A HISTORY OF THE 3RD (TORONTO REGIMENT) BATTALION, Part Five

LATE 1917

"The word "Passchendaele" conjures vivid images of the Great War's fruitless slaughter and epitomizes the nadir of war fighting. This was the place where seemingly homicidal, chateau-dwelling generals sitting kilometers behind the lines ducked their thin gums in delight as they planned to murder off their troops in one hopeless assault after another. The horrific pervasiveness of quicksand-like mud and unburied corpses brought to mind Dante's images of hell. This blighted battlefield has maintained a firm grip on the popular memory of the war. For most of the British troops it was an unwavering horror show of defeat and destruction, but for the Canadians it provided another victory - which seemed Pyrrhic at first, but played a key role in restoring the British Army's morale, and probably saved Sir Douglas Haig's job as Commander-in-chief."  Shock Troops, Tim Cook, 2008

Private Walter Newby,3rd Battalion KIA, Nov.6, 1917
 

Early in September it was again in the line, holding the newly won trenches covering the ruined mining towns of CITE ST.EMILE and CITE ST.EDOUARD between HILL 70 and LENS. For 19 days the battalion was in the front line or in close support and always under shell-fire. It was one of the most trying tours it had ever done, - as the enemy was extremely aggressive and deluged the whole area with shell-fire, while the advanced posts were so severely hammered by guns and minenwerfer that they were only held by the greatest gallantry on the part of the garrisons and at a cost of 5 officers and 86 men killed and wounded.

Private Roy D. Loomis, Tyne Cot Cemetery
 

In the middle of October the Canadian Corps marched north to take its part in the Third Battle of YPRES, which had been in full swing for some months. The advance of the 2nd and 4th Armies had by this time almost reached the last high ground in this part of Flanders, the PASSCHENDAELE RIDGE, and to the Canadian Corps was assigned the task of capturing this important position. This was to be done in two phases, the first being assigned to the 3rd and 4th Divisions, who in the end of October secured a footing on the western spurs of the main ridge. The second phase was to be carried out by the 1st and 2nd Divisions.

With thanks to Marika Pirie
 

After ten days preparation and training near CASSEL in the rear area, the 1st Division, in the beginning of November, moved up and prepared to attack on November 6th. The attack was carried out by the 1st Brigade, with a brigade of the 2nd Division on its right. The 3rd Battalion, under Lt.-Col. Rogers, was divided, "B" Company and half of "A" Company being in support to the main attack, while "C" Company and the other half of "A" Company, supported by "D" Company, and commanded by Major Mason,delivered a subsiduary attack on VINE COTTAGES, a strong point on the GOUDBERG SPUR. This position was surrounded on three sides by almost impassible swampy ground, which cut it off from the main attack and made it very difficult of access except from the enemy's side. The position was, however,  successfully taken by Major Crawford, yielding 40 prisoners and 6 machine guns, and contact established with main attack. The strength of the position, the terrible condition of the ground and the heavy shell=fire made this a very expensive operation, the troops engaged losing 60% in casualties. Corporal Barron of "D" Company was awarded the Victoria Cross for his action on this occasion. The remainder of the battalion composed of "B" Company and half of "A" Company, under Major Cooper, during the day, moved up very gallantly through intense shell-fire to the support of the 2nd Battalion, but did not come into action. The half of "A" Company, having had all its officers killed, was led throughout the action by Company Sergeant Major Williams. Altogether the battalion had lost 9 officers and 254 other ranks.

Passchendaele - Canadian soldiers and prisoners, 1917
 

On the 7th the battalion was relieved and shortly afterwards moved south in buses, going into the line on the southern outskirts of LENS, just one month after it had left here to go north. After a few tours here, the 1st Division was relieved and moved back for a few month's Christmas rest, the battalion going to DIEVAL, south of BRUAY. Here Christmas was celebrated in much the same way as the proceeding one.





Norm Christie - The Canadians At Passchendaele
October to November, 1917

"The Battle of Passchendaele was the bloodiest and most costly battle of the First World War. Lasting from August to November 1917, it cost the Commonwealth more than 250,000 soldiers - killed, wounded or missing - for an advance of less than 6 kilometres. The losses were sadly typical of the Great War, but it was the truly repulsive conditions of soldiers attacking through knee-deep morass and the wounded drowning in the mud which gave Passchedaele its legacy as "Hell". The Canadians entered the battle in mid-October and between October 26 and November 10, launched four major attacks, finally capturing the village of Passchendaele and a piece of the ridge beyond. The two weeks of fighting cost the Canadians more than 5,000 dead and 11,000 wounded. Many of the men just vanished in the sea of mud. But the tenacity of the men never faltered and their capture of Passchendaele was a huge achievement".

Daniel G. Dancocks - Legacy of Valour, The Canadians At Passchendaele
November 6, 1917

"Pinned down by deadly fire from three machine guns in a fortified post, a number of attempts were made to rush the enemy gunners but the men were mown down each time. Enter Corporal Colin Fraser Barron. Carefully cradling his rifle to protect it from the mud, Corporal Barron began to crawl forward. There was no cover, and it appeared to those watching that Barron's approach would certainly be discovered. Miraculously undetected, he crept to within blank-point range of the enemy post. Tossing several bombs, Barron opened fire on the surprised and stunned gunners. Four were killed outright, and the rest fled. But they did not get far, as Barron shot them down with one of their own machine guns. For his bravery, Barron would be awarded the Victoria Cross".

