Lance Sergeant William George Arthur Fell
679254
Born Montreal Quebec in 1883
Lived at 438 Clendenan Ave. Toronto, ON
Killed in Action – July 23rd, 1917 at the attack on Fosse 4 at Avion, France
Commemorated on Vimy Memorial, Vimy France.
“But does that mean there is a chance that daddy’s ok?”
Hope was all she had. Despite the seemingly slim chances, there was still a chance. On or about Aug 17th, the news travelled across from France to Toronto to inform Inazetta that her husband, Bill had been wounded in battle. The letters informed her that Lance Sergeant William “Bill” George Arthur Fell had received a bullet wound just above the heart while the 116th Ontario County Battalion was engaged in a raid. The raid near the town of Avion in France was the bloodletting that the senior brass executed to test the battalion and see if the boys were up to the task of future missions. It was during this exercise, just after 1am on the morning of July 23rd, 1917, where he was wounded in the field.
The letter detailed that “Long before you have, of course, heard of Sergt Fell of having been wounded. The sergeant who dressed his wounds tells me that “Bill” went out with a bombing party as scout-sergeant and received a bullet wound just above the heart, the ball passing clean through his body, but he is in good condition.”
These would be the best worst news that Inazetta could hear. The family breadwinner, the father of her 5 year old daughter Verna was seriously injured but would be, should be ok. That is all she heard. Then…silence. A full month would pass by before the next letter with more details would arrive. In the meantime, there would be no letters sent home from Bill. Just silence and worry. News of the deaths of other men from his original battalion, the 169th would arrive. Toronto natives, 40 year old Alfred Litherland and 27 year old Frederick Gouldsbrough were recorded as having been killed in the same raid.
On September 15th a letter promising hope arrived from Bill’s brother Arthur. Arthur and Bill were very close and worked together in Toronto. Bill was a master painter and decorator, while Arthur worked alongside him in his business. Bill was also active in the community and was a prominent member of the Stanley Freemason Lodge rising to the Senior Warden’s chair before enlisting for the war effort. The letter from Arthur provided additional colour to his injuries. He validated that William was indeed wounded in the chest…however, while he was out in the field with four stretcher bearers, none of the 5 men returned. In addition, none of their remains nor their badges nor any evidence that they were killed was recovered. Arthur indicated that it was suspected that the men wandered into German lines, while looking for help for Bill and were all taken prisoner.
Now place oneself into the shoes of Inazetta and her daughter. It must have been a most torturous time for their family. They knew that their father and husband has received a bullet wound to his chest, in the area just above his heart. That had to be the most severe of injuries. They must have known that his chances of survival were slim…and they would start to emotionally deal with his loss when another letter would arrive indicating that there was still a chance he was going to be ok. The emotional rollercoaster they were on must have been sheer torture.
One more month would pass before the official news would come from the Department of Records. On Oct 3rd, 1917 Lance Sergeant William Fell was declared “missing”. Not “missing and presumed dead”…”missing”. The letters from family and friends was one thing…however now the army itself was indicating that Bill might still be alive.
The winter of 1917 descended upon Toronto and the men of the battalion engaged in more combat…first helping take Hill 70 in August, then joining the final push to take Passchendaele in November. Meanwhile, the letters that promised hope would start to tail off. December…nothing arrived. January would arrive and still no new news. Meanwhile, Inazetta and Verna would have to go to bed each night being comforted by the fleeting hope that good news would soon arrive. Yet, finally, on the last day of February, the worst, but probably the update they most expected arrived. The Department of Records expressed that in spite of “exhaustive inquiries” they “have failed to discover any grounds which would justify the assumption that Serg. William Fell may still be alive.” With that declaration, on March 5, 1918 in the Toronto Evening Telegram Lance Sergeant William George Arthur Fell was declared ‘wounded, presumed dead’.
Another casualty of the great war. Another soldier from the 116th who would not return home. Another child who would grow up without her father. Remember him.
Lest we forget.