Honouring Oyen’s Great War Heroes: Stories Behind the Names
FROM ECHO ARCHIVES
When I was about 12 years old, I remember two men coming to our farm one evening for a social visit with my father. One of those men was Floyd Horne. They were seated around the kitchen table and at one point in the conversation, Dad left the house with the other man for a short period of time. Floyd remained at the kitchen table and I joined him for a chat. To me he was always a friendly approachable man. During the next 20 minutes or so, he related some of his experiences while with the Canadian Army in France during the Great War. I was in awe that this elderly man would share this story with me. He explained in detail how he was badly wounded by an explosion during a battle and being transported to England for surgery and recuperation.
A few years ago, while reminiscing about Mr. Horne and another veteran of the Great War, Chester Tupper or Chet Tupper as he was known in the community of Oyen, I went to the web site www.collectionscanada.go.ca. I was able to obtain copies of their respective Attestation Papers. Each Paper had two pages of personal information regarding their voluntary entry into the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force. Ancestry.ca also provided good information.
The Cenotaph near the Big Country Hospital in Oyen has thirteen names from the First World War etched on it. Keeping in mind the information I had obtained, I again went to the same sites. This is what I obtained.
Clarence Roy Coates
Roy Coates was 25 years old when he joined the army in Medicine Hat on May 24, 1916. A farmer from Chilmark (unincorporated area southwest of Oyen), he listed his father as next of kin, also of Chilmark. Roy was single and born in Port Perry, Ontario in 1891. His physical description was 5 foot 7 ½ inches tall, a dark complexion with brown eyes and hair. He had a vaccination mark on his left arm.
Private Coates of the 31st Battalion was reported missing in action, then for official purposes was presumed to have died in the vicinity of Fresnay, France on May 3, 1917.
Percy Cyril Dodridge
Percy was born in England in 1895 and joined the army on December 3, 1915 at Oyen. He was 30 years old and his trade was farming. His religious denomination was the Church of England and he was single. He was 5 foot 7 ½ inches tall, with blue eyes and light brown hair.
Acting Corporal Dodridge of the 31st Battalion was killed in action near Fresnay, France on May 3, 1917.
The last letter written by Dodridge. He was killed a few days afterwards.
William Robert Erskine
William was a married man and a farmer. His wife’s name was Helen Lena Erskine. It is unknown if the couple had children. He joined the army April 7, 1916 at Oyen. He was born in London, England September 11, 1884. He had 5 vaccination marks on his left arm and was 5 foot 8 inches tall with a medium complexion.
Private Erskine of the 31st Battalion was killed in action at Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917.
Richard Charles Arscott French
Charles was from New Brigden and joined the army at Medicine Hat on May 20, 1916. He was born at Forquay, Devonshire, England on April 22, 1880. Charles was single and a farmer. He listed his father, Y. French as his next of kin. His father lived in Devonshire, England at the time of enlistment.
Private French of the 175 Battalion, died of pneumonia on February 20, 1919 at the No. 4 Canadian General Hospital located at Basingstoke, England. He is buried at Post Bridge Cemetery, grave #29, near Princetown, Devon, England.
William John Green
William joined the army on April 5, 1916. He was single at the time and listed his mother Margaret Green as his next of kin. William was 21 years old, born March 14, 1895 in Eganville, Ontario. He had grey eyes and black hair and was 5 foot 6 ½ inches tall.
Private Green of the 3rd Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps, was killed in action on August 29, 1918, during an attack at Orange Hill, Monchy, France. He was buried at the Orange Hill British Cemetery, 2 ¾ miles east of Arras, France.
Charles Holland
On the Canadian Virtual War Memorial (collectionscanada.ca) I located Charles Holland, who died on November 11, 1917. His remains are buried at Menin Gate (Ypres) Memorial, Belgium. He was 29 years old and his service number was 183813. He was with the Alberta Regiment, 10th Battalion. He was the son of Edward Gibbs Holland and late Elizabeth, Hailsham, Sussex, England.
I also located Charles Vincent Holland, who died on February 14, 1917. His remains are at Barlin Communal, Pas de Calais, France. He was 31 years old and his service number was 782318. He was with the Alberta Regiment, 50th Battalion. He was the son of William and Sarah Holland, Fort Augustus, PEI.
