Remembered Today: Gunner F CANHAM, 88th Battery Royal Field artillery who died on 21 August 1915, Auchonvillers Military Cemetery

CWGC Information

CANHAM, F

Rank: Gunner

Service No: 38498

Date of Death: 21/08/1915

Regiment/Service: Royal Field Artillery 88th Bty.

Grave Reference I. B. 9.

Cemetery AUCHONVILLERS MILITARY CEMETERY

Frederick Canham was born in 1887 at Staford in Essex. The 1891 cenus shows him living with his father (a carpenter), mother, 1 brother and 4 sisters in Cobham Street, West Ham. By 1901 he had enlisted into the army. The 1911 census records him serving with 12th Battery Royal Field Artillery, with the location being India. The battery location is thought to be Punjaub, India, Multan.

His MIC records his unit as the 4th Divisional Artillery Column. Mobilised in August 14, the Division were initially held back in the UK, deploying at the end of August 1914. Gunner Canham's MIC gives his date of entitlement to the 1914 Star as 23rd August 1914.The Division plus its field and howitzer batteries were part of III Corps and their first engagement was at Le Cateau. They battery were then involved in the retreat to the Marne, then the subsequent battles of 1914 on the Marne, the Aisne and at Messines. In 1915 the Battery would be engaed in the 2nd Battle of Ypres.

Gunner Frederick Canham was a pre-war regular soldier and one of the 'old contemptible'. He was killed 1 year after entering the continent, and was part of the BEF in some of the most important battles of WW1.