38th Bn. (Eastern Ontario Regt.) CEF

[David_Bluestein]

145284 Sjt. Walter Henry Scott 38th Bn. (Eastern Ontario Regt.) CEF

Born at Peterborough Ontario on December 20, 1891. The son of Dorothy of 26 Sussex Street, Lindsay Ontario. Walter enlisted into the 77th Ottawa Battalion on October 20, 1915. (Incidentally the 77th has a very good regimental history!)

The 77th embarked on the RMS Missambie at Halifax on June 19, 1916 and arrived at Liverpool on June 29, 1916. (Arrived in England with the rank of Prov. Sjt.) Walter was transferred to the 38th Battalion at Bramshott Camp, for service at the front on July 6, 1916. Disembarked at Le Harve on August 18, 1916 and proceeded to join his unit in the field.

Sjt. Walter Scott died of shell wounds to the abdomen and left elbow at No. 9 Casualty clearing station on November 19 1916. His wounds were received during the assault on Desire Trench, the Somme. Aged 25 years.

Walter Scott Makes Supreme Sacrifice (Lindsay Ontario Newspaper December 1916)

“…The news of Sergt. Scott’s death was a shock to his relatives and friends who were not aware that he was wounded. The deceased was in the employ of Sutcliffe and Sons for a number of years, and was a young man of splendid character…”

Omemee Loses Soldier Son (Lindsay Ontario Newspaper December 1916)

“…Sgt. Fred Mills and Walt Scott of Lindsay left Omemee together, signed up with the 77th Battalion before going overseas. Both young men had qualified as Sergeants. They were only in England about two weeks when they were drafted to the 38th Battalion. Friends followed their movements with keen interest, their letters being always bright and cheery. Both young men fell in the same battle…”

Buried at CONTAY BRITISH CEMETERY the Somme.

[David_Bluestein]

EIGHT MINUTES OF FURIOUS DASH ACROSS A SEA OF HORRIBLE MIRE AND CANADIANS OCCUPIED REGINA

Monday, 18 November 1916

Capture of Famous Trench by Boys From the Dominion Was One of the Smoothest Bits of Work That Has Been Witnessed in the Somme Drive – Canadians Muddy But Grinning

SECTION FROM DESIRE TRENCH TO DEATH VALLEY PASSED

INTO THE HANDS OF CANADIAN SOLDIERS

Special Cable to The Journal by William Philip Simms, United Press Staff Correspondent.

Copyright, 1916, by the United Press; copyrighted at the Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Canada

With the Canadian Forces on the Somme Front, Nov. 18. – Eight minutes of dashing across the sea of mud worse that the slough of despond, of methodically advanced barrage fire, or quick work in trench fight suffered by the Canadians to take Regina trench – one of the smoothest bits of trench taking that has been witnessed in the Somme drive. I saw the Canadians, muddy to the eyebrows – but grinning – on the day after they had accomplished the feet.

The assault was over in eight minutes. It was carried out in brilliant moonlight and despite a terrific German counter-barrage fire and a sea of mud. Every objective the Canadians sought was completely won. Though the Germans repeatedly counter-attacked, the Canadians not only kept every inch they had wrested from the enemy, but before dawn, they had strongly reorganized their position and dug over 250 yards of connecting trenches.

Prior to the attack, the Canadians had occupied a trench directly south of Pys. The Regina trench – 300 to 500 yards northward – had been partly occupied a fortnight ago by Canadians but a thousand yard position remained to be taken. This section ran from "Desire trench" to "Death Valley" on the east. Severe fighting had already marked this scene, the Regina trench being the Germans' great defense work between the Schwaben redoubt and Lesars.

Ground Was Absolutely

Bare of Vegetation

The space between the trenches – held on the one hand by the Canadians and on the other by the Prussian guards and Saxons, was slightly rolling. It was utterly devoid of vegetation due to a blasting shell fire. It was unimaginably muddy due to weeks of downpour of rains and the unceasing churning by explosives.

