Private Issac Beauchamp

Private Isaac Beauchamp

644654 (originally with the 157th Simcoe Foresters)

Born Penetanguishine Ontario

Killed in Action – Aug 30, 1917 Hill 70

Another rush of cold air aided in hustling the men into the line. Still, despite being bundled in their heavy winter weather gear the warm smiles shared amongst them were the key to easing the sharp chill in the air. It took dedicated and patriotic men to brave a cold February weather and trek into town and enlist with the 157th. Especially when the raising was taking place on the town situated at the edge of Georgian Bay, Penetanguishene. It was the winter of 1916 where from their offices in Collingwood, Orillia, Barrie, Midland, Coldwater, New Lowell and here in Penetanguishene, the 157th Simcoe Foresters signed up men to join the cause and enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces.

The day was February 10, 1916. 38 men put pen to paper and joined the ranks of the 157th. As they shuffled their way through the office, each man filled out the requisite forms which were then was authorized by local Lieutenant John Hogg and the Lieutenant Colonel of the newly formed unit, Lt. Col David Henry MacLaren. The battalion MO then conducted checks on all the men, measuring their height, chest size, and recording down their particulars. The collection of recruits included a number of recognizable faces. Frank Anderson, Frank Cadieux, the Piette brothers, Ralph McColl and Ernest Sweet. Then there were Napoleon and Joseph Picotte. And the other Napoleon, Dault. The there was Isaac. Isaac Beauchamp.

At 21 years of age, Isaac joined up with his mates to ensure he did not miss the big show. They all did. All the guys wanted to ensure that they would join in on the fun. Thus, he followed his friends (new and old) to Camp Borden to train. The men completed their basic training in the Spring and Summer of 1916 before setting off to England in the Fall. They arrived in England on Oct 28th and to their collective disappointment, the battalion was broken up and distributed to other battalions for service in France. Thankfully a significant allotment of the men was sent to one battalion being readied for war in Flanders. It was the 116th Battalion. Isaac Beauchamp was now an Umpty-Ump.

I will jump forward to the circumstances of his death…all of which are scarce and limited. No individual picture exists of the man…at least not one of his face. He is one of the soldiers pictured in a group photograph of the 157th Simcoe Foresters…maybe? While he is buried at the Aix-Noulette Communal Cemetery near Lens, online pictures of his gravestone have yet to be posted. Even the circumstances of his death are vague. The official record merely shows that he was KILLED IN ACTION. The Battalion Diary states “Working parties were supplied for trench digging, etc. in the forward area. Casualties, 2 other ranks killed, 6 other ranks wounded. “ This provides little material to help gain a better insight into the man who gave it his all. Yet a little digging into accounts of the battalion’s history at Hill 70 can provide more colour to his sacrifice.

Between August 18th to the 25th 1917, the CEF embarked on the second largest attack in Canadian history. The attack at Hill 70 was only surpassed in size and scope by the one held at Vimy Ridge. 9,198 Canadian soldiers were killed, wounded or declared missing in the battle of Hill 70. The 116th joined the fray on August 22nd. On the 21st the planned Canadian attack was pre-empted by something totally unexpected. While the men waited in their trenches for the sound of the whistle, the Germans were prepared…more than prepared. They were going to attack the Canucks first! Before the planned jump-off time of 4:38am, the Germans sprung out of their trenches and rushed the Canadians in their trenches first. With the glint of their bayonets occasionally reflecting the light from a towering flare, they sprinted forward upon the unexpecting men. The 27th and 29th Battalions were forced to engage in hand to hand combat from the initiation of combat and the battle which proceeded throughout the day. In their sector, the day’s tally amounted to 7 officers and 58 OR killed with the 29th Battalion along with another 50 men missing and 183 men wounded. Beside them in the 27th Battalion saw 35 men killed, 14 missing and a colossal 248 men wounded. It was a bloodbath.

This horrendous death toll to necessitate calling the still green 116th to relieve the spent 27th on the 22nd of August. Over the next week, 22 additional men from the 116th would fall trying to retain the hard-won positions in the forward trenches. Yet, to be accurate, they were not really trenches. The 27th followed by the 116th were tasked with holding a part of the battlefield which would be more resemble Berlin in WW2 than Vimy or the Somme. They were responsible for the area on the edge of the key city of Lens. Instead of trenches carved out of farm fields they face a demolished, ruined city with piles of bricks and destroyed sections of buildings serving as protection for the men. It was here that the Canadians were tasked with holding onto territory just gained from the Germans. While the Germans moved back on the 25th, they continued to bombard the area now held by the 116th. It was on the final day of their stint at the front, the 31st of August, where somewhere, out there, at a time that was never documented, Isaac Beauchamp’s war would come to an end. Let us remember him.

Lest we forget.

Private Arthur Augustus Clark

Private Arthur Augustus Clark

2537330

Born - Port Perry ON

Killed in Action at Raillencourt in Battle of Canal du Nord

The telegram arrived sometime late in the third week of October. It was the fifth year of the war and the newspapers were speculating that the war would soon be over. The boys would be coming home. Arthur would soon be coming home. That was the thought, hope and wishes of Ester and Willard Clark. The buzz of excitement combined with trepidation was shared by all. The notice that a message was going to be delivered was not expected…but at the same time, it was also not entirely unexpected. The Clarks knew that a major attack was taking place over in France and their son was taking part in it. All the moms and dads in town who had sons ‘over there’ were fully aware what it meant when the telegram delivery boy came to your house. And despite this, when they heard the knock at the door, they did not entirely expect it. How could you really? It could have been anyone…but it wasn’t.

Three weeks later, on November 11th with the ringing of the bells in the town churches, it was announced that the war was finally over. Even in those day, news travelled fast. Spontaneous celebrations broke out everywhere. One would expect that all the townsfolks would rise in jubilation. But that was not the case. Three months earlier an historic campaign was initiated to try to end the war. The result was a wave of tragedy reaching into homes in communities across the country and the town of Port Perry was not spared. Along with the Clarks, telegrams were also received by Mr Joseph Hood, Mr. Henry Doubt and Mrs. Francis Clark that month…and that was just for sons killed while serving in the 116th Battalion. Other parents with sons in other battalions would all feel the pain of loss that terrible month. And yet the town still burst with joy at the news. A long parade of cars with banners and flags gather in the town center. Less that two blocks away, the Clarks would be able to see the glow rising above the homes from the huge bonfire being held behind the Post Office. One would have to wonder if the knowledge that while their own son would not be returning, that the sons of their friends and family would provide them a modicum of solace and peace…to know his sacrifice was not in vain.

Their son, Authur Augustus Clark was someone they were proud of. He was a skilled tradesman who lived in a suburban part of Toronto with his home virtually backing on to the newly opened Scarboro Golf Club. While he did not have a family, one would presume that the world was his oyster. Yet, when the call mas made, Artur returned it. On June 14th, 1917 he enlisted with the 10th Royal Grenadier, affiliated with the Royal Regiment of Canada, a storied Canadian military unit. They arrived in England on Dec 7th.

Once in England he was transferred to the 2nd Canadian Reserve Battalion before moving to the 6th Reserve and ultimately joining the 116th on April 7th. At this time the battalion was replacing the men lost from the series of devastating losses in 1917. Drafts of new men were received throughout the spring and additional reinforcements added just prior to the main events in September. On the morning of September 29th, Private Clark and his company had just eliminated the nest of machine guns that decimated A and B companies. They proceeded 1.5 kms west to towards the next objective, a village named Petite Fontaine. It was sometime in the morning on that terrible day when it happened. The details on his death are not known…other than it was simply recorded as having been “Killed in Action”.

Lest we forget.

Lieutenant William Kitchener Kift

Lieutenant William Kitchener Kift

Born: Cannington, ON 1898

Died of Wounds received in the Battle of Vimy Ridge – April 29th, 1917

(4 minute read)

Novembers in Cannington can be fickle. Some years you have to stand out in the rain…some years amidst the flakes of snow and some years, on occasion, you are rewarded with a great day with the sun shining brightly and the cool crisp autumn air helping to straighten your back as you stand respectfully in silence. The assembly of those gathering in attendance has always been sporadic. Some years they remember. Some years they don’t. Local school children are always there, lining the roadside, eagerly awaiting the slow arrival of the marching band followed by the kilted bagpipers. They assemble on the convergence of the three streets in honour of the men who are named on the cenotaph that stands alone in the middle. It was here where, on some special years, marching alongside the veterans were two of the brothers who made it through.

They are the reason why we make the effort to remember. Two of the brother’s names are prominently memorialized on the cenotaph. The names of their two brothers, the ones who marched in the street, are not. Yet, the four of them represent a display of service, selflessness and patriotism that should have us all remembering their name. Kift.

Back in 1914, Cannington was a sleepy rural town of 1200 souls. Then was a different time. Neighbours knew their neighbours. A walk through the town would consist of an endless series of smiles, cordials and well wishes. The Kifts were a prominent family and with the onset of war, the news that one of their younger sons, Harry, had enlisted would be celebrated by all. He signed up with the 20th Central Ontario Battalion on Nov 13, 1914. A few months later two other Kift boys would join the ranks. 23 yr old Horace joined the 37th Northern Ontario Battalion and 25 yr old Leonard joined up with the 23rd Battalion (Later designated as 199th Duchess of Connaught’s Own Irish Canadian Rangers). Three Kift brothers heading off to fight for the colours. All of the townsfolks would have been so proud.

Six months later, and two months after reaching the age of 18, the fourth Kift, William Kitchener earned his commission as a Lieutenant in the 116th Canadian Infantry Battalion. As one by one, the Kift boys left town one can imagine the fear and trepidation shared by their parents Joseph and Elizabeth. It was 1915 and they saw the news reports about the murderous conditions along the Western Front. There was Neuve Chapelle, Second Ypres and Artois. Regional newspapers would include the names of local chaps wounded, killed or just going off to war. And now with the third year of the war quickly approaching, four of their sons would be going ‘over there’. Four empty seats at the dinner table. Four empty spots in the local church where the family attended Sunday service. One can imagine the terrible feeling of dread when the telegram delivering boy turned down their street…whether it be to their house or those of their neighbours.

The first telegram to arrive would be the one to inform that Horace was seriously wounded by shellfire at the Somme. He was hit in the thigh and shoulder on the 29th of September 1916. Thankfully he was able to recover from the injuries. Better yet, did was able to serve for the remainder of the war without incurring any additional injuries. However, it wasn’t until he returned to Canada in early 1919 when his health quickly deteriorated. He was sent to the Sanitorium in Hamilton to recover, but the overwhelming stress and burden of war was just too much for his young body. Horace Oswald Kift died on the 28th of February in 1920.

Horace’s eldest brother, Leonard Kift served as a Captain in the 23rd Irish Canadian Rangers. Taking full advantage of his civilian role in banking, he was appointed as Paymaster for the battalion. He was able to return home safe and lived a full life back in Canada. Harry Kift, the third brother, also returned from the war. The pair of them would be able to join the Armistice Day (later Remembrance Day) processions and marched together down McRae to Trootie Street before their thankful friends and townsfolk. Harry would proudly display his Distinguished Conduct Medal earned from the gallantry he displayed at the Battle of Passchendaele.

When Leonard and Harry completed their annual sombre walk to the cenotaph, they would do so with the constant reminder of their missing brothers. Horace, the brother whose body just gave out and William, the youngest of the Kift clan to serve. His story was one that should be remembered. Barely 19 years of age, William was an officer in the 116th Battalion acting as a Lieutenant with approximately 50 men under his care and responsibility. As the battalion readied for the planned attack on Vimy Ridge, William would have trained, prepared and lead the men in executing their orders. On March 13th, when they were serving in the trenches in the lead-up to the attack, he received minor wounds to a hand and leg. With his youthful nonchalance, he merely dusted himself off, bandaged himself up and returned to his men. A month later, William, surrounded by his battalion mates, would watch in reserve as his countrymen achieved a glorious victory on the 9th of April. Then four days later, he was ordered to lead his men into the trenches and form working parties to carry supplies and materials up to the newly won front line trenches. It was here where William was hit. Originally, the wounds from shellfire was not expected to be serious, however as he convalesced back at the Duchess of Westminster Hospital in Le Touquet his situation steadily deteriorated. 47 days after receiving his injury, William became the 12th person to die in the 116th Battalion.

The community of Cannington is situated just a short drive north from Toronto. It is a pleasant town. A small town that still shows a little piece of yesterday for those who care enough to take the side roads on the way north to your cottage or summer rental. As noted, the cenotaph is situated on an island between McRae and Trootie streets…just off Cameron. Next time you head north, make sure you stop by. And as you stand before it to honour the men whose names are listed on the memorial, look for the Kift brothers and as you do so, remember the service and sacrifice of all four of them.

Lest we forget.

Sergeant Harvey Alexander Keller

Sergeant Harvey Alexander Keller

679270

Born; 1884 in Lynden, Ontario

Died from Suicide and result of PTSD – Sept 8th, 1917

Buried at Longuenesse St. Omer Souvenir Cemetery

5:15am, September 8th, 1917

No. 7 Hospital - St. Omer General Hospital

September mornings in France…in-croy-able. As the sun approaches the horizon it reveals a warm orange glow, chases away the cool air and lets it rush through open windows. That is the prime spot for a soldier to be placed when convalescing. With the days still warm, the cool air lets the men sleep soundly. At 5:15 am, Sister Gibbs, the attending nurse, stopped to check in on him. He was already awake and returned a friendly smile upon her approach. He always did since he began his recovery a little over a month ago. The sergeant was wounded in his battalion’s first major operation of the war. “Through and through”….that was how his doctor described it. A minescule fragment of an exploding shell, randomly discharged by some random German gunner far off in the darkness, penetrated one side of his head just behind the ear. It went in, through and out the other side. Through and though.

Sister Gibbs made her regular check up on him and he seemed calm, relaxed and did not demonstrate a hint of any trouble. He was lying back in his bed and smoking a cigarette. Probably a Players. His name was Sergeant Harvey Alexander Keller. He was a native of Toronto and lived on a comfortable, tree-lined street in a neighbourhood called St. Clair West. It was not in the burbs but you could see them from where he lived. Harvey was 31 yr old. He was married to his Scottish bride, Elizabeth. Harvey worked as a clothing cutter in the local garment industry. When the winds of war swept through Toronto, the question of him enlisting was an easy one. Prior to the war, he served in the 109th Kings Own Rifles. While married for 5 years, Harvey and Elizabeth had yet to start a family. Thus, without much delay, he ventured down to the barracks and joined up with the 169th Battalion.

5:30 am

By 5:30am, the boys are all washed, their dressings replaced, their bedpans emptied and are left to get a couple more hours sleep before the new day begins. The ward is quiet. Calm. Nothing but the fresh air cascading over the men, as if blowing away their fears, concerns and allow to focus only upon recovery. Stillness.

5:45 am

An orderly passed by and noticed something amiss. An empty bed.

Sister Gibbs came by to investigate. It was then where she heard the faint sounds of a man groaning. Looking out the window, she saw him. Sergeant Keller was a crumpled into a mess of a man, on the ground below, the bandages of his wounded skull cap starkly visible from their second story opening. Doctors were immediately wakened. Nurses and orderlies rushed to provide aid…however it would be of no help. Within moments Harvey was no more.

A Medical Board was called. Nurse Gibbs told her story. As did Private Saunders who administered aid. Captain Adie was the doctor urgently woken and rushed to help. Medical doctor Captain Wagstaffe provided further context into the nature of his injuries and progress he was making in recovery. Private Ruffell was stationed in his ward and spoke to him daily. They all mentioned how happy and cheerful he was. How he was recovering so well and that he never showed any inclination that he was on the very verge of desperation.

We are left with only guesses. Why? Why did he do it? He patiently waited for the perfect time. Why? Was it something he feared? Did he fear going back? Going back home? Why was this his only option? He had so much to live for…was recovering well. He was expected to make a full recovery. Why? Was it an escape? From what? From whom? Was he of sound mind? Or as he drew on that last puff, and saw the young nurse recede into the distance, retiring from his ward, if only for a few sparse minutes, why did he decide to control his own fate? Why did he decide to end his life and end his war? Why?

Lest we forget.

CQMS Arnold Penman

Company Quartermaster Sergeant Arnold Penman

643810

Born 1878 Ashton, Underlyne, Lancashire, England

Lived in Orillia, ON

Killed in Action - Dec 31, 1917

Buried at Mazingarbe Communal Cemetery Extension

Where does the line exist between duty and expectation when it comes to enlisting to fight and serve? Is it dependent upon when the line is to be drawn or the urgency and need for men to replace those who have fallen? What about married men? Men with children? Should they be called upon to serve? A cause as righteous as the Great War for Civilization (as it was referred to at the time) would it matter one’s age? For some men, the cause was too great and they felt it was their duty to forgo their familiar responsibilities and join the war. One such gentlemen was a man named Arnold Penman.