Canon Frederick Scott (Padre 1st Canadian Division) - The Great War As I Saw It
November 6, 1917

"Then I started to walk up the terrible muddy roads till i came to the different German pill-boxes which had been converted into headquarters for the battalions. Finally, after wading through water and mud nearly up to my knees, I found myself the next afternoon wondering near Goudberg Copse, with a clear view of the ruins of Passchendaele, which was held by another Division on our right. The whole region was unspeakably horrible. Rain was falling, the dreary waste of shell-ploughed mud, yellow and clinging, stretched off into the distance as far as eye could see. Bearer parties. tired and pale., were carrying out the wounded on stretchers, making a journey of several miles in doing so. The bodies of dead men lay here and they were where they had fallen in the advance. I came across one poor boy who had been killed that morrning. His body was covered with a shining coating of yellow mud, and looked like a statue made of bronze. He had a beautiful face, with finely shaped head covered with close, curling hair, and looked more like some work of art than a human being. The huge shell holes were half filled with water often reddened with human blood, and many of the wounded had rolled down in the pools and had been drowned".

A HISTORY OF THE 3RD (TORONTO REGIMENT) BATTALION, Part Four

EARLY 1917

The remainder of the winter (1916-17) passed without incident, the battalion doing regular trench tours in the neighbourhood of Souchez and the north end of Vimy Ridge. This winter cost 17 officers and 87 other ranks killed and wounded. (interesting to note that your odds of being a casualty were much greater if you were an officer although less than 4% of the battalion were officers and 96% of the battalion were enlisted men).


Vimy Ridge Memorial April 9, 2007
 

In March, orders were received that several corps, including the Canadians, were to open the spring offensive with an attack upon the Vimy Ridge and the lines to the south of it.. Careful training and study of the ground were carried out during the following weeks and when at dawn April 9th (1917), the battalion went over the top, under Lt.-Col. Rogers, not a detail had been overlooked and everything was carried out according to plan. The battalion was on the extreme right of the corps and had the longest distance to go, but though its flank was quite up in the air, it took and passed its final objectives on time the village of Farbus and Farbus Wood and captured many prisoners and four guns (the first to be taken by the Canadians), on the eastern slope of the Ridge.The cost was only 6 officers and 179 men in casualties. During the next few days, the gains made were extended into the flat country east of the Ridge and here, on April 28th, the Second Brigade took the entrenched village of Arleux. The 3rd Battalion was in support but was not used in the successful attack, though it suffered from shell-fire.

1st Division, Vimy Ridge, April 9, 1917

A mile beyond Arleux was the entrenched village of Fresnoy and its capture assigned to the 1st Brigade. The 3rd Battalion, commanded by Major Mason, was on the right, the 2nd in the centre and the 1st on the left, the 4th being in support. The attack was launched at dawn on May 3rd and, so far as the Brigade was concerned, was entirely successful. The troops on either flank, however, were unable to come up and the enemy on their fronts brought heavy enfilade fire to bear on their positions.

A/Major W.E.Curry, KIA April 9,1917
 

So hot was the fire that even the supporting platoons could not get forward and throughout the day the position was held by the assault troops alone, commanded by Captain (later Major) Harry Hutchison, DSO,MC,MID, who, though the enemy was on three sides of them, stuck to their ground and beat off repeated counter-attacks. When darkness permitted the rushing up of reinforcements ad supplies, there remained three officers, of whom two had been hit, and a few score of men, out of the nine officers and nine platoons (about 200 men) who went into the attack, and eight of the nine Lewis guns showed marks of shell or bullet, but not a foot of the ground taken had been lost. On the evening of the following day, the battalion was relieved by Imperial troops and the entire Division moved back for a month's much-needed rest, the 3rd Battalion going to the village of Petit Servins. The whole operation cost the battalion 12 officers and 245 other ranks.

Sergeant Henry Garlick #63370, MM
 

In June the battalion went again into the line, which had now become stabilized in the flat ground east of Vimy Ridge, taking over part of the Mericourt Sector. Regular trench tours were carried out without special incident till the attack of the 1st and 2nd Divisions on Hill 70 and the ground to the south of it, in the middle of August. The attack of the 1st Division on Hill 70 was carried out by the 2nd and 3rd Brigades, the 1st being in support. Although not engaged in the actual attack, the 3rd Battalion did valuable work and suffered 117 casualties in holding the line before and after the battle. Following this brilliant and completely successful action the 1st division moved into the back area for rest and training, the battalion going into billets in Monchy-Breton.

Captain Henry Sloane Cooper, MC & Bar, OBE, MPP - 3rd Battalion
Battle of Vimy Ridge - April 9, 1917
"When we started over at 7:30 in the morning they still had a 5.9 barrage on our old front line and it looked as though our battalion would have to go through it. It stopped just as we got there. That was counter battery work that did that, that stopped it and how! Well then from then on there was relatively little shelling. We just outgunned him so much that he didn't have a chance of coming back"  CBC Flanders Fields

Pierre Berton - VIMY
Battle of Vimy Ridge - April 9, 1917
"The techniques that would be used to capture Vimy Ridge were honed and polished in the careful planning that preceded the larger raids, as early as December (1916), five officers and ninety men of the 3rd Battalion from Toronto had trained for a week using a replica of the enemy trench system located by aerial photography. These practice trenches were actually dug and the men trained to leap into them, first with dummy grenades and later with live ones. Scouts who had been over the ground guided the attacking parties to within fifteen yards of the enemy wire. The attackers flung bathmats over this obstacle and were in the enemy trenches in just eight minutes. In that time they killed or wounded one hundred Germans, cleared one hundred and thirty yards of trench, and suffered thirty-five casualties. These were not seasoned veterans. Two thirds of he party were new men who had arrived just in time to be trained for the job". VIMY, Pierre Berton, McClelland & Stewart, Toronto, 1986

