Cadet retracing First World War soldier's journey
On Nov. 9, 1917, in the thick of yet another bloody eruption along Belgium’s Ypres Salient — the scene of some of the biggest battles of the First World War — another of the countless incoming enemy shells exploded, claiming the life of a young Chatham soldier.
Pte. James Abercromby, a 21-year-old member of the 18th Battalion (Western Ontario), Canadian Expeditionary Force, “was instantly Killed … at Crest Farm near Passchendaele,” his death register reads.
Now, a century later, a Windsor army cadet is re-discovering Abercromby’s story. Devin Walker, 17, is one of 31 cadets participating in the 2017 Royal Canadian Army Cadets Voyage in History.
In the coming month, Devin will stand before the Menin Gate Memorial in the town of Ypres in West Flanders and present what he’s learned about Abercromby’s life, military career and death.
“It was really interesting,” Devin said, “because the questions I had to answer allowed me to see all parts of his life: what it was like before he was in the army, what he went through with training and getting ready to fight, and even the gruesomeness of his death.
“But I think it was a really good experience. It’s really important because now I better understand what it was like for the men and women who have served.”
After receiving the name of a Canadian soldier, each cadet created a presentation based on research into the soldiers’ personal lives, civilian and military careers, deployments and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
“My job is to find a creative way to present the basic information and then any extra bits of information about him that I want to share,” said Devin, a member of 1086 Walkerville Army Cadet Corps, affiliated to the Essex and Kent Scottish.
“Once we get to the memorial that his name is actually on — which is Menin Gate — I have to find his name, point it out to everyone, and that’s when I’ll be giving my presentation.”
Devin used government archives and transcribed records filed on the internet to dig up information about Abercromby.
“The government is taking all old military records from World War One and World War Two and putting them on the government website,” Devin said. “So I found pictures of his original records and used the information from there.”
Devin discovered that Abercromby was a blue-eyed man standing five feet, four inches tall. Born on Jan. 16, 1896, Abercromby was single and a Presbyterian. The only next of kin listed was his sister, Annie Abercromby.
He lived at 96 Springfield Rd. in Glasgow, Scotland, but enlisted in Chatham, Ont., on Oct. 1, 1915. He was wounded during training when a piece of a Lewis gun hit his hip. Abercromby was hospitalized but deployed shortly after.
“Him and I, we actually have a lot in common,” Devin said. “He was into things like cars … in his profile, it describes him as humorous. He liked to make jokes and stuff, which I can relate to.”
Devin said he was lucky to get one of the sought-after program positions.
“I was ecstatic,” he said. “I’ve always loved going to summer camps and I’ve never been to Europe. So once I learned that you go to Europe, you get to learn about the people who fought in World War One and World War Two, I was really happy.”
Devin said the trip will be “a great experience.”
“I’ve never done anything like it,” he said. “And being able to tell someone’s story where they’re remembered — I think that will be pretty cool.”