Arnold Penman was 37 years of age. Just a few years prior, he uprooted his family from their home in England and moved all the way across the world to end up in the sleepy lakeside town of Orillia. Alice, his wife and two young daughters, Lilian and Vera, would hope to establish a new home and life in Canada. Within two years of arriving, however, war broke out and two years after that they came looking for men to sign up and fight ‘over there’. The 157th was the local battalion and long queues of men sought to partake in the big adventure. One would expect that he looked out of sorts when he took his place in the line. Arnold was at least double the age of most of the lads. He would more easily have known the fathers’ of the boys signing up than the young lads themselves. Yet, the draw of expectation and duty was too great for the aging gent and Arnold Penman put pen to paper an joined the cause.

One can imagine the sight of the middle-aged father scaling the heights of the make-shift parapet or plunging his bayonet into the bag serving as the Kaiser. In basic training, the almost 40 yr old soldier would have had to accomplish the same physical exercises as the boys. Yet one could imagine that very morning his body would remind him of his true age. The battalion set off for England in the fall and continued their training at Camp Bramschott. It was here where the officers determined that Arnold would best suit a job fitting his both age and relative fitness…thus, he was appointed Company Quartermaster Sergeant.

For those unaware and unfamiliar with the structure of a battalion, each battalion consisted of about 800-1000 men and was split up into Companies consisting of about 200 men each. A company of 200 men required a significant amount of organization to transport, feed, house, cloth and supply with weapons and ammunition. This was the job of the Quartermaster. Whether the platoons of soldiers be in reserve or up in the line, Arnold had to make sure they were fed. He also needed to make sure they were equipped to fight and had blankets to keep them warm. From the lad’s perspective, Arnold would have been the fatherly figure who looked after them. From warm socks to a fresh pair of pants to replace the ones torn to shreds from crawling through the mud…Quartermaster Penman was their man.

He served as CQMS in both the 157th and in the 116th when they were deployed to France. Prior to every engagement, Penman would be the one who supplied the officers with their jugs of rum to give the men a little liquid courage. He would also be the one who had to adjust the food, clothing and supplies when the battalion reported so many of the men as dead, missing or injured after a night over the bags. That was the plight and burden of the quartermaster…to know the fresh faces, clothe them, feed them and protect them with arms….and to be one of the first in the morning to know their loss when they did not report back for their rations or a change of fresh clothes.

The records do not tell the story of his death…other than “1 other rank wounded, now died.” The battalion has just moved from the line to their Billets in the areas of Houchin. This was a village located west of the town of Lens. It could have been an unlucky shell or the skilled work of a sniper as he supervised the movement of supplies to the front…one would never know. However, it would be certain that the loss of their Quartermaster, the now 40 yr old fatherly figure, Albert Penman would be felt greatly by the men.

Sergeant Penman gave it all…and some may say he gave too much.

Lest we forget.

Private Corless, Private Wood and Private Childs

Private Hubert Snell Corless

775460

Born April 20, 1898 Bolton ON

Killed in Action Oct 30, 1917 Battle of Passchendaele

Buried at Passchendaele British Cemetery

Private William Henry Wood

775584

Born 1899 Bolton ON

Killed in Action July 23, 1917 Fosse 4 Raid at Avion

Buried at Bruay Communal Cemetery

Private Erwin Lorne Childs

775455

Born 1897 Bolton ON

Died 1974, Dearborn Michigan, USA

(3-4 minute read)

Broad smiles and hearty handshakes. And cheerful, excited pats on the back of a mate coupled with a well-timed verbal jab. One by one they arrived at the station. The boys of Bolton; Hubert Corless, Lorne Childs, Eugene Liscombe, Willie Wood, Clarence Bowes, Tommy Smith….and these were just the ones who had already arrived. More than a dozen of the mates from town had signed up to the 126th Peel Battalion. The boys were going off to war.

Each and every one of them looked smart in their khaki best. However, their plump cheeks and hairless visages revealed that while they were dressed like men, they were still only boys. Their lots should have been goofy roughhousing, stammering attempts to talk to girls and typical demonstrations of youthful immaturity. But this was the spring of 1916 and these lads were now Canadian soldiers. They were all pals…pals from the sleepy town of Bolton Ontario and they all joined up to do their bit. With tearful goodbyes and waves of ‘see you soon’ to loves ones lining the station platform, they all turned to each other and shared joyous, youthful gleeful laughter for the remainder of the journey. Those flashes of happy times reflected in their minds for years and years to follow…at least for the ones who remained, that is.

Somewhere in France. Nov 26, 1917…that was how the letter began. Almost two years had passed since they all travelled to the recruiting station in Brampton. They were all barely out of school and yet 7 months later they were walking aboard the Empress of Britain for the journey over there. Shortly after arriving in England, the 126th Peel Battalion, the one they all trained with, a thousand-odd men from the area bounded by Mississauga, Oakville and up through Milton, Brampton, Caledon, Bolton and all the hamlets in between was being broken up. Many of the boys of the 126th joined the 116th Battalion, including the protagonist of the letter Lorne Childs and his close mates Hubert Corless and Willie Wood.

The concept of friends joining up and serving together was quite common. This was the nature of how battalions were raised throughout the Empire. All the lads from local schools, from the town’s factory, plant or mine would all decide to join up and serve together. It was promoted as a way to ensure that friends could spend their war years together, have a few laughs, watch over each other’s backs. It was a perfect way to convince men to join the war effort while keeping morale up. Can one think of a better way to build His Majesty’s forces? Within a few paragraphs of the letter one better understands the weakness in this tactic. The challenge with friends serving together is that, in war friends die. If a particular unit was in the thick of the action, many close friends would be killed. There are many examples where the lads who enlisted from and entire street, team or workplace would be wiped out together. Thankfully, many of the boys that enjoyed that joyous trip to Camp Bordon did return home. However, as evident from his note, a number of them didn’t.

Private William Henry Wood was only 17 years old when he signed up. He was a boy by any definition of the word. The boy was handsome gent with a friendly countenance. However, aren’t we all that in our teenaged years. He was killed in the first real action of the 116th. This was a raid at Fosse 4, a slag heap that was protected by a series of German trenches. They, it would come to appear, be protecting a few piles of bricks…as noted by the Adjutant in his history of the event. Willy was the first of Lorne’s friends to be killed. The second was Hubey Corless. Hubey, like his school-mate Wille was also now 19 years of age. He was killed at Passchendale. The cold, wet, putrid spot of sludge, significant for nothing, pummeled into nothing, consuming all.

Whether it be the positive nature of the lad, the fear of the censors or both, yet his letter where he just spoke about two friends dying in combat…one just over three weeks prior concludes with the jingoistic message “The Germans seem strong yet, but Johnny Bull and Jack Canuck at his side and the hundred thousand of the R. (Robert) L. Borden Battalion which the Union Government will send, will make Emperor Wille sit up.” He was referring to the draft, just approved in Canadian Parliament and the resulting massive influx of men who would soon join him and his mates over in France. Today, we would expect a letter home that dripped with emotion, reflecting loss and sorrow. Be it the time, the conservative nature of the writer or that of the censor, his note reflected that the Canadians needed every bit of help they could get to muster a win, but more importantly, to survive.

Lorne, Clarence, Eugene and many of the lads who shared that laugh-filled departure would return home. They would gather on occasion. There would be more rounds of handshakes and hugs. Laugh filled stories about their time together would abound…but it would never be the same. Then again, really…how could it?