A HISTORY OF THE 3RD (TORONTO REGIMENT) BATTALION Part Three

"The troops, of course, had been eagerly following the reports of the great battles that had been raging there (The Somme) for the last month and more. A continuing optimism still marked the accounts of the action in the London newspapers and in the less colourful resumes provided by Comic Cuts, as the Corps Intelligence Summaries were called. Ground had certainly been captured, and no British battle had ever been fought on so massive a scale. Perhaps, after all, this was really the beginning of the end. Many were still looking hopefully for the "break-through" and an early conclusion to the war".  Battle Royal, D.J. Goodspeed, 1962.


PART THREE - 1916

The battalion had just come out of the line, when on June 2nd, the 3rd Canadian Division which was holding the line on the left of the 1st Division, from Hill 60 and Mount Sorrel, to Sanctuary Wood, was attacked and partially driven from its trenches after a terrible five-hour bombardment. Next morning the 3rd Battalion moved forward and for four days held part of the trenches to which the 8th Brigade had been moved back, to the west of Mount Sorrel. Heavy artillery was being brought up with a view to counterattack, and on the 8th the line was taken over for three days by battalions of the 2nd Canadian Division while the 1st Division, who were to make the attack, were withdrawn to rest. On the 11th, the 3rd Battalion went into the line again opposite Mount Sorrel.under command of Lt.-Col. Allan, and at 1 o'clock in the morning of the 13th, in darkness and heavy rain, attacked and captured this formidable position, with the 3rd Brigade on its left and the 1st Battalion in support.. The shellfire was intense and throughout the day the battalion suffered severely , losing altogether 16 officers and 412 men, or about three quarters of the officers and two thirds of the men engaged. The same night the remnants of the Battalion were relieved on Mount Sorrel and after a few days for rest and re-organization went into the line again and did regular trench tours for the following 2 months.

Private Charles and Wally Gray,3rd Battalion

Lt.W. E. Chatterton, Adanac Cemetery

By this time, the Battle of the Somme was in full swing and, in the middle of August, the 1st Division started by route march for Tournehem, where it commenced training for the assault, preparatory to taking part in the great offensive. The end of August found it in the Somme, where it did 3 strenuous tours at Mouquet Farm near Pozieres, at Courcelette and Practice Trenches

Finally, on October 8th, the Battalion went over the top in an extensive attack, the objective of which was the famous Regina Trench. The 4th Battalion was on its right and the 16th Battalion on its left. The 4th, 3rd and 16th Battalions' objectives were taken on time, but the remainder of the attack was held up by heavy uncut wire, leaving these three units in a dangerous salient. Throughout the day the enemy counter-attacked persistently. The units on both flanks ran short of bombs. and the 3rd Battalion's reserve supplies were passed to them. Later, our own men ran short, and fresh supplies could not be brought up because of the barrage. Late in the afternoon, a determined enemy counter-attack found the whole line short of ammunition, and without the bombs so essential for this trench-to-trench work, while all but one of the Lewis guns had been knocked out. It was a hopeless fight but desperately fought, and the majority of the battalion died where they stood, Two officers and a handful of men managed to fall back to the jumping-off trenches, which they continued to hold until relieved. The losses totalled 27 officers and 682 men.



The main road to Bapaume, Somme 1916
 

Shortly after arriving on the Somme, Lt.-Col. W.D.Allan, D.S.O., was taken seriously ill as a result of an old would, and was invalided to England, where he died shortly afterwards, deeply mourned by every officer and man who had served under him. He was succeeded by Major (later Lt.-Col.) J.B. Rogers, M.C. Following the October 8th operations, the 1st Division was transferred to the Vimy Ridge front south of Lens, where it held the line till December. On the 9th of this month, the 3rd Battalion made a successful raid opposite "The Pimple" at the north end of the Ridge. Many Germans were killed and a machine gun brought back by the raiders. Before Christmas, the Division was relieved and moved into the back are for its first rest in many months, the 3rd Battalion going into billets in Bajus, a little village south of Bruay. That Christmas was one to be remembered. The men of each company sat down to dinner together, and turkey, plum-pudding, and beer were served in abundance by the officers and sergeants who acted as waiter

Sergeant Sidney Packham, #404419 - 3rd Battalion
Battle of Mount Sorrel - June 3, 1916

"Dear Mrs Gray: It is with deep regret that I have to write and tell you about poor Charlie (Private Charles Gray, #404092, "B" Coy.). He was killed on the night of June 3rd, and Wall was wounded at the same time. I was not there at the time but from what I have been told by his other comrades, I gather that Wall was not seriously hurt, and they told me that Charlie passed away very peacefully a few minutes after he was hit. He was taken away in a bag after he was very quietly, with great respect, laid to rest with other fallen hero's who have given their lives for the cause of right. I remain yours very sincerely, Sid." Buried Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium. Ontario Archives, Letters From The Front Collection

Major Herbert R. Alley - 3rd Battalion
Battle of the Somme - August 31, 1916

"We went in at Pozieres which the 28th Australian Battalion had just taken. The attack was over and successful but the German was constantly counter-attacking. We had him there (Sausage Valley, Somme), you see, where he had us at Mount Sorrel. We were on top of the Ridge and everything down below was in plain view and he didn't like it." CBC Flander's Fields interviews

