a large crowd of citizens and representatives of the city, the returned soldiers’ aid committee, the local branch of the Great War Veterans’ association of Canada and other public bodies. As the boat pulled up to the dock the two wounded soldiers made their appearance, cheer after cheer went up, and almost before they had set foot on land, they were engulfed by the crowd of friends who were eager to shake them by the hands and welcome them home. Lieut. McQuarrie, who had his jaw shattered by a sniper’s bullet shows but one scar on his chin, a tribute to the skill of the surgeon who attended him.

Following the reception at the wharf the two officers were escorted to the YMCA where a public reception was held and short speeches were made by Mayor J.E. Annable, as representative of the city; William Irvine on behalf of the YMCA, R.G. Joy as secretary of the returned soldiers’ aid committee and Alec Berrie, president of the local branch of the

Great War Veterans’ association of Canada. Both men were met by the members of their families at Kootenay Landing who accompanied them to the city.


Lieut. Donald McQuarrie of the 54 th Kootenay battalion, son of M.R. McQuarrie, 822 Baker street, was remembered by his acquaintances and well wishers in Nelson last night at the

Hume hotel parlors, when he was presented with a silver cigarette case and a generous package of “smokes,” Mayor J.E. Annable making the presentation. Lieut. McQuarrie, who was wounded at the Somme, is the first officer from this district to return to the front. He

was shot through the lower part of the jaw at the famous engagement referred to, part of his jaw being replaced by a steel plate. Mayor Annable congratulated the young man on the part he had taken in the Empire’s defense. Lieut. McQuarrie replied briefly but feelingly. He said that the more he saw of this part of the country the more he thought I worth fighting for.

Lieut. McQuarrie was also presented with a wrist watch by his friends, the presentation taking place at the residence of G.B. Matthew, 905 Edgewood avenue.


Lieut. Don McQuarrie has passed medical examination in London and will leave for three month’s active service after which he will return for an operation on his jaw where he was severely wounded on Oct. 15, 1916 in an engagement on the Somme. Lieut. McQuarrie states that he has met a number of Nelson boys in London and they all wish they could get back for a day’s fishing.


Letter from Lieut. McQuarrie mentions having seen several Nelson men on the other side of the Atlantic. Among them are Stanley Horswill, son of A.S. Horswill, who has a bad leg but otherwise seems in excellent condition; Corp. Calder, who used to travel in the Kootenays and who is going back to the front after having been wounded twice; Jack Teague, instructor of musketry in the 225 th , who is looking exceeding well; Dick Taylor, who was shot through the chest but who is now fit again; Machine Gunner Paulson, who used to be in the

Dominion Express office here; Lieut. Graves, a former member of the Bank of Commerce staff here, who is married to an English girl, and Bill Busk, a Nelson boy who was badly wounded, but who expects to return to the front soon. “Every day one meets somebody from home,” says Lieut. McQuarrie. “They all want to get back and finish the job. They wish that some of the fellows at home were as keen.”


A whole gist of news comes from Lieut. D.A. McQuarrie in a letter from “Somewhere in

France.” Lieut. McQuarrie writes of many of the boys who were among the first to go from

Nelson and district to help defeat the Kaiser. “There’s not a quitter in the bunch,” the lieutenant declares in his newsy letter: I went down with Dr. Arthur to see Jimmie Grant’s grave. He was one of the finest boys that ever left Canada. I met Lieut. Mackay, who used to be Nelson city engineer. He was just back from leave, and is getting quite fat. The war seems to be agreeing with him. I am senior of 11 officers, whom I am in charge of to wake up the line to their different battalions. On our way up we met Clyde Emory; he never looked better. I met Doug Cummins and we had a long talk. He is now in the mechanical transport.

We have had good billets here, where we were knocked about a couple of years ago. The men are sleeping in barns fixed up with bunks. Wilson, who enlisted with A company, has got his commission and has been recommended for the M.C. for pulling a raid off in a certain town where the battalion has been stationed. It was so well carried out and so successful that they gave it a special write up in the English papers. The article was head,

“Canadians in house to house fight in thunderstorm.” I saw Bill Curran of The Daily News.

He hasn’t grown any, but looks fine. He has a job with brigade headquarters. He has done his share in the trenches, but still wants more of it. Claud Miller is working on the railroad— same old Claud. Buck Kinahan is in the transport. I met Dr. McQuarrie from New

Westminster at the base hospital. O’Genski is still here; he got wounded in the hand but didn’t make Blighty. Capt. Foster is on the job as adjutant and is certainly making good and looking fine. Bob Green is at his old job as paymaster and never looked better. McLaughton is back in the battalion. Bill Elford has got his commission and is now a gas officer; he is looking well. Lieut. Cartmel is in charge of Stokes Gun, and is looking in the pink. I saw Art

Bush just back from leave in Paris. He looks rather drawn, but outside of that is feeling fine.

He is running a couple of mules. I met Kettlewell, who worked in the Wood,Vallance

Hardware company. He and Clyde Emory are both in the brigade machine gun section.

Bill Cunningham is with the battalion and was in the divisional train last time I saw him, but has since taken a notion that he would rather fight for a living. Brigadier Odlum was very much interested in hearing about his Nelson friends. Capt. Holmes of Procter is commander of my company. Major Al Poupore is now brigade staff officer, whom many will remembers as a former school boy of Nelson. Lawrence Amas is back in A company and is looking better than he ever did. I am officer of the baths and am giving the battalion a bath in an old brewery. It was a treat for me to see the old battalion on the march, they never did better, after a hard year’s fighting. They are as good if not better than they ever were. Wherever you go among fighting men you hear the battalion well spoken of; they have never been given a task which they have not successfully performed. They have a reputation for clean billets and little crime. I am mighty proud to be back with the bunch. My only wish is that it was still a British Columbia battalion, and the fellows who wouldn’t back us up with recruits when we came over are the men we have to thank for that. I am sorry they have to put the conscription act in force, but we need men and if we cannot get them voluntarily, we must have them. We had a grand old reunion down at the transport lines, although we were interrupted by a Hun airplane dropping a couple of bombs close to us and opening fire on us with a machine gun, but one of our planes brought him down in one of the prettiest fights you ever saw. The last few days have been spent in marches of about 15 miles a day in heavy marching order and while it was raining hard. On the cobble stones it was pretty tough going, but we only had one man fall out. The boys are sure a mighty fine bunch of fellows and there is not a quitter in the bunch. We don’t know where we are going but you can figure that wherever the big push is on we will be there. Tonight we had very decent billets. We are passing through a mighty fine country, every inch of the ground is worked and everybody is out to win the war. Wish some of the politicians in Canada would realize there is a war on, that every day they waste means losing men for Canada. The grub is much better than it was in England. We have a peach of a new doctor. He is something like Dr.

Hamilton and one of the best surgeons in Canada. He was sent to the battalion by mistake – should have gone to a hospital, and now he refuses to leave us. WE are having a big battalion reunion tomorrow night. There are 19 of the original officers left, including men who have received commissions.”


Letter home: “We have had a pretty tough time, but were mighty lucky, only about 30 per cent casualties in our last four days. Things are a lot better handled this year than last. Taken up to within five miles of the front line trenches on the train, go in and do your little stunt, hold on for a few days, then they shoot you clean out of the area. Rations come up better and one isn’t under the strain of shell fire as long as before. Where we are quartered now in a small French town, I have a big feather bed and it is almost like being home. I was in command of the company during the last scrap. We will be here for nearly a month reorganizing. We have got a new draft of men and officers. We will have to lick them into shape and try and get some of the fighting spirit into them. It is pretty hard, as the old men are getting scarce. We lost a dozen of them last try. The old colonel surely left us a high standard to live up to and it’s up to us to do our best. I will most likely get about 10 days’ leave about New Year’s. I will go down to the south of France, Nice or Paris. It will be fine to get out for a while and see a real live town again with a few flowers and music and good grub and pleasant faces. Had to laugh at an incident up the line. There is a bartender named

Murray Janes, from the Yale hotel, Grand Forks, with the boys. The Hun was putting over a little counter-attack which fell through and things were pretty warm as he had dropped a

heavy barrage on us. I was going around to see how things were and ran across Murray. He had just been bowled over a couple of times by a shell and I asked him how he was getting along. He said, “This is no place for a darned good bartender.” He is well over the age limit but plugs along with the rest of the boys just the same. Another time we were holding a trench about 500 yards from Fritz’s front line. Our left flank rested on a first class road.

During a threatened counter-attack Fritz put a creeping barrage down, lifting about 25 yards at a jump. There were 10 men and an officer going down the road just about one jump ahead of the barrage. The way those fellow were travelling struck me as the funniest thing in the world, as they were perfectly safe except for this odd shell for they were travelling about five miles an hour and the barrage about two and half miles. Not much news as I haven’t had a chance to look anybody up lately. Scotty Thompson is sergeant of the bugle band still. Saw

Johnnie Ferguson. Mickey Mercer is cooking in the sergeant’s mess. Sergt. DeLoder is machine gun sergeant for the battalion and has won the military medal. He sends his best regards. He said the returned soldiers committee paid his fare from Nelson to Vernon to join the 54 th .”


Wounded in the head; in Prince of Wales hospital, Marylebone, London. Says he is improving rapidly.


Capt. D.A. McQuarrie, who was mentioned in despatches at Christmas time by General Sir

Douglas Haig, has now won the Military Cross. He was mentioned in despatches for particularly meritorious service in battle and it was for his work in capturing German prisoners when they were badly needed by the Canadian army in order to obtain information with regard to the enemy that he has been given the Military Cross. Information with regard to some new battalions of the Germans which had been moved up to hold the trenches opposite the Canadians was urgently desired by the General staff. Word was received by the commander of the battalion of which Capt. McQuarrie is a member, that unless some prisoners could be captured by a raiding party it would be necessary for an attack to be made by the battalion. If an attack were made to secure prisoners it would have involved an assault across open ground and probably heavy losses to the Canadians, but the need for information with regard to the enemy was so great that the higher command had determined that the loss must be suffered if prisoners could be taken in no other way. Four different parties from other battalions had attempted to capture prisoners but had failed. Capt. McQuarrie therefore organized a small raiding party and with it went in the German trenches. Eight of his men were wounded, but he got them all out safely. The party killed six of the enemy, wounded a great many and returned to the Canadian trenches with the eight Canadian wounded and with two German prisoners. Mayor McQuarrie has a picture of one of the prisoners which was sent to him soon after the raid by Capt. McQuarrie. Charles O’Malley of Nelson was one of the raiding party under Capt. McQuarrie O’Malley, who was one of the Capt. McQuarrie’s right hand men in the exploit, was the first man to be wounded. He was shot in the face, but has recovered. In this same raid Lieut. J.H. Adams won the Military Cross; Pte. J. Peters gained the D.C.M.; Sergt. G.E. Burroughs and Pte. S. Rascello won the Military Medal. The colonel of the battalion has written to Mayor and Mrs. McQuarrie congratulating them upon the distinguished service of their son.

London Gazette . Date 26/07/18 , Canada Gazette . Date 31/08/18, Page 847:

Military Cross:

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Led a successful raid on the enemy's line, capturing two prisoners, and inflicting many casualties. In a later raid he obtained some required identification, and, notwithstanding the fact that he was wounded by the first bomb, brought his party back with very few casualties.”


Capt. McQuarrie is now in England and is in charge, temporarily, of a camp of 700 men. He expects to be able to return to France again soon. In his citation for the Military Cross: “He led a successful raid, capturing prisoners and inflicting many casualties.


Mayor McQuarrie has received word from his son, Capt. D.A. McQuarrie, stating that he is back with his battalion and again fit for duty. Capt. McQuarrie has been twice wounded and awarded the Military Cross for bravery during a raid in which he took a number of men across and captured prisoners. Capt. McQuarrie said that Capt. W. Garland Foster, adjutant, was the only combatant officer in the battalion who was not a casualty during their part of the recent successful drive. His battalion took every objective named for them and their colonel was recommended for an honor. This Kootenay battalion has made a name for itself and did not fall down when asked to capture hard positions in the recent operations .


Word was received in the city yesterday that Capt. D.A. McQuarrie, M.C., had been killed in action and that Capt. W. Garland Foster, Corp. A.C. Emory and Cyril G. Beeston had been wounded. All of these men enlisted in the city and were well known Nelson residents. Capt.

McQuarrie was a native son of the city and although born in Rossland had spent nearly all his life in Nelson up to the time of enlistment. He attended both the Nelson high and public school and at the time of enlistment was employed in the Nelson branch of the Dominion department of public works. Don McQuarrie left Nelson Nov. 1 four years ago, a few weeks after the war commenced, and went to Victoria where he gained his commission as lieutenant. Later he was at Grand Forks, where a company was in training. Going to England he took a physical instructor’s course at Aldershot and became instructor to four or five

Canadian battalions in England. Going to the front, he quickly displayed the qualities which gained him strong commendation from his brother officers and men. Before he had been on the battle front 30 days he distinguished himself by organizing a party which went out and carried in a number of wounded Canadians, who were lying directly against the German wire in No Man’s Land. Among the men he rescued were Capt. Ramsay and T.K. Macleod, the latter of Nelson. For this he was recommended by the late Col. Kemball for the Military

Cross. The colonel felt so strongly that Lieut. McQuarrie should receive this decoration that he made two special visits to headquarters to urge the matter upon the headquarters staff. Of late Lieut. McQuarrie was mentioned in dispatches for his gallantry. He was promoted on the field at Passchendaele to captain. He was awarded the Military Cross for a raid into the

German lines which he organized and carried through successfully when the great German drives were taking place last spring. The allies were being forced back and it was essential that they should learn what German forces opposed them on the part of the line where Capt.

McQuarrie was located. Several attempts to get prisoners failed and the task seemed impossible to accomplish. Finally

Capt. McQuarrie organized a raid, carried it out and, although wounded, came back with two prisoners. For some time he was in charge of the scouts of the 4 th Canadian division, but at the time he fell he was with a Kootenay battalion. Capt. McQuarrie had been twice wounded

and the first time received a bullet wound in the jaw. While convalescing he obtained leave to Canada.

On the morning of the 28th the 3rd Division passed through our line the way to Cambrai, the

Battalion reassembling west of Bourlon Wood and getting part of a night's rest in old cellars, etc. At 6:30 on the morning of the 29 th we moved forward again north of Bourlon village to an assembly position preparatory to putting in a new attack north of Cambrai. Here we waited all day expecting to attack at any time, but it was decided late in the day not to attack until the following morning, and at 4:30 the next morning we moved forward to our jumping-off place, having very considerable difficulty in finding same owing to the darkness and poor guides. At 6 a.m. on the 30 th of September, zero hour, our attack was launched, with the 75 th leading and our Battalion following. The enemy was, however, resisting very strongly, and no headway could be gained. He put down a very heavy barrage on our positions and his shelling was the worst ever experienced by this Battalion. As it was evident he was in considerable force and meant to fight, and as our flanks were not able to get forward, it was decided not to press the attack. Both the 75 th and ourselves suffered very heavy casualties. Among our casualties were Major McDiarmid and Capt. MacQuarrie killed, and Lieut.-Col. Carey. Capt. Foster and our M.O., Capt. Day, and Lieuts. Fitzpatrick,

P. Price and major wounded. Of these, Capt. Foster later died of wounds. It is impossible to pass over this incident without referring to the great and terrible loss which the death of

Capt. Foster, our Adjutant, was to the Battalion.

Capt. McQuarrie was the most popular officer with all ranks. Twice previously wounded while fighting the Bosche, his whole object was to get back to the old Battalion and do his bit, and his personal influence was at all times evident when he was with the Battalion.

Always cheerful and merry, he set a high standard to those under him.

The Daily News , November 12, 1918: [Account of Armistice Celebrations in Nelson]

Rev. Graham called upon a man whom he called a leader among patriotic workers in the city—Mayor M.R. McQuarrie. Owing to the fact that he had recently lost his only son at the front, Mr. McQuarrie could not say many words to the assembly. Mr. Graham explained that only yesterday the mayor had received a letter from the Colonel of “Don’s” regiment, telling of the circumstances under which he had met his death. The colonel said this particular regiment had been under the most terrible fire they had known and that Lieut. McQuarrie had gathered together 100 men and had gone right into the thick of it. “His heart is full of it,” said Mr. Graham, “and he can’t talk.”

Nelson Daily News , October 14, 2004:

From an issue of the newspaper in October, 1918: News of the death of Capt. Donald

McQuarrie will bring with it to the people of Nelson a deep and sincere sense of personal loss. Nelson is proud of Don McQuarrie . The people of this city and district have loved and admired and respected his personal qualities, his unfailing cheerfulness in suffering, his unshaken spirit of gallantry, his wholehearted determination to give of the best that was in him for the cause for which he fought, for which he twice suffered grievous wounds and for which he has finally given his life. The people of Nelson will feel that loss which has been sustained by Mayor and Mrs. McQuarrie is the loss of the whole community.

[His father, Mayor Mungo Robert McQuarrie, died on Nov. 21, 1918, of Spanish Influenza.

Aged 52. Survived by his wife and daughter, Clare.]


Tribute letters to Mrs. McQuarrie:

From Lieut. Armbrister: “It has hit me very, very hard, also, Mrs. McQuarrie, as Don was one of the very few friends I had left in the old battalion, and I used to run into him quite often. But to you, his mother, what a loss. I only wish to goodness that I could express what an immensely high opinion everyone had of him that knew him and his men used absolutely to worship him for it is not given to everyone to have such courage and such a way of handling men as he had. Out here at the front is the great proving ground of men, and were we all only half as fine, real white men as Don has ever proved himself to—then we would have won this war long ago.”

From Major J.S. Bailey: “We have all suffered a tremendous loss in the death of your son.

He was killed instantaneously by a shell on Sept. 30 while leading his company into action.

