Pte
Everard Moore Bickerstaff
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 26/01/1889 |
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Place of birth: Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
General information
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Profession: Commercial Traveller |
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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: 10009 |
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Enlistment date: 22/09/1914 |
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Enlistment place: Valcartier Camp, Quebec, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Infantry, 3rd Bn. (Toronto Regiment) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 23/04/1915 |
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Place of death: Cross Roads Farm, Sint-Jan, 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: Unknown |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
At the beginning of April 1915, the Canadians were deployed for the first time at Ypres. Soldiers from three continents defended the city. It was precisely at this crossroads of language confusion and cultural differences that the Germans launched a deadly offensive. In the first days of the Second Battle of Ypres, Sint-Juliaan found itself in the eye of the storm. The small village became the scene of terrible fighting in 1915.
To the right of the French stood the Canadians. Together with the remnants of the French colonials, they organized a defense in Sint-Juliaan, facing the Germans to the north. The hastily erected defenses held, despite heavy losses.
True to their orders, the Germans dug in at nightfall. There were not enough reserves to advance further. Hoping to monopolize their success, they brought in reinforcements in the following days.
In the early hours of April 24, a cloud of gas broke through the Canadian lines east of the village center. The troops could only protect themselves by holding wet cloths over their mouths and noses. But handkerchiefs were no match for concentrated poison gas. Only a few managed to reach safety. German troops advanced toward Sint-Juliaan.
The 3rd Battalion (Toronto Regiment) was sent forward on April 22. Around midnight they dug in at Mouse Trap Farm. The farm served as a dressing station and headquarters. Suddenly a shell exploded. Five men were killed: Lieutenant Mado MacDonald, Sergeant Edwin Mulloy, Lance Corporal James Ross Binkley, Private Deric Broughall, and Private Everard Bickerstaff.
All five served in the Machine Gun Section of the battalion. Mado MacDonald was their commanding officer. Ross Binkley was his close friend. News of their deaths made a great impression in the Canadian press. Ross, captain of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, was a well-known figure.
When the heavy shell exploded, Binkley and MacDonald were killed instantly. They were buried along with a third fatality, Sergeant Edwin Harold Mulloy, a 26-year-old bank clerk from Aurora, Ontario. Deric Broughall, the fifth victim, died at the dressing station at Mouse Trap Farm.
To the right of the French stood the Canadians. Together with the remnants of the French colonials, they organized a defense in Sint-Juliaan, facing the Germans to the north. The hastily erected defenses held, despite heavy losses.
True to their orders, the Germans dug in at nightfall. There were not enough reserves to advance further. Hoping to monopolize their success, they brought in reinforcements in the following days.
In the early hours of April 24, a cloud of gas broke through the Canadian lines east of the village center. The troops could only protect themselves by holding wet cloths over their mouths and noses. But handkerchiefs were no match for concentrated poison gas. Only a few managed to reach safety. German troops advanced toward Sint-Juliaan.
The 3rd Battalion (Toronto Regiment) was sent forward on April 22. Around midnight they dug in at Mouse Trap Farm. The farm served as a dressing station and headquarters. Suddenly a shell exploded. Five men were killed: Lieutenant Mado MacDonald, Sergeant Edwin Mulloy, