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Some records provide detailed accounts of how men died.
By Pete Wytka [From “The Maple Leaf” Fall 2003]

When researching one of the 60,000 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War, you’d likely come across a description of their fate such as “Killed In Action”, “Missing, Presumed Dead”, “Died of Wounds”, and “Died of Disease.” Such descriptions are a terse and tragic reminder that we know so little about how these men actually died. Even letters to surviving relatives are couched with euphemisms about an instant, painless, and heroic death.

But occasionally we come across stranger stories – accidents, friendly fire, even murder. This article explores the more interesting cases of the Third Battalion (Toronto Regiment) of the CEF as taken from the form M.F.W. 2643 – “Circumstances of Death.”

(Entries beyond the surname starting with the letter “S” are not available.)

9879 Pte. George Abbey – 14 June 1916
He was accidentally shot by No. 9901 Pte J. Denoon. He and Pte. Abbey were cooks in “D” Coy. Wagon. Denoon was handling a rifle which had come down from the trenches when it went off, the bullet going through Abbey’s neck. He died almost instantly. It appears that there was a cartridge in the barrel of the rifle and that the lock of the rifle was so caked with mud that it would not open, which was the reason the owner had not unloaded it.

138535 L/Cpl. Ernest George Betts – 15 November 1917
“Accidently Killed “Court of Enquiry convened in the field on 18- 11-17 to enquire into the circumstances surrounding this casualty found that this non-commissioned officer came to his death about 4 a.m. by accidentally falling into a well near a Power House in the vicinity of LENS; and that no blame could be attached therefor. His body when dragged from the water, bore a deep gash on left temple and the back of head.

784899 Pte. Ernest William Clark -6 November 1917
“Killed in Action” Was removing the dead body of a soldier from the top of a pill box, at Bellevue, on the right of Passchendaele, when he was instantly killed by a shell.

10189 Pte. Percy Alfred Forrest – 19 May 1918
“Killed in Action” He was instantly killed by the explosion of a bomb dropped from an enemy aeroplane on No. 1 Canadian General Hospital, Etaples.

9642 Pte. Percy Mannering Geddes – 17 November 1915
“Previously reported Missing, believed drowned (ex-Hospital Ship Anglia) Death now accepted for official purposes as having occurred.”

2393479 Pte. Herbert Charles Hemmings -30 August 1918
“Killed in action” The platoon to which he belonged was advancing to the left of Upton Wood, when three of the enemy, after pretending to be taken prisoners, suddenly dropped and opened fire with a machine gun. He, and two comrades, took shelter in a nearby shell hole, but the enemy moved round to a flank and they were all “sniped,” and killed, within a few minutes of each other.
*There is a similar entry for 1027283 Pte. Reginald Sydney Plant claiming all three men were instantly killed.
*There is a similar entry for 171576 Pte. Norman Robertson.

757789 Pte. George William Jones – 23 June 1917
“Previously reported Wounded and Missing, now Killed in Action.” While on a working party digging in an old trench near Vimy Ridge, he was instantly killed when his shovel struck and exploded a grenade.

3033103 Pte. Michael James Kenney – 12 October 1918
“Died of wounds.” During an advance from the Canal du Nord, and before the railroad was reached, he was wounded by machine gun bullets fired from an enemy aeroplane on September 27th, 1918. He was evacuated to No. 7 Canadian General Hospital, Etaples, where he died fifteen days later.

3033098 Pte. Cecil Barry Lloyd – 1 October 1918
“Killed in Action.” The platoon to which he belonged had taken shelter in a shallow trench at about 10 A.M. on 1 October 1918, when an enemy high explosive shell burst on the parapet, directly in front of him, and decapitated him.

416874 Pte Come Laliberte -4 August 1916
“Shot by Order Field General Court Martial.” [See also 3rd Battalion Executions.] 

669619 Pte. Charles Aubrey Marks -30 August 1918
“Previously reported Missing, now Killed in Action” Was proceeding against the enemy trenches,  southwest of Vis-en-Artois, firing a Lewis gun, when both his legs were blown off, by a shell and he died shortly afterwards.

669305 Pte. William Charles Norman – 6 January 1017
“Killed” (Accidently) He was one of a party from his Platoon, who were being instructed in throwing hand grenades at about noon on 6 January 1917. A Mills No. 5 grenade thrown by one of the party exploded prematurely, killing Private Norman and wounding several others.

9153 CSM William Pratt – 5 June 1915
“Drowned.” (Accidentally.) A court of Inquiry convened to investigate the circumstances of his death decided that he was accidentally drowned while bathing in the canal near Bethune on the afternoon of 5 June 1915.

A4174 Sgt. Charles Reginald Pakenham – 15 September 1918
“Killed in Action” While resting with the Battalion West of Cagnicourt, on the night of 15 September 1918, he was hit in the head and instantly killed by shrapnel from a bomb dropped by an enemy aeroplane.

63758 Pte. Oliver Mills Robertson – 18 November 1915
“Killed” Killed by a bomb while demonstrating its use in the trenches near WULVERGHEM.

404436 Pte. Edward James Reynolds -23 August 1916
Shot by order of Field General Court Martial. [See also 3rd Battalion Executions.] 

237520 Pte. Roy Rainey – 11 August 1918
“Died of wounds”. While acting as Signaller and advancing with the Battalion during the attack on enemy positions near Amiens on the morning of 8 August 1918, he was hit in the abdomen by shrapnel from an enemy anti-tank shell. Stretcher-bearers rendered first aid and he was carried to a dressing station and later evacuated to No.48 Casualty Clearing Station where he died three days later.

769079 Pte. Henry Edward Raines – 3 1 August 1918
“Killed in Action”. While sniping at an enemy, during the attack South of VIS-EN-ARTOIS, he was shot through the head and instantly killed by an enemy sniper’s bullet.

757842 Pte. Joseph Wilfred Seeley – 7 November 1917
“Killed in Action” – Killed instantly when a “pillbox” in which he was in, was demolished by a shell.

Pete Wytka is a researcher and collector Of all things Third Battalion, Toronto Regiment. He can be reached at Peterwytka@hotmail.com