… He was one of the mainstays of the battalion and we all admired and respected him very much. He was about the best company commander I have come across and the colonel and all of us always knew things would be all right when ‘Mac’ was around as we all placed implicit reliance in him and he never let us down. I was quite dumbfounded when I heard of his death, as I always believed he would be spared to us.. There is one supreme consolation and that is that he died where he would have wished—at the head of his men, leading them into action, and that he knew no pain in his death. The dear fellow was buried near Bourbon wood, in part of Cambrai.”

From G.C. Mackay: “I met him twice on this side and always greatly admired his spirit. I have often spoken to officers and men of his division and they all have the same opinion of him: the bravest of the brave. Only about a week ago I heard someone say, “When we get that lad back to the Kootenays we will show him what we think of him.” It is hard that he did not live to receive the reward of valor.”

From Capt. A.G. Ramsey: “I have never seen him since the night he picked me up in No

Man’s Land on Sept. 16 and have never had an opportunity to thank him personally for saving my life at a very great risk of his own. On that night, though he got no decoration for it, he earned the V.C. four times. His reputation is too well established to need any addition from me, but as an old soldier and a brother officer I may perhaps be permitted to pay him a soldier’s tribute: that he was a good pal, a good soldier and very gallant man.” From Col.

A.H.G. Kemball: “I have recommended him for reward in recognition of his daring gallantry in scouting the enemy positions previous to a raid we made on a German crater. I kept him out of the raid, as I did not want to put all my eggs in one basket. This was, I know, a great mortification to him, but he loyally obeyed my orders and stayed in our trenches with the reserves. His chance, however, came when after the return of the raiders it was found that several officers and men were missing. From his knowledge of No Man’s Land he was able to guide a party which immediately went in search of them under heavy machine gun fire, up to the German wire. The party was in danger from the enemy’s bombs and our own artillery barrage. They found two officers and five men, all wounded, who were being looked after by two unwounded men, and eventually go them back, your son carrying Lieut. Ramsey, a bigger and heavier man than himself, over 100 yards. All this was done under fire, over slippery shell holes lit up by the enemy’s flares.”

From Lieut. Archie Graves: “I was always proud to be reckoned as his friend. We spent our last days in England together and fought together until his death. He was killed while leading his men at place about 300 yards in front of the Douai-Cambrai railway in front of the village of Sancourt. I could not bring him out although I found him a short time afterwards.

Death was from a shell and instantaneous. A finer, braver or better liked officer and pal will never be found. Dear Mac was everyone’s friend.”

From Capt. F.D. Smith: “You can believe me, the first time we get the Huns where we want them we all will remember that we have a chum to avenge. Remember me as one who was always your son’s friend.”

Shawn Lamb, Nelson Daily News , January 27, 2006:

Today's Street Story covers one of Nelson's handful of "mayor" streets, McQuarrie Avenue in Rosemont. Mungo Robert McQuarrie, active in real estate, finance and insurance, was

Nelson's mayor in l918. Born in Burlington, Ontario in l868, he came west in l889, followed the mining boom to Rossland in l896, and settled in Nelson in l903. An active community volunteer in the Board of Trade, Hospital Board, Rod and Gun Club, Kootenay

Mountaineering Club, and the Nelson Agricultural Association , McQuarrie is especially remembered for his war work and aid to returned soldiers and for his leadership during the influenza epidemic to which he himself fell a victim on November 21, 1918.His wife, Clara

Pillet, survived him and his daughter, teacher/ writer Clare McAllister lived to a ripe old age.

But his son, Captain Donald McQuarrie of the 54th Kootenay Battalion, was killed in action

September 30, l918. Less than six weeks later the fragile and determined mayor mounted an outdoor platform to speak positively at the Armistice celebrations, one of his last public appearances in Nelson .

BC Geographical Names:

Mount McQuarrie, located at the head of Silverspray Creek in Kokanee Glacier Provincial

Park, is named after Mayor M.R. McQuarrie, on the advice of Kokanee Mountaineering

Club.

Roots/Web (Ancestry.com), Manitoulin Obituaries http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onmanito/obituary/McL-McW.html

Capt. McQuarrie Killed

Capt. Donald McQuarrie of Nelson, B.C. nephew of Pte. Ronald McQuarrie of Gore Bay has been reported killed in action. He has been fighting for his country since the first year of the war. Twice he was wounded, once so seriously that his recovery was despaired of but his only thought was to return to the firing line as soon as possible. The Nelson Daily News says in part “Donald McQuarrie died as those who knew him best realize he would have chosen to die. He fell with his face to the enemy, with his comrades beside him and in the hour of victory for the cause for which he considered no risk, no sacrifice no personal suffering too great”.

The Recorder, Gore Bay, Thursday, November 21, 1918

Transcribed by Marilyn Irish

The Daily News, September 22, 1919:

Mrs. M.R. McQuarrie will be decorated by the Prince of Wales with the Military Cross won during the battle of Lens by her son, Capt. Donald McQuarrie. Mrs. McQuarrie has received word to this effect from Victoria. Capt. McQuarrie was decorated with the ribbon by Sen. Sir

Arthur Currie in France. He was killed in action a week later and thus did not get to England, where it is probable he would have been decorated with the medal at an investiture by King

George at Buckingham Palace.



Killed in Action. Whilst leading his Company in the attack North West of Tilloy, he was instantly killed by the explosion of an enemy shell.

Donald McQuarrie, seated in the middle of the front row.

Picture from The 1956 Mountainer, Nelson, BC

MILLER, Private Fred Stewart

(On Nelson Cenotaph as F.S. Miller)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, Central Ontario Regiment, 54 th Battalion

Date of Death: 30 August, 1916 (St. Eloi)

Age at Death: 33


Medals :

Attestation: 2 June, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness W. Swannell)

Previous Military Experience: Served for 6 years in the Rocky Mountain Rangers

and 102 nd

Regiment

Date and Place of Birth: 19 December, 1882; Victoria, BC

Occupation: Clerk


Next of Kin: Mrs. A.J. Miller (Mother), 719 Josephine St., Nelson

Religion: Baptist



On the Honour Roll in St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Nelson.


On June 11, 1915, several members of the 54 th battalion who were partaking of the festive ice cream soda in C.H. Bean’s candy store, wrote their names on a pasteboard fan which was hanging on the wall. Pte. Thomas Madden took the section of the fan with the names on it as a souvenir and carried it to France in the crown of his hat. The fragment has now returned to

Mr. Bean from France and is being kept by him as a keepsake. The names on it are: Fred

Miller, Lieut. F. Madden, Claude Miller, Sidney McDonald, S.M.T. Smith, S. Langill and

“Scotty” Thomson of the 54 th bugle band.


Privates Fred S. Miller, George Edward Roe and Earl Gordon Hannah, all three Nelson men, have been reported killed in action. News of their death was received yesterday in the city, it being stated that the three men were together on their way from front line trenches to the rear when an enemy shell struck and burst close beside them, killing them instantly. … Miller was the son of Mrs. A.J. Miller of 719 Josephine Street, and was formerly in the employ of

J.A. Irving & Co. He was a nephew of D.J. McKim, caretaker of the court house. His brother, Pte. Claude Miller, is at present at the front.

[ The Daily News , September 22, 1916: Pte Earl Gordon Hannah is still alive and has been in hospital in England. His foot has been amputated.]


Letter from R.A. Howe of Nelson—“I was slightly wounded Aug. 24, about 6 o’clock in the evening, by a piece of shrapnel. I was certainly lucky. Some poor fellows never get to the trenches and others get it when leaving. Yesterday two of our Nelson boys were killed by shell fire. They were Fred Miller and George Roe. Claude Miller, Fred’s brother, is suffering from shell shock.”

Photo from 54 th


MORRISON, Private Donald John


D.J. Morrison)


Military Unit: Canadian Machine Gun Corps, 11 th Company


Age at Death: 19

Place of Burial: Adanac Military Cemetery, Somme, France

Medals :

Attestation: 17 August, 1915, Vernon Camp, BC (54 th

Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 1897, Isle of Harris, Scotland

Occupation:

“Mate on the steamer

Kokanee of the Kootenay Lake service” ( The Daily

News , Aug. 14, 1915)

Residence: Slocan City, BC

Next of Kin:

Religion:

Marital Status:




54 th Bn Canadian Infantry, 1915-1919 :

“I have just visited your excellent site and was amazed to see a photo of my father's uncle,

Donald John Morrison. He is sitting in row 2 of the machine gunners photo and is named in the list of names as 442437 Morrison, Donald John or 443396 John Howard. I can confirm to you that it is indeed Donald John Morrison. He was originally from the small village of

Kyles Scalpay (No. 22) in the isle of Harris in the Western Isles of Scotland and he and one of his other brothers John emigrated to Canada (Vancouver) in the early part of the century. A third brother, Kenneth, emigrated to Patagonia in 1912 and my grandfather,

Finlay Morrison, stayed at home to work the family croft in Harris. – Iain Morrison, 27

March, 2000, Scotland.”



Previously reported Missing, believed Wounded, now Killed in Action.


