116th (Ontario County Infantry) Bn

[jainvince]

Various sources indicate that the above Battalion was in the vicinity of Monchy le Preu during late August 1918 (in particular Bois du Sart and Bois du Vert east of the village). According to two sources this Battalion was part of the 3rd Canadian Division.

Whilst I can find the diaries for this division, I cannot see a mention of the 116 Bn and for 27th August it shows NIL casualities although our local man - Pte J T Rogers is quoted by the CWGC as died on 27th August 1918. He may of course died of wounds and thus had been injured days earlier. As yet my searches haven't found the War Diary for 116 Bn. He is buried at VIS-EN-ARTOIS BRITISH CEMETERY, HAUCOURT in a plot which appears to have been concentrated here after the Armistice.

As I am not an expert on the Canadian's in WW1, can any pal help in resolving this quandary?

Bernard P

[habspei31]

Various sources indicate that the above Battalion was in the vicinity of Monchy le Preu during late August 1918 (in particular Bois du Sart and Bois du Vert east of the village). According to two sources this Battalion was part of the 3rd Canadian Division.

Whilst I can find the diaries for this division, I cannot see a mention of the 116 Bn and for 27th August it shows NIL casualities although our local man - Pte J T Rogers is quoted by the CWGC as died on 27th August 1918. He may of course died of wounds and thus had been injured days earlier. As yet my searches haven't found the War Diary for 116 Bn. He is buried at VIS-EN-ARTOIS BRITISH CEMETERY, HAUCOURT in a plot which appears to have been concentrated here after the Armistice.

As I am not an expert on the Canadian's in WW1, can any pal help in resolving this quandary?

Bernard P

Hi Bernard P,

According to the Official History of the Canadian Army in the First World War - Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1918, the 116th (Ontario County) Bn was with the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division (http://www.forces.gc.ca/dhh/collections/bo...Id=22&cat=7), under the command of Lt.-Col. G. R. Pearkes, VC, in August 1918.

Page 430 notes:

"Heavy rain fell during the night of the 26th-27th, and the slippery ground added to the difficulties of assembly. It was still raining when the 9th Brigade, which had not previously been committed in the battle, attacked at 4:55 a.m. through the 42nd Battalion north of the Cambrai road. The 52nd Battalion cleared the Bois du Vert, and the 58th the Bois du Sart; but the 116th Battalion, moving through the 52nd against Boiry-Notre- Dame, was halted by the hail of machine-gun fire coming from Artillery Hill and Jigsaw Wood to the north.25 The newly-arrived 35th German Infantry Division was defending the Boiry area with, from south to north, the 61st, 176th and 141st Infantry Regiments.26 On the left Pelves remained untaken, and the only additional advance that day on the divisional front was on the southern flank, where the 43rd Battalion joined in the 4th Brigade's attack on Vis-en-Artois."

Page 431 covers the events of the 28th, and page 432 notes the casualties: "Casualties for the day were heavy, and brought the total reported by the 2nd and 3rd Divisions in the three days' fighting to 254 officers and 5547 other ranks."

3rd CID was relieved by the 4th British Division in the night of 28-29 August. The Canadian Virtual War Memorial has a Private James Thomas Rogers, 690158, died 27 August 1918. Enlisted 4 February 1916, DOB 24 March 1886 (Attestation Paper, Library and Archives Canada).

It would appear Library and Archives Canada have the 116th Bn's diaries, but no images are available: http://data4.collectionscanada.gc.ca/netac...amp;r=0&f=S. Not sure why this would be, but it could be that the 116th's diaries have not been scanned.

It is indeed very possible Pt Rogers was wounded days earlier, and then died of wounds on 27 August. Without getting my hands on his service documents, there's no way of knowing for sure.

Hope this helps!

Chris

[Ken S.]

There is a link for the transcribed 1917-1919 War Diary (pdf format) for the battalion on this webpage:

116th Battalion

If you are interested in a specific soldier, you can order his service record from the Library and Archives of Canada.

[habspei31]

There is a link for the transcribed 1917-1919 War Diary (pdf format) for the battalion on this webpage:

116th Battalion

If you are interested in a specific soldier, you can order his service record from the Library and Archives of Canada.

Thanks, Ken S.! Interesting it's available on an outside site, but not from LAC...

Cheers!

C

[jainvince]

Chris and Ken

Many thanks for the information and links which are extremely useful. The following is the information I have on Pte Rogers:

Listed under the heading “Latest Casualties” issued by a local newspaper is the following information:- Private J. T. Rogers, Ontario Regiment, formerly of Littleborough killed in France 27 August 1918, at the time of his death Private Rogers had relations living at 143 Gale Road, Littleborough. Private 690158 James Thomas Rogers, 116th Bn Canadian Infantry died aged 32 on Tuesday the 27 August 1918. He was the son of Mr John H. and Mrs Martha Rogers, husband of Mrs Ethel Rogers of 3319 North Water Street, Philadelphia, U.S.A. born at Hamilton, Ontario.

I still have some researches to undertake including the National Censuses but now I can at least find out where he served.

BernardP

[Ken S.]

