Pte
Frederick William Gibson
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 12/04/1891 |
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Place of birth: Flesherton, Grey County, Ontario, Canada |
General information
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Last known residence: 211 Brock Street, Fort William, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada |
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Profession: Farmer |
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Religion: Church of England |
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: 198793 |
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Enlistment date: 17/06/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Fort William, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Infantry, 28th Bn. (North West) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 07/11/1917 |
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Place of death: Mosselmarkt, Passchendaele, 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: 28 A |
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
Frederick William Gibson, born on 12 April 1891, in Flesherton, Ontario, grew up as the eldest of six on his father's farm. He gave up working as a farmer when he enlisted in the Canadian Army on 17 January 1916. He was assigned to the 28th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry, part of the 6th Brigade of the 2nd Canadian Division.
In October 1917, Canadian troops were assembled at Ypres. They were to storm the heights near Passchendaele. At 6am on 6 November 1917, the 6th Brigade of the 2nd Canadian Division moved into the ruins of the village. The attack was carried out by the 27th, 31st and 28th Battalions. The 28th Battalion came under heavy machine-gun fire as they clambered up the slopes of the ridge through the mud of the Ravebeek Valley. By 10 am, positions could be consolidated. But that was not the end of the matter, soon one German barrage after another rolled over the ridge. The next day, 7 November 1917, the 28th was relieved by the 22nd Battalion. This under constant German shelling.
Frederick William Gison, 26, died on 7 November 1917. He was buried north-west of Passchendaele village, along the Osselstraat Street. His grave was lost or his remains were not identified after the war. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate, panel 28 A.
In October 1917, Canadian troops were assembled at Ypres. They were to storm the heights near Passchendaele. At 6am on 6 November 1917, the 6th Brigade of the 2nd Canadian Division moved into the ruins of the village. The attack was carried out by the 27th, 31st and 28th Battalions. The 28th Battalion came under heavy machine-gun fire as they clambered up the slopes of the ridge through the mud of the Ravebeek Valley. By 10 am, positions could be consolidated. But that was not the end of the matter, soon one German barrage after another rolled over the ridge. The next day, 7 November 1917, the 28th was relieved by the 22nd Battalion. This under constant German shelling.
Frederick William Gison, 26, died on 7 November 1917. He was buried north-west of Passchendaele village, along the Osselstraat Street. His grave was lost or his remains were not identified after the war. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate, panel 28 A.
Sources 6
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Census of Canada, 1901 (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG31-C-1, T20326-T20460). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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Census of Canada, 1911, (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG31-C-1, T6428-T6556). 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, 1992-93/314,145-238). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: the Day-by-Day Account. (Londen: Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018), 160-161. Sources used |
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Personnel Records of the First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC) RG 150, box3499A-60). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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War diaries: 28th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG9-III-D-3, Volume number: 4935, T10716-10740,425,part2). 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/1592432 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=33a622fb-72cf-450a-add9-792525f35f26 |
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The Canadian Virtual War Memorial https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/1592432 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5891022 |