Private William Everette Brewster

Private William Everette Brewster

264384

Born 1895 Attala, Alabama USA

Killed in Action Oct 27, 1917 at Passchendale

He would have been so happy to tell everyone the news. The 20 yr old boy just made the first real decision of is life. His father had died far too soon 6 years prior leaving his mother, Ida, to raise the 8 children with one of the way. The family lived in the deep south. Atalla, Alabama…sunny days, riverboat rides and cotton mills. It was as far from the chaos of the Western Front as one could get. In the summer of 1916, William Everette Brewster, grandson of a Civil War vet decided to take the long trek north and enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

The 1500 km long journey would have caused him to combine long walks, passenger buses, long train rides and maybe even come horse and carriage. His destination was Camp Bordon, just east of Barrie Ontario. The summer of 1916 saw a long string of Americans travel north to enlist in the CEF. The United States has not yet entered the conflict, but legions of adventurous and idealistic young lads wanted to ensure they did not miss the big show. For an American youngster, grandsons of those who fought in one of humanities bloodiest conflicts, the US Civil War, wanted to show their family that they were as strong and as brave as their forefathers. This war was one of idealism…still in 1916. Newspapers and a new array of books and periodicals told stories of the German Army brutalized the Belgian and French people. If they did not join up to push back the evil Hun then who would?

The end of Everette’s journey north would find him at Camp Bordon. It was here where he became Private Everette Brewster joining his mates from across the United States in the new 213rd "American Legion" Battalion. After training, the Battalion left for England in the late fall and arrived in Liverpool on Nov 20th, 1916. The men of the 213rd were absorbed into a number of battalions on the eve of departure for the front. While waiting for the order to depart to France, Everette was placed with the 116th arriving on the continent on March 17th. This was less that three weeks away from the scheduled start of Canada’s greatest and most storied battles to date, The Battle of Vimy Ridge.

Everette was able to survive Vimy before participating in the raid at Fosse 4 at Avion which saw the entire battalion go over the bags. The next was the attack on Hill 70 at Lens which costs the battalion over 25 of his new pals were killed. Scores more were wounded in the actions. The 116th was taking a beating. However, with the successes demonstrated by the CEF in the spring and summer, Currie was asked to lead his men on the attack at Passchendale.

It was on the eve of his attack when he heard the great news. On September 28th, his big brother, Rossiter Julias received his call to join the US Army regiment enroute to France. He was going to be a Doughboy! Thus, doing into their new operation the young private was elated to have one of his brothers join the fray. However, disaster would strike for the Brewster family. Based on the timing, it would be certain that as Rossiter stepped off the gangplanks onto French soil, he would get the notice that his brother, the one he came to join in glory on the western front, was killed in combat. Private William Everette Brewster, grandson of a Civil War Vet and Canadian Soldier, on Oct 27th was killed in the mud and morass of Passchendale. His remains were never found and his name remains carved in the marble on the Menin Gate, Ypres Belgium.

Lest we forget.

Sergeant Sidney Osborne Dennison

Sergeant Sidney Osborne Dennison

775472

Born 1893 in Inglewood, ON

Died from Spanish Flu in Aberdeen, Scotland Nov 3rd, 1918

When war washed over the world in 1914, young Sidney Dennison was out in the fields, working the land to help support his family and their livelihood. He was from a village just west of the town of Bolton Ontario called Inglewood. As many of his friends would have also done, when Lt. Col. Hamilton set up a recruiting station in Brampton to raise his 126th OS “Peel” Battalion Sidney traded his hoe for a rifle and signed his name to the attestation form.

Sidney became Private Sidney Osborne Dennison on Nov 15th, 1915. After basic training, the battalion departed Canada and arrived in England in August of 1916. It was here where the remarkable young man began his ascent up the military leadership ladder. He was promoted to Lance Corporal at Camp Bramschott in September, right before he was transferred to the 116th a month later in late October.

Upon joining the 116th, he was reduced to Private but rapidly moved up being appointed Lance Corporal then Corporal then Lance Sergeant and up to Sergeant. He would have been able to showcase his leadership skills as the Battalion fought at Vimy, Avion, Hill 70, Passchendaele and up to and through the final push in the summer and fall of 1918. Sidney navigated these battles with skill and determination, constantly and relentlessly serving alongside his mates while pushing back the enemy.

On Oct 20th, his superiors granted Sidney 14 days leave to England. Imagine being thanked for his fine efforts with a well-deserved vacation just days before the war was expected to end. The allies were pushing back the Germans Army, taking thousands of prisoners. While he could have be thinking about taking Berlin, his heart was now set on some rest in the UK.

While the details are not known, however they can be imagined. He left his men on Oct 20th and immediately set out for the coast. Between his arrival at port and the trip across the channel, Sidney would start to feel unwell. A few days after that he would check into a hospital to seek medical care. The Spanish Flu was already ravaging across Europe, North America spreading its’ deadly tentacles around the world. Akin to today’s pandemic, the effects of the disease was rapid and without remorse. Six days after leaving his men and four days after being admitted to hospital, Sidney succumbed to the influenza. He became one of Canada’s 61,000 war dead and one of the between 50 and 100 million to die from the Spanish Flu.

Let we forget.

Private James William Tennison

Private James William Tennison

3317099

Born Hastings, ON 1890

Killed in Action – Oct 1, 1918 - Battle of Canal du Nord, St Olle, Cambrai, France

Some were so eager to join. Waking before the dawn, they would proudly march into town in hopes of being the first in line. Others enlisted either as a sense of duty, obligation to their community and countrymen. The pressure was quite intense in those days. Friends, family, priests, teachers or local newly commissioned officers made sure that every man knew what was expected of them. The first wave was strong yet each wave thereafter tended to be a bit smaller and smaller. Meanwhile the lines at the recruitment offices were replaced by crowds of the mothers and fathers, local members if the community lining up to purchase a newspaper or gathering to read from those posted in town. With fear and interest, they would nervously scan the broadsheets looking for an update on whom from their town was killed or injured overseas.

It was from this perspective that I introduce you to James William Tennison. He was a 27 yr old man, a journeyman labourer working, probably on a farm, in a speck of a town in Central Ontario called Sebright. Sebright, then as it is now, is merely a collection of structures situated at a crossroads. After four years of war, the war and its’ tragic losses would have consumed all of the conversations the young man engaged in. He would have seen friends go never to return. Yet, despite all the pressure some are just not always made for military combat. They love their country but may not have the passion to die in a far away land for it. Yet, at the same time, their country needed men to do its’ duty. Canada needed men to help bolster the effectiveness and capabilities of its’ Expeditionary Force and for that, if you did not volunteer, you were voluntold. Drafted.

James was one of these men. He was drafted in the fall of 1917, completed and passed his medical exam on Oct 29th, 1917. He was then provided a date for him to return and transition from citizen to soldier. Jan 8th, 1918. Upon arrival he exchanged his dungarees for khaki’s and was now part of the 2nd Depot Battalion (2CORD). The draft of new soldiers crammed aboard the SS Meganitic on March 4th and departed for England. Upon arrival, the men proceeded for basic training at Camp Witley. His final transfer would be to the 116th Battalion on August 18th 1918, ten days after the big push has started. ON the 20th of August, Private Tennison was in France, more fuel for the war machine.

On the morning of Oct 1st, the men were cold and wet, due to the rain having poured down upon them all night. They spent the previous day collecting themselves, those who remained that is, for the battalion lost 280 men on the 29th of September. It was the worst day of the war for the 116th. The time was 6:00 am and “D”, “C” and “B” companies were moving onto Douai-Cambrai Road where they were suddenly bombarded by German artillery. It was here, a mere 40 days since stepping onto the continent that Private James William Tennison lost his life. He was struck and killed by shellfire. The reluctant warrior rests in the Canada Cemetery in Cambrai France.

Lest we forget.

Private Shuman, Private McArthur and Private Kelly

Private Orville Grant Shuman

3106266

Born 1879 – Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Emigrated to America – Kansas City, MO

Killed in Action Sept 29, 1918 and Buried at Crest Cemetery in Raillencourt, France

Private Thomas Archie McArthur

6106214

Born 1898 Montreal Quebec

Emigrated to America – Kansas City, MO

Killed in Action Sept 29, 1918 and Buried at Crest Cemetery in Raillencourt, France

Private John Edmund Kelly

3106189

Born 1885 – Montreal, Quebec

Emigrated to America – Springfield, IL

Killed in Action Sept 29, 1918 and Buried at Crest Cemetery in Raillencourt, France

Three Canadians were all emigrants to the United States. They left their homes in the great white north to travel to The Land of Opportunity, America, in search of their fortune…or at least try to attain it. Yet…on one early December morning in cold snowy Toronto all three found themselves together in the same line to enlist with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. One was a grizzled veteran, a 38 yr old man from Kansas City, Missouri. His name was Orville Grant Shuman. He was single, of average height and build and worked as a machinist assistant. Just a few steps away in line was the slight waif of a man. Thomas Archie Macarthur also from Kansas City. This barely legal gent barely registered on the scale weighting in at only 114 lbs. The third man of the trio was John Edmund Kelly. He was a beast. A 33 yr old man from Springfield Illinois who towered to a height of 5 ft 11 and ¾, (to be precise) brown hair and brown eyes…with tattoos on both arms. He was a pillar of strength probably earned from his time spent in the US Navy.

