Private Edwin Pye 21651 served with the 5th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during the Great War. Born 7 April 1893 in Westerham, Kent, England, he trained as an accountant and working in western Canada when he enlisted in Moosejaw, Saskatchewan.
Pye taken on strength as a Private in the 11th Battalion, E Company, at Valcartier, Quebec, 23 September 1914. Previous service with 60th Rifles.
Edwin Pye Fonds
DHH holds the Files of the Edwin Pye Fonds, including the images captured by Pye during his days at the front.
Neuve Chapelle
The 5th Battalion first entered the trenches at the Battle of Neuve-Chapelle.
Gravenstafel Ridge
The following month, the 5th Battalion involved in the Second Battle of Ypres – the first mass gas attacks of the Great war.
Ruins of Ypres
Following the Second Battle of Ypres, attempts made to protect Cloth Hall and St Martin’s Cathedral.
Champs D’Amour, Ypres
Cloth Hall
However, little remained of Cloth Hall by war’s end.
Cathedral St Martin
Pye returned to Ypres on 25 July 1936. He had attended the unveiling of Vimy National Memorial the following day, 26 July 1936.
Note the image on the right from 25 July 1936 obviously inspired by Pye’s previous image taken on 30 April 1915.
Yser Canal
Sgt George Mitchell and Pte Alexander McIntyre of the 16th Battalion, K-I-A on 16 May 1916 in Ypres, but commemorated on the Vimy Memorial.
A Street in Ypres
Pte T McGuire
Private Trevor Maguire 13022, DCM.
Battle of Festubert
Post Office Rifles
POST OFFICE RIFLES CEMETERY, FESTUBERT
The Post Office Rifles Cemetery named after an English volunteer unit formed in the 1860s and composed mostly of Post Office employees. By 1914 the unit provided most of the riflemen for the 1/8th battalion of the City of London Regiment of the Territorial Force. British troops began burying their fallen comrades here in April 1915 and the cemetery used until the beginning of July, at which stage it contained the graves of 40 Commonwealth soldiers, almost all of whom had served with the Post Office Rifles.
On 26 September 1916, Sgt Ernest Noel Copping wounded (GSW left leg) and evacuated to the UK along with Sgt Edwin Pye. Copping proceeded to OTC, Bexhill on 5 May 1917. Lt E N Copping SoS to the RFC at Bramshott on 12 September 1917.
Givenchy
Sgt Michael O’Leary VC
Messines
Pte Lester Proud
Private L Proud 13034.
Chateau de la Hutte, Ploegsteert
Hill 63
The shelter known as the `Catacombs’ (a massive system of underground bivouacs) dug by the 1st Australian Tunnellling Company at Hill 63 in the spring of 1917.
Lt David Watson McDonald McCabe died 14 April 1917 and buried at Barlin Communal Cemetery Extension. Son of Martin and Annie McCabe, of “Hazenmore,” Burrell Square, Crieff, Scotland.
Private Archibald Philip Frederick Singer A/24218 died 6 June 1916 and buried at Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery.
Rosenberg Chateau Military Cemetery
Following the war, the land-owner, as was his right, requested the removal of the cemetery from his property. The IWGC and local authorities, unable to persuade the gentleman, and the bodies finally exhumed to Berks Cemetery Extension in 1930.
Berks Cemetery Extension
The graves of Capt Bowie and Pte Gabbe still side-by-side in Berks Cemetery Extension.
Captain George Pigrum Bowie
Captain George Pigrum Bowie (Plot III, Row D, Grave 10), A Coy, 5th Battalion sniped on 7 July 1915 and buried at Rosenberg Chateau Military Cemetery.
Pte Albert Gustave E. Gabbe
Private Albert E Gabbe (III. D. 9), died 30 August 1915. Originally buried at Rosenberg Chateau Military Cemetery.
Sgt Edward G McFeat
Sergeant Edward G McFeat 12376 awarded the DCM, London Gazette, dated 14 January 1916. Later Mentioned in Despatches, 25 January 1916.
Dickebusch
Hill 60
Bedford House
The moat (middle right of photograph) surrounds what remains of Bedford House in 1918.
France
Private Edwin Pye captured a single image during his days in France.
Warloy-Baillon
On 26 September 1916, Pye wounded (GSW back, penetrating through right kidney) and evacuated to England. His days of capturing images at the front over. On 13 October 1916, doctors concerned with removing the shrapnel from his lower back. On the 16th decided to operate and by 2 February 1917, improving slowly with a good prognosis. Finally, on 16 March 1917, Pye fit for duty.
Return to Passchendaele
Lt Ernest Noel Copping died 3 February 1978.
Corporal Edwin Pye SoS to the 15th Reserve Battalion on 16 March 1917 and employed at Bramshott and London for the remainder of the war. Appointed A/Sergeant on 1 November 1918.
Upon return to Canada, employed at HQ Central Registry as S/Sergeant from 17 September 1919. He left the service, a year later on 20 September 1920 in Ottawa.
Edwin Pye died 7 April 1960 and buried at Mont-Royal Cemetery, Mount Royal Cemetery, Outremont, Quebec.
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National Defence Headquarters Directorate of History and Heritage
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