Remembering Private Clayton R. Mills—KIA August 9, 1918

Clayton R. Mills was born at Port Hilford, Guysborough County, on January 15, 1888, the youngest of Anne Scott “Annie” (McKeen) and Robert Bruce Mills’ five children. Sometime before 1901, the family moved to Sherbrooke, where Robert worked at a local saw mill. In 1904, Robert, Annie and children relocated to a farm at The Forks (Glenelg), where the couple spent their remaining days.

Clayton R. Mills (pre-war portrait)

During the years prior to the First World War, Clayton travelled to Western Canada on the annual “harvest trains,” usually in the company of his older brother, Frank. Clayton eventually remained out west, made his way to Vancouver, BC, sometime after 1911, and found work as a carpenter.

Following the outbreak of war, British Columbia provided a large number of soldiers for overseas service. Clayton was among the volunteers, enlisting with the 121st Battalion (“Western Irish”) at New Westminster, BC, on January 9, 1916. He spent seven months training at Camp Vernon, BC, before following the unit across the country by train. On August 14, the 121st departed for overseas and arrived at Liverpool, England, after a 10-day passage.

Before year’s end, the 121st was designated a “reserve battalion” for the 29th Battalion (British Columbia). While Clayton was transferred to the 29th on November 28, 1916, he spent more than three months working with 2nd Entrenching Battalion before finally joining his new unit on March 5, 1917. Before year’s end, Clayton saw combat with the 29th at Vimy Ridge, France (April 9, 1917) and Passchendaele, Belgium (November 6, 1917).

Throughout the winter of 1917-18, Clayton served a regular rotation with the 29th in sectors near Arras, France. Tours in the line extended into early summer before the unit retired to Divisional Reserve in late June 1918. After a month’s rest and training, personnel returned to the line east of Amiens, France, in early August and prepared for its role in a major counter-offensive on the German line.

While the attack commenced at 4:30 a.m. August 8, the 29th did not participate in the first day’s fighting. The following morning, however, its soldiers prepared for battle, their objective being the village of Rosières. At precisely 10:00 a.m. August 9, Clayton and his comrades advanced toward the German line. The soldiers immediately encountered a fierce barrage of machine gun and artillery fire but determinedly made their way forward, securing their objective by mid-afternoon. Before day’s end, the 29th’s soldiers advanced six kilometres into German-held territory.

In total, Canadian units suffered more than 2,500 casualties during the fighting at Amiens. Following its August 9, 1918 advance, the 29th’s war diary reported 159 soldiers lost in the initial minutes of fighting. Private Clayton Mills was one of the early fatalities, “hit in the head and instantly killed by an enemy machine gun bullet” shortly after leaving the “jumping off” trenches. Clayton was laid to rest in Rosières Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France.

Clayton’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 Henry “Harry” McLeod—KIA August 9, 1918

Henry “Harry” McLeod was born at Halifax, NS, on July 12, 1887, the eldest of Lavina Grace (O’Hara) and Neil McLeod’s four children. Grace was a native of New Harbour, Guysborough County, while Neil was a sea captain from St. Ann’s, Cape Breton. When Neil passed away sometime during the 1890s, the family appears to have disintegrated, as the children were taken in by various O’Hara relatives. Harry was adopted by his maternal uncle, James O’Hara, New Harbour, while his two younger brothers lived nearby. Their sister, Ethel, was raised at Milton, Queen’s County, by O’Hara relatives.

Private Henry "Harry McLeod

By 1911, Harry had established residence at Stellarton, Pictou County, where he worked in the local coal mines. Following the outbreak of the First World War, mining towns received particular attention from military recruiters. On April 6, 1916, Harry enlisted with the 193rd Battalion at Stellarton. After a summer’s training at Camp Aldershot, he departed for England with the 193rd and its Nova Scotia Highland Brigade counterparts on October 12, 1916.

Shortly after its overseas arrival, two of the Brigade’s units—the 193rd and 219th Battalions—were dissolved, in order to provide reinforcements for Canadian units at the front. In late December 1916, Harry was transferred to the 185th Battalion (Cape Breton Highlanders), one of two Highland Brigade units to remain intact.

Harry trained in England with the 185th for five months before receiving a transfer to the 25th Battalion (Nova Scotia) on May 27, 1917. He immediately crossed the English Channel to France, but was temporarily assigned to 2nd Entrenching Battalion, one of several labour units working in the forward area. After several months’ service with 2nd Entrenching, Harry finally joined the 25th’s ranks on August 20.

The unit had just withdrawn from the line following the Canadian Corps’ successful attack on Hill 70, near Lens, France. For the next two months, Harry served a regular rotation with the 25th in sectors near the city. In early November, the battalion relocated to Ypres, Belgium, where its soldiers occupied support positions during the final stage of the Canadian Corps’ attack on Passchendaele Ridge.

The 25th withdrew from the line several days after the ridge’s capture and returned to France before month’s end. Throughout the winter of 1917-18, Harry served regular tours alongside his 25th comrades in sectors near Lens. In late March 1918, German forces launched a major offensive south of the Canadian Corps. While unaffected by the subsequent fighting, the unit’s soldiers nevertheless remained on the alert, conducting regular night-time patrols in No Man’s Land.

On the night of April 21/22, 1918, while participating in one such assignment, Harry suffered a shrapnel wound to his right hand during a skirmish with enemy soldiers. Evacuated for medical treatment, Harry made a rapid recovery, as the wound was slight. He spent one month at the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Centre before rejoining the 25th at Neuville-Vitasse on June 8. The unit remained in the line until month’s end, at which time its personnel retired to Divisional Reserve for a month’s rest and training.

