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World War One Roll of Honour

Corporal Fred Salmon
November 16, 1917
Royal Canadian Regiment
Service Number 478966. Originally enlisted with the R.C.R. Depot
Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium. Age 22
Son of Rudolph and Jane Salmon, Sardis, B.C.

At the time of Fred Salmon’s enlistment he lived at Work Point Barracks, Esquimalt, B.C. and worked as a bottler. The Royal Canadian Regiment though mobilized in Halifax, Nova Scoita recruited throughout Canada. Fred’s father was born in Germany and emigrated, with his parents to the United States. After living in North Dakota the family moved to Vancouver, B.C. in the 1890s. Fred Salmon was born in Vancouver, B.C. in 1895

 

Private Edmond Falconer Seed
November 10, 1917
7th Battalion C.E.F. (1st B.C. Regiment)
Service Number 116587. Originally enlisted in the 11th Canadian Mounted Rifles, C.E.F.
Passchendaele New British Cemetery, Belgium. Age 19
Son of Stanley W. and Sybil I. Seed, 620 - 13th St. East, North Vancouver, B.C.

In 1915, Edmond Seed who was born in Manitoba left that province, where he attended St. John's College, to be with his parents who lived in Chilliwack. In July 1915, he the Canadian Mounted Rifles and went overseas in January 1916. He was sent with a draft to the 7th Battalion and was trained as a sniper with the intelligence section. After the announcement of his death in January 1918, his mother received word, in May that he was captured. Her joy was recorded in the Chilliwack Progress, however by the end of that month confirmation was received by the family that he was killed in action. His father was serving with an engineer unit at the time of his son's death. His parents Stanley and Sybil Seed resided in Chilliwack during the First World War and later relocated to North Vancouver.

 

Lieutenant George Edward Sellers
September 2, 1918
Canadian Corps Cyclist Battalion C.E.F.
Tigris Lane Cemetery, Wancourt, France, Age 32
Son of Mrs. H.E. Sellers, Sardis, B.C.
Husband of Ellen Sellers, Vancouver, B.C.

George Edward Sellers was born in Portugal and served with C Squadron of the 31st B.C. Horse and was attached to the 30th B.C. Horse at Vernon, B.C. At the time of his death, George Sellers was married to Ellen Coote, sister of Major Andrew Leslie Coote and together the couple had two children. St. John the Baptist Anglican church was presented with a brass ewer in memory of Lieutenant Sellers by his mother. The ewer records his death at Arras-Cambrai. George Sellers at one time lived in Fort Langley, B.C.

Photograph courtesy of the Langley Centennial Museum

 

Gunner Peter Boyd Shaw
October 13, 1918
12th Siege Battery, 3rd Brigade, Canadian Garrison Artillery, C.E.F.
Service Number 2557322. Drafted under the Military Service Act 1917
Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Ficheux, France. Age 30
Son of Alexander and Elizabeth Shaw, Urchany, Cawdor, Nairn, Scotland
Husband of Catherine Shaw, Logan Cottage, 43 Ballifeeny Rd., Inverness, Scotland

Peter Shaw was an accountant for the Canadian Bank of Commerce in Chilliwack prior to moving to Penticton where he continued to work with the Bank of Commerce. His enlistment number reflects that once drafted he originally served with the 68th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery. The wounds he suffered resulted in the amputation of his left leg above the knee but complications led to his death. He was the seventh son of Alexander and Elizabeth Shaw and their family had five sons in service in 1918, three of whom including Peter, became casualties. The 68th Battery Depot was mobilized in Victoria, B.C.

 

Private Allan Miller Sim
April 23, 1917
10th Battalion C.E.F. (Alberta)
Service Number 183967. Originally joined the 89th Battalion C.E.F.
Wimereux Communal Cemetery, Wimereux, France. Age 23
Son of Mr. and Mrs. William Sim, Fairfield Island, B.C.

Private A.M. Sim died of gunshot wounds to the chest.

 

Lieutenant Thomas Arthur Smith M.C.
October 12th, 1918
1st Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade, C.E.F.
Service number 75939. Original member of the 29th Battalion C.E.F.
Haynecourt British Cemetery, France. Age 33
Son of Henry Smith, Eastbourne, England
Husband of Mrs. T.A. Smith, Chilliwack, B.C.