The men who gathered alongside Orville, Thomas and John were all latecomers to the war. Earlier in 1917 the Military Services Act was passed by Parliament. This enacted conscription requiring all men between the ages of 19 and 45 to sign up for military service. The majority of the men who attested that day were men looking to sign up before having to be conscripted. There was thirst for bodies to bolster the ranks in the trenches and if Canadian men did not join voluntarily, they would be compelled to participate. However, there was another group of men who travelled to Canada to enlist. These were men from America. Whether they be expat Canucks or Brits or full-blood Yanks, it was well known that the fastest way to the front was with the CEF. Incredibly, 40,000 Americans enlisted with and fought with a Maple Leaf stitched to the shoulder on their uniform. In the case or Orville, Thomas and John, these three took it upon themselves to the journey across the border, find the Canadian Expedition Grounds and join up for the war effort.

The specifics regarding their individual experiences in Britain and France is not well documented, however we know they all did it together. The three men enlisted on the same day, spent the next two months preparing for departure together, and all three packed on to the SS Scandinavian for the trip across the pond to arrive in Liverpool on Feb 18th. The trio were together transferred to the 8th Reserve Battalion and all participated in basic training at East Sanding Camp before being sent to the 116th.

The men would have learned how to salute together. They would have learned to march around the parade grounds with increased proficiency together. Once by one they would be cheering each other for musketry competitions or when it was their turn to jab the imaginary Germans with his bayonet. Whether it be the cold incessant rains of winter in the south of England, the slimy mud from within the mock trenches or the unbelievable pleasantry of a spring evening laughing with your mates over a pint at the camp canteen…the men would have always been together.

On the 20th of August 1918, ten days after the Big Push kicked off, the men would land together in France with a draft of replacement soldiers. Their sole job was to replace those who have fallen in battle. By the time they joined the battalion in the field, 152 men would have been killed in the previous 22 days. A multiple of that would have put out of commission after being wounded, gassed or succumbing to a mental breakdown from the constant artillery, death, gore and destruction. Ready or not, these men were needed and the war welcomed their arrival.

The men were effectively joining a battle in mid-attack. There was no room for practice nor solace for the men. The only thing they would have of comfort or familiarity would have been each other. The previous 8 months would cause them to become the only family they had, and the only family they would ever have. They may have leaned on John for leadership because of his military experience. Orville may have taken young Thomas under his wing and looked to protect him like a son. Young Thomas would have needed it…he claimed he was 18 when he joined, however as he did leave a Boys Home in Kansas City to enlist experience could deduct that he might have been closer to 16 than 18. Yet, together they would trudge forward as soldiers. On the morning of their last day they would have passed the jug of rum to each other, shared a wee shot of courage together they would have waited together for the signal to move forward. The three were together on the far-left sections of men preparing for the attack that morning. And as the sound of the guns died down after the ferocious battles that took place that day, the three Americans, the three mates, would all lie together in a field outside of a village of Raillencourt.

Lest we forget.

(photo if John Edmund Kelly...if you have photo's of Thomas or Orville please post)

Private John Alexander McMillan

Private John Alexander McMillan

745428

Born 1896 Beaverton, ON

Lived in Beaverton, ON

Killed in Action – Aug 24, 1917 Hill 70

Buried at Aix-Noulette Communal Cemetery, France

Situated on the eastern shores of Lake Simcoe, lies a jewel of a town.  In my youth, I used to travel there with my parents as it had one of the only grocery stores that was relatively close to my family cottage.  It also had a laundromat.  This was essential as it allowed up to make it through our two-week vacation without having to continue to wear clothing stained with mustard, ketchup and other hot dog accoutrements or smeared with the obligatory detritus of worm guts.  The town is Beaverton, Ontario.  Today, a little less than 3000 people live in and around the town.  Like many small towns in cottage country the population often surges in the summer and is reduced to virtually nothing in the winter. At the time of the war, the town would have included approximately 1000 people, 3 churches and 7 Officers serving in the 116th Battalion.  (my apologies, I forgot the Old Stone Church which was constructed in 1840 from a pile of old stones.) 

As much as the fact that a small town could boast about having 7 officers serving in one battalion, there are darker numbers from the town that should be considered.  One number is 38.  This is the number of men from Beaverton and Thorold Township who put down their tools, enlisted, travelled over seas, fought and died in the service of their country, community and King.   Their names are forever listed on the town cenotaph located outside the town hall.  12 of these 38 soldiers were original enlistees with the 116th Battalion.  They were included in the group of 79 local area chaps who attended the recruiting office in Beaverton in March of 1916 and enlisted to fight.  One of these men was a 19 yr old man named John Alexander McMillan. 

John was a local boy.  Born in Beaverton, he was the son of Duncan McMillan, the town carriage maker.  One can imagine that, as the younger boy of the modern-day equivalent of their town car mechanic, he knew and was known by all those in town.  He was an average young gent, listing his height at 5 ft 7 with brown hair and brown eyes.  Upon joining the battalion, he first enjoyed the fine hospitality of the regimental health care services as he fell ill to measles at Camp Niagara.  Immediately upon release, he jumped aboard the train enroute to Halifax and joined the men as they departed for England aboard the SS Olympic.  Once in England he spent the next nine months training with the men, however was delayed in departing for France with the rest of the 116th.  He joined them five days before the great attack on Vimy Ridge. 

John, along with most of the battalion, survived Vimy unscathed.  However, within the following month he did come down with a nasty case of impetigo.  For those without Goggle or tend to avoid looking up disgusting things on the interest, let me describe the condition for you.  Picture a healthy young lad…fit, fresh faced, healthy as a horse…now look at the guy beside him with yellow, crusty scabby sores on his face, hands and legs.  You would be looking at poor John Alexander.  This was a highly contagious condition which was quite common in the close quarters and confines of the trenches and underground bunkers.  One may, as I do quite often, is look at this situation from a glass half-full perspective.  At least the for the now 20 yr old boy, not even the madames who plied their ancient trade in the maisons tolerees would touch the youngster, thus saving him from a vicious bout with VD too.

After Vimy, the 116th proceeded to patrol the now quiet sector of the front from May to early July.  McMillan was recovering in hospital, during this rather dull period of the Battalion’s history and returned to the men in mid June.  The first test of battle John would experience was going over the bags at Avion in the attack on the German trench systems at the Fosse 4 slag heap.  Emerging unscathed once again, his luck would run out a month later as the 116th was tasked to assume the Chicory Trench network vacated by the 27th Canadian Battalion on Aug 22nd.  This period would be known in Canada’s Great War history as the attack on Hill 70 at Lens. 

On what the battalion diary described as a rather quiet day with the German’s laying off their incessant shell fire exercises, they eventually got bored of not shelling and resumed their pillory of the Canadian positions around dinner time, between 6:30 and 7:30 pm, followed by a second rather hostile bout of shelling between 10:00 and 11:00pm.    It was during this time that the random reality of great war artillery exacted its’ rather inexact science.  During that sorrowful evening, John Alexander McMillan was struck and killed.  Without fanfare nor recognition, the battalion diary simply noted “Casualties 7 other ranks “Killed”.

Lest we forget

Lance Corporal Harry Thomas Newton

The First to Fall

Lance Corporal Harry Thomas Newton

746216

Born in Saintfield, ON - 1897

Lived in Uxbridge, ON

Interred at Uxbridge Cemetery, Uxbridge ON.

As the SS Olympic pressed forward, driving its’ way across the Atlantic in the July of 1916 one could imagine what was going through the heads of the men it was transporting… the men of the 116th Ontario County Battalion. The entire battalion was on board and excitedly anticipated their chance to join their countrymen and knock back the Hun pushing them back from Northern France and Belgium. The men would have plenty of chances to contemplate their fates as they made their way to England. As they basked in the summer sun and chatted with their brethren, they would brag on who would be the first to bag a German. Who would be the first to go over the top? Who would be the first to have a medal pinned on their breast pocket? And yet…intermixed in their conversation they would wonder…who amongst them will be the first to fall? Lance Corporal Harry Thomas Newton…while no doubt engaging in this same enthusiastic banter would not know that would be the first to fall.