OLIVER, Private Frank Stanley

(On Nelson Cenotaph as F.S. Oliver)



Date of Death: 3 April, 1919 (Influenza)

Age at Death: 29

Place of Burial: Lenham Cemetery, Kent, England



Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 24 July, 1889; Portage La Prairie, Man.

Occupation: Clerk

Residence: Nelson, BC; Rossland, BC; South Slocan, BC

Next of Kin: Mr & Mrs. Robert Oliver (Parents), Shoreacres, BC




On the Honour Roll in St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Nelson; also listed on the Rossland

Cenotaph.




Mr. and Mrs. Robert Oliver of Shoreacres have just received word that their son, Frank, is in the hospital at Comiers suffering from gunshot wounds in the head. Pte. Oliver left here with the 54 th battalion, but was transferred to another unit. Mr. and Mrs. Oliver have three sons in the army: Pte. W.A. Oliver who is in the fighting line, and Pte A.D. Oliver who is with the forestry brigade.


Mr. and Mrs. Robert Oliver of Shoreacres have received word that their son, Pte. Frank

Oliver, is sick in a hospital in England, having returned from Germany, where he was with the army of occupation. Pts. Frank S. Oliver has been awarded the military medal. Mr. and

Mrs. Oliver’s son, William is with the 2 nd CMR’s in Belgium, and their son, Arthur, with the

Forestry Corps in France .

REED, Private Samuel

(On Nelson Cenotaph as S. Reed)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, Central Ontario Regiment, 102 nd

Battalion

Date of Death: 11 November, 1916 (Regina Trench)

Age at Death: 29


Medals :

Attestation: 4 August, 1915, Vernon Camp (54 th

Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 4 March, 1887; Penrith, Cumberland, England

Occupation: Rancher

Residence: Burton City, BC

Next of Kin: Daisy Reed (Wife), Burton City, BC

Religion: Wesleyan

Marital Status: Married (one child)


Listed also on the Cranbrook Wall of Honour

L. McLeod Gould, From B.C. to Baisieux: Being the Narrative History of the 102 nd

Canadian Infantry Battalion , Appendix (Nominal Role of Other Ranks):

Killed in action—11 November/16—(Somme).

102 nd


11 November/16—[Somme/Regina Trench]12:40 a.m.—“C” Co. reported that they had gained objective, but had had to extend considerably to right as 47 th did not appear to cover frontage. Some prisoners taken; trench not badly smashed. “D” Co. reported objective gained and 15 prisoners taken; our casualties slight. Reported that Lts. Matheson and

Sturgeon were wounded and that “C” Co. needed reinforcements to meet counter-attack. Lt.

Lister of “A” Co. was ordered to proceed with 20 men to take charge in Regina

Trench….Enemy counter-attacks continued until day-break, but were successfully repulsed, the position won being successfully held and consolidated. Our casualties numbered 4 officers wounded; O.R. 10 killed, 34 wounded, 8 missing.

REID, Private Stanley Augustus

(On Nelson Cenotaph as S. Read)



Battalion


Age at Death: 37

Place of Burial: Givenchy Road, Canadian Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :

Attestation: 2 June, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness A.D. Oliver)


Date and Place of Birth: 28 November, 1879; Colchester Co., NS

Occupation: Cook

Residence: Nelson, B.C.

Next of Kin: John T. Reid (Uncle), Edson, Alta.




54 th


9 April/17—Vimy Ridge—Weather snow and rainstorms. 5:30 a.m. Bn. attacked—350 all ranks in four waves behind 102 nd Bn. Distance about 500 yards. Objective Beer and Blue

Trenches. Dispositions “A” Coy. on the right, “B” Coy. “C” Coy. on the left, “D” Coy. forming the fourth wave….Our casualties approximately 4 Officers and 20 O.R. killed, 5

Officers and 100 O.R. wounded, 100 O.R. missing.

Pierre Berton, Vimy , p.266

In the other mini-battle on the right, the remaining two battalion of Odlum’s brigade, faced by unexpectedly strong opposition from Hill 145 and the flanking fire from the German salient, quickly lost their momentum. The Kootenay battalion [54 th ] was supposed to leapfrog through [102 nd Bn.]and seize Hill 145, but that proved impossible…the Kootenay troops were pinned down. A few struggled toward their objective, none returned. The rest were thrown back into the arms of Warden’s Warriors [102 nd Bn.], causing further confusion.

ROE, Lance Corporal George Edward

(On Nelson Cenotaph as G. Roe)



Battalion

Date of Death: 30 August, 1916 (St. Eloi)

Age at Death: 20


Medals :



Date and Place of Birth: 31 October, 1895; Brisbane, Australia

Occupation: Student, Land Registry Office, Nelson


Next of Kin: Mr. and Mrs. S.R. Roe (Parents), Victoria St., Nelson, BC




Brother of Sgt. Harold Holton Roe, died 8 October, 1916.

Member of Nelson YMCA


Students of the Nelson high school held a social afternoon yesterday at the high school in honor of E. Peters, Jr., George Roe and W. Mohr, former pupils of the school who left last night with the 54 th battalion. Each of the boys received a signet-ring with his name engraved on the outside and the letters “N.H.S.” on the inside.


Vernon Camp—Among the Nelson and district boys who starred on the baseball team is

George Roe, who also starred on the lacrosse team; named all-round athlete at Vernon

Camp.


Privates Fred S. Miller, George Edward Roe and Earl Gordon Hannah, all three Nelson men, have been reported killed in action. News of their death was received yesterday in the city, it being stated that the three men were together on their way from front line trenches to the rear when an enemy shell struck and burst close beside them, killing them instantly. … Roe was a son of Mr. and Mrs. S.R. Roe of Victoria St. His father is district registrar in the land registry office. His brother, James Roe, is attached to the 225 th battalion and is at present in the city on leave of absence from the camp at Vernon.

[ The Daily News , September 22, 1916: Pte Earl Gordon Hannah is still alive and has been in hospital in England. His foot has been amputated. ]


S. R. Roe has received a letter from Major Gilbert Anderson, concerning his son, George’s death. The letter says: “It may help you and Mrs. Roe to some extent to know that George’s death was instant and painless. He with three others were in a dugout asleep, I believe, when a shell came through the roof, wrecking the place and killing three of the boys, out of four, instantly. Fred Miller and boy named Nelson being the other two. Your son was cool and brave under fire and had all the makings of a good soldier. I knew him well and cannot express my grief at his early death. He was buried in the military cemetery nearby and his grave is marked by a wooden cross on which is inscribed, ‘To the memory of Lance-Corp.

George E. Roe.’”

The Daily News , November 6, 1916 :

“When I saw George Roe last he was looking the best I have ever seen him.” – letter from

Pte E.G. Matthews .

L/Cpl George Roe (right) with his brother, Sgt. Harold Roe


ROWLING, Private George Henry

“Harry”


G.H. Rowling)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, Eastern Ontario Regiment, “A” Company,

2 nd

Battalion

Date of Death: 3 September, 1916 (Pozieres Ridge)

Age at Death: 39

Place of Burial: 2 nd

Canadian Cemetery, Somme, France

Medals :

Attestation: 3 June, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness D.O. Thomas) (54 th

Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 15 October, 1876; Wakefield, Yorkshire, England

Occupation: Plasterer


Next of Kin: Emily Rowling (Wife), Fairview, Nelson, BC; Mr. & Mrs. Joseph

Rowling (Parents); Harrogate, England

Religion: Wesleyan




Enlisted at Nelson with the 54 th battalion.


Pte. George Rowling has been reported killed in action and Pte. Claude Miller and Pte.

William Swannell have been reported wounded, according to word received yesterday. All

three were Nelson men and enlisted last year in the same battalion. Rowling, who was born in Wakefield, England, was a plasterer by trade and leaves a widow, Mrs. Emily Rowling, and several children, who are at present living in Fairview.

2 nd


3 September/16—Trenches (Bapaume Sector)—Weather very fine. Trenches drying up.

Bombardment continued.

4 September/16—During this tour in trenches our losses from enemy shelling were heavy.

25 O.R. killed, 1 officer and 89 O.R. wounded.



Great, great nephew, behind his great, great uncle’s grave in France.

Photo from VAC: Virtual Canadian War Memorial

SAVAGE, Sergeant William George


W.G. Savage)



Battalion


Age at Death: 35

Place of Burial: Sheffield (Burngreave) Cemetery, Yorkshire, England


Attestation: 2 August, 1915, Vernon Camp


Date and Place of Birth: 14 April, 1882; Middlesex, England

Occupation: Miner

Residence: Fernie, BC; Michel, BC; Elko, BC

Next of Kin: Mrs. R.G. Brown (Sister), Robson St., Nelson, BC




54 th

Battalion Canadian Infantry, 1915-1919:

Military Medal

London Gazette, Issue 29953. Date 19/02/17.

R.O. 386 Watson. Date 17/12/16.

Cpl. W.G. Savage gained the rank of Sgt.

"He repeatedly led his men through badly shelled areas during the preparation for and during the attack of November 18th 1916, on Desire Support Trench, in order to deliver ammunition and at times took complete charge of the Tump Line Detail. The coolness and thoroughness displayed in the execution of his duty was a example to all."


