Shot at Dawn
Cing Vinght-deux / Five Van Doos
Private Léopold Delisle the last of five members of the 22nd Battalion (French Canadian), Shot at Dawn in the Great War. The Van Doos disproportionally represented among the 25 Canadians executed in France and Belgium.
With 48 battalions serving by war’s end in the CEF, twenty percent of those executed came from a single battalion – the 22nd Battalion (French Canadian), now known as Royal 22e Régiment, the “Van Doos.” One in five Canadians executed belonged to the 22nd Battalion.
Shot at Dawn by Division, Brigade, Battalion
- 1st Canadian Division (9)
- 1st Brigade (5)
- Pte John Maurice Higgins, 1st Bn
- Pte Wilson Norman Ling, 2nd Bn
- 3rd Battalion (2)
- Pvt Come Laliberte
- Pte Edward James Reynolds
- Pte James H Wilson, 4th Bn
- 2nd Brigade (3), 5th Bn and,
- Pte Henry H Kerr, 7th Bn
- Pte Charles Welsh, 8th Bn
- Sgt William Alexander, 10th Bn
- 3rd Brigade (1) 13th, 15th, 16th Bns and,
- Pte Fortunat Auger, 14th Bn
- 1st Brigade (5)
- 2nd Canadian Division (8)
- 4th Brigade (2), 20th, 21st Bns and,
- Pte Edward Fairburn, 18th Bn
- Pte Harold Lodge, 19th Bn
- 5th Brigade (6), 24th, 26th Bns and,
- 22nd Battalion (5)
- Pte Eugène Poirier
- Pte Gustave Comte
- Soldat Joseph la Lancette
- Pte Arthur Charles Dagesse
- Pte Leopold Delisle
- Pte Elsworth Young, 25th Bn
- 22nd Battalion (5)
- 6th Brigade (0), 27th, 28th, 29th, 31st Bns
- 4th Brigade (2), 20th, 21st Bns and,
- 3rd Canadian Division (2)
- 7th Brigade (0), RCR, PPCLI, 42nd Bn, 49th Bn
- 8th Brigade (1), 1st, 4th, 5th CMR Bns and,
- Pte John William Roberts, 2nd CMR
- 9th Brigade (1), 43rd, 58th, 116th Bns and,
- Pte Dimitro Sinizki, 52nd Bn
- 4th Canadian Division (3)
- 10th Brigade (1), 46th, 47th, 50th and,
- Pte Stephen McD Fowles, 44th Bn
- 11th Brigade (1), 75th, 87th, 102nd Bns and,
- Pte Thomas Lionel Moles, 54th Bn
- 12th Brigade (1), 38th, 72nd, 78th, 85th Bns and,
- Pte Harold George Carter, 73rd Bn
- 10th Brigade (1), 46th, 47th, 50th and,
- Corps Troops (3)
- Pte Alexander Butler, RCD
- Bombardier Fredrick Stanley, CFA
- Driver Benjamin De Fehr, CASC
Joseph Philippe Roméo Léopold Delisle
Baptized Joseph-Philippe-Roméo-Léopold Delisle. Son of Philippe Delisle and Hectorine Larose, of Montréal, Québec. He stated being born 28 July 1892 when he first enlisted on 30 November 1914 at 21 years of age. He likely deserted, but enlisted once again in the 22nd Battalion on 22 April 1915 and sailed overseas one month later. In June Private Léopold Delisle awarded 168 hours detention and docked 3 days pay.
France
Private Léopold Delisle disembarked at Boulougne on 16 September 1915 with the 22nd Battalion. On 5 November 1915 at Sherpenberg, charged with Insubordination In the Field and sentenced to 7 Days Field Punishment No. 2. On the 27th, Delisle Absent from Parade.
Field Punishment No 1
28 days’ Field Punishment No 1 imposed for 3 further similar offences. He soon faced disciplinary measures due to several infractions: drunkenness, absences, insubordination, striking a non-commission officer; which earned him one year of forced labor on 23 March 1917. However, he was released from serving — in full — 12 months’ imprisonment with hard labour imposed for striking a superior officer; and returned to his unit on 14 April 1917.
Shot at Dawn
On 3 June 1917, both Privates Gustave Comte and Joseph La Lancette Shot at Dawn (AIX-NOULETTE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION).
Private Léopold Delisle admitted to a Field Ambulance suffering from ‘convulsions’ on 1 September 1917 (but being discharged the next day).
On 13 September 1917, Private Léopold Delisle sentenced to 3 Days F.P. No. 1 for when on active service: outside his billeting area without a pass (3-9-17).
Also on 13 September 1917, sentenced to 21 Days F.P. No. 1 for when on active service: absent without leave from Pack drill parade (6-9-17).
On 24 December 1917, sentenced to 14 Days F.P. No. 1 for when on active service: outside his billeting area without a pass (16-12-17). The remainder of Private Léopold Delisle’s field service record redacted.
Shot at Dawn
On 15 March 1918, the 3rd soldier of the 22nd Battalion, Private Arthur Charles Dagesse, Shot at Dawn (LAPUGNOY MILITARY CEMETERY).
On 28 March 1918, the 22nd Battalion rushed to the front lines at Marcatel to help repulse a German offensive. Léopold disappeared and declared absent the next day.
Arrested one week later and trialed before a court martial for desertion in front of the enemy – found guilty and sentenced to death.
Private Léopold Delisle executed on 21 May 1918 while the battalion in the trenches east of Boisleux St. Marc.
BELLACOURT MILITARY CEMETERY, RIVIERE
The cemetery begun by French troops in October 1914, and carried on by the 46th (North Midland), 55th (West Lancashire), 58th (London), 49th (West Riding) and other Divisions, and later by the Canadian Corps, from February 1916, to September 1918.
The Grave of Private Léopold Delisle
The French plot increased in 1923 by concentrations from other cemeteries. The 16 American graves of July and August, 1918 (all but one of which belonged to the 320th Regiment) removed to another place of burial.
Bellacourt a village in the commune of Riviere, in the Department of the Pas-de-Calais, 10 kilometres south-west of Arras.