Young Harry Newton was only 18 year old when he signed up to join the 116th. He was a slight young man, of average height and weight (135 lbs) and hailed from the hamlet of Saintfield…a small community just east of Uxbridge. While the transport from Halifax to England would have been fairly uneventful, there is a good chance he knew something was up as he started to feel unwell. Arriving in port on July 31st, LC Newton was admitted to the Isolation Hospital at Aldershot on Aug 2nd. He was immediately provided treatment for spinal meningitis, an infection of the brain and spinal cord. Harry would not recover from this debilitating condition and passed away three weeks later on Aug 23, 1916.

Every young soldier dreams of experiencing the sights, sounds and excitement of war. They eagerly look forward to earning their chance at glory. Some accept and realize the high probability they may fall. Harry’s fate would not live up to these lofty goals of an excited youthful infantryman. Instead, he died even before he had any real chance to prove himself. His body was returned to Canada and interestingly, while his fallen mates from the 116th may lie far away in France and Belgium, today he shares the same final resting spot of his own Lt Colonel, Samuel Simpson Sharpe in the Uxbridge Cemetery in Uxbridge, ON.

Associated links

https://soldiersofuxbridge.wordpress.com/.../newton.../

Private Sylvester Angus Herbert

Private Sylvester Angus Herbert

644065

Born Simcoe, ON (Orillia)

Died April 1st, 1917

Buried at Bruay Communal Cemetery

Modern warfare is something that one cannot just ‘learn on the job’. This reality was very true at the beginning of the Great War and continued until the later stages of the conflict in 1918. For the Canadian’s volunteering for the war service, each one of them had to go through much training and preparation. For the 116th, many of the men went through basic training at Camp Niagara in the late Spring of 1916 before being sent overseas that July. However, many of the men would come to serve in the battalion started by enlisting in other battalions. They would primarily train at the newly constructed Camp Borden. These men enlisted with the 126th (Peel), 157th (Simcoe Foresters) 164th(Halton and Dufferin), 169th (Toronto), 173rd (Canadian Highlanders - Hamilton) and 208th (Irish Canadians-Toronto). Once in England, the men trained at the Camp Bramshott and Camp Whitley.

Private Sylvester Herbert, from the Hawkestone south of Orillia ON, enlisted with the 157th Simcoe Foresters. He would have trained at Borden and Bramshott in England prior to getting folded into the 116th in December of 1916. The men crossed the channel with the rest of the battalion on Feb 2nd, 1917 and set out to further prepare for war. He was assigned to “A” Company and joined them up in the line when they first took positions on the foot of Vimy Ridge. In the months before the planned attack, when not in the line, the men were involved with extensive training in all the camps situated in the area to the West of Arras and Vimy. For green soldiers, like the men of the 116th, this preparation was critical to both the success of the attack and for the effectiveness and wellbeing of the men.

One week prior to the planned attack, the men of the 116th had been involved in live fire training at a town called Houdain when the incident occurred. Platoon after platoon of men from each company would be called upon to participate. If a man could not effectively use his weapon in the benign conditions of a practice trench that was not being bombarded by high explosive shellfire, how would he perform when he was? Thus, soldier by soldier, they moved through the make-shift trench and when it got to be their turn, they discharged their weapon. However…as happens in warfare, mistakes and accidents happen… sometimes tragically. It was during one of these practice sessions that while attempting to shoot his grenade rifle, Private Herbert, rather than seeing his grenade propel out of the muzzle to blow up an imaginary German in the distance, it just fell to his feet and blew himself up. An terribly unfortunate end to a young soldier, so full of promise and prospect.

Lest we forget.

Here is a copy of the letter sent home to Private Herbert's mother.

Major H. P. Cooke

Dear Madam,

As company commander of “A” Company of the battalion, the unpleasant duty falls on my lot of informing you of the facts concerning the unfortunate death of your son S.A. Herbert. We were practicing a platoon in attack on a system of trenches using live bombs and live rifle grenades. Fourteen platoons had gone over the course when the platoon to which your son belonged had its turn. Your son was a rifle grenadier and was firing at an imaginary point along with others of his section. I myself was near the scene of the action when I heard a grenade explode in the trench, closely followed by another. I realized something was wrong as the bombs were further down the trench and no one would be throwing live bombs in that place.

Hurrying over I found to my horror that one man was wounded and proceeding further found the body of your son. He never suffered. Death was instantaneous. I have made an investigation and the cause of the accident was defective cartridge. The grenade in question was placed in a cup attached to the muzzle of the rifle and a pin holding the spring that drives the striker onto the cup that sets fire to a fuse which exploded a charge in the bomb is drawn out. What happened in this case was that the cartridge was strong enough to allow the spring to work and then it fell back. Probably your son did not notice that the had acted until it was too late. Your son had recently been with us to a trip up to the line and there as in every other case, conducted himself as a Canadian soldier should.

Since he joined my Company at Whitley, your son was a model of what a soldier should be. His platoon commander and comrades all speak highly of him and the most general regret in felt as his most unfortunate death. I made it my personal business to at once do all that could be done and battalion arrangement will be made who died just as much for Canada as if he had fallen in the field of battle.

Lt Col. Sharpe in writing to his mother said, ”He was buried with full military honours on April 2, 1917 in a little town about three miles from here. “A” Company to which he belonged attended in a body with the band and firing party, and the Rev Mr. Bradford, late of Orillia and now with the battalion conducted the service in a very suitable manner, and he was laid to rest with fully military honours. I attended to pay my last respects to the by and you and your family have my sincerest sympathy. From accounts, your boy was an exceedingly good soldier and it will be greatly regretted that he died without an opportunity to meet the enemy.”

(Barrie Examiner May 10, 1917)

Private William Ernest Hill

Pte. William Earnest Hill

758034

Born: Nov 2, 1886 in Hamilton ON

Lived in Hamilton, ON

Killed in Action at Vimy Ridge April 9, 1917

Buried at Bois Carre British Cemetery

Private Hill was a working-class lad from a hardscrabble working-class neighbourhood in Hamilton, ON. He worked as a loom fixer in the Hamilton textile industry which like many other jobs in the region required both toughness and skill. In 1915, like many of his mates, William signed up with the 120th City of Hamilton Regiment. The 120th operated as the 3rd Division of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry- Wentworth Regiment...a regiment whose legacy stemmed back to the War of 1812.

The story of William Hill’s service, experienced and ultimate death, unfortunately, is rather short…both in time and is rather dearth of notable incidents. He arrived in France on March 17, 1917, joined the battalion 5 days later and was killed a little over two weeks later. This is barely enough time to get to know your battalion or the men you expect to share a carved-out cubby in the mud with. Yet, on the first day of the battle of Vimy Ridge Private William Earnest Hill’s life ended.

As history recalls the weather was terrible of the morning of the attack. A virtual spring blizzard descended upon the men as they prepared to hop the bags and follow the creeping waves of shell file and knock the Germans off their perch. Private Hill, along with the men of the 116th were not assigned to the first waves of attacking troops. Rather, they were assigned to support and assist once the first waves successfully gained ground.

The Battalion Diary records that on that day, the majority of the men were assigned to carrying parties. Their job was to help deliver material and supplies to the men holding the line at the front. Other men were assigned to wiring parties. They helped establish communication between the front and the officers in the rear. If one could recreate the situation on that day, in successive waves the Canadians pushed back the Germans from their forward positions. It was a very successful morning. For the previous three years, a gain of 100 meters would be called a significant achievement. That morning the Canadians pushed the Germans back off the ridge and gained almost 7 km in territory. Thus, to consolidate their gains and cement their position, they would need to quickly establish footholds in the fields of battle. Private Hill’s job was to put down his gun and pick up his shovel. The 116th needed to build a trench that established a line of communication back to the rear.

To tragic effect, while the Canadians did push the Germans back off the ridge, they did not break them. The enemy still retained their guns and as they sought to reconsolidate their position they deployed them to dreadful effect. William, shovel in hand and standing in a spot known as ‘Bois de la Chaudiere’, was hit by a heavy barrage of 4.1 shells. He did not survive and his remains are interred at the Bois-Carre British Cemetery.

Lest we forget.