Thomas Smith came to Canada in 1912 and was married and the couple had two daughters. Initially Thomas Smith served in the ranks of the 29th Battalion until commissioned in November 1916. In May 1917 he joined the 1st Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade and was awarded the Military Cross for action with that unit. The citation for the award records the following events, "Lieutenant Thomas Arthur Smith, M.C. First Canadian Motor Machine Gun Corps, [sic] at Naves on the 10th October, 1918, he had command of four armoured cars. He went ahead with four dismounted guns, under continuously heavy machine gun and shell fire and established a strong position which enabled the infantry to advance. He displayed most conspicuous gallantry, courage and determination to push forward, keeping his guns in action successfully." At the time of his death, Thomas Smith served in the army for four years to the day. He was born in Eastbourne, Sussex, England and previously served in the Royal Navy for nine years seeing service during the Second Boer War and then with London’s  Metropolitan Police force for four years. His family had a long tradition of military service as his father was a Crimean War veteran, his brother Samuel, residing in Manitoba served in Egypt sometime between 1882-1889 and another brother William served in India for eight years, and was a serving member of the Telegraph Corps in Ireland. A third brother, Herbert, served at Gallipoli and despite being invalided out, rejoined the forces in Malta. One other brother, Benjamin, resided in Chilliwack and served for fifteen months with the Royal Air Force.

 

Captain Stanley T. Spencer
May 3, 1917
25th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Age 25
Son of Constance M. Spencer, Chilliwack, B.C. and Barton-on-Humber, Lincs., and the late Frank Thomas Spencer, Rob Royd, Barnsley, England

Stanley Spencer's mother, Constance, lived on Fairfield Island in Chilliwack. In October 1914, Sydney Raley whose uncle was Reverend Raley of Coqaualeetza was called to the colours by his British unit, the York and Lancaster Regiment. Stanley Spencer decided to join up in the same unit as Sydney and travelled with him to Britain and went to France, January 13, 1917, with a machine gun section of the 25th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment. At the outbreak of the war, Stanley Spencer was working with the firm of John Millan & Sons. He paid his own way overseas in order to enlist in Britain and initially worked on the training staff. Three brothers resided in Chilliwack all of whom had attempted to enlist in the C.E.F. but had not been accepted. A married sister remained England, where the Spencer family originally lived. Captain Spencer’s rank on the Arras Memorial is shown as Lieutenant.

 

Private Wilfrid Robert Spicer
August 8, 1918
2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles
Service Number 826875. Originally enlisted with the 143rd Battalion C.E.F.
Caix British Cemetery, France. Age 21
Son of Mr. Henry Havelock and Mrs. A. M. Spicer, Duchess, Alberta.

At the time of Wilfrid Spicer’s enlistment his parents were living in Chilliwack and afterwards moved to Duchess, Alberta. Their son, was born in Vancouver and was 21 years old when he was killed. He joined the 143rd (B.C. Bantams) Battalion, C.E.F. and upon the disbandment of that unit joined the 2nd CMR. He was mentioned in despatches, an award in recognition of gallant and meritorious service. His family inserted a memoriam notice in the Chilliwack Progress, September 5, 1918, that included the first three lines from John McCrae's, "In Flanders Fields".

 

Sub-Lieutenant Frank Wendell Stacey
June 4, 1917
Hood Battalion, Royal Naval Division
Service Number: 28843. Originally enlisted with the 16th Battalion C.E.F.
Helles Memorial, Turkey. Age 21
Son of the Rev. and Mrs. F. B. Stacey, Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada.

F.W. Stacey was one of three brothers to serve during the First World War. Wendell Stacey was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1894. His father was a Methodist minister and eventually a church appointment brought the Stacey family to Vancouver. Wendell was educated at Vancouver High School and became a member of his school's cadet corps. With them, he traveled to Australia and New Zealand from July to December of 1912. Upon his return to Vancouver he studied law with the firm of Killam and Beck and was active with the Wesley Methodist Church. To finance his studies he worked in a store of David Spencer Ltd.

Upon the declaration of war, Wendell Stacey joined the 72nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders of Canada of the Canadian militia. Several members of the later unit were transferred to the newly formed 16th Battalion C.E.F., another Scottish battalion, upon its creation in 1914. Stacey joined "C" Company of the 16th Battalion C.E.F. but was commissioned in February 1915, into the Royal Naval Division and served with the Hood Battalion in Malta and took part in an action near the Suez Canal against the Turkish Army. The battalions of the Royal Naval Division were land-serving sailors, although many had never served at sea.

