Remembering Lance Corporal Ralph Stanley Lipsett & Corporal Willard Spurgeon Myers—KIA September 29, 1918

Ralph Stanley Lipsett was born at Middle Manchester, Guysborough County, on March 16, 1891, the second of Caroline “Carrie” (O’Brien) and Edward Stanley Lipsett’s two sons. While his older brother, Robert Bruce Lipsett, married and left the family home, Ralph remained on the farm, where he worked alongside his father.

Lance Corporal Ralph Stanley Lipsett

As with many young men living in the county at the time, the appearance of military officials in Guysborough County during the early spring of 1916—part of a recruitment campaign for the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade—soon impacted Ralph’s life. On March 13, 1916, he enlisted with the 193rd Battalion at Guysborough.

As the campaign continued, numerous young men from the county’s communities joined Ralph in uniform. One such recruit was Willard Spurgeon Myers, born at Cole Harbour, Guysborough County, on June 27, 1892, the son of Catherine Margaret (Gillie) and William George Myers. Willard enlisted with the 193rd at Canso on April 1, 1916, and commenced training with its Guysborough detachment shortly afterward. Unbeknownst to Willard and Ralph at the time, their military journeys would intertwine throughout the upcoming months.

Corporal Willard Spurgeon Myers

In late May 1916, Ralph and Willard followed the Guysborough detachment to Camp Aldershot, where the four Highland Brigade units—85th (Nova Scotia Highlanders), 185th (Cape Breton Highlanders), 193rd and 219th—spent the summer in training. The battalions departed Halifax aboard SS Olympic on October 12, 1916, and arrived in England after a six-day passage. On the day prior to their departure, both Ralph Willard were promoted to the rank of Acting Lance Corporal.

The Brigade’s overseas arrival coincided with the Canadian Corps’ involvement in the bloody Battle of the Somme (September - October 1916). The resulting casualties created a pressing need for reinforcements and led to the dissolution of the 193rd and 219th Battalions before year’s end. Eager to serve at the front, both Ralph and Willard “reverted to ranks” on December 4, 1916. The following day, the soldiers were selected for service with the 42nd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada) and crossed the English Channel to France with a “reinforcement draft” destined for its ranks.

The group joined the 42nd at Neuville-Saint-Vaast on January 2, 1917. Quickly integrated into its Companies, the inexperienced soldiers soon commenced regular rotations in sectors near Vimy Ridge, France. Ralph and Willard received their first combat experience on the morning of April 9, 1917, as the 42nd participated in the Canadian Corps’ historic capture of Vimy Ridge.

While its soldiers succeeded in securing their initial objective by early morning, units on its left flank, facing the daunting challenge of capturing Hill 145, failed to keep pace. As a result, the 42nd was exposed to devastating German fire from the ridge’s highest elevation and incurred significant casualties until an early evening attack secured the location.

Ralph and Willard came through the experience without injury and served regular rotations in sectors near Lens, France, throughout the spring and summer of 1917. In mid-October, the 42nd made its way northward to Caëstre, France, near the Belgian border, as the Canadian Corps prepared for its next major assignment—an attack on Passchendaele Ridge, Belgium. Its soldiers relocated to Ypres, Belgium, on October 23 and three days later provided support services for attacking units during the assault’s opening stage.

On October 29, while on a work party near Ypres, a piece of artillery shrapnel struck Ralph in the left shoulder. While the wounds was “superficial,” he was evacuated to hospital at Rouen and subsequently invalided to England on November 6. Discharged to duty one month later, Ralph spent four months at Camp Bramshott with the 20th Reserve Battalion before finally rejoining the 42nd’s ranks.

Meanwhile, Willard and his mates occupied reserve positions during the second stage of the Passchendaele assault, which took place on October 30. The unit retired from the line in early November and made its way back to France, where it served in sectors near Lens throughout the winter of 1917-18. Willard was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal on January 10, 1918, while Ralph rejoined the unit on May 30 as its personnel was training near Bomy, France.

The 42nd returned to the line in late June and served in sectors near Lens for one month before making its way southward to Dury, near Amiens, in late July. Having successfully withstood a major German offensive in late March and April 1918, Allied commanders set about planning a major counter-offensive, scheduled to commence in sectors east of Amiens in early August. The 42nd entered the line on the night of August 7/8 and participated in the second stage of the following morning’s attack.

The soldiers remained in the line for several days, participating in a 10-hour assault on German positions during the night of August 13/14, action that involved significant “hand to hand fighting.” Two nights later, the unit retired from the line, having incurred 143 casualties during a week-long tour. Once again, Willard and Ralph emerged from the line without injury. In subsequent days, the 42nd made its way northward to Manin, near Arras, where Canadian Corps units launched a second offensive on August 26.

In this instance, the 42nd’s soldiers occupied reserve positions during the initial advance, moving forward to occupy a newly established front line on the night of August 27/28 and capturing a section of enemy trench the following day. While personnel retired from the line on the night of August 28/29, the brief tour had inflicted an additional 312 casualties. Once again, Ralph and Willard had escaped harm. Shortly after withdrawing from the line, Willard was promoted to the rank of Acting Corporal.

There was little time to rest as the 42nd returned to the line near Cagnicourt on the night of September 5/6. Three days later, the unit moved forward to positions near Canal du Nord, on the outskirts of Cambrai. The soldiers retired to Divisional Reserve near Chérisy on the night of September 11/12 and spent the next two weeks recovering from their recent tours. On the evening of September 26, the 42nd made its way to an assembly area north of Quéant, in preparation for an impending attack on Canal du Nord.

The battle commenced at 5:20 a.m., the 3rd Division—to which the 42nd belonged—occupying support positions while the remaining three Canadian Divisions advanced toward an incomplete section of the canal north of Mœuvres. The 42nd’s Brigade passed through the line following the initial attack, the unit moving forward in reserve while its three “sister” battalions continued the attack.

Shortly after mid-day, the battalion crossed the canal via a newly constructed infantry bridge and spent the night in the open, enduring a heavy gas bombardment that forced the men to don their box respirators. At 7:00 a.m. September 28, the unit assembled behind a railway embankment east of Bourlon Wood and west of Cambrai. When its Brigade mates attempted to resume the advance later in the day, they encountered “heavy opposition,” forcing the 42nd to remain stationary.

During the evening hours, the battalion received orders to resume the advance the following day, with the goal of establishing a bridgehead across the St. Quentin Canal. Weather on the morning of September 29 was “fine with a heavy ground mist which prevented any visibility.” As the unit moved forward, “a withering fire from Machine Guns at point blank range… caused very severe casualties.” Despite the resistance, small groups of soldiers managed to cross the Douai - Cambrai Road and establish a forward post.

Allied artillery provided supporting fire early during the afternoon, but the 42nd was still unable to advance and dug in behind whatever shelter was available. The following day, personnel attempted to move forward but once again encountered fierce resistance. Finally, on October 1, the unit succeeded in capturing an area of high ground near the railway embankment and withdrew from the line later that night.

The 42nd suffered heavy losses during its Canal du Nord tour—six Officers and 55 “other ranks” (OR) were killed, while 221 OR were wounded. Neither Ralph nor Willard survived the fighting. On the morning of September 29, Corporal Willard Spurgeon Myers “was hit in the head by a machine gun bullet and instantly killed, while taking part with his Company in at attack west of Tilloy.” He was laid to rest in Mill Switch Cemetery, Tilloy-lez-Cambrai.

Lance Corporal Ralph Stanley Lipsett also died during the second day’s fighting: “During an attack on Cambrai in the morning of the 29th September 1918, he was instantly killed by a machine gun bullet.” His “circumstances of casualty” card’s description suggests that Ralph fell victim to the same fire that killed Willard. Ralph was laid to rest in Cantimpre Canadian Cemetery, Sailly-lez-Cambrai, France.

Ralph’s and Willard’s stories 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 Lieutenant Charles Kingston O’Donoghue—KIA September 27, 1918

Charles Kingston O’Donoghue was born at Canso, Guysborough County, on August 11, 1897, the oldest of Frances (Baird) and Charles O’ Donoghue’s four children. Charles Sr. was a manager at Commercial Cable Company, where Kingston—as he was known to family—eventually worked as a cable operator.

