PPCLI Posted 27 April , 2005 Share Posted 27 April , 2005 Hi folks, thought I'd share this if anyone is interested (I'm not Canadian, so you can't accuse me of bias ) See http://www.collectionscanada.ca/02/02015202_e.html" target="_blank">Canadian war diaries search page Search for 10th Battalion. Click on 1917/08/01-1917/10/31 A 13 page appendix (no. 29) is attached to the war diary of the 10th Canadians, citing officers (10), and N.C.O.’s and men (53!!!) who “rendered very valuable and exceptional services” from 15-17th Aug 1917. Under each name is anywhere from 4 to about 20 lines on each man’s actions during the 3 days of battle. Not only is it a boon to anyone researching a specific soldier, but it also gives a great insight into the different tasks/duties and off-the-cuff actions that had to be carried out during a battle. In order as written (anything in brackets are my additions): Officers Lt. (A/Capt) W.W. Thompson Tempy. Lt. Norman Angus McEachern Tempy. Lt. Frederick Herbert Easterbrook Tempy. Capt. (A/Major) Hercules Lefebvre Tempy. Lt. Hugh Edward Pearson Tempy. Lt. Frank John William Fane Tempy. Lt. Herbert Andrews Tempy. Lt. Bynon Price Greer Tempy. Lt. Nelson Lewis Balfe Tempy. Lt. Gordon Graham NCO’s and men 226353 Pte. H. Brown (DoW, age 18, awarded V.C.) 19791 L/Sgt. Jihn Wennevold 625004 Pte. Thomas Demaine Fidgett 20187 Cpl. Nicholas Purmal 904767 Pte. Henry Smith 430694 L/Cpl. Gordon Pierce Jones 81575 Sgt. Dougall Maxwell 174262 L/Cpl John Thomas Evans 81405 Sgt. Cornelius Albert Hood 8985590 Pte. Masumi Mitsui 100933 Pte. A.G. Holliday 808895 Charles Gizered Foss 20338 Pte. Donald Kenneth McLean 19605 Sgt. Forbes 905144 Pte. William Murray Gibson 904306 Pte. Grant Knapp A.34307 Pte. John Thompson Milne 22635 Pte. Robert Sutherland 904412 Pte. Robert Gibson 19892 Cpl. Robert McDougall McGregor 466255 Cpl. Andrew Elliott 213008 Signaller Norman Curtis 905033 Pte. Ewart W. Bateman 904979 Pte. Henry Baxter 252016 Pte. James Matheson Fowler 904516 Pte. James Gray 905016 Pte. Frederick W. Roberts 467239 Pte. James Aitken 904789 Pte. Lemuel McCallum 883732 Pte. James Howard Ballantyne 160311 Pte. E.K. Beer (? – typed over) 21331 L/Sgt. Edward Arnold 434344 Pte. Wilfred Horace Malkinson 430438 Pte. Kenneth McPhee 898527 Pte. Tokutoro Iwamoto 905177 Pte. Frederick Albert Knight 904459 Pte. Charles Janes Burridge 426031 Pte. Frank Corrall 1009180 Pte. David M. McGregor 467414 Pte. Arthur Fisher 183823 Pte. Percy Buckham Stewart 467291 Sgt. James Smart 657647 Pte. John Russell Lynch A.26424 Sgt. Charles Darwin 20640 Cpl. William James Keith 808771 L/Cpl. William L’hirondelle 22620 Cpl. Maurice Oldenbury 467348 Pte. Frank Morrison 904852 Pte. Donald Alexander Kyle 231429 Pte. George Golics 402535 Pte. Thomas Henry 252909 Pte. Alfred Frank Daum And that’s your lot! Have a look and see what you think. Cheers, Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Robertson Posted 27 April , 2005 Share Posted 27 April , 2005 Excellent stuff Stuart, what a boon for anyone interested in these men or battalion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPCLI Posted 27 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 27 April , 2005 Thanks for the reply Derek - makes the typing worthwhile. A bit more practice and I'll be using two fingers! Watch my keyboard burn Cheers, Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandsonMichael Posted 27 April , 2005 Share Posted 27 April , 2005 It's a small world Stuart Please let me add some links to your excellent list. At the CEF Study Group Forum we were working on a pilot study of the battle for Hill 70, and gathered a lot of info before the site was hacked In due course the material shall be gathered up and a summary made. I worked on an Orbat and found the same info as you did, but it also contains an extremely comprehensive account of the actual battle: 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade The War Diary day by day account is one of the most extensive I’ve seen up till now, about 20 typed pages. The 2nd Brigade issued a report on the Battle for Hill 70, consisting of about 285 pages, appendices, maps, etc. (counting near blank sheets of paper): REPORT ON OPERATIONS CARRIED OUT BY 2ND CANADIAN INFANTRY BRIGADE AGAINST HILL 70. August, 1917. The List of Contents can be found here: http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e042/e001037326.jpg And the list of appendices here: http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e042/e001037327.jpg Naturally I haven’t read it all, I’ve had a quick look at some of the pages (and downloaded the lot) and it is truly a goldmine for gathering information on the Battle for Hill 70. I would particularly like to ask you to have a look at this part: Appendix 15: Mentions, a comprehensive list of Officers, N.C.O.’s and men, including service numbers mentioned and brought to notice including the reason for this and ditto a list for gallantry and devotion to duty, including all the names and service numbers. As – I presume – Brig.