A HISTORY OF THE 3RD (TORONTO REGIMENT) BATTALION Part Two

The devastating 2nd Battle of Ypres between April 22 and April 30, 1915 cost the 3rd Battalion 19 officers, including three of the four infantry company commanders, and 469 others ranks. Included in that total  and what hurt the 3rd Battalion the most was the fact that 287 men taken as Prisoners of War by the Germans. (the second most of any Canadian unit during the war). Those that were not considered casualties, from the Commander on down, all were suffering from fatigue and irritable nerves. Prior to the end of April, the battalion suffered few casualties but did have a large number of men lost to sickness and illness. These men was replaced by members of the 3rd and 9th Battalions left behind in England. After the 2nd Battle of Ypres the 3rd received a small reinforcement from Shorncliffe Camp on April 28 of 32 men and four officers. However it was not until May 3 when 287 reinforcements from the 23rd Battalion arrived while the battalion was in billets resting. One of these 287 was my Grandfather, Corporal John Cody, #63207. The 23rd Battalion was a composite reinforcement battalion from the beginning consisting of soldiers from British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta and Quebec thus overnight making the 3rd Battalion very much a National unit, if not in name, at least in effect.

1915

Men of the 3rd Battalion honoured here
 

"In the third week of May, the Third Canadian Brigade attacked and took the Orchard at Festubert. and on the night of 20-21st the 1st Brigade took over this very difficult position.The trenches were mere ditches, and, being under perfect observation from the hostile position on the Aubers Ridge, were unmercifully pounded by the enemy.On the third night, an attempt was made by "C" Company of the 3rd Battalion and a composite platoon from "A" Company to improve the position. but owing to the lack of artillery support, the intense shell and machine gun fire, and the enemy's uncut wire, the attack could not get forward. On the 28th the battalion , and in earwas withdrawn to close support and later, after a total of eleven very trying days, during which its casualties had been 8 officers and 182 men, was relieved entirely and went into bivouac near Bethune. Here it rested, refitted and reorganized, and in early June was again ready for action.

Festubert Landscape, 1919
 

A few days later it moved forward to Givenchy, where on June 15th an extensive attack was to be attempted. So far as the 1st Brigade was concerned, the attack was to be made by the 1st Battalion, who carried their objective, but owing to the failure of the troops on their flank, were unable to maintain it and lost extremely heavily. The 3rd Battalion was in support and lost 5 officers and 165 other ranks from shell and machine gun fire. Throughout these two operation Lieut.-Col. Rennie commanded the battalion.

On June 28th, the Canadian Division went into a quiet part of the line at Ploegstreert, commonly known as "Plug Street," after having in two months, fought through three of the most trying battles of the war. Here it remained for over three months, doing regular trench tours and building an elaborate system of trenches, which at that time was considered a model (editor: of which remnants can still be seen). On October 7th, the 1st Brigade side slipped  a few miles north to Dranoutre, near Bailleul, and the battalion went into line line at R.E. Farm, just north of Wulverghem. Also In October, the 2nd Canadian Division arrived, and the old Division  now became known as the 1st Canadian Division. During the month 50 men from the battalion, along with men from other units, were introduced to his majesty King George V, on the battlefield as well  during August, the 3rd Battalion received a large draft of reinforcements from Toronto's 35th Battalion and smaller drafts from the 46th (South Saskatchewan) Battalion and in October, the 60th (Victoria Riffles Montreal) Battalion.


1916


3rd Battalion War Diary May 25, 1915
 

For the next six months (except for a three weeks rest in January) the battalions of the Brigade held this bit of line, four days in support, four days in the line again, then four days in reserve at Dranoutre, and so on with monotonous regularity. November was extraordinary wet and the unrevetted trenches and flimsy dugouts melted away, so that in spite of desperate and continuous work, it was  nearly Spring before they were hospitable again. Casualties during this time, chiefly from rifle grenades and trench mortar shells, mounted up to 6 officers and 165 men, for the trenches gave little protection and there was not a dugout in the area that would stop even a 4.1 in. shell.

In November, Lieut.-Col. Rennie left to assume command of the 4th Canadian Infantry Infantry Brigade and the command of the Battalion fell to Lt.-Col. (then Major) W.D. Allan. The end of March, 1916 saw the 1st Division on the march to the Ypres Salient again, and early in April the battalion went into the line on the International Sector, immediately south of Hill 60, and St. Eloi. The 2nd Canadian Division were at the time engaged in a protracted struggle for certain mine craters at St. Eloi, and the whole southern part of the Salient was somewhat lively. For two months the battalion did regular trench tours on this and the Hill 60 sector, suffering a good deal from shell-fire, but not involved in any actions."