Private Vernon Lewis Borden

Private Vernon Lewis Borden

264420

Born Greenville, NJ, USA

Lived in Detroit, Michigan

Killed in Action – April 10th, 1917 Battle of Vimy Ridge

The Battle of Vimy Ridge has forever been celebrated as a distinctly Canadian affair. 100,000 men, enlistees to the Canadian Expeditionary Force were brought to a modest plain at the nape of a strategic height with the orders to dislodge the stubborn Germans holding it. They were comprised of men from dozens of battalions, batteries and companies. Each unit was raised in communities scattered across our great nation and each were proudly Canadian. However, is there a chance for other nations to claim even a little glory from that storied day? A closer look will show that while the patch on the arm signified the soldier was Canadian, a not so insignificant number were American.

And hence we come to the story of Vernon Lewis Bordon. Vernon was an American. He was born in Greenville, New Jersey in 1897. Greenville is a borough of Newark closely situated to Manhattan. Sometime in his youth, Vernon’s family moved to Detroit, Michigan. With the booming auto sector, Detroit was growing to one of the largest population centres in the USA. Soon after the end of the war it would boast that it was the 4th largest city in the country, all driven by the thirst for personal transportation. There was a side impact that came with Detroit’s proximity to Canada. After four years of war and the urgent call for more men to enlist, young energetic and adventurous men from America responded to the call, took the five minute trip across the border and enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

With the growing number of ‘Yankees’ arriving in Canada to sign up and join the war, in 1916 the Canadian military leadership actually created a battalion just for them. Based in Toronto, but accepting enlistees from border towns like Windsor, the 213th American Legion Battalion was formed. Of the 162 men enlisted in the battalion 117 of them were born and bred Americans. Vernon, now Private Vernon Borden was one of them.

Vernon was just an average enlistee for the CEF. He was 5 ft 6, of relatively slight build and worked as a Labourer prior to enlisting. Soon after he joined, he would train and travel to England and arrive as a predominantly American unit in Dec 1916. However, once the preparations for the planned operations for 1917 were put into play the men of the 213th were absorbed into the 173rd Canadian Highlanders. This was Hamilton-based unit perpetuated by the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada.

On March 16th 1917, less than a month before the planned attack of Vimy Ridge Private Vernon and some men from the 173rd were transferred to the 116th. It would be here where he and the 116th would get its’ first true taste of combat. That would turn out to be a most bitter one for the young man. He was one of the unfortunate soldiers who were deployed, armed with a shovel late in the evening of April 9th/10th to extend the Canadian trenches to the newly captured German ones. While feverously trying to consolidate the victory by creating safe havens for the men to traverse the battlefield, Private Bordon was hit in the armpit. Whether it be by a lucky shot in the dark or the absurd randomness of shellfire, he would be wounded and later succumb to those injuries. His death reminds us that the sad journey up the walk to notify distraught mothers and fathers of the loss of their sons happened both in our country and in those of our neighbours to the south in America.

Lest we forget.

Lieutenant John James Doble

Lieutenant John James Doble

Born Sunderland ON

Lived in Sunderland, ON

Officer Declaration – Feb 8, 1916 Uxbridge, ON

Killed in Action – April 11, 1917, Battle of Vimy Ridge

Loyalty is a powerful thing. What if you add the bonds of friendship, comradeship and add a little patriotism and sense of duty? John James Doble had embarked on significant steps in his career in Banking. He worked for a division of the Royal Bank of Canada called the National Crown Bank. They asked him to manage one of their branches but it required him to move…to a town situated in what would appear at the time, located in the middle of nowhere. And yet when asked to move to Swift Current, Saskatchewan, John accepted. Swift Current is situated in among the Great Plains was still occupied at the time by the last great free tribes of the West. In the years before the war, this land would still appear as it did for the past millennia hence the move offered John not only a new career opportunity but also a fine dose of adventure as well.

In October of 1915, John’s former Commanding Officer from the 34th Regiment, (an Ontario-based militia) received approval to raise a battalion. With this consent, Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Simpson Sharpe immediately reached out to his former officers. Sam needed to build a team and he wanted people who he could trust and rely upon. Without delay, through the power of loyalty and comradeship, former members of the 34th began to arrive at the Battalion Headquarters in Uxbridge. Eventually, the 40 former members of the former militia regiment signed up to help lead to the newly formed 116th Battalion. One of the men who arrived in Uxbridge to join Sam’s team was the banker from Swift Current, John James Doble.

John would soon be awarded a commission and become a Lieutenant in the new battalion. The assignment was an easy decision for Lt Col. Sam Sharpe. Outside of their history with the 34th, he would have known John for many years as he was a local lawyer and Member of Parliament for Ontario County. John was originally from Sunderland…a small town located just north of Uxbridge. Both Sharpe and Doble were also freemasons, thus would share in the brotherhood of the fraternity. As a result, the nature of their broad relationship would turn out to be closer than most other officers in the Battalion.

Once the battalion travelled to England for training, Lieutenant Doble would be responsible for drilling into the men the skills needed to make men soldiers. It was necessary to not only guarantee the operational effectiveness of the men in the field, however it was essential to ensuring they can protect themselves when out in the line. This included strict discipline, respect and responsiveness. If Lieutenant Doble issued an order, the 50 men under him had to be trained to execute that order without thought, debate or delay. This was his responsibility as a leader in the 116th.

At the Battle of Vimy Ridge, it has been noted that the men of the 116th were kept in reserve and not used as an active fighting force. They were much greener than the other Canadian battalions and Divisional Headquarters did not yet have the confidence in their abilities under pressure. Doble would have the benefit of watching the entire battle from their position at Dumpbell Camp. He would have watched and waited for the chance to join the fray. Doble would have his excitement nullified on Day 2 of the attack then the 116th was once again overlooked. However, as luck would have it the 116th was finally given their chance to move into the trenches and relived the 60th Victoria Rifles from their position manning the Support Trenches in the Allied lines. This transition occurred without incident…until it happened. The section of trenches occupied by “B” Company under the leadership of Lieutenant John James Doble was hit by some German 5.9s. 3 O.R.s were wounded and one man, the banker who travelled all the way from Swift Current to join the war, was killed.

Lest we forget.

Sergeant Oscar Clayton Fuller

Sergeant Clayton Oscar Fuller

745825

Born in 1892 in Watford, Ontario

Lived in Watford, ON

Killed in Action on April 19th, 1917 at Vimy

The men have barely been at the front for ten days and it was becoming quite clear that this war spares no mercy. German artillery had been raiding down of on our supply routes ever since we neglected to finish off the Hun in this sector. Instead of breaking them, he essentially just bent the line. This resulted in allowing them to merely flex their lines, giving them sufficient time and space to reposition their guns and spew hate back down upon our men. It was in one of these retaliatory sessions of iron-fueled innate animosity when Private Clayton Oscar Fuller’s time in this conflict would come to an early end.

Clayton Fuller would have stood out from the others. It was not that he was tall or hefty, rather that he sported a dark complexion with dark brown eyes and black hair. These were not the features shared by his pasty-white battalion mates. He was a farm boy and hailed from the rural town of Watford. Watford is located nearby to the city of Sarnia, Ontario on the shores of Lake Huron. He noted that his occupation was a Ships Purser. One would think that a man who grew up on a farm in the midst of a region known for more farms would want to become well, a farmer. However, it turns out Clayton was a people person, someone who was interested in getting away from the staid, quiet rural setting of home. Instead, he chose a career whereby he worked with the public on a day to day basis. The Ship’s Purser would be responsible for taking care of the guests on a passenger ship. The traditional role would be to look after the ship’s purse or tickets and collect fares. It would be hard to validate, however there was an active ferry service between the USA and Canada from Sarnia to Port Huron, Michigan. His noted occupation may reflect this rather exciting job…exciting for a farm boy…that is.

However, with the waves of enlistment for the war and the raising of the 116th, Clayton soon found himself signing up. He became Private Fuller in July of 1916. This was quite late a bit later than most of the ‘original’ 116th Battalion volunteers as most others signed up between Oct 1915 to April 1916. It is uncertain if he chose to enlist with the 116th because they just happened to be training at the camp when he happened to arrive or if there was another reason. Either way, he joined Sam Sharpe’s team on the 12 of July and accompanied them to Halifax where he departed on the 23rd and arrived in Liverpool by the end of the month. Talk about speedy onboarding!