Pte. William George Savage, a brother of Mrs. R. Brown of Robson street, died in hospital overseas April 13 as a result of wounds received in action. Pte. Savage who enlisted in 1915 at Michel, was well known in the Crows Nest district, having lived for the past 16 years at

Fernie, Michel and Elko. He was decorated with the Military Cross during the latter part of last year. His military number was 442528. Mrs. Brown received official notification of the death of her brother yesterday.


A message has been received stating that Sergt. William George Savage died at the third

Northern General hospital, Sheffield, England, April 14. He was well known in the Michel district. He was awarded the Military Medal a year ago for bravery on the field, and just a short time before his death had been recommended for further honors. Sergt. Savage enlisted in the 54 th battalion.

SMITH, Private Daniel

(On Nelson Cenotaph as D. Smith)



Battalion


Age at Death: 24

Place of Burial: London Cemetery and Extension, Longueval, France

Medals :



Date and Place of Birth: 14 November, 1892; Motherwell, Scotland

Occupation: Clerk

Residence: Latimer St., Nelson, BC

Next of Kin: Mr. & Mrs. Alexander Smith (Parents), Latimer St., Nelson, BC

Religion: Methodist



Member of the Nelson YMCA.


Sergt-Master Tailor Alexander Smith of the 54 th battalion, who formerly conducted a tailoring establishment in Nelson, has been invalided home from England and left Winnipeg yesterday en route for Nelson. In a letter received recently from Sergt. William Pascoe to his wife here, it is said that Smith was taken ill during the wet weather experienced at the camp at Bramshott, which was the cause of much illness among the men some months ago, and that later, having returned to duty he suffered a complete breakdown and was therefore invalided home as unfit for further active service. Sergt. Smith has a son, Pte. Daniel Smith , who also enlisted with the 54 th battalion and went overseas with his father. He is now at

Bramshott camp.


Pte. Daniel Smith of Nelson was killed in action Nov. 18, according to an official notification received yesterday by his parents, Sergt. and Mrs. Alex Smith of Nelson. Pte.

Smith was born in Scotland 27 years ago and came to Nelson direct from Scotland with his parents in 1910. He enlisted for overseas service with the first contingent, but was rejected at

Valcartier, owing to his chest measure being slightly under requirements and after returning to Nelson and taking a course in physical training at the YMCA he again enlisted on April

29, 1915. He was a compositor by trade, but at the time of his enlistment was employed at the Strathcona (Hotel). His father, Alex Smith, is also an active service man. He enlisted at

Nelson May 22, 1915, and went overseas with his son. Following a surgical operation in

England he was discharged and returned to the city last June with rank of sergeant and by the

Dominion government was given the position of caretaker of the post office building, which had become vacant shortly before. One brother, Pte. John Smith, is also at the front and he is also survived by his mother, father, two other brothers, Peter and Alexander, and five sisters:

Mary, Margaret, Nellie, Joan and Annie. In a letter received from him, written shortly before his death, he mentioned that he had met his brother John who is with another unit, for a few

moments as he was returning from the trenches. This was the only occasion on which the two brothers had seen one another while at the front.

54 th









SMITH, Lance Corporal George William


G. Smith)



Battalion

Date of Death: 1 March, 1917 (Hill 135—Vimy)

Age at Death: 43

Place of Burial: Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :


Previous Military Experience: Served for 9 years in Royal Field Artillery and

in the Boer War

Date and Place of Birth: 3 September, 1873; Barnetby, Lincolnshire, England


Residence: Vernon, BC area

Next of Kin: Mrs. Harriet Holt (Sister), Barnetby, Lincolnshire, England





George William Smith was two years old when his mother died and was brought up by his sister Harriet (later Mrs. Holt, of Railway Street, Barnetby—his next of kin). When old enough he joined the British Army and served for 9 years, 335 days in the Royal Field

Artillery as 78458 Driver G.W. Smith. He left the Army and was placed on the Reserve List only to be recalled to the colours when hostilities broke out in South Africa (Boer War.) He received the following campaign medals: King’s South Africa Medal 1901-1902, with bars

S.A. 1901 and S.A. 1902; Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, with bars for Tugela

Heights, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek and Relief of Ladysmith. On leaving the

Army George returned to Barnetby to live with his sister and worked for two years on the

Great Central Railway before emigrating to Canada, where he worked as a labourer, living in huts in the backwoods, believed in the area near Vernon B.C. During the ten years George spent in the backwoods he did all his own cooking, housework and washing. On enlistment he joined D Company, 54 th (Kootenay) Battalion, 2 nd Central Ontario Regiment, CEF, where he trained as a bomber.


[Hill 145—Vimy—1 March/17] By now a strong wind was blowing toward the

Canadian lines, and it was obvious, at the battalion level, that an attack would be suicidal.

The battalion commanders realized this and protested. Lieutenant-Colonel A.H.G. Kemball, the crisply handsome C.O. of the 54 th Kootenays, tried to convince the brass hats in the rear that the raid [on Hill 145] should be postponed or cancelled. The higher ups would have none of it….Kemball was ignored. That gallant officer—the adjective in his case is deserved—defied orders and refused to stay in the rear when his men were in peril. He led them personally on an attack he knew was futile. For the Germans knew everything. They had heard the clanking of the gas cylinders being brought forward days before. They knew the details of the plan from two of their own men, prisoners who had escaped from the compound and made it back to their own lines. The young men from the Kootenays, the

Seaforths, from Vancouver, the boys from Mississauga and the Highlanders from Montreal were mowed down almost before they left the security of their own lines. And when they tried to take cover in the shell holes they died horribly. The gas—the ultimate weapon, which was supposed to nullify all opposition—was waiting for them in the slime.







54 th Bn Canadian Infantry, 1915-1919 —Nominal Roll:

Killed in action.

He was one of 141 men from his regiment killed on this day [Battle for Hill 145].

Picture from VAC Canada Remembers: Canadian Virtual War Memorial

SMITH, Private Henry Crozier

(On Nelson Cenotaph as H.C. Smith)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, Saskatchewan Regiment, 54 th Battalion


Age at Death: 45

Place of Burial: Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :


Previous Military Experience: Served in Calcutta Light Horse

Date and Place of Birth: 18 January, 1871 [attestation papers give year as 1875.

Correction made in 54 th

Bn Canadian Infantry, 1915-1919 ]; Kirknewton, Scotland

Occupation: Rancher

Residence: Longbeach, BC

Next of Kin: Dorothy ( Reynolds) Crozier Smith (Wife), Molly Gibson PO, BC; Major

General William Smith (Father), Cheltenham, England




54 th Bn Canadian Infantry, 1915-1919:

Henry Crozier Smith’s brief sojourn at Longbeach in British Columbia’s Kootenay district was part of a life characterized by happenstance and adventure. From his birthplace in

Scotland, through his education in England, employment in international trade, service in

India, agriculture in Canada to his final resting place in the battlefields of the First World

War, Henry’s journey reflects responses to circumstances as they occurred. His birth in a manse in Kirknewton, Midlothian, Scotland on January 18, 1871 occurred there because his father, William Smith, was currently serving with the Royal Army and his mother, Emma

Corrie (nee Crozier), had gone to stay with William’s brother, the Reverend Henry Wallis

Smith of the Church of Scotland, so that she would be with family during her pregnancy.

Henry received at least a part of his education at Dulwich College (1887-8) south of London while his father was stationed in India. He later had a post in a firm (perhaps owned by another uncle, James George Smith) involved in trade with India in commodities such as cloth and tea. The trading company became insolvent in the early 1900’s but this venture led

Henry to a period of service in India with the Calcutta Light Horse, a regiment of the India

Volunteer Force. These reserves were recruited mostly from among middle-class expatriates who made up the British mercantile and commercial community in India. This regiment had seen no active service since 1857. Thacker’s Indian Directory has two entries for an

H.C.Smith in the first years of the century, one employed as an assistant in a jute operation and another as a proprietor in a publishing concern.

The Canadian West was opening up at the time and the Canadian government undertook a vigorous advertising campaign with incentives to attract young men to agricultural pursuits.

At age 32, Henry took up the offer of free passage to Canada in return for a commitment to provide a year of service as an agricultural labourer. He sailed from Liverpool on March 19,

1903 on the steamship SS Bavarian of the Allan Line arriving in Halifax on March 28. This ship’s passenger manifest lists his occupation as farmer (although there is no evidence of any experience in this field!) and his ultimate destination as Winnipeg. Also listed as a passenger on this voyage was H.H.Sewell who, as did Henry, worked on a farm in the Souris area of

Manitoba. Finding the climate disagreeable and the service commitment having been fulfilled, the two men headed off the next spring for the more temperate climate of

Vancouver. The weather was to dictate their plans again, however. Having reached Medicine

Hat on their journey west on the CPR rail line, they encountered a washout of the track

between there and Calgary. Rather than wait the several days it would have taken for the repairs, they learned that a train on an adjacent siding was heading for Nelson in the interior of British Columbia and impulsively decided to take it.

