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Category: Soldiers

Between 1914 and 1919, over 650,000 Canadians served at home and overseas during the Great War. On the Western Front in Belgium and France, Canadian soldiers of the Great War distinguished themselves in numerous battles, including Second Battle of Ypres, Battle of Vimy Ridge, and Second Battle of Passchendaele. In Canada’s Last Hundred Days of the Great War, Canadian soldiers at the sharp end of the spear breaking through the enemy’s formidable trench defences, the Hindenburg Line. Their efforts have inspired these soldier stories.

Collections

Many collections used to bring the soldier stories to life. First, and foremost, the Personnel Records of the soldiers serving in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). This collection, like the others to follow, digitized and made available by Library and Archives Canada (LAC). Secondly, the War Diaries of the CEF often provide vital information about a soldier’s life not contained in their service file. Finally, Circumstances of Death (CoD), War Graves Registers (GRRF), and Veterans Death Cards provide further information on The Fallen. These three collections in conjunction with records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) vital to cases of identification and recovery of The Missing.

Courts Martial Records (FGCM)

Additional collections used to present the soldier stories include Courts Martial Records. Courts martial had the authority to try a wide range of military offences that resembled civilian crimes like fraud, theft or perjury. Others, like desertion and cowardice – purely military crimes. Records of individual courts martial consist of an average of 20 to 25 documents, mainly standardized forms. These document the trial and the charges under the Army Act.

MIKAN photo collection

Finally, the most powerful way of bringing soldier stories of the Great War to life, the images of the MIKAN collection digitized by LAC.  Often complementing these photos – images held by the Imperial War Museum (IWM), some of which also contain images captured by the Official Canadian War Photographers (CWRO) during the Great War. Both LAC and IWM have film collections which further bring the reality of the soldier stories of the Great War to life.

  • Private Thomas Lionel Moles in the Great War

    Private Thomas Lionel Moles in the Great War

    Private Thomas Lionel Moles, Photo courtesy of The 54th Canadian Infantry Battalion, 1915 – 1919

    Shot at Dawn

    Private Thomas Lionel Moles the son of Louisa Mudford (formerly Moles), of West Chinnock, Crewkerne, Somerset, England, and the late John Moles. Native of Brompton Ralph (a village and civil parish in the Somerset West and Taunton district of Somerset, England, about 11 miles west of Taunton).

    Shot at Dawn Memorial is a monument at the National Memorial Arboretum near Alrewas, in Staffordshire, UK
    Shot at Dawn Memorial is a monument at the National Memorial Arboretum near Alrewas, in Staffordshire, UK

    Thomas had four years of experience with the 3rd Somerset Volunteers. The original Somerset Rifle Volunteer Corps (formed in 1859) became the 2nd and 3rd Battalions Somersetshire Light Infantry in 1881. 

    Pte Thomas Lionel Moles 443288 stood 5′ 9″ tall with fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair, and attested at Vernon Camp on 28 August 1915.

    Treated for tonsilitis at Vernon, BC, 2-21 October 1915. Private Moles forfeited a day’s pay in October and November of 1915.

    Great Uncle Joe - Gramp's Brother - Vernon, BC - 1915 Private Joseph Mulvaney 464219 Private Thomas Lionel Moles
    Great Uncle Joe – Gramp’s Brother – Vernon, BC – 1915 Private Joseph Mulvaney 464219.

    England

    Moles three times admitted to the hospital at Connaught, Aldershot for VDG during January and February of 1916.

    Pte Moles charged for being AWOL on 18 December 1915, 23 March 1916, 6 June 1916 and 30 June 1916. He also had a conviction for drunkenness in December 1916.

    Private Thomas Lionel Moles
    Nurse washing a convalescent soldier’s back while posing for the camera at Ward D of the old Duchess of Connaught Canadian Red Cross Hospital (probably).

    Mumps

    Private Moles admitted to No 7 General Hospital, St Omer and treated for Mumps in March and April of 1917.

    Upon discharge, Moles ordered to rejoin his company which was about to go into action. Instead of going forward, Moles went to a village in the rear areas. He was eventually arrested 3 weeks later, and charged with desertion.

    Methods used by Americans to mark stragglers and deserters. Florent, 5 November 1918. © IWM (Q 70742)
    Methods used by Americans to mark stragglers and deserters. Florent, 5 November 1918. © IWM (Q 70742)

    In confinement awaiting trial, 9 September 1917.

    (1) When on active service, deserting his Majesty’s service. Refused to report to his company in the reserve trenches after given verbal and written orders. Instead went back to a village in the rear and remained there until arrested for theft, three weeks later. Conduct sheet records six previous convictions for absence in the field, and six convictions for drunkenness and other lesser offences.

    (2) When on active service, stealing the property of a comrade.

    Moles tried for desertion by FGCM on the 4th October 1917 and sentenced to death.

    Charles Valentine Lester
    Winnipeg Court Martial Military School, 1891. MIKAN No. 3299294

    Lts Melville Clinton Brokenshire, David Kilgour, William Robert Adams and George Harvey Rochester reported to 11th CIB HQ for interview with the GOC, Brig-Gen Odlum on 16 October 1917. Sentence confirmed on 17 October 1917 by General Haig.

    The battalion moved by motor lorries to Potijze on 18 October 1917.

    MIKAN No. 3395398
    Lorries taking shells up to the guns through Marquion. MIKAN No. 3395398

    Execution

    The War Diary for the 54th Battalion reports the execution on 22nd October 1917. “Weather fair. Working party of 9 officers and 380 other ranks supplied carrying grading material … on tracks. Two men wounded. The sentence of death on no. 443288 Pte. T Moles was duly carried out at 5.50am at Ypres Prison. The firing party consisting of four men from each Company, one Sergeant, Lt Charles Hamilton Seaman in charge of party. Captain William Garland Foster, Adjutant, Captain James Hunter White, Chaplain, 54th Bn Chaplain (Robert Craig Horn). The Battalion moved to Toronto Camp, Brandhoek, where they were quartered in huts”. Thomas Lionel Moles was buried at Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Belgium.

    Ypres Reservoir Cemetery

    From October 1914 to the autumn of 1918, Ypres (now Ieper) at the centre of a salient held by Commonwealth (and for some months by French) forces. From April 1915, bombarded and destroyed more completely than any other town of its size on the Western Front, but even so certain buildings remained distinguishable. The ruins of the cathedral and the cloth hall stood together in the middle of the city, part of the infantry barracks stood in an angle of the south walls and the prison, reservoir and water tower were together at the western gate.

    Private Thomas Lionel Moles
    Private Thomas Lionel Moles 443288, 15 April 2018, CEFRG.ca

    Three cemeteries made near the western gate: two between the prison and the reservoir, both now removed into the third, and the third on the north side of the prison. The third was called at first the “Cemetery North of the Prison,” later “Ypres Reservoir North Cemetery, and now Ypres Reservoir Cemetery.

    Apology

    The Government of Canada offered an apology and formally announced its regret for this situation. On December 11, 2001, Veteran Affairs Minister, Dr. Ron Duhamel rose in the House of Commons and with sincerity and passion, read the names of those 23 Canadians into the Parliamentary record and announced their names will be written into Parliament Hill’s Book of Remembrance. He was whole-heartedly supported by all of Canada’s opposition Parties.

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    German prisoners captured by Canadians, Anzin St. Aubin, 25 April 1918. April, 1918.
    German prisoners captured by Canadians, Anzin St. Aubin, 25 April 1918. April, 1918. MIKAN No. 3403154