Pte
Wilfrid Ernest Fakeley
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 28/02/1894 |
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Place of birth: Dover, Kent, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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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: 234662 |
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Enlistment date: 07/04/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Kindersley, Saskatchewan, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Infantry, 8th Bn. (90th Rifles) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 10/11/1917 |
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Place of death: Crest Farm, Passchendaele, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 23 |
Cemetery
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Poelcapelle British Cemetery Plot: XII Row: C Grave: 11 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Private Wilfrid Ernest Fakeley, a former drug clerk, served in the 8th Canadian Infantry (90th Rifles), which was part of the 2nd Canadian Brigade, 1st Canadian Division.
On the 10th of November 1917 the 2nd Canadian Brigade planned an attack that would capture the crest of Passchendaele Ridge east of the Mosselmarkt-Meetscheele Road. During this attack Venture Farm and Vindictive Crossroads would be taken. The Brigade advanced at 6.45 a.m. with the 7th and 8th Battalions, supported by the 20th Battalion.
Around 7 a.m. the objective had been taken, but the War Diary notes that at that moment, the Battalion was ‘retiring in considerable disorder form the objectives’. The reserve companies were sent forward to support the attack. At 7.30. a.m. both units had reached their first objective and began to consolidate the line. Due to the failure of the Division on the left to reach the objective, the 8th Battalion was forced to move into the gap.
After the attack Private Wilfrid Ernest Fakeley was listed as missing, which was later changed to ‘killed in action’. His ‘Circumstances of Death’ record notes that he was killed by the explosion of a shell when he was at the orchard near Cressy Farm. This most likely happened shortly after the start of the attack or during the short retreat mentioned above. His grave was found at a position northwest of Passchendaele, along the ‘s Graventafelroad ('s Graventafelstraat), and reburied in the Poelcapelle British Cemetery.
On the 10th of November 1917 the 2nd Canadian Brigade planned an attack that would capture the crest of Passchendaele Ridge east of the Mosselmarkt-Meetscheele Road. During this attack Venture Farm and Vindictive Crossroads would be taken. The Brigade advanced at 6.45 a.m. with the 7th and 8th Battalions, supported by the 20th Battalion.
Around 7 a.m. the objective had been taken, but the War Diary notes that at that moment, the Battalion was ‘retiring in considerable disorder form the objectives’. The reserve companies were sent forward to support the attack. At 7.30. a.m. both units had reached their first objective and began to consolidate the line. Due to the failure of the Division on the left to reach the objective, the 8th Battalion was forced to move into the gap.
After the attack Private Wilfrid Ernest Fakeley was listed as missing, which was later changed to ‘killed in action’. His ‘Circumstances of Death’ record notes that he was killed by the explosion of a shell when he was at the orchard near Cressy Farm. This most likely happened shortly after the start of the attack or during the short retreat mentioned above. His grave was found at a position northwest of Passchendaele, along the ‘s Graventafelroad ('s Graventafelstraat), and reburied in the Poelcapelle British Cemetery.
Sources 6
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Ancestry http://www.ancestry.co.uk Sources used |
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Chris McCarthy, 'Passchendaele : The Day-by-Day' London: Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018, p. 161-162. Sources used |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/491459/fakeley,-wilfred-ernest/ Sources used |
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Library and Archives Canada http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Pages/home.aspx Sources used |
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The Long Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk Sources used |
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Veterans Affairs Canada https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/491459?Wilfred%20Ernest%20Fakeley Sources used |