John William Robinson, 8th Batt, Canadian Expeditionary Force

[Woolybully]

Hello,

I'm after a little assistance in where to look next...

Library and Archives Canada has previously provided me with my great uncle's WWI CEF dossier which is great. In this there are other documents which are referred to and I am trying to find out

a) if these still exist and,

how to obtain a copy (or at least view)

The other documents I would like to locate are:

- 8th Battalion Casualty Report 81 (14.6.1915)

- 8th Battalion Casualty Report 70 (31.5.1915)

- Map & sheet 36 from OC 8th Battalion 31.5.1915 in file K4-7-8

- Casualty List A573 (29.1.1917)

Any suggestions would be very welcomed. Thank you

[sotonmate]

Have you tried to find the 8 Bn War Diary at archivescanada ? There may be such documents therein.

[regimentalrogue]

Woolybully,

I do not believe the casualty reports or lists survive. You can start with the War Diary as noted by sotonmate.

There is also the unit Part II Daily Orders, but these have not been digitized. Requesting the entire set is costly, but once you narrow down the date ranges in which any reports of him with the Battalion might be found, a researcher in Ottawa could photograph those pages for you at a more economical cost than LAC would charge.

My pages here may be of assistance - Researching Canadian Soldiers of the First World War

Michael

[Woolybully]

sotonmate,regimentalrogue

Thank you for your replies.

I have had a look at the war diary and it notes burial services as well as the preceding heavy bombardment. The reason I'm after more detail is that there looks to be a few areas of confusion.Firstly John Robinson is listed as "Died of Wounds" and then that is struck through and "Killed in Action" is added. His dossier makes reference to the Casualty Lists and so I was hoping to find out a little more as I am assuming that "Died of Wounds" means he wasn't killed outright and there maybe info about him as he passed through aid stations or the like.

John served alongside his brother Frederick (who survived the war). At one point it looks as though the brothers were mixed up and Frederick was listed on a Casualty List instead (around the same time). I have ordered the full dossier of Frederick from LAC and am awaiting it's arrival, hope fully I will be bale to look at both to provide a clearer picture. Maybe both brothers were wounded?

Thank you for the pointer about the Daily Orders I'll keep that in mind and I'll certainly look at your pages.

Thanks again

WoolyBully

[regimentalrogue]

My page on Casualties will lead you to the Circumstances of Death Registers and the Commonwealth War Graves Registers:

739 Private John William Robinson

COD only states "Killed in Action"

War Graves Register also states "Killed in Action"

[Woolybully]

Thanks for these, I'd seen the COD but not the War Graves register. As you can see "Sheet 36.X.2.a" is the sheet and map I'm hoping to locate.

I'm trying to locate the original grave location. John is on the Vimy Memorial and so I am assuming that subsequent action saw the destruction of the grave (CWGC has no grave), but I would like to know where as I am travelling to The Somme and the sounds next Easter and would like to visit "the spot".

[regimentalrogue]

"Sheet 36.X.2.a" is the sheet and map I'm hoping to locate.

Researching Canadian Soldiers of the First World War, Part 7: Deciphering Battlefield Location Information

This page leads to the McMaster University Map Collection which should help.

[Woolybully]

Thanks regimentalrogue

That's brilliant!

Following your east-to-follow instructions I have "translated" 36.X.2.a to an area very near to Gamand which is just outside SE Lille.

Lille is circa 40kms from Festubert so I am thinking either a) John did die of wounds at a clearing or aid station or "Point marked X2A Sheet 36" as per the War Graves Register can be "translated" a different way. I'm thinking that this is more likely as it does also state "East Festubert"

Any thoughts?

[JOVE23]

Thanks regimentalrogue

That's brilliant!

Following your east-to-follow instructions I have "translated" 36.X.2.a to an area very near to Gamand which is just outside SE Lille.

Lille is circa 40kms from Festubert so I am thinking either a) John did die of wounds at a clearing or aid station or "Point marked X2A Sheet 36" as per the War Graves Register can be "translated" a different way. I'm thinking that this is more likely as it does also state "East Festubert"

Any thoughts?

If nobody here can crack it, drop on down to the Maps subforum and see if anyone there will have a go. They helped me make sense of a trench map I was given that had my great grand uncle's "spot" on it.

[Woolybully]

Thanks Jove23

I have posted on that subforum. Thanks for the tip.