Pte 430187 David Pyper 31st Bn Canadian Infantry drowned on hospital ship 17 Nov 1915 english channel

[patrick anderson]

I am researching  Scotsman  Private   430187   David  Cameron PYPER ,  31st  Bn  Canadian Infantry who had been wounded in the hand when serving with the Battalion in France Flanders during 1915 .  He had joined the 48th Bn Canadian Infantry in 1915 and was promoted  Provost  Sgt but at Aldershot he heard that the 31st Battalion were  going to the Front sooner he transferred  and became a Private just to get to war sooner .  He was a sniper but on 9th November  1915 he  was moved to  Boulogne hospital for treatment on his hand wounds and on 17th November  1915 put on the hospital ship  Anglia but while crossing the English Channel she hit a mine and sank in just  20 minutes with many drowned on the hospital ship.  He has no known grave and is listed on the   CWGC index and on the Hollybrook Memorial  at  Southampton to the missing  

 

I found his Service papers on the Canadian WW1 website and I see that  his War Medals etc were posted out to  his widow  Mrs Mary Pyper  in Canada  and it looks like a Memorial  Cross  to his widow and to his Mother in  Arbroath , Forfarshire  ) in Scotland .   It looks like he was eligible for  1914/15 star , and  Victory medal and  British  War Medal  . .  

the Military form shows :   HQ  649  P 770

Pyper  Pte  David   430187  31st Bn

 

Med  x D  ( Widow )  to Mrs  Mary  Pyper

P     x  S   (widow )  as above

Mem  Cross  (Widow )    as above

Mem Cross  (Mother )   Mrs Robt Pyper  60 Millgate Loan,  Arbroath  Scotland .

 

Scroll  despatched  April 1921   Regn no  239502

Plaque  desp    16 8 1921  Reqn no  P 2532 .

 

What is the letters   D and  P  & S  ,mean being sent to his widow  ?
Did the  Canadians forces get  a Memorial  Cross sent to a widow and one to the Mother  ? 
NO mention of a memorial  plaque or is the P  &  S the memorial plaque and scroll ??

 

Maybe some of you have a great knowledge on Canadian infantry in WW1 and they will be able to tell me what these Letters mean

 

thank you for your time and knowledge

 

Patrick w Anderson

[Waggoner]

Patrick,

 

P & S = plaque and scroll. Memorial Crosses often went to wives and mothers, and occasionally fiancés.

 

All the best,

 

Gary

[patrick anderson]

thank you  Gary for your info and I did not know about the  Memorial Cross issued for the  Canadian casualties  before now and did not realise too they were issued to the wife and mother .  It was not until I saw the  Service papers of  Pte  David Cameron  Pyper , that it recorded the  info on medals , scroll etc 

 

greetings from Scotland to you  and thanks again

 

Patrick w anderson

[patrick anderson]

on 12th April 2019 , Lt  colonel  Roger J. Binks , Keeper of the  Rolls at the  Scottish National War Memorial at the  Edinburgh  Castle informed me that the  Trustees of the  SNWM had accepted that  Pte David  Pyper,  Canadian Infantry drowned on board the hospital ship In the  English  Channel  on 17th November  1915 is a casualty of the  Great  War of 1914-1918 and is now to be listed on the Rolls of Honour at the Scottish National  War memorial in the castle in Edinburgh.

The Scottish National War memorial is a charity and does not get any moneys from the UK  or  Scottish Government for the War memorial .

Lt  Col  Roger  J . Binks is retiring from his role as  Secretary and keeper of the  Rolls at the end of this month  ( April ) after 8 years at the helm , He has stood down from being  Regimental  Secretary of the  Royal  Scots  Dragoon  Guards  at the  Castle as well .

 

thanks to all who helped me with my researches into  Pte  Pyper ,, Canadian Infantry born in Scotland at Fettercairn , Kincardineshire .  His father was  Arbroath Burgh Police Inspector  Robert  Cameron Pyper who retired from the  Force in 1917 when the chief constable returned from the war badly wounded .

Patrick w anderson

[Terry]

Patrick, the 1914-15 Star earned by 430187 Pte. D .Pyper, 31st Battalion, resides in my collection.I acquired it a number of years ago but have never spotted any of Pyper's other medals, the memorial cross, or plaque.Normally I collect complete groups to members of the CEF, but in this case the manner of his death caused me to set aside my own rule.

Cheers,

Terry

[patrick anderson]

Terry   Thank you for your info on  Pte  Pyper's  1914/15 star  in your collection .  His father retired as a  Police Inspector in the  Arbroath  Burgh Police just before the end of  WW1 and he died at an old age .  There is a family grave and gravestone in the  Arbroath's  Eastern  Cemetery including Pte D  Pyper's  parents  name on the large headstone .

 

best wishes   patrick w anderson