Private Harold R. Peat #18535 - 3rd Battalion
Battle of Festubert - May 25, 1915
"When a man is lying close to the ground there is not so very great a chance of his being hit by bullets. They pass overhead as a rule. It is when a man is kneeling or standing, or between the two positions that the danger lies. The lad Bob and I were just in the act of rising (to carry in a badly needed ammunition box) when mine came along. I flet no more than a stinging blow in the right shoulder, a searing cut and a thud of pain as the bullet exploded in leaving my body. I fell on my face and blood gushed from my shoulder. I closed my eyes. From a distance I heard Bob speak. "I'm going to fix you," he said, and knelt beside me. He got into such a position that his own body shielded me from any of the enemy bullets. It was a marvelous piece of bravery; less has earned a Victoria Cross. Bob  then turned me around so my head was towards our trench and my feet towards the Germans. Then he struggled to lift the ammunition box. Bob tried to reach the trench, but a rain of bullets got him and he fell dead only a little way from me." ( "Bob" may have been Private Robert Downey #63277, 3rd Battalion, 22 years old, member of "C" Company who was Killed n Action May 25, 1915)"

Private Frank V. Ashbourne #9170 - 3rd Battalion
Battle of Festubert - May 26, 1915
"At Festubert, one thousand of us went in and only five hundred returned. Again reinforced to one thousand we were cut right down to five hundred and sixty at Givenchy. On the morning of May 6, 1915 (editor: this date was an obvious error as the battalion were in reserves, I believe it was meant to be May 26), I was just going to fry some bully beef when a shell dropped beside me, It seemed to lift me lift up in a dense cloud of vile black and green smoke. I was temporarily dazed and choked by the poisonous gases. I found I was wounded in the left side just behind the armpit and up on top of my left rib; also on the left eyebrow and just behind my left ear. As a result I was relieved of further active service as of February 9th, 1916, in Toronto, Ontario."

We thank Marika Pirie for the use of some photographs and newspaper clippings

A HISTORY OF THE 3RD (TORONTO REGIMENT) BATTALION Part One

 

One of the items I have in my collection of items related to the 3rd Battalion is a small booklet titled " A Brief History of the 3rd Canadian Battalion Toronto Regiment". It is a 30 page synopsis of the founding, fighting and finishing days of this 1st Brigade, 1st Canadian Division battalion during World War One, the battalion my grandfather, Corporal John Cody.

I thought it might be interesting some to reproduce this booklet in a series of chronological blogs, featuring men of the battalion and archival material. This item does not show an author nor does it mention anything about a date or copyright so I am assuming it is safe to publish as it appears to be extremely old. A much more comprehensive history of the 3rd Battalion can be found in the book Battle Royal, Major D.J. Godspeed, The Royal Regiment of Canada, 1962.

1914

S.S. Tunisian
 

The 3rd Canadian Battalion was formed in September, 1914, at Valcartier, Que., from drafts from three Toronto units, the 2nd Regiment, Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, the 10th Royal Grenadiers and the Governor-General's Bodyguard. Lieut.-Col.Robert Rennie, M.V.O., (QOR) was placed in command. It at once became a unit of the 1st Canadian Infantry-Brigade under command of Brig.-General M.S. Mercer, (then Lieut.-Col.).

On October 3rd, in company with the remainder of the 1st Contingent, the battalion having embarked at Quebec on the S.S. Tunisian, sailed from Gaspe Bay for England and went under canvas on Salisbury Plain. Three and a half months were spent there in training, organizing and equipping and during this time the 1st Canadian Division was formed from the units comprising the First Contingent. Each of the selected battalions then received a name, and the battalion became the "3rd Canadian Battalion, Toronto Regiment."

1915



Captain G.C. Ryerson, 3rd Battalion

In February the division crossed to France, the remainder of the contingent being left in England to supply (reinforcement) drafts. (editor's note: a large number of men, about 200, from the broken-up 9th Battalion were sent to the 3rd Battalion to replace ill, over aged, under aged and deserted soldiers of the 3rd).  On February 11th, the 3rd Battalion landed in France at St. Nazaire and after a 48 hours' train journey, went into it's first billets at Merris, 15 miles west of Armentieres. A few days later it received its initiation into trench warfare from the Imperial Divisions, holding the line before Armentieres, and on March 4th went into the line on its own for the first time, a little further south at Fleurbaix. Toward the end of March the division was relieved and moved south to take part in an attack on the Aubers Ridge, but this attack was cancelled, and the division marched up to the neighbourhood of Cassel, in the rear of the Ypres Salient, taking over in the middle of April the French trenches from Langemarck to Zonnebeke, northwest of Ypres, and thus forming the extreme left of the British Army.



Kitchener's Wood, 1915
 

On April 22nd the 2nd and 3rd Brigades were holding the line, the 2nd on the right, the 3rd on the left with the 1st Brigade in reserve about Vlamertinghe. In the afternoon the enemy launched the first gas attack of the war against the French and to a lesser extent against the Canadian left. The attack entirely broke the French, exposing the Canadian left flank which bent but held. The 2nd and 3rd Battalions, the latter commanded by Lieut.-Col. Rennie, were rushed up in support, arriving at midnight, and were attached to the Third Brigade at Shell-trap Farm. The former at once went into the line on the exposed left flank. During the following morning "C" and "D" Companies of the 3rd Battalion were placed under command of Major Kirkpatrick and moved forward to fill in a gap on the right of the 2nd Battalion between the famous Kitchener's Wood and the village of St. Julien. Throughout the day and night this flank held in spite of desperate German attacks, but the following day it was pushed back, "C" and "D" Companies being completely wiped out in a vain attempt to stem the tide. All this was done under heavy artillery fire and without artillery support, for the line had not been expected to hold and most artillery had been withdrawn. Meanwhile, many British battalions were being rushed up and about April 27th, the line was stabilized and the Division relieved, the 3rd Battalion being the last to be withdrawn. After several days in support, the division left the Salient and moved south. (editor's note: actually the Battalion moved back into the front line briefly on May 2, suffering a number of casualties). This was the battalion's first battle. It is known as the Second Battle of Ypres and the Canadian part of it as St. Julien sometimes Langemarck. It cost the battalion 19 officers and 460 men in casualties. (editor's note: It was at this time the 3rd Battalion received its first substantial reinforcements May 3 when some 296 men from the 23rd Battalion were sent to the 3rd Battalion while in reserve, including my grandfather).

