Cpl
William Edward Bolton
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 04/04/1896 |
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Place of birth: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
General information
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Last known residence: 472 Stradbrook Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
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Profession: Printer |
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Religion: Presbyterian |
Army information
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Country: Canada |
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Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Corporal |
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Service number: 701209 |
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Enlistment date: 24/02/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Machine Gun Corps, 13th Coy. (Last known unit) — Canadian Infantry, 16th Bn. (Canadian Scottish) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 02/11/1917 |
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Place of death: Peter Pan, Passendale, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 21 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 32 N |
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
William Edward Bolton, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on 4 April 1896, was the son of George and Annebelle Bolton. He had four brothers and two sisters. He earned his living as a printer and, like his eldest brother George, became a soldier in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. On 24 February 1916, he enlisted and was assigned to the 101st Battalion. In June 1916, he was hospitalised with diphtheria, but on 28 June he was able to leave Canada to go to England. In July 1916, he was transferred to the 16th Battalion and on 15 January 1917 he joined the 13th Canadian Machine Gun Company.
During the Battle of Passchendaele, on 1 November 1917, the 13th Canadian Machine Gun Company took over positions from the 3rd Machine Gun Company of the 1st Canadian Division at Yetta Houses, near Gravenstafel west of Passchendaele. The relief took place under heavy shelling. The shelling continued throughout the night and there were several casualties including, according to the war diary, one fallen corporal. The wounded were taken to a dressing station near Yetta Houses.
The corporal mentioned in the war diary was William Edward Bolton, aged 21. He was buried at a ruined farmstead called Peter Pan, near Yetta Houses. Today he is commemorated on the Monument at the Menin Gate in Ypres, panel 32 N. His field grave was lost or his remains were not identified in the exhumation.
During the Battle of Passchendaele, on 1 November 1917, the 13th Canadian Machine Gun Company took over positions from the 3rd Machine Gun Company of the 1st Canadian Division at Yetta Houses, near Gravenstafel west of Passchendaele. The relief took place under heavy shelling. The shelling continued throughout the night and there were several casualties including, according to the war diary, one fallen corporal. The wounded were taken to a dressing station near Yetta Houses.
The corporal mentioned in the war diary was William Edward Bolton, aged 21. He was buried at a ruined farmstead called Peter Pan, near Yetta Houses. Today he is commemorated on the Monument at the Menin Gate in Ypres, panel 32 N. His field grave was lost or his remains were not identified in the exhumation.
Sources 4
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Census of Manitoba, Winnipeg South, 1916, (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG31-C-1, T-21925 to T-21956). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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Circumstances of Death Registers, First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG150, 1992-93/314,VN 155). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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Personnel Records of the First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC) RG 150, box864-31). https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/ Sources used |
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War diaries: 13th Canadian Machine Gun Coy, (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG9-III-D-3, Volume number: 4984, T-10815, File n°613). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/922281 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=b657f9ff-920a-4d08-9682-7b3612e8ce39 |
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The Canadian Virtual War Memorial https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/922281 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5585778 |