My suspicion that Private Fuller did not just happen to sign up with the 116th is reinforced by another factor. He does not seem to have any prior military experience and the job of ticket taker on a glorified rowboat also does not shout “promising leader of men”. Yet, on the day after Fuller arrived in England he was promoted to Acting Corporal. Following this, after a bout of training in England, his promotion was followed up with a second appointment. On Dec 12th he was named Acting Sergeant. Following this, he was granted the permission to marry which was provided on Jan 17th, 1917. One can ponder on the backstory, however it seemed that young Clayton had impressed the Officers of the 116th and big things were expected of him.

It is here where the promising series of advances for the Sergeant was quickly and tragically truncated. With the 116th being targeted for a Pioneer battalion and repeatedly asked to supply working parties, the men were being tasked with chores like rebuilding roads. In the time after Vimy and in the area that happened to be in the range of the bitter Huns, they were tasked to rebuild the Lens-Arras road. The allies needed dependable and passable terrain to quickly supply the front trenches and embedded gun emplacements and thus the road needed to be repaired. The Germans, on the other hand, needed to try to stop that from happening. Late in the evening on the 18th of April or early on the 19th, another array of multicaliber shellfire was lobbed on the working parties. It was on one of these deadly volleys when both men and their officers hit the dirt in the attempt to avoid being a victim of the shrapnel. It was also on one of these volleys where Sergeant Fuller was unlucky in his futile attempt to avoid being hit. Shrapnel shredded his legs with multiple injuries, of which he died shortly thereafter. He is buried at Ecoivres British Cemetery in Mont Saint Eloi.

Lest we forget.

Corporal Bertie William Branch

Corporal Bernie Williams Branch

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Born 1887, Norfolk England

Lived in Oshawa ON

Died June 5th, 1917

With a knock at the door, George Branch would receive the news that his son had fallen in battle. The notification would reveal that his son had “died of wounds”, “gunshot wounds multiple”. Two months earlier as Mr. Branch would have read the daily mastheads, the newspapers would proudly relay that Canada had just earned one of its’ greatest military victories ever in the largest military venture it had ever executed. However, while being a monumental victory, it also resulted in 3500 telegrams needing to be sent home to the loved ones of those who died in the battle. A knock at the door was expected by all, and when it did not come George would have been comforted that his son made it through. That comfort, however, would not last long.

With the words, “gunshot wounds multiple” George would learn that his son had been involved in some encounter. While he was in the service of his king and country, it would provide meagre consolation to his great loss. A keen review of the battalion diary and the days leading up to his death would provide more context to the story.

The 116th moved into the Vimy corridor on June 1st to relive the 52nd Battalion. The orders for the Battalion were to provide working parties to help build defensive infrastructure and reinforce the Vimy sector. This included the construction of a new roadway to provide easy access to the area for resupply of good and war materials.

The section being worked on was called the Toronto area of the Vimy corridor. The battalion diary details that the work was predominantly completed at night between 9pm and 3 am. In the evening of June 2, 3 and 4th the battalion diary records that while they were working on the road construction that they were being harassed by enemy aeroplanes.

Night after night, Corporal Branch would lead his men out into the darkness. As they worked, out in the black they would hear it approach. First dull and faint…then as it slowly approached the sound would grow louder and louder, louder and closer and louder until the sound would grow more faint once again. It was during this interlude them the men would hit the deck and seek refuge. It was during this momentary minute of silent when the German Luftstreitkafte bombers would have released its’ payload onto the newly constructed road below. On the fourth night while working on the roadway, after the fourth night spent diving for cover in the darkness, Corporal Branch’s luck would finally run out. He was wounded by one of the bombs and would die the next morning.

Lest we forget.

Private Walter James Middleton

Private Walter James Middleton

678877

Born Agincourt, ON (modern day Scarberia)

Killed in Action June 15, 1917 within the Vimy Sector

Buried at Noeux-les-Mines Cemetery, Noeux-les-Mins France

I can imagine the decision to enlist in Toronto in 1916 was a rather easy one. The first rush to the recruiting stations occurred in 1914. These typically included men who either had experience as a soldier or served in the militia. The next round would have ridden the wave of patriotism with huge swaths of recruits rushing to the local recruiting stations as the new regional battalions started to be raised. Each battalion would consist of about 1000 men. However, as the army was able to be picky, they started by taking the brightest and the best. Prominent educated men were accepted for the officer class with by the strong young men, unattached and between the ages of 19 and 30 for the army.

In late 1915 and heading into early 1916 the next wave of battalions began to be raised. These units consisted of men either not accepted in the prior waves or those who by a sense of duty, obligation or peer and community pressure decided to sign their names and enlist. Walter James Middleton was one of these young men.

Prior to enlisting, Walter worked at Carter & Leonard’s Fruit Store as a driver. This store was located on King Street, right in the center or then Toronto, Ontario. One can surmise that his job was to deliver fruits and vegetables to local merchants, stores and restaurants situated across the downtown core. He lived in a very elegant house that still exists today on McGill Street just a few blocks north of King St. Like many of his contemporaries, the expectation to enlist would have been great for the young upstart and in February 1916, less than a month shy of his 20th birthday he enlisted in the 169th Battalion.

After basic training, the battalion departed for England, arrived in November and joined the 116th on New Years Eve. With the Battalion’s arrival in France in February, Walter would beging to refine his new role as a soldier and a warrior. He would have been there with his mates both celebrating the great victory at Vimy while seeing the devastation and tragedy of war first-hand. As the 116th played the role as a Reserve unit on the big day, he would have only joined the field of battle as the battalion was deployed to reconstruct trenches and repair needed communication infrastructure. It would have been in these days when the 20 yr old boy would have seen death first hand. Thousands of Canadians lay on the fields of battle while he was deployed with shovel in hand to cement our well-earned position.

After Vimy, the battalion was responsible for helping reinforce and improve the defences in the Vimy sector. This lasted throughout the rest of April and May and continued into June. It was on early morning of June 15th when the dark side of chance won out over the youngster. 200 men were returning from another night spent, shovel in hand, reinforcing the Canadian position in the Vimy Ridge sector when an artillery barrage was released upon them. Only one man was hit. It was the boy who only months prior spent his days delivering baskets of fruit and vegetables. It was young Private Walter James Middleton.

Lest we forget.

Corporal Percy Alexander Arnold

Corporal Percy Alexander Arnold

644405

Born: London, England 1895

Lived in Midland, ON

Killed in Action at Avion in the raid on the Fosse 43 Trench system – July 23, 1917

In the late 1800s and throughout the turn of the century, societal upheaval and rampant poverty in the UK resulted in children either being given up by their parents or taken from them and sent to live with families far from their homes. Today, while many deem this as cruel treatment of children, at the time many saw it as an opportunity to save the children from their harsh circumstances, often living in squalor or in orphanages and be given a chance for a better life. They were called British Home Children. Children, as young as the 8 yr old Percy Arnold, were separated from their families, placed on ships and sent overseas to live with families in either Canada or Australia. A bed, some clothing, food, education and a religious upbringing was provided in exchange for working as a servant or farm hand…a tough start indeed for young Percy.

Percy was sent to Canada with Dr. Bernardo’s Homes in 1904 and sent to live with a family in Midland, Ontario. One cannot see a wider difference than to be taken from the streets of London at the turn of the century and moved to a sleepy town nestled on the edge of a place called the Haliburton Highlands. While details of his youth are not known, his transition seemed to be rather successful with him educating himself enough to become an electrician, settle down and getting married by the summer of 1915.

With the war in France raging, on February 1, 1916, Percy enlisted in the Barrie-based 157th Simcoe Foresters. Their battalion was the one that constructed the still-used Borden Canadian Forces Base. After training and transport to England in October of 1916, Percy was appointed as Sergeant and later transferred to the 116th (Dec 8th). With this development and his responsibility for leading men within a new battalion he also received news that he had another new responsibility at home. A son, Clifford Arnold, was born to Mary Ann Meadows on Dec 17, 1916.

Percy’s time with the 116th saw him first deployed to France to participate in Canada’s storied victory at Vimy Ridge. The next action, however, was the raid on the Fosse German trench system near Avion. This represented the nadir of his time at the front and ended tragically for the young man. While leading his men in the raid, the now Corporal Percy Arnold fell in battle, his remains never recovered. His name is now engraved on the war memorial at Vimy Ridge. The tragedy of Corporal Percy Alexander was one shared with 514 of Dr. Barnado’s children who also found their names of the roll of honour. It was also shared with a son who grew up never having the opportunity to meet his old man.

Lest we forget.