The Fallen of November 1, 1914

Officers Aboard HMS Good Hope, Falkland Islands, 18 October 1914
(Midshipmen in the front row)

The Battle of Coronel, November 1, 1914

The Battle of Coronel took place on 1 November 1914 off the coast of central Chile near the city of Coronel. German Kaiserliche Marine forces led by Vice-Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee met and defeated a Royal Navy squadron commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock.  Two ships were lost, the HMS Good Hope and the HMS Monmouth.  Four young men from the Royal Canadian Navy were Midshipmen on the HMS Good Hope on which all hands were lost.  All of them were graduates of first class of the Royal Navy College of Canada, set up in 1911 shortly after the Canadian Navy itself was established in 1910.  Details of the battle, newspaper articles,and ship descriptions, and information about memorials may be found online at The Coronel Memorial.

Midshipman Malcolm Cann, 18, of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

Midshipman John Victor W. Hatheway, 19, of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Midshipman William Archibald Palmer, 20, of Ottawa, Ontario.

Midshipman Arthur Wiltshire Silver, 20, of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

These young men are commemorated at the Halifax Memorial which stands in honour of the memories of the men and women of the Navy, Army, and Merchant Navy who lost their lives and have unknown graves.

Canada's Fallen October 24 to October 31, 1914

War Illustrated of the 31st October 1914 

I found an amazing blog this morning that posts pictures from an inherited bound copy of The War Illustrated.  These pictures of Canadians getting settled in on Salisbury Plain were striking to me - partly because of the clear interest in the soldier's "fatigue caps," which would normally be described as touques (the spelling is contested) in Canada.  I can only imagine how cold and inhospitable the open pump bathroom would have been.

Seven Canadians fell during this week, all but one in England.

October 24, 1914

Private Charles Goscombe of the Canadian Army Medical Corps died leaving his wife, Livinia Goscombe, of II, James St., The Common, Woolwich, London, England.  He is buried in Fort Massey Cemetary, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Gunner George Read died at 36 years old.  He is buried in Bulford Church Cemetery, Wiltshire, United Kingdom.

October 25, 1914

Corporal William Ogden, 43 years old and from Saskatoon, died by accidental gunshot wound while he was testing rifles.  There is a lovely article from the Salisbury Plain Benefice, which includes a photograph of his grave which may be found in Orcheston St Mary churchyard, Wiltshire, United Kingdom.

October 29, 1914

Private Samuel Herbert Smith, 28 years old died accidentally when he fell off a transport wagon and was killed instantly when he landed on his head. He had previously served for two years with the Royal Engineers in England, and was reported to have formerly been a Captain in the French Foreign Legion.  Private Smith was from Liverpool, but had been in Montreal for 18 month before he enlisted. He is buried in Amesbury Cemetery, Wiltshire, United Kingdom. The Canadian Virtual War Memorial has copies of his attestation papers and an image of his battalion's war diary.

October 31, 1914

Gunner Theophilus Walter Burdock was found drowned at Bath, Somerset, England he was 38 years old.  Although he was born in England, he enlisted at Valcartier indicating that his profession was Lumberjack.  Gunner Burdock is burried in St. John The Baptist Churchyard, Batheaston, Somerset, United Kingdom.  

Private Alexander Ogilvie was 28 years old at his death and is buried in St. Peter's Cemetery, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom.

Private A.R. Ridley-Thompson is buried in Efford Cemetery, Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom.

Canada's Fallen October 16 to October 23, 1914

Canadian soldiers marching through Amesbury, Wiltshire in 1914. Photo by T.L. Fuller

I find it somewhat inspiring to think of the young men, filled with anticipation and a sense of adventure, many returning to Britain as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force arriving on Salisbury Plain.  It is hard to imagine 30,000 men arriving all at once.  Canadians at this point are yet to be tested in the field.  The first Canadian to die on the other side of the Atlantic was Private William Herbert Vaughan Hartley, who died by accident.

October 19, 1914

Sapper John Allan who was part of Canada Permanent Force, died at Halifax, Nova Scotia on October 19, 1914.  The only known memorial is page one of the First World War Book of Remembrance.

Capt. A. Campbell

Captain Alexander Campbell was the son of the late William James and Sarah Jane Campbell, of Ottawa, Ontario.  He was husband of Ellen Margaret Campbell, also of Ottawa.  He is buried in Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa, Ontario.

Private William Herbert Vaughan Hartley was from Blackburn, Lancashire, England.  He was also husband of Ellen Hartley, of Montreal. It was reported in the Huntingdon Gleaner October 22, 1914

"On Sunday morning, on the road between Salisbury and the plain where the Canadian contingent is encamped, the body of a soldier was found.. It was lying face downward, the mouth close to the grass. The body was that of Private Wm. H. V. Hartley, C Company, 34 years old, of the First Royal Montreal Regiment. He had got leave on Saturday and went to town where he spent the evening. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death. The burial took place on Tuesday in the village church-yard at Shrewton, with full military honors. He was an Englishman and came to Canada 2 years ago. After a few months stay in Toronto, settled in Valleyfield. He obtained employment in Valleyfield with the Montreal Cottons. Since his enlistment, Mrs Hartley has been without support and has received aid from the municipality and from individuals. Her five children are all under seven years of age, and apart from her husband's sister she has no relatives in Canada"

Although there was considerable, his death is recorded as "death by asphyxiation."  He was buried with full military honours at St. Mary Churchyard Extension, Maddington, Wiltshire, United Kingdom.

October 20, 1914

Colour Sergeant E.J. Lock was 27 at the time of his death.  He had prior military experience with the Royal Marines and is buried in Greenback Cemetery Bristol, England.

October 21, 1914

Gunner Percy Sawyer was killed by being kicked by a horse, and was treated by Maj. John McRea, famous for writing In Flanders Fields 18 months later.   The cororner's inquest ruled the death accidental.  Gunner Sawyer is buried in St. Thomas A Becket Churchyard, Tilshead, Wiltshire, United Kingdom.

A version of the story, including a picture of the grave, and much more information about Canadians on Salisbury Plain may be found at the Toronto Star from April 20, 2014.

October 22, 1914

Gunner John H. Lunn died on October 22, 1914, and is buried in Fort Massey Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia.