Remembering Private Simon O' Haley & Private Gordon Vincent Potter—KIA September 2, 1918

Gordon Vincent Potter was born at Fisherman’s Harbour, Guysborough County, on October 13, 1898, the youngest of Martha (Bingley) and Thomas Potter’s four sons. Gordon enlisted with the 193rd Battalion at Guysborough town on April 4, 1916. At the time, he gave his birth year as 1897, perhaps attempting to disguise the fact that he was six months shy of his eighteenth birthday.

Pte. Gordon Vincent Potter's headstone, Dury Mill British Cemetery

Three days previously, Simon O’Haley, a native of Port Felix, Guysborough County, had enlisted with the 193rd at Canso. Born on October 28, 1898, to Matilda (Richard) and John Adam O’Haley, Simon was only two weeks younger than Gordon. The two young men were destined to follow the same path for the duration of their military careers.

Pte. Simon O'Haley's headstone, Vis-en-Artois Cemetery

Gordon and Simon spent the summer of 1916 training at Camp Aldershot, NS, and departed for overseas with their 193rd companions aboard SS Olympic on October 12. Also on board were three other Nova Scotian units—the 85th (Nova Scotia Highlanders), 185th (Cape Breton Highlanders) and 219th Battalions—all members of the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade. Its arrival in England coincided with the Canadian Corps’ two months of service at the Somme, prompting military authorities to dissolve two of the Brigade’s four units—the 193rd and 219th—before year’s end and distribute their personnel to existing units.

On January 17, 1917, Simon and Gordon were transferred to the 17th Reserve Battalion, the unit responsible for providing reinforcements for the 25th and 85th Battalions, Nova Scotia’s two front-line combat units. Three months later, Gordon proceeded overseas for service with the 85th, while Simon joined him in late June.

The two young soldiers were in the line during the 85th’s late October 1917 Passchendaele tour. The unit participated in the second stage of the Canadian Corps’ attack on Passchendaele Ridge, securing its objective but suffering what later proved to be its worst losses of the war. Gordon and Simon came through the bloody engagement without injury and followed the 85th back to France, where its personnel served in sectors near Lens throughout the winter of 1917-18.

Unaffected by the German spring offensive launched in sectors to the south of the Canadian Corps, the 85th served a regular rotation in the line until early May 1918, when its personnel retired to Divisional Reserve for a period of rest and training. While the unit returned to duty in late July, its soldiers were on the move early the following month, travelling by train to Hangest-sur-Somme, near Amiens.

On the morning of August 8, 1918, the Canadian Corps participated in a major Allied counter-offensive launched on the German line east of Amiens. While the 85th did not participate in the early morning opening advance, its soldiers moved forward in the afternoon and continued the advance. After a 24-hour break, the unit participated in an attack on the village of Rosières at mid-morning August 10.

Once again, Gordon and Simon emerged from the battlefield unscathed. The 85th remained in the line until the night of August 13/14 and spent several days in the Amiens area before travelling northward to sectors near Arras in late August. Shortly before the 85th’s return to the Arras area, Allied forces launched a second attack on the German line east of the town.

The assault was a prelude to a concerted attempt to break through the Hindenburg Line, a major German system constructed during the winter of 1916-17, extending from Arras to Laffaux. The first stage of the plan involved an attack on a section east of Arras called the Drocourt-Quéant Line. During the evening of August 31, the 85th returned to the trenches and spent the following day completing preparations for its third combat assignment in less than a month.

At 5:00 a.m. September 2, 1918, the unit’s soldiers went “over the top” toward its assigned segment of the Drocourt-Quéant trenches. During the advance’s first 300 yards, the battalion suffered an estimated 50 % of the day’s casualties. Upon securing its first objective one hour and 15 minutes later, the 85th paused to re-organize before resuming the attack.  The determined soldiers reached their intermediate objective at 8:40 a.m. and pressed onward to their final goal 50 minutes later.

Despite a heavy artillery barrage, the 85th stubbornly held its position and retired from the line shortly before mid-day. The Drocourt-Quéant engagement proved much more costly than the unit’s Amiens tour. Three Officers and 62 “other ranks” (OR) were killed during the morning’s advance, while 10 Officers and 160 OR were wounded and an additional 36 OR “missing believed wounded” by day’s end.

Only weeks shy of their twentieth birthdays, neither Private Gordon Potter nor Private Simon O’Haley survived the day’s fighting. According to Simon’s “circumstances of casualty” card, he was one of the unit’s earliest fatalities: “Whilst taking part in the attack from South of Harcourt to South of Dury, at about 5:00 a.m. on September 2 1918, he was hit in the head and instantly killed by an enemy machine gun bullet.” Simon was laid to rest in Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, eight miles south of Arras.

