‘They need to be remembered’
WATERLOO REGION — Sunday, the nation will reach back a century to remember how Harry Dingwall died for Canada.
He was 23 when he advanced across the front line at Vimy Ridge, in France. The nation sent him from his Galt home (now Cambridge) to dislodge the German enemy in the First World War. It was April 9, 1917, the first day of battle. Dingwall was possibly killed by an enemy shell that shredded his machine gun unit, killing five, wounding 11 and knocking out three guns. By the end of the day, this community had sacrificed 13 soldiers; and seven more fell by April 12, as Canada finally cleared the ridge.
Victory at Vimy did not change the war. Arguably it helped forge a nation, the first time Canada’s four military divisions fought side-by-side on the same
battlefield. The cost: 3,598 Canadian dead.
Much will be said about this on Sunday.
About 180 local students are among thousands attending at the Vimy Memorial in France with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and some of the Royal Family. Their commemoration will be televised across the nation at 9 a.m.
A memorial parade is planned in Kitchener.
John Wilkinson, 67, struggles to fathom the carnage of the First World War, seeing futility, delusions of glory, and inept generals.
Dingwall was his grandmother’s brother, his great uncle.
“All these young men gave their lives and they need to be remembered.”
Twenty local men fell at Vimy as the battle raged from April 9 to April 12, 1917. They were:
Harry Dingwall, 23, joined his unit at the Western Front just seven weeks before the battle. It might have been the first big action he saw. He was a labourer, remembered by his sister Martha as an artist who liked to sketch portraits. She kept his military portrait in her bedroom ever after.
John Barbour, 32, was also a labourer. He was advancing on enemy trenches when an enemy shell exploded and killed him.
Walter Bellamy, 21, a labourer, had been in the army 379 days.
William Clark, 26, a machinist, enlisted at Galt about a year before.
Herbert Erbach, 26, was a salesperson who enlisted at Baden. He leapt from a trench and was struck down by enemy shrapnel.
Arthur Hamm, 28, was carrying the wounded when a shell exploded. His comrades got him to a field ambulance where he perished. He was a labourer from Doon.
Charles Hoyland, 26, was survived by his widow Bertha in Kitchener. He was a mason’s helper and had been in the army more than two years.
Lyell Johnston, 20, was an officer from Preston (now Cambridge) who trained in the militia before the war and who enlisted as a student.
Alan McDonald, 19, lived in Galt and worked as an electrician. He also trained in the militia before the war.
William McGrath, 26, was a clerk who enlisted just before Christmas in 1915.
Stanley Rogers, 33, was born in England and was survived by his widow Minnie in Galt. He was a labourer with military service before the war.
Joseph Stauffer, 42, was survived by his widow Emma, then living in Alberta. American-born, he was an officer who served in the local militia before the war. Louis Steckenreiter of Bridgeport turned 33 the day before he died. He was a clerk and was first reported missing before he was reported killed in action.
Ross Stewart, 19, also known as James, was a clerk who enlisted in Kitchener. He died of his wounds after reaching a field ambulance.
James Tones, 30, was born in England, enlisted in Galt and was survived by his widow Alice. He was a salesperson.
Arthur Turner, 26, was survived by his widow Dera in Galt. He was an English-born labourer.
John Waddell, 19, was a farmer who enlisted in Hespeler. He was first reported missing and later reported killed in action. His body was never recovered.
Clinton Walker, 29, was a farmer from the New Hamburg area. He helped to operate a machine gun.
James Ward, 32, was a machinist from Galt, born in England. He died of his wounds at a mobile field hospital.
Arthur White, 27, was a machinist from Galt who was survived by his wife Lizzie.