Kitchener's Wood, 3rd Battalion, 1915
 

In May, in order to relieve the enormous pressure at Ypres, the First Army opened an attack at Festubert, a little north of Labassee, then the right of the British Line and after a couple of weeks rest, the Canadian Division was thrown in at this point.

Corporal J.W. "Jack" Finnemore  #9785 - 3rd Battalion
April 22, 1915  - 2nd Battle of Ypres
"I was wounded on the last jump over between leaving an old trench and building a new one. My brother F.A. Finnimore (Staff Sargeant Frank Finnimore #9781) was wounded there just before I was.I started to take his putee off when Captain Strait (Major John Everett Streight, Prisoner of War)said to me ".Come on Finnimore. Look after your section. Never mind, you'll have to leave him (my brother)." A newspaper back home reported that we kissed each other goodbye on the front, but I only did his leg up.That was all!." Jack was captured by the Germans and became a Prisoner of War. Frank survived his wounds.

Private Frank V. Ashbourne #9170 - 3rd Battalion
April 24, 1915 - 2nd Battle of Ypres
"We went into the line with a thousand and only two hundred of us came out of it. Sir John French said that it was our Battalion that stopped the advance of the Germans. "C" and "D" Companies suffered the most and were almost wiped out. I was with my brother Bert (Private Bertram Ashbourne #9171), shortly before we were separated by the gas attack at St. Julien, on April 24-25, 1915. My brother was wounded at Langemarck and taken prisoner of war. During the gas attack at St. Julien we lost the first line of trenches and had to move back to the supports. At the back of those trenches we lay down flat and covered our mouths with wet clothes, waiting for the Germans to come up. They came up slowly thinking we were all dead from their gas, but not so. It drifted slowly over us and showed the Germans about seventy-five yards away. We were suddenly ordered to rapid fire and I don't think that about more than a dozen Germans got away alive. We advanced again and regained our front trenches with minimum losses".

These men all survived the war.


(to be continued)

WITH LOVE FROM DADDY - SARGEANT ALFRED E. PATERSON

"Miss Dorothy Paterson, 360 Queen Street, Peterboro, Ontario, Canada

Nov 23

My Dear little Daughter

I hope you are still looking after your Momma & Betty for me. Tell your Mom to hold your hand & write me a letter. Hope you are enjoying yourself.

From your loving Daddy"

So after a successful bid and it's arrival in the mail, I began my search for this author of this beautiful postcard, A search for the family in the 1911 Canadian Census brought no results, not surprising given that our young lady was probably less than 5 years old in 1916. A search of Canadian Expeditionary Force attestation papers proved inconclusive with a number of possibilities. A Google search for "Paterson" and "Peterborough" led me to the Trent Valley Archives website and their collection of early 20th Century Peterborough City Directories. My request to the archives was addressed by archivist Heather Aiton-Landry, who within a few days had found our Paterson family at the same address in the 1916 directory. With Heather's assistance, we were able to identify our "soldier Paterson" as Sergeant Albert Edward Paterson, #113476. With this information and the information on his attestation paper located with Library and Archives Canada, we were no able to locate the man and his family on Ancestry.ca. We could then order his World War One service record from the same organization thus enabling us to trace his movements and activities during the war.

Alfred Edward Paterson was born October 11, 1881 in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England. Parents were Robert Paterson and Amelia Malone. In the 1901 English Census he is shown as having an older sister, Katie, We have found the service record for Albert Paterson joining the historic 17th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers Regiment, September 5, 1901 in Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland with service number 5637. He gave his home address as 112 Shoe Lane, Fleet Street, London, next of kin Agnes, living in Paris. He served with the Lancers 11 years, five of those years in India with the last four as a Reservist living in Canada. He was diagnosed with Typhoid Fever in 1905 spending 9 months in hospital. We next found Albert Paterson immigrating to Canada arriving Quebec on the S.S.Tunisian sailing from Liverpool September 10, 1910. Soon after, he apparently found employment in Hamilton, Ontario at the Canadian General Electric (formerly Thomas Edison Canada) plant. Soon after we find him marrying Emma Rose Smith in Hamilton June 10, 1911. We did find a single "Emma Smith", living in Hamilton, born 1881, in both the 1901 and 1911 Canadian Census, We also found an "Emma Smith" in the LAC database Home Children born 1882,  arriving S.S. Dominion, one of 137 Barnardo Children headed for Peterborough. Heather-Aiton-Landry did locate the young Paterson family in several Peterborough city directories in a number of locations spread over several years., The common denominator having Albert Paterson employed as a receiver with  Canadian General Electric  in the city. I located the birth registration for Dorothy Agnes Paterson, born August 31, 1913 in Peterborough, with the family living at 51 Hunter Street East, parents Alfred and Emma Rose Paterson,

So Albert Paterson at the age of 33 years enlisted with "B" Company of the 8th Regiment Canadian Mounted Rifles, that were recruiting in Peterborough, on March 29, 1916 as a Sergeant, He trained with the 8th CMR in Barriefield (Kingston) May and June 1915 and shipped with the Battalion to England from Montreal October 8, 1915 on the S.S. Missanbie, commanded by Lieut -Col. John R. Munro, from the 5th Dragoons in Ottawa. The 8th CMR were broken up for reinforcements shortly after arrival in England with 327 other ranks heading to the trenches of Belgium and France with Toronto's 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles and 374 other ranks heading to Ottawa's 39th Battalion, which in turn supplied infantry reinforcements to various units of the 4th Canadian Division  in the field. Our Sergeant Paterson was included in this latter movement.