The two men arrived in Nelson in the spring of 1904 to find a land boom in progress, mainly due to a flourishing apple growing industry. They found work quickly on the Campbell

Ranch at Willow Point and later that year purchased the Clubb Ranch, an area of 90 acres on the north shore, from Hong Wing Chong for $9 per acre. Family lore has it that they bought the ranch, sight unseen, in a deal made in the Savoy Hotel in Nelson and took the paddle wheeler, the Moyie, up the Kootenay Lake to their new property. They found the land to be in poor shape as the former owner had planted strawberries among the rocks and stumps but they set about to clear it with the help of Chinese locals to make it fit for cultivation. They lived first in a shack and began construction of a house, the first regularly occupied dwelling in the area later called Longbeach. When it was ready, Sewell sent for his sister, Agnes

Sewell, to take up housekeeping for the two bachelors. In 1906, they were joined by Henry’s brother, Commander Burrard Archibald Smith, recently retired from the China Station of the

Royal Navy. Archie had decided to visit his brother Henry on the return trip to England.

However, having seen the property on Kootenay Lake, he decided to stay and became a partner. In 1907, the partners sold 10 acres and the log shack to a Mr. Woodward and that fall, Sewell, his sister Agnes and Woodward left for Arizona. Henry and his brother,

Archibald farmed together until they dissolved their partnership upon Henry’s marriage to

Dorothy Agnes Mary Reynolds on September 8, 1909. Dorothy was the daughter of a

Church of England priest in nearby Harrop. The Reverend Charles Herbert Reynolds had served as a missionary and chaplain to the British embassy in India, where Dorothy was born, and was a missionary at Harrop from 1908 to 1911. Archibald bought uncleared land nearby, now known as Craigend, leaving the original parcel and the house to Henry and his bride. They later built another house further up the mountainside. Herbert William was born to Henry and Dorothy on July 26, 1910. Henry sold another 10 acres of the Clubb Ranch to

W. Paul Meares in 1910.

In 1915, with war raging in Europe, Henry enlisted with the Canadian Over-Seas

Expeditionary Force at Vernon Camp, B.C. He was assigned the rank of private in the 54 th

Battalion. On his attestation paper signed on May 7, 1915, Henry gives his birth date as

January 18, 1875, four years later than his actual birth. He was 44 years old at the time of enlistment and the army regulations at the time set 45 years of age as the maximum for recruits. Perhaps he feared that his age would be a barrier and thus felt it wise to shave off a few years. After training at Vernon, he proceeded to England arriving December 2, 1915 and went to Bramshott for further training in preparation for service at the front. Dorothy and

Herbert followed him to England and moved in with Henry’s father and other family members at Balcarras House, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham.

Henry was eventually assigned to the Machine Gun Section. His letters to Dorothy indicate that leave was difficult to obtain during this time but there were several opportunities for visits with her and other family and friends in England. Dorothy meanwhile worked in hospitals with the British Red Cross. Henry and his battalion were sent to the continent on

August 12, 1916, first to Belgium and then to France.

In a letter from the trenches to Dorothy dated October 28, 1916 Henry refers to a letter from his brother Archie and replies, "I think the place had better be sold for what it will fetch."

Later in the same letter he laments "It is a pity we should have to sell the Ranch so cheap but

I think it had better be done if possible. It will certainly be in a poor state when we get back and I think we might do better elsewhere. Anyway, it looks as if it would be a long time before I am ready for it again! I wish they would hurry up and finish the old war. I have had quite enough of it and I want to go to bed for a month or so on end!" Henry was wounded on

November 25, 1916 while taking Desire Trench in the Battle of the Somme. He was admitted to the British Red Cross Hospital in Etaples, France and apparently Dorothy was able to visit him there before he died on November 28. He is buried in the Etaples Military

Cemetery.

Henry’s widow sold the Clubb Ranch to a Mr. Harvey in England. He, his wife and two sons lived on the property for a few years but soon returned to England for the boys’ education.

The property was sold to a Mr. Kingsley and since then has been subdivided extensively and has had many owners.

Pte. Smith’s war diary is online at: http://www.54thbattalioncef.ca/WARPAGES/HC%20SMITH.htm#HENRY%20CROZIER-

SMITH ]

The Daily News , February 3, 1917:

One of the oldest timers of Longbeach, Pte. Henry Crozer Smith, has died of wounds received in France. He left with a Kootenay battalion.

54 th

Bn Canadian Infantry, 1915-1919:

Henry Crozier Smith was wounded with a gunshot wound to the back in the attack on Desire

Trench on November 18, 1916. He died from the wounds on November 28.

54 th Bn Canadian Infantry, 1915-1919

From "Cinquante-Quatre: Being a Short History of the 54 th

Canadian Infantry Battalion

By One of Them"

Our movements now alternated between the front line, Chalk Pits and Albert, until the 13 th of

November, when we took over the line and made preparations for our attack on Desire Trench, and these days were among the most grueling and exhausting in the experience of the Battalion.

This was to be part of a big trench- to- trench attack, and our object was to capture Desire Trench.

This was put off from day to day until the morning of the 18 th of November. At daybreak on the

18 th we advanced under a barrage with a heavy snowstorm raging. The enemy was evidently expecting this attack and put up a stiff resistance, but after hard fighting we succeeded in capturing Desire Trench and support trench and held in until relieved the following night by the

72 nd Battalion. In this attack our Battalion gained high praise for the manner in which they kept direction when advancing under very trying circumstances, reaching their objective on "the exact front" laid down.

Private Henry Crozier Smith was apparently among those wounded in this operation. He was moved from the field to the Number 6 British Red Cross Hospital at Etaples on November 25 where he was reported as dangerously ill with a gunshot wound to the back, penetrating. Henry died on November 28 th . He is buried in the Commonwealth Military Cemetery at Etaples, France.

Dorothy and Pte. Henry Crozier Smith and son Herbert



SMITH, Private Norbert Joseph

(On Nelson Cenotaph as N. Smith)



Battalion


Age at Death: 21

Place of Burial: Courcelette British Cemetery, Somme, France

Medals :



Date and Place of Birth: 11 September, 1895; Bayswater, London, England

Occupation: Rancher

Residence: Gray Creek, BC

Next of Kin: E.F. Smith (Father), Gray Creek, BC




Was rejected originally under the first medical regulations; finally enlisted in August, 1915.

54 th


—Nominal Roll:

Ki lled in action.

SMITH, Private Roy

(On Nelson Cenotaph as R. Smith)



Battalion


Age at Death: 34

Place of Burial: Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :

Attestation: 28 August, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness, Capt. G. Anderson)


Date and Place of Birth: 10 June, 1883; Port Elgin, Bruce County, Ont.

Occupation: Engineer

Residence:

Next of Kin: Mrs. Millburn, Chattanooga, Tenn., USA; relations also in Dauphin, Man.

Religion:



Military Papers:

Wounded on 11 April, 1917, by shrapnel in the back; died 20 April, 1917 from infection.

STEPHENSON, Private Harry

(On Nelson Cenotaph as H. Stephenson)


Military Unit: Canadian Machine Gun Corps, 6 th

Company

Date of Death: 23 August, 1917 (Lens)

Age at Death: 34

Place of Burial: Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :


Battalion)

Previous Military Experience: Served with South African Constabulary

Date and Place of Birth: 5 September, 1882; Stocton-on-Tees, England

Occupation: Mill Foreman


Next of Kin: Mrs. Mary Stephenson (Mother), Stocton-on-Tees, England








Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group: Hill 70: 6 th

Bde Cdn Machine Gun Goy

Casualties [Web site]: From

The Journal of Private Fraser , edited by Reginald H. Roy, published 1998, by CEF Books.

(When Donald Fraser joined the 6 th Bde CGM Coy. in late 1916, he made the following notes concerning his crew mates in his diary):

…a crowded dug-out is a great medium for an introduction to one’s comrades…Harry

Stevenson [sic], another B.C. man, a transfer from, I think, the 54 th Battalion. Had seen service in South Africa in the Boer War, but was not destined to see the end of this one.

21 August/17—Our section was unlucky; a shell exploded and mortally wounded Sgt.

McGirr, badly wounding Harry Stevenson ... Word was sent down to our position, which adjoined the communication trench, for four stretcher bearers to carry Harry Stevenson out.

This was the second call on our gun crew for assistance ... McCormick, Jackson, Nick and I responded to the call ... The whole idea was that as soon as Harry Stevenson was picked up and taken away, the gun crews would retire as we were surrounded ... A council of action was held and in a few minutes it was decided that, as soon as possible, two with a stretcher would run to an old German dug-out about fifty yards away where Harry Stevenson lay grievously wounded and pick him up and bring him in. Bud Willox and Elwood volunteered for the job. Both were husky, resolute fellows. In a moment or two the place became enveloped in a fog of smoke and brick dust caused by exploding shells and the two dashed out with the stretcher and in a few minutes reappeared with Harry who was absolutely all in.

