Pte
David James William Mathews
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 05/07/1889 |
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Place of birth: Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire, Wales, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Queen's Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
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Profession: Drug Clerk |
Army information
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Country: Canada |
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Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 859618 |
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Enlistment date: 22/01/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Infantry, 43rd Bn. (Cameron Highlanders) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 26/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Bellevue, Passchendaele, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 28 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 28F |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Private David James William Mathews served in the Canadian Infantry 43rd Battalion, Cameron Highlanders. The Battalion was part of the 9th Canadian Brigade, of the 3rd Canadian Division.
The Battalion took part in the Second Battle of Passchendaele on the 26th of October 1917. It entrained for Ypres in the early hours of October the 21st and set up tents near the village of Sint-Jan. The 43rd cleared their camp on the following day and moved on to the forward support area at Pommeren Redoubt. The Battalion relieved the 1st Wellingtons of the New Zealand Division in the frontline West of Passchendaele on October the 24th.
The 3rd Canadian Division attacked towards Passchendaele on the 26th with two Brigades. The 9th Brigade was on the right and moved forward with the 43rd Battalion, on the left, and the 58th Battalion, on the right; the 52nd Battalion was in support. Zero hour, was at 5.40 a.m. Initially the men made good progress, though the barrage was often too ragged. At dawn the advance of 58th Battalion was checked by heavy machinegun fire coming from German strongpoints at Laamkeek. The 58th retreated to their jump off line, as it was next to impossible to advance through the relentless machinegun fire.
The advance of the 43rd was more successful. At 8 a.m. the Highlanders reached the Bellevue crest, which was dominated by two large German pill-boxes. Half an hour later the men established positions in front of the blockhouses. But confusion rose in the ranks, and when the battalions on both the left and right flank were seen retreating, the Highlanders started pulling back. Only small parties held their ground on the ridge. The battalions were rallied at 10.30 a.m. and a new attack on Bellevue developed. By noon the line on the ridge had been restored. Now the Highlanders started clearing the Bellevue pill-Boxes. The strongpoints at Laamkeek also fell. The mopping up of the German defences took the remaining of the afternoon. In the meanwhile, the 52nd Battalion had taken over the attack. Throughout the rest of the day the men were subjected to heavy shellfire.
At 7.25 p.m. it was reported that the situation had normalized. The ridge was in Canadian hands and all positions had been consolidated. The 43rd was relieved at midnight of the 27th of October 1917. The battalion lost three officers and 36 men during their stay in the frontline. Sixty-six men went missing and ten officers and 234 other ranks were wounded.
Private David James William Mathews was one of the sixty-six men who went missing during the attack on Bellevue on the 26th of October 1917. He was reported missing, but his body was found later on. Private David James William Mathews was buried at Bellevue, close to where his body was found, though his grave got lost in the later duration of the war. Private David James William Mathews is remembered on the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial.
The Battalion took part in the Second Battle of Passchendaele on the 26th of October 1917. It entrained for Ypres in the early hours of October the 21st and set up tents near the village of Sint-Jan. The 43rd cleared their camp on the following day and moved on to the forward support area at Pommeren Redoubt. The Battalion relieved the 1st Wellingtons of the New Zealand Division in the frontline West of Passchendaele on October the 24th.
The 3rd Canadian Division attacked towards Passchendaele on the 26th with two Brigades. The 9th Brigade was on the right and moved forward with the 43rd Battalion, on the left, and the 58th Battalion, on the right; the 52nd Battalion was in support. Zero hour, was at 5.40 a.m. Initially the men made good progress, though the barrage was often too ragged. At dawn the advance of 58th Battalion was checked by heavy machinegun fire coming from German strongpoints at Laamkeek. The 58th retreated to their jump off line, as it was next to impossible to advance through the relentless machinegun fire.
The advance of the 43rd was more successful. At 8 a.m. the Highlanders reached the Bellevue crest, which was dominated by two large German pill-boxes. Half an hour later the men established positions in front of the blockhouses. But confusion rose in the ranks, and when the battalions on both the left and right flank were seen retreating, the Highlanders started pulling back. Only small parties held their ground on the ridge. The battalions were rallied at 10.30 a.m. and a new attack on Bellevue developed. By noon the line on the ridge had been restored. Now the Highlanders started clearing the Bellevue pill-Boxes. The strongpoints at Laamkeek also fell. The mopping up of the German defences took the remaining of the afternoon. In the meanwhile, the 52nd Battalion had taken over the attack. Throughout the rest of the day the men were subjected to heavy shellfire.
At 7.25 p.m. it was reported that the situation had normalized. The ridge was in Canadian hands and all positions had been consolidated. The 43rd was relieved at midnight of the 27th of October 1917. The battalion lost three officers and 36 men during their stay in the frontline. Sixty-six men went missing and ten officers and 234 other ranks were wounded.
Private David James William Mathews was one of the sixty-six men who went missing during the attack on Bellevue on the 26th of October 1917. He was reported missing, but his body was found later on. Private David James William Mathews was buried at Bellevue, close to where his body was found, though his grave got lost in the later duration of the war. Private David James William Mathews is remembered on the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial.
Sources 6
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"The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995, pg. 127-128. Sources used |
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Circumstances of death http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=GDL260&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&gss=angs-c&new=1&rank=1&gsfn=david%20james%20william&gsfn_x=NP_NN&gsln=mathews&gsln_x=NP_NN&msddd=26&msddm=10&msddy=1917&gskw=859618&cpxt=1&cp=0&MSAV=1&uidh=me9&msddy_x=1&msddp=2&pcat=39&h=16154&recoff=5%206%207%208&dbid=1973&indiv=1&ml_rpos=1 Further reference |
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CWGC http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1594519/MATHEWS,%20DAVID%20JAMES%20WILLIAM Sources used |
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Service Records http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/search.aspx Sources used |
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The Long, Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/ Sources used |
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War Diary Canadian Infantry 43rd Bn. (Cameron Highlanders) https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/02015202_e.html Sources used |