The night of the attack was perfect. The assault was at midnight, under the light of a full moon at its zenith. For two days the artillery fire had been extremely active in this sector, but as the time came for the attack, the guns were speeded up until at midnight they made one continuous roar. The British barrage fire began fifty yards in front of the Canadian trenches.

At Midnight Every Man

Went Over the Parapet

At midnight every man went over the parapet and the barrage fire began to move foreward towards the Regina trench. The gun fire was perfect. The Canadian wave was enabled to follow closely and to assault what remained of the Prussian guards and the Saxons. These fought stubbornly, but were routed in two minutes – some bolting through the barrage fire, wherein many died, some surrendering and some dying in strong resistance. Nobody shouted stop. The whole assault was in perfect silence in this respect.

Desire trench, leading northward from Regina, was the scene of a hard scrimmage. Many Germans fled through this at the Canadians' approach, but were evidently ordered at once to return in counter attack. When this came, the Canadian bomb throwers advanced methodically up the trench, clearing it for a space of a hundred yards to the north and then returned part of the distance to barricade and prevent further disturbance from this quarter.

"Got the Jump on Fritz

and Beat Him to it"

A violent German barrage fire began shortly after the Canadians assault started but failed of its purpose, causing but little damage. As the Canadians expressed it afterwards – in American slang – "We got the jump on Fritz and beat him to it".

The whole action was a model of method and co-operation of all branches. German prisoners admitted the shell fire was of deadly accuracy – and proof of this was found at dawn in the German dead strewn in the region of the Regina trench. The barrage fire "got" them fleeing from the trench and returning to the counter-attack.

The general commanding the Canadians is very proud of his men, who came from all parts of Canada. A number of Americans were also in the action.

The storming party never wavered once and fought like bearcats.

[BottsGreys]

David:

Very nice post--great account of attack and the artifacts superb as always. I learned something.

Chris

[Terry]

David,

Beautiful stuff!!! You have done it again. Do I dare ask where this gem of a group turned up?

Cheers,

Terry

[Guest Hill 60]

I do hope David won't mind me 'jumping' into his thread, but I too have a something connected to the 38th Bn.

In my case it is a group I bought at last Sunday's Bedford Militaria Fair. The group, a pair and Memorial Cross, is named to 410265 Pte John James Dwyer of B Company of the 38th who was listed as missing on the 18th November 1916.

On his attestation paper John gave the following information:

Date of birth - 3rd Sept 1896.

NoK - J. M. Dwyer (Father).

Height - 5' 7 3/4".

Complexion - Fair.

Eyes - Blue.

Hair - Light brown.

Religion - C of E.

John signed up, in Ottawa, on the 8th May 1915.

John has no grave, his name is on the Vimy Memorial.

[David_Bluestein]

Chris,

Your comments are most welcome and the reason I show these things in the first place. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and your words are much appreciated.

Terry,

The group came from a local Victorian collector, who had this lovely set in his trader box, and buried away for many years.

Lee,

No problem, glad you jumped in. (and nice group!) Both Sjt. Scott and Pte. Dwyer Destinies are closely linked in that they both fell in the same action, while serving in the same battalion. They may very well have known each other? No one will ever know.

Thanks,

David

[BottsGreys]

David--sorry, don't mean to hijack your thread, but since there are some great Canadian minds on this thread, perhaps I could make an inquiry re38th Bn CEF? I am awaiting arrival of a period newspaper photo of a group of Americans who became officers in the 97th Bn CEF "The American Legion." (I know that, per his recent thread, Forum Pal Bigorca is in the process of writing a history of this unit, and I plan on sharing the photo with him).

Anyway, a preliminary check of Canadian on-line records shows that one of the officers, Lt. Asa Raymond Minard, Jr., was transferred to C Coy, 38th Bn, CEF, and that he died June 30, 1917, age 21. I would, of course, like to ascertain the circumstances of his death. In checking the war diary for the 38th for that date and the days close to it, I could find no mention of him becoming a casualty.

So, I guess my question is--is there known to be a written history of the 38th Battalion, which may provide details?

Thanks,

Chris