After that it was decided that McCormick and Jackson would lead off with the stretcher and fifty yards would be followed by Nick and myself as relief stretcher bearers and later on one by one of the crews would beat it out. Jackson and McCormick grabbed the stretcher and away they went, then Nick. When I reached the entrance to the trench, I turned round, waved to those behind and was gone. After a long, arduous spell with many squeaks and narrow shaves and the lives almost scared out of us, we reached the dressing station. One has to go through such an experience to really understand what it is to carry a wounded man through a double bombardment and without any supporting straps ... Before long Nick and I had to relieve the other two. After several exchanges Nick's fingers lost their grip entirely and he dropped his end of the stretcher shaking up Harry badly. The three of us handled the situation for the rest of the way ... If we had delayed our departure from the outpost a few minutes longer, I am afraid Stevenson's fate would have been sealed as he would have been abandoned. A few days later information reached us that Harry died at Etaples ... After turning Harry over to the Red Cross, we retired to our cellar and were given a tot of rum.

Never did rum taste so good.

STEVENS, Sergeant Reginald Stuart


R.S. Stevens)




Age at Death: 31


Medals :


Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 1 February, 1886; Limberscombe, Somerset, England

Occupation: Rancher

Residence: Appledale, BC; Perry’s Siding, BC

Next of Kin: Robert Stevens, Limberscombe, Somerset, England







J.J. Campbell, Willow Point, has been notified from the adjutant-general’s office in reply to an inquiry that Sergt. Reginald Stuart Stevens of Perry’s Siding, who was in Mr. Campbell’s employ, was killed in action on April 14. Mr. Campbell says he was a fine young fellow and a great favorite.

He was one of 12 men from his regiment killed on that day.

STIRLING, Private Alexander (Sandy) Thomson


A.T. Stirling)



Battalion


Age at Death: 22


Medals :

Attestation: 10 July, 1915, Vernon Camp


Date and Place of Birth: 25 December, 1894; Glasgow, Scotland

Occupation: Rancher

Residence: Waneta, BC

Next of Kin: John & Isabella Stirling (Parents), Waneta, BC





Waneta, B.C - Mr. and Mrs. John Stirling have received word that their second son, A.T.

(Sandy) Stirling has been killed in action in France. He was 22 years old. He enlisted in the

54 th battalion in 1915.

He was one of 525 men from his regiment killed on that day [Battle of Vimy Ridge].

STRATTON, Private Buchan Anthony


B. Stratton)



Battalion


Age at Death: 27


Medals :



Date and Place of Birth: 13 February, 1889; London, England

Occupation: Rancher

Residence: Longbeach, BC

Next of Kin: Buchan Francis Stratton, Cheswick, London, England




Also listed on the Procter Cenotaph.

Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935:

Immigrated to Canada with his brother Richard F. Stratton, in May, 1910 aboard the vessel

Megantic ; destination is Nelson, BC.


R.F. Stratton and B.A. Stratton were in Nelson on Friday for the purpose of enlisting in the

Kootenay and Boundary battalion. The former was accepted and they both returned to the ranch Saturday. R.F. Stratton left Harrop yesterday to take up his quarters in Nelson.


Word has been received that Pte. Buchan A. Stratton of Longbeach has been killed in action in recent fighting on the Somme. Pte. Stratton, who was well known in the district, was at first turned down on account of his eye sight, but persistent in his application, he was taken by a Kootenay-Boundary battalion and went overseas. He became a stretcher-bearer and it is said was an expert in his duties. A brother, Dr. Ernest Stratton of London, gave up his practice at the outbreak of the war and secured a commission in the Middlesex territorials, with which regiment he is now in India relieving one of the imperial units drafted to France.

Another brother, Richard, is in the same battalion to which his brother was attached at the time of his death and the youngest holds a commission and is at the front with a battalion from England .

TATTERSALL, Private Thomas

(On Nelson Cenotaph as T. Tattersall)



Battalion

Date of Death: 3 September, 1916 (Pozieres Ridge)

Age at Death: 43

Place of Burial: 2 nd

Canadian Cemetery, Somme, France

Medals :

Attestation: 19 August, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain G. Anderson) (54 th

Battalion)

Previous Military Experience: Served for 5 years with the 2 nd Volunteers,

East Lancs.

Date and Place of Birth: 27 August, 1873; Burnley, Lancashire, England [1911

Canadian Census gives his birth date as 1867; immigration records indicate birth year as

1868]

Occupation: Rancher


Next of Kin: Mrs. D. Tattersall (Wife), Appledale, BC







Immigrated with his wife (Elizabeth) and four children, Liverpool to Quebec, arriving 2 June

1911, on the vessel Virginian ; destination at that time was Regina, Sask. Lists his age as 43.


Signed up with his son, James, in August, 1915, at 41 years old – left Nelson for Vernon; son was 20.


Appledale, B.C., Sept.18—Word was received last week that Pte. J. Tattersall was wounded and since died in hospital in France.

Andrew Gill, Burnley in the Great War , 2008 http://burnleyinthegreatwar.info/

LETTER IN FATHER'S HAVERSACK

HOW NEWS OF FORMER BURNLEYITE CAME

SONS SAD MESSAGE

(Burnley Express & Advertiser 13th September 1916)

Many people of Fulledge and Sion will deeply regret to hear of the death, in action, of Mr.

Tom Tattersall, an old Fulledge day school boy under the late Mr. E. Jones, and who was connected with Sion Church and Sunday Schools up to about 20 years ago. It will, indeed be news to them that he was in the Army at all, for he was a man of about 46 years of age, but it will interest and inspire them to know that when his son joined the Canadian forces the father said he would go with him, ands father and son were in the same company of the 2nd

Batt. of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Now the son has had the sad experience of seeing his father killed.

The manner in which the tragic news has reached Burnley is also extraordinary. Mr. Tom

Tattersall has for years been in correspondence with Mr. Robert S. Heap, of the firm of

Messrs. Baldwin and Heap. Machinists, and it appears that the son found on his father’s body a letter addressed to Mr. Heap, and ready for posting. He accordingly forwarded this,

with the accompanying note :-

“I found this in my father’s haversack this morning. He was killed yesterday. I do not feel at all like writing, so if you reply soon I will tell you more about it. – Pte. James Tattersall.”

The late Pte. Tom Tattersall as we have said was exceedingly well known in Burnley up to

20 years ago. He was the son of the late Ben Tattersall, who was the engineer at Barnes Mill, and himself worked in the mill. Afterwards he went to Earby for several years, but about 10 years ago emigrated to British Columbia, where he went in for fruit farming. In Burnley he resided in Burnley Lane and many of his old school friends remember him with affection.

The letter which the son forwarded under such sad circumstances is typical of the deceased cheerful nature. In it he says :- “ In normal times it is good to say we are in good health, but in these times one thinks himself very lucky to say he is all here, seeing there are so many

‘pieces’ flying about at times, but no ‘peace’. Things are very lively, and, thank God, so far we have been very lucky. We have both (my son and I) had a few very narrow shaves. I have a little piece of shell, only about 4oz. in weight, which just missed my shoulder by an inch or two, and buried itself in the sandbag behind me. Oh well, a miss is as good as a mile, is it not, and this is a very common occurrence here. Bullets have no terrors for me at all, but these ‘minnies’ , ‘sausages’, ‘whiz-bangs’ &c, are not great friends of mine, and I don’t care at all to make their acquaintance. They are no respecters of persons, and they take a lot of skin off at times. I am pleased to say I think we have got Fritz where we want him, and if the supply of shells is kept up we can keep him there. Nobody knows the true value of shells only the man at the front and I trust the supply will increase, if possible. – Yours sincerely, your old chum Tom.”


3 September/16—Trenches (Bapaume Sector)—Weather very fine. Trenches drying up.

Bombardment continued.

4 September/16—During this tour in trenches our losses from enemy shelling were heavy.

25 O.R. killed, 1 officer and 89 O.R. wounded.


Canadian Battalion (East Ontario Regiment) Canadian

Expeditionary Force in the Great War 1914-1919

—Nominal Roll:

Killed in action


Son, James Tattersall was wounded three times [but apparently survived the war.]

One of 18 men from his regiment killed on that day (Battle of Pozieres Ridge)

Photo from Burnley in the Great War

TATTRIE, Private William

(On Nelson Cenotaph as W. Tattrie)




Age at Death: 39


Medals :



Date and Place of Birth: 6 February, 1877; Tatamagouche, NS

Occupation: Miner

Residence: Sandon, BC

Next of Kin: George & Marjorie Menzie Tattrie, Tatamagouche, NS





Answered Canada’s Call, and Paid the Supreme Sacrifice,” and also on the Tatamagouche

War Memorial, Colchester County, NS.

54 th







54 th


—Nominal Roll:

Killed in action.

RootsWeb (Ancestry.com), Nova-Scotia-L Archives , Posting by John Donaldson, 28

November, 2007:

It is quite possible that the person you are referring to is William M.Tattrie. He was born in

1876 to George Tattrie, and Marjorie (May or Maizie) Tattrie, nee Menzie. I have a rather terse note about him which reads "William was very strong, he could pick up a barrel of whiskey and put it up on the bar. He saw action in World War I. He went overseas and was shot".