In late July 1918, the 25th made its way south to a location near Amiens as the Canadian Corps prepared to return to the line. In the early hours of August 5, its soldiers entered trenches near Bois de Blangy. Two days later, they advanced to “jumping off” positions near Cachy and made final preparations for combat. Harry and his comrades were about to participate in a major Allied counter-attack on the German line east of Amiens, France.

At 4:20 a.m. August 8, the 24th and 26th Battalions—two of the 25th’s 5th Brigade mates—launched an attack on German trenches opposite their position. As the 25th followed in close support, a heavy mist hanging over the battlefield made it difficult for the soldiers to find their way. The Brigade nevertheless succeeded in capturing its objective—a location 1,000 yards beyond the village of Guillaucourt—by mid-day and personnel set about consolidating their position.

The following day—August 9, 1918—the 25th resumed the attack at 1:00 p.m. and succeeded in capturing three French villages before evening. During the advance, however, its soldiers encountered considerable enemy machine gun fire, resulting in numerous casualties. As night fell, Private Harry McLeod was officially reported “missing.” Sometime afterward, Harry’s remains were located, his “circumstances of casualty” stating that he “was killed while taking part in operations in the vicinity of Méharicourt.” Private Harry McLeod was laid to rest in Hillside British Cemetery, near Moreuil, France.

Harry’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 Sapper Francis Stewart “Frank” Manson—DOS August 3, 1918

Francis Stewart “Frank” Manson was born at Sherbrooke, Guysborough County, on December 2, 1892, the youngest of Lucy (Walters) and George W. Manson’s four sons. Only months after Frank’s birth, his mother, Lucy, died of tuberculosis. While George remained in the area—he was a school teacher at nearby Country Harbour—the four boys were taken in by local relatives.

Sapper Francis Stewart "Frank" Manson

Frank spent his childhood in the Forks at St. Mary’s home of his paternal aunt, Elizabeth Manson, and her husband, Alfred E. McKeen. Sometime after 1901, two of Frank’s older brothers, John Gidison “Jack” and Lowell, left for British Columbia, where they found employment in the mines. By 1907, the pair had saved enough money to have their younger siblings, Alexander and Frank, join them. All four worked at the Britannia Beach copper mine, where Frank was a pipe fitter.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, British Columbia’s lumber camps and mining towns were fertile ground for military recruiters. Young Frank was the first of the Manson brothers to respond, enlisting with the 143rd Battalion at Vancouver, BC, on January 26, 1017. His older brother, Jack, was later conscripted into military service and served in the forward area with an engineering unit.

The 143rd Battalion (BC Bantams) was authorized in November 1915 and commenced its recruitment campaign three months later. Initially designed as a unit for men unable to meet the minimum requirements for service with regular units—height of five feet four inches and chest measurement of 34 inches—the 143rd was only one of two “bantam” units recruited in Canada. Its minimum requirements were reduced to five feet one and a half inches and 30-inch chest measurement, although its recruits had to be at least 22 years of age.

Limited response eventually forced the unit to open its ranks to volunteers above its lower requirements. Frank was one such recruit, his height and chest measurements—five feet seven inches and 35 inches respectively—well beyond the unit’s minimum standards. The 143rd departed Halifax on February 17, 1917 and landed in England 10 days later. Disbanded shortly after its overseas arrival, 750 of its personnel were transferred to the 24th Reserve Battalion and gradually assigned to British Columbia units at the front. A remaining group of 135 “other ranks” (OR) were transferred to the 3rd Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops (CRT), on March 15.

Frank was one of the soldiers assigned to 3rd CRT. The recently formed unit crossed the English Channel to France on March 22. Before month’s end, two of its Companies—“A” and “B”—commenced work at Poperinghe, near Ypres, Belgium, while the remaining two Companies travelled  to Fosse, France. Frank was part of the Poperinghe group, which worked on a railway grade near Ypres throughout the following month.

On April 6, Frank reported to 3rd New Zealand Field Ambulance for treatment of bronchitis. Transferred to hospital at Dieppe, France, the following day, he remained under medical care for three weeks. Shortly after Frank returned to his unit, the two Companies working in Belgium joined their comrades at Barlin, France, where the entire unit commenced maintenance work on a local, small-gauge railway line. The “sappers,” as they were called, toiled in the open, under constant threat of German artillery fire.

Frank remained with the battalion throughout the summer of 1917, working without incident on various projects in the forward area. As autumn arrived, however, the health issues that plagued his first weeks in Belgium returned. On October 24, Frank was admitted to No. 3 Casualty Clearing Station with a suspected case of “phthisis,” a contemporary term for pulmonary tuberculosis. Transported to No. 5 General Hospital, Rouen, shortly afterward, medical staff determined that Frank should be “invalided” to England before month’s end.

On November 2, Frank was admitted to Grove Military Hospital, Tooting Grove, England, where staff confirmed the initial diagnosis. Transferred to No. 16 Canadian General Hospital, Orpington, Kent, at mid-month, Frank received treatment for “chronic tuberculosis.” On January 4, 1918, he was transferred to No. 5 Canadian General Hospital, Liverpool,  the first step of the journey home. One month later, Frank departed for Canada. Upon arrival, he made his way across the country by train to British Columbia, where he was admitted to Vancouver General Hospital’s Military Annex.

Frank’s prognosis was not promising. By early June. a medical report confirmed that he was suffering from “tubercle of lung,” likely contracted in France in October 1917 through exposure and infection “while on active service.” On July 4, 1918, Frank was transferred to Tranquille Sanatorium, Royal Inland Hospital, Kamloops, BC. Four days later, he was officially discharged from military service. Frank remained at Tranquille Sanatorium until his death on August 3, 1918. Two days later, Sapper Francis Stewart Manson was laid to rest in Pleasant Street Cemetery, Kamloops, BC.

Frank’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 .