The Missing Milkman
Thomas McAree born 1 October 1886, Belfast, Ireland. Parents Alexander and Mary Ann McAree of 260 Donegal Road, Belfast, Ireland. His brother James served with the Royal Army Medical Corps and survived the Great War. Father Alexander also served. His sister Lily married James Cassidy. They are the great-grandparents of David Cassidy. Mr. Cassidy inspiring this story. David also born in Belfast, just about a mile from where Thomas was from. Up until a few years ago, the family living a few doors down from his old house.
Service
Private Thomas McAree 172256 enlisted with the 83rd Battalion, 24 August 1915 at Toronto. At the time, boarding at 31 Euclid Avenue, Toronto. He was a single dairy man, working with the City Dairy Company, the first to offer pasteurized milk in Canada. Thomas 28 years, 10 months old, standing 5′ 4″ tall, with dark complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. He was Methodist. Next-of-kin also noted as a Mrs. Gordon, 53 Robinson Street, Toronto, as of 30 November 1916. Thomas assigned half his monthly pay to his mother in Belfast.
To England
Private Thomas McAree’s unit sailed 28 April 1916, as per SS OLYMPIC, disembarked Liverpool, 7 May 1916. Private McAree’s training in England quite limited.
To France
Private Thomas McAree transferred to 4th Battalion, C.M.R. at west-Sandling and sent to France on 6 June 1916. One of twenty recruits to arrive at Godewaersvelde, a commune in the Nord department in northern France, near the Belgian border on 9 June 1916. At the foot of Mont des Cats and its famous abbey is Godewaersvelde.
Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel
Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel serving with the Grand Ducal Hessen Dragoons severely wounded by British machine-gun fire at Saint-Jean-Chapelle on 13 October 1914. A great-grandson of Queen Victoria. Taken to the Trappist monastery at Mont-de-Cats. But, the British soon controlled the area, and he died a Prisoner of War.
Prince Maximilian buried in the local cemetery. However, the mayor of the town secretly moved his body to protect from the threat of vandals. Finally, in 1926, King George V assisted Price Maximillian’s family in recovering the remains.
Leaving Belgium
The 4th C.M.R. moved from the Ypres Salient to the Somme on 7 September 1916, when they entrained at Cassel.
Billeted at Montrelet on the way, soon, they found themselves at Vert-Galand Farm on the Doullens-Amiens Road.
From the high ground beyond Albert, the gilded Virgin seen hanging at a perilous angle over the ruined Campanile of the Notre-Dame de Brebières basilica.
Soldiers held the belief that if the baby Jesus should fall, the war would be lost.
Battle of the Somme
The British Army launched the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916 in conjunction with the French Army. The attack developed in stages, the first resulted in the capture of the German first line of defenses in the southern sector which included Fricourt, Mametz, Montauban and Contalmaison. Another big assault launched on 14 July, extending to Delville Wood. The third stage captured Ginchy, Delville Wood, and Pozieres.
The Canadians entered the theatre on 4 September 1916. Relieving the Australians, who, in brilliant fashion two weeks previously, had taken Pozieres on the Albert-Bapaume Road. On 15 September 1915, the Canadians took Courcelette, the Guards took Flers, and other Divisions captured High Wood and Martinpuich. This part of the Battle of the Somme known as the Battle of Flers-Courcelette.
Battle of Flers-Courcelette
During the attack on Fabeck Graben Trench at Courcelette, Private Thomas McAree killed by the explosion of an enemy shell. Not too far from Mouquet Farm (a distinctive place to visit today, though the topography is totally different now).
Tanks were first used on 15 September 1916. When the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Divisions advanced down the slope, stormed SUGAR trench and FABECK GRABEN, and took Courcelette.
Major Patterson placed in charge of the operations with a forward headquarters in the assembly trench. B Company arrived at its jumping off position ten minutes in advance of zero hour. C Company was not so fortunate. The communication trench at Tom’s Cut was blown-in. When Captain Hamilton attempted to take his men across the open, they came under a withering machine-gun fire, which wiped out the most of two platoons.
Captain Hamilton re-organized his Company, and reported back to Battalion Headquarters. A further advance would be suicidal. He received permission to dribble his men across country by another route to the assembly trench. However, Major Patterson not knowing what had happened to C Company, ordered B Company to attack alone.
Death of Private Thomas McAree
Major Coleman rose to the unequal task. Swinging his right flank forward until the men so close to the barrage, many became casualties from our own fire. Thomas one of those men seen to fall. Sadly, his body never recovered, nor given a recorded burial. Perhaps recovered later, and buried as an Unknown. Immediately the barrage lifted the men charged the enemy. Although, the wire not completely cut. In addition, the Germans, from the direction of Mouquet Farm, kept up an enfilade fire. Finally, the 4th CMR attacked with such spirit, quickly in possession of the first objective.
The second wave followed in perfect order passing over the first line. Then, pushing forward in the face of heavy shelling to the objective, the Fabeck Graben. They found this trench full of Germans who at first put up a stubborn resistance. Which soon wilted under the determined assault of Major Coleman s men.
The 4th C.M.R. made it to at least 500 yards east of Mouquet Farm, when finally relieved by the Lancashire Fusiliers. Mouquet Farm fell on the 17 September, and further gains made on 20-22 September.
Unfortunately, the ultimate fear of every soldier realized. His family would never know of his resting place – his soul, lost. Soldiers feared only one thing more than dying. Dying, and not being found. Missing, therefore Private T. McAree listed on the Vimy Memorial.
Vimy
Inscribed on the ramparts of the Vimy Memorial the names of over 11,000 Canadian soldiers. Posted as missing, presumed dead, in France. In addition, a plaque at the entrance to the memorial states the land for the battlefield park, 91.18 hectares in extent, the free gift in perpetuity of the French nation to the people of Canada. Construction of the massive work began in 1925. And 11 years later, on July 26, 1936, the monument unveiled by King Edward VIII.
Private Thomas McAree – Vimy Memorial
The park surrounding the Vimy Memorial created by horticultural experts. Firstly, Canadian trees and shrubs planted in great masses to resemble the woods and forests of Canada. Secondly, wooded parklands surround the grassy slopes of the approaches around the Vimy Memorial. Trenches and tunnels restored and preserved. The visitor can picture the magnitude of the task that faced the Canadian Corps on that distant dawn when history made. Finally, on April 3, 2003, the Government of Canada designated April 9th of each year as a national day of remembrance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
Borden Dairy War Memorial
Borden Dairy War Memorial – City Dairy Co. Ltd. War Memorial, Niagara Street, Toronto, Ontario. At first, only the Great War names listed employed by the City Dairy Co. Ltd. This dairy acquired by the Borden Company after the war. Second World War names for Borden Company employees added at a later date. Donated by the Borden Company to the Canadian Corps Association and later moved to 201 Niagara Street. Photos of the Borden Dairy War Memorial courtesy Marika Pirie.
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Canadian National Vimy Memorial in the Great War
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