Lieutenant Charles Kingston O'Donoghue

In the autumn of 1915, Kingston travelled to Halifax and commenced training with the 85th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders). He formally attested with the unit on November 8, 1915. The battalion spent almost one year training in the province, as military authorities recruited three additional battalions to form the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade. On October 12, 1916, the four units departed for overseas aboard SS Olympic and made their way to Witley Camp, England, after their overseas arrival.

Unfortunately, the Canadian Corps’ significant casualties incurred during fighting at the Somme in September and October 1916 resulted in the dissolution of two Highland Brigade units. The 85th, however, remained intact and proceeded to France on February 10, 1917. Kingston, promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal as the Brigade departed from Nova Scotia, was among the young soldiers about to receive an introduction to combat on the Western Front.

Following several weeks of training and preliminary tours with experienced units, the 85th was attached to the 4th Canadian Division’s 11th Brigade for service as a “working unit” during the Canadian Corps’ impending attack on Vimy Ridge. As the battle unfolded on the morning of April 9, 1917, the Brigade’s units failed to secure their primary objective—Hill 145, the ridge’s highest elevation. In response, commanders ordered two of the 85th’s Companies into the “jumping off” trenches in late afternoon. Despite their lack of combat experience, the Nova Scotia Highlanders pushed German forces from the ridge’s western slopes in a daring, early evening attack.

The following day, the entire battalion entered the front trenches atop the ridge. Before month’s end, the 85th was assigned to the 4th Division’s 12th Brigade and commenced a regular tour of duty in the line. In the aftermath of the battalion’s Vimy debut, Kingston was promoted to the rank of Acting Corporal and served without incident in sectors near Lens throughout the spring and summer of 1917. On October 1, he was “confirmed in [the] rank of Sergeant.” Two weeks later, the unit moved northward to Staples, France, where personnel prepared for the Canadian Corps’ next major assignment—an attack on Passchendaele Ridge, Belgium.

While Canadian units launched the first phase of a four-stage attack on October 26, the 85th’s soldiers were located at St. Lawrence Camp, near Ypres. Two days later, its personnel made their way into the line under cover of darkness. At precisely 4:50 a.m. October 30, the unit advanced toward its objective—a cluster of fortified German positions at a location known as Vienna Cottage. While the 85th secured its objective within two hours, it suffered what proved to be the worst losses of its entire overseas service during the advance.

Kingston was one of its earliest casualties, struck in the foot by a bullet while going “over the top” toward the German line. Admitted to a field ambulance the following day, he was evacuated to hospital at Étaples, France, on November 1 and invalided to England 10 days later. The bullet had fractured the long bone in the middle of his foot and thus Kingston required considerable time to fully recover. Finally discharged from medical care on March 4, 1918, he continued his regain his strength and mobility at No. 2 Depot, Camp Bramshott, and was finally deemed “fit for service” on April 26.

Assigned to the 17th Reserve Battalion, which provided reinforcements for Nova Scotia’s 25th and 85th Battalions, Kingston was offered a commissioned rank shortly afterward. On May 11, he reported to the Cadet Training School, Bexhill, and spent the next three months completing his officer’s training. He returned to the 17th’s ranks on August 5 and awaited orders to return to France. As the Canadian Corps commenced a major counter-offensive three days later, it was not long before he received the call.

On September 15, Lieutenant Kingston O’Donoghue proceeded to France and rejoined his 85th comrades in the field six days later. The unit had recently participated in a series of combat engagements—Amiens (August 8) and the “Scarpe Operations” along the Drocourt-Quéant Line (September 1 and 2)—and was training in preparation for an impending attack on German positions west of Cambrai at the time of his return.

The battalion broke camp in the early evening of September 25 and marched to the Arras train station. When its transportation failed to arrive at the appointed time, the soldiers crammed into a large freight shed and settled in for the night. Around 11:30 p.m., German aircraft dropped a bomb that landed “about two feet from the edge of the building…, killing one Officer and nine other ranks and wounding one Officer and 58 other ranks.”

The train finally arrived in the early morning hours and carried the battalion to the outskirts of Bullecourt. Upon disembarking, personnel made their way to a staging area one mile north of Quéant and established camp. The soldiers spent the remainder of the day resting while the unit’s Officers completed preparations for combat.