George Hornett
A farmer from New Brigden, he was 32 years old when he joined the army at Medicine Hat on May 6, 1916. He was single and born in England September 21, 1883. He was 5 foot 11 inches tall and had 3 vaccination scars on his left arm and one on his right arm. He had grey eyes and a medium complexion. His nest of kin was his mother Jane Hornett of New Brigden.
Francis Lehman Morley
Francis enlisted at Oyen April 10, 1916 at the age of 23 years. He was single and listed his mother Jessie Heckmiller, of Benton, AB as next of kin. His father is listed as Charles Francis Morley, of Iowa. He was born at Shannon City, Iowa August 10, 1892. He was 5 foot 8 ½ inches with a ruddy complexion, brown eyes and light brown hair.
Private Morley of the 50th Battalion died of shrapnel wounds to the abdomen at No. 42 Casualty Clearing Station on September 4, 1918. He is buried at the Aubegny Communal Cemetery Extension, 8 ¼ miles northwest of Arras, France.
Norman Neil Rutherford
Norman was born in Campbellford, Ontario, October 16, 1888 and was 27 years old when he joined the army at Oyen, December 16, 1915. He was a farmer from Acadia Valley with grey eyes, medium to dark complexion and dark brown hair.
The Calgary Daily Herald reported Mrs. A.W. Volkenburg of Calgary as his sister.
Private Rutherford of the 31st Battalion was killed in action between September 24 to 30, 1916, during an attack north of Courcelette, France.
George Herbert Scott. MC
George was a lieutenant with the Canadian Army. He was born at Keaford, Ontario December 15, 1886. His address was Oyen and he listed his wife Myrtle N. Scott as his next of kin. He was a merchant by profession and his religion was Presbyterian. George had previously been a member of a militia unit, the 21st Alberta Hussars.
Lieutenant Scott of the 31st Battalion, was awarded the Military Cross, “For conspicuous gallantry in action. He led a patrol with great skill and determination, taking an enemy post. He retained his position throughout the day under very heavy artillery fire.” , on September 10, 1916.
Lt. Scott died of wounds on September 28, 1916 at Special Hospital, Warloy. He was buried at Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension, grave 12, plot 5, Row D, 5 miles west of Albert, France.
Henry Scott
I was unable to locate confirmed information on Henry Scott, however the Canadian Virtual War Memorial lists George Henry Scott, born September 6, 1888. He was with the Alberta Regiment, 10th Battalion. His service number was 21523 and he was buried at the Menin Gate (Ypres) Memorial, Belgium.
Harold Edwin Statia
Harold was born at Strutsville, Ontario on August 9, 1894 and joined the army on September 26, 1914 at the age of 20 years. His service number was 21758. He was single and listed his mother Mrs. G.A. Statia of Orangeville, Ontario as his next of kin. He was a printer by trade and had previous military training with the 60th Rifles of Canada, a militia unit. He was 5 foot 9 ½ inches tall with a fair complexion, hazel eyes and light brown hair. He had a long brown birth mark on the centre of his back and a vaccination scar on the rear of his left arm.
Corporal Statia of the 4th Battalion, 1st Central Ontario Regiment, was reported missing in action, but later confirmed killed in action, on or since October 8, 1916. He is buried at the Adanac Military Cemetery, grave 30, plot 6, row B, 6 ¼ miles northeast of Albert, France.
Statia is listed on the Orangeville Ontario War Memorial, Dufferin County, Ontario.
Emery Ralph Steen
Emery was a farmer from Cereal. He was single and 19 years old when he joined the army at Cereal on May 12, 1916. His service number was 606909. He listed his father Thomas Steen as next of kin of Cereal. He was born October 4, 1896 at Aultsville, Ontario. He stood 5 foot 8 ¾ inches high with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He had one vaccination mark on his left arm.
Lance Corporal Steen of the 31st Battalion, Alberta Regiment, was killed in action on August 9, 1918. He was buried at the Caix British Cemetery, 8 ¼ miles northeast of Monenil, France. The remains were exhumed in 1921 and re-buried at the Caix New British Cemetery, grave 13, plot 2, row A, northeast of Monenil.
These men did not return from the Great War. It was satisfying to put a human face, as brief as it is, to each one of these fallen heroes, rather than just to look at a name on a piece of stone. These men are a part of the history of the Oyen community and this country. Lest We Forget.