L/Cpl
Richard Bernard Lock
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 10/06/1891 |
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Place of birth: Liverpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Groom / Horseman |
Army information
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Country: Canada |
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Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Lance Corporal |
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Service number: 406946 |
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Enlistment date: 16/04/1915 |
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Enlistment place: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Mounted Rifles, 5th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 31/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Woodland Plantation, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 26 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 32 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
Richard Bernard Lock was born in 1891 in Liverpool, Lancashire. He emigrated to Toronto, Canada, where he worked as a groom. In 1912 Richard married Kate Apps. They had two children together, Phyliss Margaret and Leonard John Lock. In April 1915 Richard enlisted and was assigned to the 36th Battalion Canadian Infantry. Richard was transferred to the 60th battalion, in June 1916. In October he was promoted Acting Lance Corporal, and in April 1917 he was officially promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal. His former unit was then placed under the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles (Quebec Regiment).
On the 30th of October 1917, the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles were continuing the fight near Passchendaele. In the hours before the attack, shelling was heavy on both sides. Which resulted in heavy casualties even before the battle had started. The 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles attacked from the hamlet of Wallemolen and Wolf Copse. Their objective was to move through Woodland Plantation, past Fürst Farm and consolidate a line on the Goudberg heights, north of Passchendaele.
The battalion was about 600 men strong before the advance. When the attack was launched at zero hour, 5.50am, the battalion took heavy artillery fire. About an hour later the intermediate objectives had been reached. However, the continuous shelling had resulted in many casualties. By 10 a.m. they were estimated at 300. About half of the men had been wounded or killed. The 5th Mounted Rifles were now holding Vapour Farm, Source Farm and Vanity Cottage with a small number of men. Reinforcements were sent up to fill in the gaps.
German troops seemed to be massing to the northeast of Vanity Farm. Though no counter-attack developed it was decided to give up Vanity Farm. The battalion was relieved on the 31st of October 1917. About 381 other ranks had been wounded, killed or went missing. Lance Corporal Lock, 26, was reported missing during the attack. He was later declared dead, leaving behind a young family in Toronto. Richard has no known grave and is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
On the 30th of October 1917, the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles were continuing the fight near Passchendaele. In the hours before the attack, shelling was heavy on both sides. Which resulted in heavy casualties even before the battle had started. The 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles attacked from the hamlet of Wallemolen and Wolf Copse. Their objective was to move through Woodland Plantation, past Fürst Farm and consolidate a line on the Goudberg heights, north of Passchendaele.
The battalion was about 600 men strong before the advance. When the attack was launched at zero hour, 5.50am, the battalion took heavy artillery fire. About an hour later the intermediate objectives had been reached. However, the continuous shelling had resulted in many casualties. By 10 a.m. they were estimated at 300. About half of the men had been wounded or killed. The 5th Mounted Rifles were now holding Vapour Farm, Source Farm and Vanity Cottage with a small number of men. Reinforcements were sent up to fill in the gaps.
German troops seemed to be massing to the northeast of Vanity Farm. Though no counter-attack developed it was decided to give up Vanity Farm. The battalion was relieved on the 31st of October 1917. About 381 other ranks had been wounded, killed or went missing. Lance Corporal Lock, 26, was reported missing during the attack. He was later declared dead, leaving behind a young family in Toronto. Richard has no known grave and is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Sources 7
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Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/ Sources used |
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Circumstance of Death http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/mass-digitized-archives/circumstances-death-registers/Pages/item.aspx?PageID=61379 Sources used |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1593889/lock,-/ Sources used |
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Mc Carthy C., Passchendaele Day-by-Day account, Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018, London, pp. 153-154. Sources used |
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The Long Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/ Sources used |
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War Diary http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayEcopies&lang=eng&rec_nbr=2006072&title=War%20diaries%20-%205th%20Battalion,%20Canadian%20Mounted%20Rifles%20=%20Journal%20de%20guerre%20-%205e%20Bataillon,%20Canadian%20Mounted%20Rifles.&ecopy=e000979690 Sources used |
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War Graves Registers http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/mass-digitized-archives/commonwealth-war-graves-registers/pages/item.aspx?PageId=116558 Sources used |