172098 Pte Cecil Albert Buckley was born on 1 June 1894, in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, an hour away from London, the son of Frederick Buckley. He then moved to a small town in Ontario called Ramore, an hour away from Timmins, Ontario. Throughout his young life, he was a carpet weaver, and almost three months after turning 21, on  28 August 1915, Buckley joined the 83^rd Battalion CEF, which is perpetuated by The Queens Own Rifles of Canada. Lieutenant Colonel Reginald Pellatt, (Sir Henry Pellatt’s son) was the Commanding Officer of the 83^rd Battalion and signed Buckley’s attestation papers.

The 83^rd disembarked at Liverpool on 7 May 1916, and by July, Buckley was transferred to the 4^th Canadian Mounted Rifles (4 CMR) in France. In October 1916, 4 CMR were heavily involved in the fighting during the Somme.

From the War Diaries of 4 CMR:

1st – 10th Oct 1916

Now, 1,000 yards in front of the ground they had helped take in mid-September, they were sent in to help take Regina Trench. This proved very costly as Regina Trench was not fully captured and held. Vicious, close, bomb for bomb, hand-to-hand fighting saw advances into Regina Trench won and lost, as shell and sniper fire withered the attack to a halt, as worn and very tired men and dwindling munitions made for a very long and very costly day. Some 70 men of the 4th CMR were lost as a result of that one day alone. Relieved by the 49th BN on the night of the 2nd/3rd, the Battalion went back to Albert for five days before returning on the 8th, at Tara Hill, near the Sunken Road, for three days of intense and often costly, dangerous work in the support trenches, and providing working parties in the front area.

It is likely that Buckley was killed during the Battle of Ancre Heights during the fighting in and around Regina Trench. Initially, Buckley was reported missing in action, but then it was confirmed that he was killed in action on 1 October 1916. According to documentation, he was in a party of four, manning a Lewis Gun when an enemy shell exploded above them, killing them all. Rifleman Buckley is buried at Stump Road Cemetery, Somme, France, grave reference C. 53.

Buckley’s wartime records can be found here.

With research by Corporal Yasir Hosein, who carries Rifleman Buckley’s Coin of Remembrance.