While Gordon survived the day’s advance and retreated with his comrades to their first objective at mid-day, he fell victim to the incessant artillery fire that followed the attack: “He was instantly killed by shrapnel which struck him in the chest at about 3:00 p.m. September 2, 1918, whilst on a carrying party south of Dury.” Gordon’s remains were buried in Dury Mill British Cemetery, 10 miles southeast of Arras.

Gordon’s and Simon’s story are two of 64 profiles contained in Bantry Publishing’s First World War Honour Roll of Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, Volume II: 1918 - 1937, available for purchase online at bantrypublishing.ca .

Remembering Private Edward Lewis Connolly—DOW August 30, 1918

Edward Lewis Connolly was born at Milford Haven Bridge, Guysborough County, on June 20, 1891, the youngest of Margaret (Cudahee) and Patrick Connolly’s four children. Edward was among the county’s earliest First World War enlistments, volunteering for service with the 25th Battalion at Halifax, NS, on November 20, 1914.

Pte. Edward Lewis Connolly's headstone, Ligny-sur-Canche British Cemetery

The 25th departed Halifax aboard SS Saxonia on May 20, 1915, and spent the summer training in England. Its soldiers crossed the English Channel to the continent in mid-September as part of the 2nd Canadian Division’s 5th Brigade. The unit made its was northward to Belgium’s Ypres Salient, where its soldiers served a regular rotation throughout the winter of 1915-16.

Edward and his mates received their first major combat experience in mid-April 1916, when German forces launched a major attack on the 25th’s line at St. Eloi, Belgium. Edward was among the casualties, struck by shrapnel in the elbow, knee and hand. Carried by stretcher to No. 6 Canadian Field Ambulance on April 14, he was subsequently transported to No. 17 Casualty Clearing Station. Following his evacuation by ambulance train to hospital at Camiers, France, surgeons removed several shrapnel fragments from his hand and elbow.

On April 28, Edward was invalided to England and admitted to the Duke of Connaught Red Cross Hospital, Taplow. Several days later, surgeons removed a large metal fragment from his knee during a second operation. Edward spent two months at Taplow before receiving a transfer to Hillingdon House Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Uxbridge, on July 7. Two weeks later, he was admitted to Bearwood Military Convalescent Home, Woodcote Park, Epsom.

After a month’s rest, Edward was discharged from medical care on August 18. 1916, and reported to the 2nd Canadian Corps Depot at Shoreham. As was often the case with wounded soldiers, he remained in England for a lengthy period of time, awaiting orders to return to the front. Finally, on April 18, 1918—two years after being wounded at St. Eloi, Belgium—Edward crossed the English Channel to Le Havre, France, and rejoined his 25th Battalion comrades near Arras on June 21.

At month’s end, the 25th retired to Grand-Rullecourt for a period of rest and training. Four weeks later, its soldiers travelled to Briquemesnil-Floxicourt, west of Amiens, and prepared to return to the line. Having withstood a major German spring offensive in late March and April 1918, Allied military commanders set about planning a major counter-offensive, scheduled to commence east of Amiens in early August.

On August 7, the 25th made its way to its assigned “jumping off” positions near Cachy. The following morning, its soldiers occupied support positions as the 24th and 26th Battalions—two of its 5th Brigade mates—participated in the initial attack. The units secured their objectives by mid-day and the 25th’s soldiers assisted in establishing a consolidated line.

The advance resumed during the early afternoon hours of August 9, the 25th’s soldiers leading the attack on the village of Caix. Following its capture, the unit secured the village of Vrély and moved on to occupy Méharicourt by late afternoon. Personnel once again consolidated their location during the evening hours, having suffered only light casualties during the day’s fighting.

The 25th remained on the outskirts of Méharicourt until the night of August 16/17, when its soldiers retired to Caix for several days’ rest. Edward came through the Amiens tour without injury and followed the unit northward to Beauvains, south of Arras, on August 25. Its numbers reduced to 23 Officers and 502 OR, the battalion nevertheless returned to the line the following morning and prepared for its second combat assignment of the month.

As the attack commenced at mid-morning August 27, the 25th occupied support positions behind its three Brigade mates. Its soldiers moved forward shortly afterward and managed to enter the German front line, but were forced to take cover as units to their right failed to keep pace. The unit suffered casualties throughout the afternoon, “as the front line was unable to advance owing to the flanks being open.”