On May 11, 1915, W.F. Stacey was wounded by a rifle bullet in the leg during action in the Dardanelles. He convalesced at Alexandria in Egypt, but less than a month later, June 4, 1915 was killed upon his return to the Dardanelles front. For the few short days after his return, Wendell Stacey was in the trenches day and night. The front was active with a series of attacks and counter-attacks that included hand-to-hand bayonet charges. He was killed when his company had taken a Turkish Trench and during a counter attack was shot twice. Of 57 men in the company only 19 returned to the British lines.

Wendell Stacey is commemorated not only on the Chilliwack War Memorial but, at Vancouver's King Edward High School and on an honour roll at Chilliwack United (formerly Methodist) Church. A Chilliwack chapter of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire was named in his memory.

 

Lance Corporal Secord Stevenson
January 10, 1918
29th Battalion C.E.F. (Tobin's Tigers)
Service Number 790566. Originally enlisted with the 131st Battalion C.E.F.
Sucrerie Cemetery, Albain-St. Nazaire, France. Age 24
Son of Maxwell and Elnor Stevenson, Rosedale, B.C.
Husband of Mrs. Margaret Stevenson, Rosedale, B.C.

Secord Stevenson was a past member of the 104th Regiment. In 1916 Secord married Margaret Karr, the youngest daughter of Mr. David Karr and when her husband went overseas, Margaret moved into the Stevenson family home. Prior to his death, Secord was wounded on three different occasions. The Union Church in Rosedale hosted a memorial service February 3, 1918 for Secord Stevenson and Frank Munro. Secord’s brother Thomas was killed when serving with the 29th Battalion in October 1918.

 

Private Thomas Maxwell Stevenson
October 12, 1918
29th Battalion C.E.F. (Tobin's Tigers)
Service Number 2137977. Drafted under the Military Service Act 1917
Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Ficheux, France. Age 24
Son of Maxwell and Olnor Stevenson, Rosedale, British Columbia.

The second member of the Maxwell and Eleanor Stevenson family to be killed during the First World War. "Tom" Stevenson died from his wounds received in action September 20, 1918. Secord Stevenson was his brother. Once drafted he joined a draft of the 102nd Regiment Reinforcements (Rocky Mountain Rangers) organized in Kamloops, B.C. for service with the C.E.F. The Rangers were a pre-war militia unit who supplied reinforcements to the C.E.F

 

Lance Corporal James Stronach
September 24, 1916
29th Battalion C.E.F. (Tobin's Tigers)
Service Number 75923. Original member of the 29th Battalion C.E.F.
Vimy Memorial, France. Age 35
John A. Stronach, Lowmount, Moyness, Nairn, Scotland

James Stronach was born in Scotland and had served with a unit of the imperial forces prior to the First World War. Stronach worked in Sardis and Chilliwack before joining the 29th Battalion C.E.F. He had, prior to his death, been buried twice and on the second occasion was severely injured. After a three-week convalescence, he returned to his unit. His name appears on both the honour rolls at Cooke's Presbyterian Church, Chilliwack and St. John's Church, Sardis. A memorial service for himself and several other fallen Chilliwack soldiers was held at Carman Church, Sardis October 21, 1917, where a large number of locals attended the service conducted by Reverend W.R. Welch. A special selection of music was provided by the church choir with a solo performance performed by Mrs. L.A. Manuel.

 

Private Thomas Sutton
February 26, 1915
7th Battalion C.E.F. (Tobin's Tigers)
Service Number 17173. Original member of the 7th Battalion C.E.F.
Ploegsteert Churchyard, Belgium. Age 22
Son of William and Marie Sutton, 18 Kennerley Rd., Stockport, England.

Sutton served with Chilliwack’s 104th Regiment prior to the First World War. His tattoos reflected his love for the sea and featured an anchor and heart on his left forearm and a ship with clasped hands on his right forearm. The 7th first went into the trenches near Ploegsteert, towards the end of February 1915, where they underwent trench instruction. Thomas Sutton and 2nd Lieutenant Herbert Beaumont Boggs became the first fatal casualties suffered by the unit during this initial training period.

 

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