Well, as it happens, he enlisted with the 173rd Battalion in Hamilton, which is right down my alley.

Here is his attestation paper: front, back.

He embarked with the battalion in November 1916. In early January, the battalion was absorbed by the 2nd Canadian Reserve Battalion, 6th Canadian Reserve Brigade at Bramshott. The 2nd supplied drafts for the 125th and 116th Battalions, and it's possible that he would been among a draft of 290 men that left February 16, 1917. This is all however information contained in his service record.

How to Order

[laughton]

It was a rare find that the 116th War Diary was found by Marika on the Ontario web site.

The direct link to that documents is:

http://www.ontrmuseum.ca/PDF/War%20Diary,%...201917-1919.pdf

I also suggest that anyone that is looking for specifics also go to the Brigade and Division War Diaries. The appendices often have information that is in great detail. There is a link to the 9th Infantry Brigade on the Matrix page.

The 116th War Diary is at LAC, it just has not been loaded to the site. That may have been a simple oversight, I have never asked.

I have now sent an e-mail to LAC regarding this war diary.

Richard

[habspei31]

It was a rare find that the 116th War Diary was found by Marika on the Ontario web site.

The direct link to that documents is:

http://www.ontrmuseum.ca/PDF/War%20Diary,%...201917-1919.pdf

I also suggest that anyone that is looking for specifics also go to the Brigade and Division War Diaries. The appendices often have information that is in great detail. There is a link to the 9th Infantry Brigade on the Matrix page.

The 116th War Diary is at LAC, it just has not been loaded to the site. That may have been a simple oversight, I have never asked.

I have now sent an e-mail to LAC regarding this war diary.

Richard

Thanks, Richard! You beat me to it! I have a couple of friends there, and was sending them an e-mail, when I saw your post.

Cheers!

Chris

[jainvince]

Gentlemen

What can I say but many thanks for your further links and information. Another soldier with a lconnection to our town has become something more than just a name in the paper. As it happens, 2 Littleborough freinds and I visited Monchy in April 2009 and drove around the location of the fighting which occurred in late August 1918. Hopefully, we will go back next year and visit his grave as well.

He was a well travelled man, Littleborough UK, Canada, France and possibly Belgium, never mind where he had travelled to in his earlier military career. May he Rest in Peace.

Many thanks

Bernard

PS there was also another Littleborough man in the Canadian Army, Pte A Shaw in 43rd Canadian, enlisted June 15, died 6th June 1916 aged 44. How do you obtain the Attestation Paper for him?

[laughton]

Your man is here on the CWGC:

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=480717

So we now know his number is #153292

which takes us to his Canadian Attestation Papers here:

http://data2.archives.ca/cef/gat2/093396a.gif

http://data2.archives.ca/cef/gat2/093396b.gif

Or if you want his LAC page it is here:

A. Shaw #153292 Library and Archives Canada

With that information you can obtain his complete Service Record, the Virtual War Memorial Page, and much more.

With Regimental Number 153292 we know that he attested to the 79th Regiment "Cameroon Highlanders" in Military District #10.

[jainvince]

Again many thanks. This is our current information on Pte shaw which may be of widwer interest. Of course, with your links we can now add more:

"On Thursday 15 June 1916 Mr James and Mrs Annis Shaw of Laneside the parents of 44 year old Private Albert Shaw, 43rd Bn Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment) received official confirmation that he had been killed in action on the 6 June 1916. Private Shaw was a native of Littleborough, he went to America in 1896 and was employed as a insurance agent, he returned to England in 1908 and was employed by a insurance company as a insurance agent, he kept this occupation until 1911 when he went to Canada and obtained a position as a clerk at a hotel, he enlisted in the Canadian Army in June 1915 and was back in England as a Canadian Soldier in September of the same year when he visited members of his family, his brother Ernest Shaw Frances Street, Hurstead, his three sisters Mrs C Greenwood Fair View, Stubley, Mrs T Sutcliffe Franfort Terrace Halifax Road, and Mrs H Leach 112 Stubley Brow. Mr J. D. Shore Percy Street, Rochdale his brother-in-law. Prior to going to America (1896) he was employed at Messrs Clegg & Sons Shore Mills as a weaver. On a tablet on the family grave in St Andrew’s Churchyard is inscribed with his name and the sentiment

“HE ANSWERED DUTYS CALL

AND LIKE A SOLDIER FELL”

Private Shaw left a widow and a daughter (Clara died 9th March 1941 aged 80 years)

His body is interred in Maple Copse Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium."

I was at this cemetery in July 2009 and you can see the Canadian Memorial from the cemetery.

[jainvince]

And the Canadian memorial on the horizon.

Bernard

[jainvince]

Have now obtained his Attestation Papers for Albert Shaw which confirm his Littleborough links. However, whilst the newspaper refers to his parents receiving the news, he actually put his sister down as next of kin.

Bernard P

[Ken S.]

Have now obtained his Attestation Papers for Albert Shaw which confirm his Littleborough links. However, whilst the newspaper refers to his parents receiving the news, he actually put his sister down as next of kin.

Bernard P

His service record will likely contain some sort of record of the change.