While the day’s casualties were relatively light—one Officer killed and two wounded; two OR killed and 17 OR wounded—Edward was once again among of the soldiers affected: “While with his Company consolidating a trench, in front of Chérisy… he was hit in the right side by an enemy machine gun bullet.”

Evacuated to 2/2 London Field Ambulance that afternoon, Edward was transported to No. 43 Casualty Clearing Station on August 28. Private Edward Lewis Connolly lingered for two days before “succumb[ing] to his wounds” on August 30, 1918. He was laid to rest in Ligny-sur-Canche British Cemetery, seven miles south of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise, France.

Edward’s story is one of 64 profiles contained in Bantry Publishing’s First World War Honour Roll of Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, Volume II: 1918 - 1937, available for purchase online at bantrypublishing.ca .

Remembering Private Vincent Stephen Hallett—Died of Wounds August 28, 1918

Private Vincent Stephen Hallett was born at Country Harbour, Guysborough County, on December 20, 1898, the seventh of Sarah Elizabeth (Davidson) and Freeman Hallett’s eight children and the youngest of their four sons. Vincent enlisted with the 193rd Battalion at Guysborough on April 15, 1916.

Private Vincent Stephen Hallett

Following a summer of intense training at Camp Aldershot, Vincent and his 193rd comrades boarded SS Olympic at Halifax on October 12 and departed for overseas. Also on board were three other units, the four battalions comprising the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade. Following its overseas arrival, two of the Brigade’s units—the 193rd and 219th Battalions—were disbanded and their soldiers transferred to other units.

Initially assigned to the the 17th Reserve Battalion (Nova Scotia) on January 23, 1917, Vincent was transferred to the 161st Battalion (Ontario) two weeks later. He remained in England with the unit—part of the newly created 5th Canadian Division—throughout the year. When military authorities decided to dissolve the Division in early 1918, Vincent was re-assigned to the 4th Reserve Battalion on March 8, 1918. Within two weeks of his transfer, he received orders to report for duty with the 18th Battalion (Western Ontario) in France.

The 18th was one of four Ontario units assigned to the 2nd Canadian Division’s 4th Brigade. Vincent joined the battalion at Wailly Huts, southwest of Arras, France, on May 15 and served a regular rotation in the line until June 21, when the 18th retired to Divisional Reserve at Wailly. Following three weeks of  training, the battalion returned to the forward area near Arras in mid-July.

At month’s end, personnel travelled southward to Pissy, west of Amiens, in preparation for their next major assignment. Having withstood a major German spring offensive in late March and April 1918, Allied commanders set about planning a counter-offensive scheduled for early August.

In the early hours of August 8, the 18th participated in a major attack on the German line east of Amiens, capturing its objective—a cluster of rock quarries east of Marcelcave—after three hours’ fighting. The unit remained in the line until the afternoon of August 10, at which time its soldiers retired to Divisional Reserve.

The 18th remained in the Amiens area for another week, participating in a second attack on German positions on August 16. The following day, the unit withdrew from the line and over several days made its way northward to sectors near Arras. Personnel returned to the trenches on the evening of August 24 and set about preparing for their third combat assignment of the month—an attack on German positions east of Arras.

On the morning of August 26, the 18th’s soldiers advanced in support behind the 21st Battalion as their Brigade mates participated in the initial advance. During the early afternoon, the 18th moved forward, with orders to capture the village of Guémappe. While the daylight attack initially advanced well beyond the village, units on the 18th’s left flank failed to keep pace, forcing its soldiers to retreat to Guémappe, where they established a defensive line.

The following morning, the 18th resumed the advance, attacking the village of Villers-lès-Cagnicourt. While personnel passed through Vis-en-Artois and managed to reach the Sensée River, a scheduled artillery barrage failed to materialize, forcing the soldiers to form an outpost along the river’s bank and settle in for the night.

The 18th reported 10 “other ranks” (OR) killed and 150 OR wounded during the day’s advance. Private Vincent Stephen Hallett was one of the day’s casualties. Struck in the back by shrapnel from an artillery shell, he was evacuated to No. 42 Casualty Clearing Station for treatment. The following day—August 28, 1918—Vincent succumbed to his injuries and was laid to rest in Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, six and a half miles northwest of Arras, France. At the time of his death, Vincent was four months shy of his twentieth birthday.

Vincent’s story is one of 64 profiles contained in Bantry Publishing’s First World War Honour Roll of Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, Volume II: 1918 - 1937, available for purchase online at bantrypublishing.ca .