Sergeant Robert Spall VC born in Ealing, England, on 5 March 1890. At the age of two, he moved with his parents to Canada and lived in Winnipeg. In August 1915 he joined the 90th Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, and later was posted to Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in which he became a sergeant.
Spall earned the Victoria Cross in Parvillers, France, 12 and 13 August 1918 during an enemy counter-attack, when his platoon became isolated. Taking a Lewis gun, he inflicted numerous casualties, then descended into the trench and directed his men into a sap seventy-five metres from the enemy. He again mounted the parapet of the trench and resumed his fire in order to further hold up the enemy. It was at this point that he was killed; Spall sacrificed his life in order to extricate his platoon from a difficult situation, and his bravery allowed his men to be saved.
Victoria Cross Citation
An extract from “The London Gazette,” dated 26th Oct., 1918, records the following:- “For most conspicuous bravery and self-sacrifice when, during an enemy counter-attack, his platoon was isolated. Thereupon Serjt. Spall took a Lewis gun and, standing on the parapet, fired upon the advancing enemy, inflicting very severe casualties. He then came down the trench directing the men into a sap seventy-five yards from the enemy.
Picking up another Lewis gun, this gallant N.C.O. again climbed the parapet, and by his fire held up the enemy. It was while holding up the enemy at this point that he was killed. Serjt. Spall deliberately gave his life in order to extricate his platoon from a most difficult situation, and it was owing to his bravery that the platoon was saved.”
What happened to Spall’s body?
Circumstances of Death (CoD) records not available beyond ‘Spall’, alphabetically. CoD records of other PPCLI involved in the battle reveal these casualties had been buried on the battlefield by their comrades.
Bouchoir New British Cemetery
The closest cemetery, Damery Communal Cemetery (7 casualties), followed by Fresnoy-les-Roye Communal Cemetery (1 casualty), but the most likely candidate cemetery Bouchoir New British Cemetery (532 casualties) made after the Armistice when graves brought there from several small Commonwealth cemeteries and from the battlefields round Bouchoir and south of the village. Almost all date from March, April or August 1918.
Cpl Jackman
Corporal Arthur Cornelius Darby Jackman 552811, No. 3 Coy, one of nine identified PPCLI casualties buried in BOUCHOIR NEW BRITISH CEMETERY. Arthur born on the 5th of March 1892 in Ryde on the Isle of Wight (IW) to John Darby & Eva Catherine (nee Whitlock) Jackman who were living at 20 Alexandra Road, East Ham in London.
Arthur killed in action on the 13th of August 1918 and originally buried close to where he fell. His body later exhumed and reburied in the Bouchoir New British Cemetery in France, beneath a Commission Headstone in Section IV Row D Grave 103. A distinct possibility Spall’s remains also recovered from the same location, but did he come in as an Unknown Canadian Soldier (UCS) perhaps? Note, a total of 231 soldiers remain unidentified in Bouchoir.
A cross bearing Jackman’s named found, but no particulars on the body. Presumably, the same cross noted:
- a UBS, Grave 104 (later found to be Pte Legg 342400, 116th Battalion),
- the crossed-out name of Pvt J McGonegal 24637 PPCLI, Grave 105,
- Pvt John McGonegal 1042428 died 30 August 1918 and lies buried in LIGNY-ST. FLOCHEL BRITISH CEMETERY, AVERDOINGT.
- a corporal of the Dorsets, Grave 106,
- another UBS (found to be a PPCLI by numerals), Grave 107.
Who are the PPCLI in graves 105 and 107? How many bodies recovered from 66E.R.4.b.3.7? This location immediately west of Damery, south of Parvillers. Plot IV has several other identified PPCLI worth examining.
Private Albert Heward
Private Albert Heward 246240, Plot IV, Row A, Grave 16. Son of George and Annie Heward, of High Raikes, South Stainley, Harrogate, Yorks.; husband of Annie Heward, of 27, Caxton St., Cannock, Staffs., England. Recovered with at least one UCS/PPCLI from 66E.L.20.d.8.9. However, this location too far back, and to the north-west of Parvillers where men had fall on the 12th of August.
Private M W F Lewis
Private M W F Lewis 2193323, Plot IV, Row B, Grave 52. Recovered from 66E.L.27.b.8.2, east of Square Wood (closer than 66E.L.20.d.8.9, but again, a little too far back). Lewis found buried with two identified British soldiers.