May1, 1916, Sergeant Paterson was reduced in rank to Private, at his own request, probably in order to be sent into battle. He was transferred May 3, 1916 to the Canadian Army Service Corps Training Camp, Shorncliffe Camp. While serving with this unit on May 15, 1916, he was kicked by a horse suffering a fractured lower patella and had an operation "joining the edges by passing silver wire through drill holes" being hospitalized over 140 days before being discharged to duty and unit in Shorncliffe Camp, Oct. 19, 1916. Private Paterson was transferred to the Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre, Hastings, Feb. 2, 1917 and then to 3rd Canadian Convalescent Centre, St. Leonard's Hospital. Finally released back to the Canadian Army Service Corps DD, Shorncliffe, July 31, 1917. Taken on service Canadian Army Veterinary Corps, Shorncliffe, Oct. 19, 1917. Transferred to 1st Canadian Veterinary Hospital, France, Jan. 1,1918. Transferred to Canadian Labour Pool Jan.25, 1918. Finally to 24th Company, Canadian Forestry Corps (as B2 clerk), France. Treated for bronchitis and leg weakness Oct. 1918.

Private Albert Paterson returned to Halifax, NS on the HMT Baltic Feb. 5, 1919. He was discharged as"having been found as medically unfit for service" March 3, 1919 in Toronto. His intended place of residence was, where else, 380 Queen Street, Peterborough, Ontario.

At this point I have found no further information on the family or their whereabouts except to note from his service file, the death of Alfred E. Paterson, #113476, Feb. 6, 1966 in Veteran's Section, University Hospital, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Young Dorothy Paterson would be 100 years old this year. And younger sister, Betty? We wonder if any family survive?

 

CAPTAIN EDWARD JOHN VESSEY, 60TH BATTALION KIA 04/06/1916

This is a story about cowboys, the settlement of Western Canada, British nobility, brave soldiers and an Ontario family of overachievers. Our story begins with the original column of Joe Fiorito in the Toronto Star about the finding of the long-lost grave of Private Bertie Nakogee. A Toronto firefighter, Bob Clarke, read this column and through Joe, contacted me. He had in his possession an old Saratoga steamer trunk that had been given to him by a Raike family member from near Orillia. This large trunk bore the initials E.J.V. in black lettering on each end. Bob explained on the phone that the trunk had belonged to Captain Edward John Vessey, a World War One soldier that had lived with the Raike family and who had been killed in the war. He asked if I had any interest in it as he had no room for it. Recently it was dropped off and now holds a temporary place in my garage until I complete space in the basement.

Captain Edward John Vessey, 60th Battalion

Edward John Vessey was a 27 year old senior executive within the Bank of Montreal head office in Montreal in 1914 holding the title of Private Secretary to Sir Frederick Williams-Taylor, General Manager and apparently thought of very highly in the bank's future. While working for the bank, Edward enlisted in the newly-formed (August 1914) 58th Regiment Westmount Rifles militia.  Edward took a leave of absence from the bank September 1915 and attested to the 60th (Victoria Rifles of Canada) Battalion, C.E.F. with the rank of Captain then training in Camp Valcartier. An imposing figure at 6' 2" and 180 pounds, he listed his birthplace as Barnstaple (Devon), England and next of kin as George Raikes (b.1852, Barrie, ON. He accompanied the battalion commanded by Lt.-Col. F.Arthur de L.Gascoigne to England on the S.S. Scandinavian in early November. The battalion went into training in Shorncliffe Camp with Captain Vessey being assigned to the Canadian Military School 3-month Officer's Course then accompanied his battalion February 20 into France. The 60th Battalion had been assigned to the 9th Brigade, 3rd Canadian Battalion, heading to France. Captain Vessey graduated from his Captain's training course "1st in Class Order of Merit, Distinguished in Tactics, Topography, Engineering, Administration, Organization and Law". An outstanding officer prepared for combat and possibly a future Commanding Officer.

Richard Raikes M.D., O.B.E. and wife, Lucy,
 St. James Anglican Cemetery, Penetanguishine, ON