At 12:15 a.m. September 27, the 85th marched out to the assembly area near Inchy-en-Artois. Five hours later, an artillery barrage signalled the start of the attack. Fifteen minutes later, the unit’s soldiers advanced toward its objective—the village of Bourlon, adjacent to a well-fortified, wooded area bearing the same name. Heavy fire forced the lead Company to pass around the southern edge of Inchy toward the day’s first obstacle—the incomplete Canal du Nord.

While crossing the canal, heavy shelling resulted in the lead and rear Companies losing contact. Pausing to re-group once all personnel had reached the other side, the soldiers encountered “considerable machine gun fire” shortly after resuming their advance. Despite the resistance, the unit reached its preliminary objective on the village’s outskirts at 7:45 a.m.

The supporting artillery barrage was scheduled to lift 30 minutes later, but appeared to end “very soon after” the battalion reached the location. As a result, the forward Companies pressed onward toward the final objective and overran German positions in front of the village with little resistance. During the process, however, German artillery shells and machine gun fire from nearby Bourlon Wood inflicted “a considerable number of casualties.”

Suddenly, the supporting artillery barrage resumed, causing numerous casualties among two Companies moving forward in support of the advance. Personnel hastily found whatever shelter was available on the battlefield and waited for the barrage to lift. Once it had passed, the 85th advanced through the remainder of Bourlon, securing it with “little resistance” by 9:45 a.m. Throughout the day, the battalion connected with adjacent units and established outposts in front of the newly-constructed defensive line.

Later that night, the 72nd and 78th Battalions—two of the 85th’s Brigade mates—passed through its line and established “jumping off” positions for the attack’s second phase, scheduled for the following morning. The 85th suffered a total of eight Officer and 75 OR casualties during the day’s advance. Lieutenant Charles Kingston O’Donoghue was one of the day’s earliest fatalities, “killed by a shell while crossing the Canal” during the advance’s first stage. He was laid to rest in Quarry Wood Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.

Kingston’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 Jacob Lachlan “Lockie” Mailman—KIA September 27, 1918

Jacob Lachlan Mailman was born at Gegogan, Guysborough County, on September 26, 1896, the third of Harriet Louise (Baker) and Jacob Mailman’s seven children. “Lockie,” as he was known to family, completed his medical examination under the terms of the Military Service Act (1917) at Halifax on November 7, 1917, and was conscripted into service on March 15, 1918. Three weeks later, he departed for England aboard SS Ulua and landed at Liverpool, England, on April 19.

Private Jacob Lachlan Mailman

Assigned to the 17th Reserve Battalion (Nova Scotia) upon landing in England, Lockie trained at Camp Bramshott throughout the spring and early summer. On September 5, 1918, he was assigned to the Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) and proceeded to France. Within days of arriving on the continent, however, Lockie received a second transfer to the 2nd Battalion (Eastern Ontario) and arrived in its camp near Agnez-lès-Duisans on September 11.

The 2nd Battalion spent the next two weeks training before returning to the line on the evening of September 26 and preparing for its role in the Canadian Corps’ attack on Canal du Nord, a waterway near the strategically important city of Cambrai. At 5:20 a.m. September 27, Allied guns commenced an artillery barrage on the German line. One hour and 20 minutes later, the 2nd Battalion’s soldiers advanced in “Diamond Formation,” one Company at a time, at 10-minute intervals.

The soldiers followed in the wake of the initial attacking units and faced no enemy resistance until 9:00 a.m., when they encountered “shelling and machine gun fire.” Personnel nevertheless continued forward, passed through the 4th Battalion’s lines and followed the 1st Battalion toward Bourlon Wood, its main objective. At this point, the intensity of enemy fire increased and the unit suffered “numerous” casualties.

The 2nd Battalion nevertheless maintained its forward momentum, passing through the 1st Battalion’s line at 10:00 a.m. and advancing toward German positions. While fierce resistance slowed their progress, the support of units on each flank enabled its soldiers to resume forward progress shortly after mid-day and secure possession of Bourlon Wood. Personnel spent the remainder of the day consolidating the position and settled in for the night.

Private Jacob Lachlan Mailman did not survive his first day of combat. According to his “circumstances of casualty” card: “The Company to which he belonged was in support during an advance west of Raillencourt, and came under heavy machine gun fire, Private Mailman being hit in the chest and instantly killed.” Lockie was laid to rest in Ontario Cemetery, Sains-lès-Marquion, France.

Lockie’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 .