Canadian WW1 Book of Remembrance
Canada
Photo : Veterans Affairs Canada.
For further photographs of the Book of Remembrance and the Canadian Parliament building (where the book is held) select here.
The eight Books of Remembrance contain the names of more than 120,000 Canadians who have given their lives in the service of their country. The books are traditionally kept under protective glass in the Memorial Chamber of Canada’s Parliament Buildings.
One of the eight books is for Canadians who lost their lives in the First World War.
The First World War Book of Remembrance was dedicated on 11 November 1942. The first and largest of the Books of Remembrance, it contains more than 66,000 names, with roughly 125 names per page.
The original Book was ten inches thick and weighed sixty-eight pounds. It was rebound into two volumes in 1959, when the original binding was replaced.
13 soldiers who served with the Yorkshire Regiment are commemorated in the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance.
2nd Lieutenant Arthur Webb Butler Bentley
3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Dr. Arthur James Macdonald Bentley. Died at home 2 December 1918. Aged 35.
Buried TAUNTON (ST. MARY'S) CEMETERY.
This Officer was born in Malaya, and attested to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Winnpeg.
The only connection with Taunton found so far is that his Medal Roll Index card shows correspondence to be addressed to a Mrs S Payne in Taunton, Somerset. (Subsequent investigation indicates that she was his married sister.
Private Harold Chapman
646232. 7th Battalion Canadian Infantry. Son of Mr. J.J. Chapman, of 17, St. Hilda's Terrace, Whitby, Yorks; husband of Irene Lethbridge Chapman, of Tarafal, Crowthorne, Berks, England.
Served in the South African Campaign with B.S.A. Police. Served at Gallipoli, 1915, with rank of Maj. (acting Col.). Invalided back to British Columbia, 1916.
Killed 15 August 1917. Aged 39.
Commemorated on the VIMY MEMORIAL.
Harold Chapman is also commemorated on a family memorial in Whitby's Parish Church, together with his brother Wilfred.
For further details on Harold Chapman, see theinformation on the VIMY MEMORIAL on this website..
2nd Lieutenant John Buchan Freeland
2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Edward Buchan Freeland and Annie Louisa Freeland (nee Stark), of 1159, Bay St., Toronto, Canada. Killed 26 July 1917. Aged 19.
Commemorated on Panel 33, YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL.
The following biography of John Buchan Freeland is found in "Officers of the Green Howards 1688 -1931" by M L Ferrar;-
Born at Toronto, 7 November 1897, son of Edward B Freeland, of Chestnut Park, Toronto.
2nd Lieut., 18 January 1916.
Was commissioned from the Royal Military College, Canada, and joined the 2nd Battalion on 21 June 1916.
Took part in the fighting on the Somme, and was wounded at Trones Wood on 8 July 1916. Rejoined the battalion 10 May 1917.
Killed at Sanctuary Wood, Ypres, on 26 July 1917. His father received the following letter from Lieutenant Colonel C V Edwards, commanding the 2nd Battalion:
“I write with great regret to inform you of the death in action of your son yesterday afternoon. He was taking part in an attack on the German lines, and was behaving with great gallantry at the time of his death. We are all extremely sorry to lose him. He had only been under my command for a few months, but in that time I was able to grasp what a good, sound fellow he was. He was the best working subaltern I had. In particular, his men came first in everything he did. His keynote was, I think, Thoroughness.
The attack we carried out was successful, many Germans were killed and some few captured. Your son‘s platoon was in the thick of it, and was responsible for especially good work. I understand that he had moved forward to look for a machine gun which was commencing to fire from very close quarters when he fell. If he had come back I would have recommended for a Military Cross. We can ill afford to lose such men at a time like this. We know however, that he had done his work well, and that his life was not wasted.
I find it hard to write at all cases like this; a man ready and willing to give his life need, I think, have little said about him. We remember them all the same.”
Additional details of Lieutenant Freeland's death in action are provided by Robert Coulson.
2nd Lieutenant Henry Lawrence
5th Battalion attached to 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of the late James and Adeline Lawrence, of 71, Manor Rd., Scarborough. Killed 17 January 1917. Aged 26.
Commemorated on Pier and Face 3A & 3D, THIEPVAL MEMORIAL.
Although Scarborough, above, is a district in Toronto, Henry Lawrence WAS born in the North Yorkshire Scarborough. The following notes are from Robert Coulson's Biographies of Officers in The Yorkshire Regiment;-
“Henry Lawrence was born in Scarborough and was educated at All Saints School and the Municipal School in the town.
He then went to Canada and at the onset of war joined Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry serving in France from June 1915.
He then returned to England and gained his commission joining the 6th Battalion after their return from Gallipoli and Egypt.
He joined up with the battalion at Beaumetz in October of 1916.
The battalion stayed in the Somme sector through Christmas of 1916 and 2nd Lt Henry Lawrence was killed in action during a night patrol close to Beaucourt on January 17th 1917.”
Further details of his career can be read in the extract from the >University of Toronto Roll of Service.
Private Frederick Lorne
6382. 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. (real name Stevenson), Son of Ebenezer and Nellie Stevenson, of 62, Tranmere Rd., Earlsfield, Wandsworth, London. Killed 15 June 1915. Aged 34.
Born Dalston (London), Enlisted London, Resided Earlsfield.
(Listed in SDGW under "Frederick Lorne", as well as in Green Howards database).
2nd Lieutenant Avard Yuill Mathews
1st Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, attached to 1st Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own). Killed 26 October 1918.
Commemorated on Panel 5, VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL
Lance Corporal Frederick Munroee
10855. 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 21 August 1915.
Born Middlesbrough, Enlisted Middlesbrough, Resided Toronto (Ontario, Canada).