The Captain's early years are a bit of a mystery. He listed his birthplace as Barnstaple, Devon, England however I can find no birth with his name in this location. There is however a Edward John Vessey born early 1887 in Astor, Erdington, Warwickshire, a town in the Midlands. I have ordered this birth certificate to obtain further information. Likewise I can not definitely confirm our man on any U.K. census at this time. Next we find 5 year old Edward J. Vessey on the Canadian Passenger Lists 1865-1935 as arriving July 30, 1892 on the S.S. Circassian Liverpool/Montreal accompanied by a Miss. Mary Raikes. We also have found Mary Raikes on the incoming UK Passenger Lists arriving Southampton from New York on the S.S. Minnehaha January 23, 1905. Presumably this Mary Raikes was the daughter of Walter Raikes (b.1824) and possibly the niece of George Raikes. While is is not my intention to provide a Raikes family history, they could certainly be considered as an influential family throughout the 1800's in Simcoe County. Walter and Jane Raikes (born England) owned a large and prosperous farm in Oro Township (Shanty Bay). They appear to have had three sons: George (farmer Oro, b. 1852); Richard (physician - Midland, b. 1859); Harry (rancher and cowboy - Red Deer, b. 1862) and three daughters: Fanny (b. 1853); Georgina (b.1859) and Mary (b.1856). Harry (Henry)  and his son homesteaded tracts of land in Alberta and was at various times a large ranch owner, manager of a huge cattle operation and an influential citizen. Mr. Walter Raikes was the 4th son of George Raikes, Honourable East India Service Company Service (by his wife Marianne, daughter of Issac Currie) and a nephew paternally of Lady William Fitzroy and maternally of Raikes Currie, Esq., M.P., J.P.., D.L., of Minley Manor, Hants. Mr. George Raikes was the 4th son of Thomas Raikes, Governor of the Bank of England, by his wife Charlotte, dau. of the Hon.Henry Finch, son of Daniel, Earl of Winchelsea. Quit a pedigree for the Raikes family! So it was into this family that our young Edward John Vessey was brought in 1905. Although George's wife Annette (nee Saunders, b. 1870) died Feb. 15, 1906 after bearing children in 1900, 1902 and 1904, Edward was brought into the family and according to various sources, adopted by George Raikes (who himself died 1919). George was possibly married earlier as there is another son listed born 1886, mother unknown. This son was Walter George Raikes, born 1887 who died in 1908 by choking.

The 60th (Victoria Rifles of Canada) was the second C.E.F. Battalion formed by this prestigious regiment, the first being the 24th Battalion serving in the 2nd Canadian Division. The 60th sent an early reinforcement draft of 250 men August 27,1916 with the main body sailing from Montreal on the S.S. Scandinavian November 6, 1916. This reinforcement draft may well as contributed to the ultimate demise of the battalion as after valiantly fighting within the 9th Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division, on April 30, 1917 the unit was disbanded supposedly for lack of "French speaking" reinforcements from Montreal. A bit strange as the 60th, Battalion for the most part, were composed entirely of English speaking personnel.

And so Captain Vessey accompanied the 60th Battalion when they entered France February 21, 1916. He was Captain of "D" Company. According to the profiles contained in The Bank of Montreal's Memorial of the Great War 1914-1918, A Record of Service, "at Hooge, Belgium (Battle of Mount Sorrel, June 2-14, 1916) , on June 3, 1916, his battalion was heavily shelled and suffered many casualties.(after relieving the P.P.C.L.I.) Orders came to reduce the garrison in the front line and to move into a communication trench nearby. He had just completed the removal of his men when he was instantly killed by an enemy machine-gun bullet" early morning June 4. Captain Edward John Vessey was buried in the Menin Road South Military Cemetery, located outside of Ypres, Belgium. There is a photo collection relating to the Captain on the Veterans Affairs Canada Virtual Memory website. His medals (British War medal, Victory medal), Memorial Plaque and Scroll were sent to his "foster-brother" Campbell Dyce Raikes in Oro Township. No Memorial Cross was issued as he was unmarried and his mother had "predeceased" him.
Interestingly, Edward's adopted uncle, Richard Raikes, CAMC,  enlisted September 22, 1914 Valcartier as the Medical Officer of the 4th Battalion, serving through much of the war only to die April 7, 1926 in Penetanguishine, ON. Two of his cousins served as well (sons of  Harry in Alberta):  Lieutenant Walter Henry Raikes #116396, joined the 11 Canadian Mounted Rifles, serving in the 47th Battalion, also direct from the Bank of Montreal, later raising to the rank of Captain Observer No.4 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Brother of Walter, Cecil Raikes #117492 enlisted in the 12th CMR in Red Deer. He was gassed twice while serving in France.

So this is the history of my valued trunk. Captain Vessey would had used it in his journey to England and possibly while in France. It would have been sent back to his home in Oro Township after his death, containing his officers effects. Another brave soldier R.I.P.

Once again, thanks to Marika Pirie for the posting of the newspaper clipping and the excerpt from the Bank of Montreal Memorial Roll. Thanks to Marg Liessens for the grave photo parked on the VAC Virtual Memorial site and to Toronto firefighter, Bob Clarke, for sharing the history of the trunk.

***NOTE***

I received the birth certificate today (July 31, 2012) for Edward John Vessey. His birthday is the same as shown on the attestation paper so there can be no doubt this is the same man. Born February 26, 1887 in Erdington, Aston, county of Warwick to Richard Edward Vessey, land surveyor and J. Catherine Vessey (formerly Vessey); witnessed by Sarah Andrews, present at birth, Easy Row, Erlington;  George Hill Registrar. That's it! Really doesn't answer anything.

August 8, 2012

Received today a certified copy of the birth certificate. John Edward Vessey was born February 26, 1887 in Aston, Erdington, Warwick, son, to Richard Edward Vessey, land surveyor, and Catherine Vessey (nee Vessey). Witness at birth: Sarah Andrews, Easy Row, Erlington, George Hill, Registrar.

April 30, 2013

It should be noted that Captain Vessey was also a topic subject on the CEF Study Group Forum www.cefresearch.ca October 2012. One of our esteemed members has speculated that given the somewhat mysterious circumstances that Edward John Vessey came to be resident in Canada and the more than passing resemblance to the then King of England, King Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria,  perhaps our brave Canadian Captain actually had Royal Blood flowing through him? Comparison photos are to be found on the appropriate thread.

Monday September 1, 2014

Yesterday and strictly by accident coincidence, we discovered the grave of Dr. Richard Raikes, his wife, Lucy, and their infant son, John Keith, in the historic St. James Anglican Cemetery in Penetanguishine, ON