Pte
Firmin Omer Delplancke

Information about birth

Date of birth:
20/10/1892
Place of birth:
Gullegem, West- Vlaanderen, Belgium

General information

Profession:
Farmer
Religion:
Roman Catholic

Army information

Country:
Canada
Force:
Canadian Expeditionary Force
Rank:
Private
Service number:
114814
Enlistment date:
28/07/1915
Enlistment place:
Camp Hughes, Sewell, Manitoba, Canada
Units:
 —  Canadian Military Police  (Attached)
 —  Canadian Light Horse  (Last known unit)

Information about death

Date of death:
11/11/1917
Cause of death:
Killed in action (K.I.A.)
Age:
25

Cemetery

Ypres Reservoir Cemetery
Plot: I
Row: I
Grave: 126

Distinctions and medals 2

Points of interest 2

#1 Place of birth
#2 Enlistment place

My story

Firmin Omer Delplancke was born in 1892 in Gullegem, Belgium. At the age of 21 Firmin emigrated to Canada, with some acquaintances from Gullegem and the nearby town of Heule. They arrived in New York in April 1914. Firmin ended up in the Winnipeg, Manitoba area, where he worked as a farmer. He joined up in July 1915 and was taken on by the 9th Canadian Mounted Rifles. Firmin was later transferred to the Canadian Light Horse. In October 1916, while stationed in England, Firmin married Maud Rose Taylor, in Thorpe, Surrey.

In April 1917, Firmin was transferred to the Canadian Light Horse. He served with the Canadian Light Horse until he was attached to the Assistant Provost Marshal, of the Canadian Military Police, the 31st of October 1917. Not even two weeks later on November 11th Firmin was on traffic control, near Passchendaele, with other men and officers from his regiment. While they were resting in a dugout on a heavily shelled road, a shell exploded at the entrance of the dugout, instantly killing Firmin, aged 25.

Firmin was buried in Ypres Reservoir Cemetery.

Sources 4

Personnel Records of the First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC) RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 2425 - 48 Item Number: 348619).
https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/search.aspx
Sources used
War diaries: Canadian Light Horse (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG9-III-D-3, Volume number: 4955, Microfilm reel number: T-10771, File number: 490).
https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/
Sources used
War Graves Registers: Circumstances of Death (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), Record Group Number: RG 150, 1992-93/314; Volume Number: 225).
https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/mass-digitized-archives/circumstances-death-registers/Pages/circumstances-death-registers.aspx
Sources used
War Graves Registry: Commonwealth War Graves (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG150, 1992-1993/314, Box 39-244; Box: 107).
https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/mass-digitized-archives/commonwealth-war-graves-registers/pages/commonwealth-war-graves-registers.aspx
Sources used