Commemorated on Panels 55 to 58, HELLES MEMORIAL
(The legatees in "Soldiers Effects" were his father John, and mother Ellen. In the 1911 Census, the family were living at 19 Larkhill Square, Stockton-on-Tees. Frederick was then 22 years old and working as a shop assistant.
It is assumed that he emigrated to Canada soon afterwards, but returned in order to fight in the war.)
Private Percy Olliffe, MM
16821. 8th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of George and Lily Olliffe, of 413, Ontario St., Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Killed 10 July 1916. Aged 20.
Born Bermondsey (London), Enlisted Stratford, Resided Upton Park (London).
Commemorated on Pier and Face 3A & 3D, THIEPVAL MEMORIAL.
(One of the 216 names shown for Upton Park on the London War Memorial website)
Lieutenant Thomas Edward Robinson
11th Battalion attached 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 18 October 1916.
Commemorated Pier and Face 3 A and 3 D, THIEPVAL MEMORIAL.
The following biographical information is taken from Robert Coulson's Biographies of Officers in The Yorkshire Regiment;-
“Lt Thomas Robinson fought and died with the 2nd Battalion during the Battle of the Somme.
On October 17th 1916 in the late evening he assembled with his men in New Trench for a planned attack towards Gueudecourt near the Le Transloy Ridges.
In the early hours of the morning they attacked the German position of Bayonet Trench and in the fighting that followed Lt Robinson was initially listed as “wounded and missing&rdquo.
(His connection with Canada is not known at the moment).
Lieutenant Geoffrey Stapleton Rowe Roper, M C
13rd Bn. attd. 7th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of George and Elizabeth Roper, of Richmond, Yorks. Killed on 12 May 1917. Aged 27.
Buried CABARET-ROUGE BRITISH CEMETERY, SOUCHEZ.
The following biographical information is taken from Robert Coulson's Biographies of Officers in The Yorkshire Regiment;-
"Geoffrey Roper was born close to the regimental HQ of the Yorkshire Regiment in Richmond on March 22nd 1890.
He then appears to have emigrated to Canada and entered the war as a private soldier serving with Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry with whom he enlisted on August 26th 1914.
After time with the Canadian force he gained his commission and joined with the Yorkshire Regiment.
Serving with the 7th Battalion during the Arras offensive of 1917, on May 9th 2nd Lt Roper and his men were moved into the line in trenches north of the river Scarpe.
The battalion were involved in bitter fighting around Curly and Cupid trenches and had gone into the line with 18 officers and 436 other ranks and when they came out on May 15th there were only 5 officers and 228 men left.
2nd Lt Geoffrey Stapleton Rowe Roper MC was killed in this action on May 12th 1917 at the age of 27.
His grave can be seen today in Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery at Souchez, seven miles north of Arras.
Geoffrey Roper was the son of George and Elizabeth Roper of Richmond in North Yorkshire, his father being a local magistrate and county alderman."
Private John James Sibley
8176. 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 4 July 1916.
Born Mortimer (Berks), Enlisted Aldershot, Resided Wades Mill (Ware - Hertford).
Buried DAOURS COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION.
There is some very full biographical informatiion on Private John James Sibley on the Yorkshire Regiment Remembrance website in the section Photos of Indiividuals, - "S".
However this makes no mention of a connection with Canada.
Private Ebenezer Stevenson
6382. 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. (served as LORNE), Son of Ebenezer and Nellie Stevenson, of 62, Tranmere Rd., Earlsfield, Wandsworth, London. Killed 15 June 1915. Aged 34.
Born Dalston (London), Enlisted London, Resided Earlsfield.
(Listed in SDGW under “Frederick Lorne”, as well as in Green Howards database).
2nd Lieutenant William Wallace Watson
2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of the late A. G. and Nellie A. Watson, of Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. Killed 13 October 1916. Aged 22.
Commemorated on Pier and Face 3 A and 3 D, THIEPVAL MEMORIAL.
The following information on Lieutenant Watson is taken from Robert Coulson's Biographies of Officers in The Yorkshire Regiment who were killed in the First World War;-
“William Watson served with the 2nd Battalion during the Somme offensive in the summer and autumn of 1916.
In mid September the battalion were in a training area close to Naours, leaving there on October 4th by motorbus and route march to brigade reserve in Switch Trench.
On October 13th 2nd Lt Watson and the battalion were ordered up to the support area closer to the front line.
Marching in columns the battalion was heavily shelled during which 2nd Lt William Wallace Watson was killed on October 13th 1916 aged 22.”
Jacky Rodger has kindly forwarded two contemporary Canadian newspaper reports which tells us something more about Lieutenant Watson and his brother;-
The Ottawa Journal, Sat 21 Oct 1916, p1 col 7-
“Cornwall, Ont., Oct 21.&ndash Second Lieut. Wallace Watson, of Cornwall 11th and 2nd Yorkshire Regiments (Imperial) has been killed in action, according to a cable to his mother today from the British War Office. He was a student at the Ontario College of Pharmacy, Toronto, when the war began, and went to London to complete his qualifying course last January. He was 22 years of age.”
The Ottawa Journal, Thu 3 May 1917, p5 col 5;-
“Mrs. A. G. Watson has received notification from Ottawa, that her son, Gunner Alex. G. Watson, had been slightly wounded in the face, and had been admitted to Boulogne Hospital on April 23. Gunner Watson went overseas, early in September 1916. He is 20 years of age and was a pupil of the Cornwall High School. A brother of the young soldier, Lieut. Wallace Watson, who was killed in action on Oct. 15 1916. He joined the Imperial forces while attending the Ontario College of Pharmacy, Toronto.”
Photo : Veterans Affairs Canada
Photo : Veterans Affairs Canada
Photo : Veterans Affairs Canada
Photo : © Saffron Blaze and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence.