Visit the Western Front Association - but be back when your leave pass is up!
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Visit the Western Front Association - but be back when your leave pass is up! |
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Every now and then a relative of the Battalion`s soldiers writes in and we are very fortunate to have a few images from the collection of David Thompson who`s grandfather Eric Fry was an original member of the 102nd. He writes: Eric Stanley Fry Private, Regimental Number 703181, 11th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 102nd Battalion C.E.F. My grandfather was an extremely interesting and modest individual. When he was alive, he never spoke much about his WW1 experiences and my family had minimal information about that time of his life. Following the First War, he went on to become a distinguished Canadian Land Surveyor, opening many parts of the Canadian Arctic and earning the "Order of the British Empire" for founding the critical air base at Goose Bay, Labrador during the Second World War. His career as an Arctic surveyor spanned the period 1924 - 1955. He was born in Sandbach, England on July 1, 1890 and died in late January 1973, at the age of 82. As a start to a project that will eventually track his experiences in detail (he kept fastidious records and photos during his career as an Arctic surveyor), I have begun to gather more detail on his experiences during the Great War. I would appreciate receiving details on the exact movements of the 11th Infantry Brigade, 102 Battalion C.E.F. during his period of active service with the unit (from arrival in England on June 28, 1916 until his evacuation from France on April 17, 1917 . It would appear that he was specifically assigned to #2 Company - "Warden's Warriors" of the 11th Canadian Infantry Brigade and was assigned as a Forward Observer. I have received considerable material from the Archives related to his enlistment and medical history during this period. Although there are some discrepancies in this information, some critical dates follow: Attestation (Enlistment) Papers completed on December 28, 1915 in Prince George, B.C. Embarked Comox B.C. in early June 1916 - via "Princess Charlotte" Embarked Halifax, N.S. on June 20, 1916 - via "Empress of Britain" Disembarked Liverpool on June 28, 1916 Landed in France at Le Havre on August 12, 1916 - via "Bramshott" Assigned to 11th Brigade on October 21, 1916 Encountered a series of worsening medical problems starting on Feb. 11, 1917 Invalided to Hospital in Seaford, England on April 17, 1917 Transferred to Canadian Military Hospital in Hastings, England on June 1, 1917 Transferred to Kings Hospital in Bushey Park, England on June 14, 1917 Transferred to T.O.S "J" Unit, Victoria, Canada from Liverpool, England on June 11, 1917 Transferred to XI Casualty Unit Victoria, Canada on April 18, 1918 Discharged: May 29, 1918 Victoria B.C. For those also following the 102nd, I have scanned several old photos of this unit during its 1916 training period in Comox, B.C. My grandfather also left a small diary that appears to detail his daily operations as a forward observer with the 11th Canadian Brigade for the period October 13, 1916 through January 10, 1917. The text is getting hard to read but I was able to transcribe his entries for a few representative and interesting days during October 1916 at the front. Please proceed to Diary Page. I would much appreciate if you would email me with any additional detail that you have on the movements of the 11th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 102nd Battalion102nd from June 28, 1916 through April 17, 1917. You can reach me at the following email address. Thx in advance. David Thomson: davidthomsonis@rogers.com
Sample Diary Entries: "13/10/16 Black O.P. Took over 11th Bgde O.P. 75 yds S.W. of Report Centre. Located ourselves by taking bearing on Taffy Trench, Sugar Trench and Sugar Refinery" "21/10/16 11:30 a.m. Six Batt moved up to advanced trench 11.55 a.m. Small parties of 102nd moving up. 11.58 a.m. 102 Batt moved up in sectional rushes 12.10 p.m. Artillery opened up along entire front on Regina trench. batt. on left of 102nd went over top. 12.12 p.m. 87th Batt went over. 12.40 p.m. First prisoners of 102nd coming back from Regina Trench. 1.00 p.m. Artillery fired pretty well nearly dead down eliminating rifle + MG fire. 1.08 One of our planes went over and dropped flares. 1.50 p.m. 100 Germans massing in PYS extended out and lay on top of ridge in M.7.6. reported this to G.H.Q. Our shrapnel smothered them. 2.18 p.m. 100 Germans massing in North M.8.C. 2.25 p.m. 30 more joined them. reported G.H. covered them with shrapnel. 2.47 p.m. 40 Germans moving in North M.8.a. reported G.H.Q. Shrapnel followed. 4.00 p.m. Our line pretty well consolidated. Light failed. We went home."
"22nd/10/16 Beircourte(sp?) Church Spire 24 50 N 1:20 p.m. 21 30 Mag. shell dropped in North M.1.b. blew up small enemy dump 2.05 to 2.30 p.m. R.G.A. strafed PYS. 2.35 to 3.00 p.m. R.G.A. strafed IRLES Both towns had bad time. South wall of IRLES church demolished." "23/10/16 Misty all day." "26/10/16 Enemy balloons up all day. One ascended from ACHIET-le_GRAND flying big flag on end of parachute tail. Party of 80 Huns seen digging new trench in front of the one shown in sketch last week. Bearings to end of new trench 27 + 28 Mag. About 1 mile behind PYs. Enemy strafed our ridge with 4.2 shrapnel, 5.90 and salvos of 18 pdrs all day. Heaviest bombardment since taking over front. 2:00pm to 2:30 p.m. Two fleets of enemy planes up. 9 planes in one 6 in the other. 2:40 p.m. Air fight developed. One boche machine fell in their lines 2:50 p.m. One boche machine came down out of cloud and shot down one of our scout planes which fell in our lines. Boche got back home safe." etc. Personal Info Private - Service No. 703181 Attestation: Prince George BC Dec. 28, 1915 102nd (Comox-Atlin) Bttn. CEF Time at front: 102nd bttn., Belgium, France Aug. 11, 1916 - April 13, 1917 Active service: Dec. 28, 1915 - May 29, 1918 102nd bttn CEF Medical Discharge: May 29, 1918 (hospitalized England-Canada, April 1917 - May 29, 1918) |
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