Lt Douglas Archibald Wright
The final soldier to consider from 12th August, Lt Douglas Archibald Wright in Plot IV, Row B, Grave 65. Son of the Rev. T. H. Wright, B.A., and Lilian Wright, of 291, Slocan St., Vancouver, British Columbia. Enlisted April, 1915. Previously wounded. Lt Wright recovered from 66E.K.17.d.45.55, under a cross, suspicously close to a field hospital by the cemetery in Folies. This location confirms he had died from wounds, and his body never among The Missing.
Unlikely Sergeant Robert Spall VC the only casualty of the PPCLI on 13th August.
Major Leonard Vivien Drummond-Hay MC
Five identified casualties of 14 August 1918 must be considered, including Major Leonard Vivien Drummond-Hay MC. Son of Edward Drummond-Hay of Kitscoty, Alberta and Mrs. J.M. Bourness of Vancouver, British Columbia. Brother of Lieutenant Eric Drummond-Hay, who was killed in action while serving with the Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment).
Circumstances of Major Drummond-Hay’s death, and location of burial on the Le Quesnoy-Parvillers Road, not related to Sgt Robert Spall VC.
Private A H Hickey
Private Hickey 1042255 now buried in Plot IV, Row B, Grave 33. Recovered from 66E.L.29.b.7.3, just east of Parvillers, and now forward of the actions on 13th August when Sgt Robert Spall VC fell. Hickey also recovered with L/Cpl W Middleton of the 15th Battalion, CEF.
Pvt Edward Jauvin
Private Edward Jauvin 2265405 re-interred in Plot II, Row E, Grave 135. Son of Jules and Mary Ann Jauvin, of 31, East 13th St., Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.A. Born at Lac St. Jean, Canada. Jauvin was buried under a lone cross on rue de Pont d’Airan in Parvillers.
Private Frank Leigh MacKenzie
Pvt Frank Leigh MacKenzie 2265775 buried in Plot IV, Row B, Grave 50. Son of Janie Sheen Daniel MacKenzie, of French River, Prince Edward Island.
Pvt Townshend
Finally, Pvt Townshend 1063150, Plot IV, Row B, Grave 65.
Others
There would also likely be other Unknown PPCLI buried within the cemetery from Burial Returns not involving identified PPCLI.
Private Thomas Dinesen VC
The day before Sgt Robert Spall’s VC action at Parvillers, Private Thomas Dinesen, 42nd Battalion, Quebec Regiment (Royal Highlanders of Canada), also awarded the Victoria Cross, for actions at Parvillers, France, 12 August 1918.
Thomas Fasti Dinesen born in Rungsted, Denmark on 9 August 1892. During the Great War he unsuccessfully attempted to join the French Army, the British Army and the American Army. Finally, through the offices of the Canadian recruiting authorities in New York, Dinesen able to enlist in the Royal Highlanders of Canada. On 12 August 1918, his exertions over ten hours resulted in the capture of more than 1.5 kilometres of stubbornly defended German trenches at Parvillers. As well as engaging in hand-to-hand fighting, Dinesen rushed forward alone five times to put hostile machine guns out of action, killing 12 of the enemy. In recognition of Private Dinesen’s achievement, the French Government awarded him the Croix de Guerre, and he was commissioned as an officer in November 1918.
Out of Africa
Dinesen the brother of Karen Blixen the celebrated author of ‘Out of Africa’ and between 1921 and 1923 lived in a cottage on her coffee farm in British East Africa ( Kenya ) located in the Ngong Hills southwest of Nairobi.
Thomas attended several VC reunions – the VC Dinner at the House of Lords on 9th November 1929, the VC Centenary Celebrations in Hyde Park on 26th June 1956, and the 3rd and 9th VC & GC Association Reunions at the Cafe Royal on 18th July 1962 and 23rd May 1974. He also attended a dinner for Canadian VCs held at Government House, Ottawa on 16th June 1962.
Dinesen died in Leerbaek, Denmark on 10 March 1979. His medals including the VC, British War Medal (1914-20), Victory Medal (1914-19), King George VI Coronation Medal (1937), Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (1953), Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (1977), Knight, Order of Dannebrog (Denmark), Croix de Guerre (France), and Pro Benignitate Humana Medal (Finland) acquired by the Lord Ashcroft Trust the holding institution for the Lord Ashcroft VC Collection in December 2013.