-Gen. F.O.W. Loomis reports: ‘I desire to bring to notice the good work of assisting and attached troops that came under my notice’:- Page 41: http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e042/e001037369.jpg Page 42: http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e042/e001037370.jpg Page 43: http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e042/e001037371.jpg Page 44: http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e042/e001037372.jpg Page 45: http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e042/e001037373.jpg Page 46: http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e042/e001037374.jpg Page 47: http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e042/e001037375.jpg Page 48: http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e042/e001037376.jpg Page 49: http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e042/e001037377.jpg Page 50: http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e042/e001037378.jpg Page 51: http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e042/e001037379.jpg All the W/D-entries for the 2nd Brigade can be accessed here: http://data4.collectionscanada.ca/netacgi/..._e.html&r=1&f=G An attempt at creating an Orbat can be found here: ORBAT Hill 70 Cheers, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 28 April , 2005 Share Posted 28 April , 2005 Stands back in amazement .... give yourselves DCMs all round! Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandsonMichael Posted 28 April , 2005 Share Posted 28 April , 2005 Thanks Des, I'll go for a DTM if that's alright with you. Stuart wrote: "A bit more practice and I'll be using two fingers!" I have progressed to that stage already, but I think we'll both be quite happy with a Disgusting Typing Medal... Cheers, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPCLI Posted 28 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 28 April , 2005 Hi all, To all those friends on the forum who would consider themselves newish to this subject, I would recommend that they take a look at the Order of Battle that Michael has given a link to. Like myself, there will be lots of forum users trying to track down individuals or following specific battalions, but I found Michael's ORBAT an eye-opener to what must of been involved in attempting to organise a battle across several divisions. You've put a lot of good work into it Michael. I can't imagine what it must of been like in Aug 1917 trying to get it all going off smoothly. Michael - re the 3rd Canadian Division: were the Princess Pats on their holidays? Stuart (p.s. I can type with two fingers, sometimes even on the same hand when I'm in a real hurry!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandsonMichael Posted 29 April , 2005 Share Posted 29 April , 2005 Wow, thanks Stuart, In a sense the Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandsonMichael Posted 29 April , 2005 Share Posted 29 April , 2005 Why does this always happen to me? Clumsy fingers! As I was typing: in a sense the P.P.C.L.I. was indeed ‘on holiday’. They were in Corps Reserve but were actually resting from July 25 to August 19, 1917. The weather was very bad so there was not much chance for training either. They were not ‘activated’ to take part in the Battle for Hill 70, which lasted from August 15 to the 25th August. They were moved to the Lens area and returned to the Line on the 20th August, and suffered casualties from gas while in Brigade reserve, but weren’t actually involved in the Hill 70 Battle. The Pat’s relieved the R.C.R. on the 25th, when the Battle was actually over...and won. Very bad weather and very bad trenches, they spent a unpleasant week there. (source: War Diary August 1917) Cheers, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc leroux Posted 29 April , 2005 Share Posted 29 April , 2005 Some time back I had transcribed the 10th Battalion diaries for Hill 70, and as part of the Hill 70 project that the CEF Research group held, I transcribed the appendix that listed the citations. You can find these here: Narrative of battle List of Awards Citations - Officers Citations - Other Ranks marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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