Tatamagouche War Memorial

Photo from VAC: Virtual Canadian War Memorial

TAYLOR, Private John

(On Nelson Cenotaph as J. Taylor)



Battalion

Date of Death: 30 March, 1916 (St. Eloi Craters)

Age at Death: 36

Place of Burial: Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France

Medals :

Attestation: 2 June, 1915, Vernon Camp, BC. (Witness Capt. G. Anderson) (54 th

Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 2 November, 1879; Springvale, County Antrim, Ireland

Occupation: Rancher

Residence:

Next of Kin: Travis Joseph Taylor, Springvale, County Antrim, Ireland




The Daily News , 26 November, 1915:

Left Nelson with the 2 nd contingent of the 54 th Battalion.

Scudamore, Thomas Venables. A Short History of the 7 th

Battalion, C.E.F

.

Died of wounds.

TAYLOR, Private Richard

(On Nelson Cenotaph as R. Taylor)



Battalion

Date of Death: 10 November, 1917 (Hill 52—Passchendaele)

Age at Death: 40


Medals :


Battalion)

Previous Military Experience: Served for 3 years with the Imperial Scots Greys

and for 18 months with the H. Light Horse

Date and Place of Birth: 31 January, 1877; Leith, Scotland

Occupation: Blacksmith


Next of Kin: Katherine (Mrs. George) Taylor, Edinburgh, Scotland





Letter from Lieut. D.A. McQuarrie re Nelson men he met “on the other side”: “Dick Taylor, who was shot through the chest, but who is now fit again.”

Scudamore, T.V., A Short History of the 7 th

Battalion, C.E.F

.:

On the 10 th November, the battalion took part in the general attack made to extend the gains and to include the whole of the [Paschaendaele] Ridge, which commanded the country as far as Roulers. The attack commenced at dawn under conditions that were so discouraging that they baffle description. In a grey, cold dawn with the rain pouring down in torrents, the whole country a quagmire, the attack was carried with great élan. Within two hours the battalion had reached its objective, in spite of every obstacle….The Germans swept the crest of the Ridge with shells of every caliber. Only the nature of the ground, which was little better than a morass, prevented the battalion being exterminated, but as it was, the mud neutralized to some extent the explosions of the shells.

7 th


10 November/17—Passchendaele area—At 6:05 a.m. 10/11/17 the company attacked. On the right the objective was gained and connections made with 20 th Can Inf Battn on the right, without encountering opposition other than enemy shelling. The left flank had advanced beyond its objective and veered slightly to the right. About 20 prisoners were taken in

Venison Trench. Sniping was very heavy from Venison Trench making movement impossible until it had been stopped….Orders were given for this pill box to be taken. [The pill box was taken] Two M.G.s were found in the pill box along with about eighteen prisoners. Our wounded were all evacuated from the trench except for one about whom there is some doubt….The company was greatly bothered by many aircraft during the whole tour, they constantly firing on our men with m. guns. We had a few casualties through our

artillery firing short on zero day and following days. At about 3:30 p.m. the enemy were seen to be assembling in rear of Venison Trench and a report sent to H.Q. asking for artillery fire. This fire broke up the enemy and they retired in disorder, numbers of them were picked off by our men.



THOMAS, Private Albert

(On Nelson Cenotaph as A. Thomas)


Military Unit: Canadian Infantry, Saskatchewan Regiment, 28 th

Battalion

Date of Death: 22 July, 1917 (Trenches at Fosse 10)

Age at Death: 24

Place of Burial: Fosse No.10, Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas-de-Calais,

France

Medals :


Battalion)

Previous Military Experience: Served with the Rocky Mountain Rangers

Date and Place of Birth: 12 April, 1893; Banbury, England

Occupation: Waiter


Next of Kin: Sarah Annie (Mrs. David) Thomas (Mother), Hampstead, London,

England





Enlisted in the 54 th battalion at Nelson.

28 th


22 July/17—Fosse 10—Billets shelled with H.V.8” Gun during forenoon. Some damage caused to property and a few casualties. Relief commenced at 9:15 p.m. Heavy bombardment with T.M.’s was in progress and enemy attempted raid on 26 th Battalion just prior to and during relief….1 O.R. killed.

THOMPSON, Private George Purvis


G. Thompson)



Date of Death: 6 November, 1917 (Passchendaele)

Age at Death: 20


Medals :


Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 9 November, 1896; Nine Mile River, NS

Occupation: Cook’s Helper

Residence: Sandon, BC

Next of Kin: George Albert Thompson (address unknown)







New Denver, B.C. Nov. 29 - Word has been received of the death in action of Pte. George

Thompson, who enlisted early in 1915 with the 54 th battalion.



THOMPSON, Private Samuel Arnold


S.A. Thompson)



Battalion

Date of Death: 13 July, 1916

Age at Death: 44


Medals :


Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 27 January, 1872

Occupation: Farmer/Rancher

Residence: Appledale, BC; Passmore, BC

Next of Kin: Charles Thompson (Father), Ellisboro, Sask.




Listed on the Honour Roll at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Nelson; also listed on the

Silverton Memorial Hall dedicated “To the Boys of the Slocan Who Answered Canada’s

Call, and Paid the Supreme Sacrifice.”


Pte. S.A. Thompson whose death from wounds was reported in the casualty lists published yesterday morning, enlisted at Nelson with the 54 th battalion and went overseas with the second draft from that unit (Nov/15), afterwards being drafted to a field battery. Before enlisting he operated a ranch at Passmore, about a mile and half from Koch’s siding. His father lives at Ellisboro, Sask. He was 46 years of age .


WARD, Private Nathan Alexander

(On Nelson Cenotaph as N. Ward)



Battalion

Date of Death: 22 December, 1915

Age at Death: 36

Place of Burial: Shorncliffe Military Hospital, Kent, England

Medals :

Attestation: 15 June, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain G. Anderson)


Date and Place of Birth: 13 November, 1879; Harcourt, Kent County, NB

Occupation: Miner; Lumberman

Residence:

Next of Kin: John D. Ward (Father), Harcourt, Kent Co., NB

Religion: Methodist






Word has been received from England stating that N.A. Ward, who went overseas with C company draft from the 54 th battalion and was attached to the 30 th battalion in England, died of pneumonia and was buried with full military honors on Christmas eve from St. John’s hospital. Ward was a lumberman and enlisted with the 54 th battalion in Nelson.


Trout Lake, B.C., Jan. 29 - He has spent a number of years in the province and was well known in Nelson and the Lardeau district where he was regarded as a first class miner.

WILTON, Private Ernest Roy

(On Nelson Cenotaph as R. Wilton)



Battalion

Date of Death: 10 April, 1918 (Armentières)

Age at Death: 22

Place of Burial: Houchin British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Medals :

Attestation: 8 June, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain G. Anderson) (54 th

Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 29 April, 1895; Near Kearney, ON

Occupation: Farmer


Next of Kin: William & Sarah Wilton (Parents), Koch’s Siding, BC






Thomas Venables Scudamore, A Short History of the 7 th

Battalion, C.E.F

.—Nominal

Roll:

Reported to have died of wounds.

Family tree: http://jearnshaw.me.uk/tree/15364.htm



WOOD, Private John Ernest

(On Nelson Cenotaph as J. Wood)



Battalion

Date of Death: 29 April, 1916 (St. Eloi)

Age at Death: 23

Place of Burial: Courtrai (St. John) Communal Cemetery, Belgium

Medals :

Attestation: 6 May, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness A.D. Oliver) (54 th Battalion)


Date and Place of Birth: 26 November, 1892; Norman, Ontario

Occupation: Mill Hand

Residence: Nelson, BC; Winlaw, BC

Next of Kin: John Walton Wood (Father), Erickson, BC; formerly Nelson, BC







Went overseas with 2 nd contingent.


Word has been received by Miss Florence Wood of Creston that her brother, Pte. John Wood has been listed among the missing in the recent engagements in Flanders, in which the

Canadian forces have taken such an active part. Pte. Wood, who is 23 years of age, is a son of J.W. Wood of Nelson and is well known in the city and throughout the district. He enlisted at the same time as Pte. John Pike, who was reported missing yesterday. The two

Nelson boys, it is said, were close companions while their battalion was in training and also fought side by side in the trenches. It is expected, however, that when the lists are completed, a number of those reported as missing, as in the past, will be located in German prison camps .


Word of the death of Pte. John E. Wood, 29 th battalion, in a Belgian hospital was received

Wednesday night by his father, J.W. Wood of Erickson, at present employed at the J.S.

Deschamp mill, Nelson. Pte. Wood, who was reported missing in casualties on April 20, left

Nelson with the 54 th battalion and was drafted to the 29 th battalion, with which unit he went to the front. Tuesday next a requiem mass will be celebrated for him under the auspices of the Knights of Columbus.

54 th


Enlisted at Nelson on 1 May 1915 with 54 th . Transf. to 29 th Bn Oct 1915. Wounded and taken prisoner at St. Julien and later died of wounds whilst a P.O.W.
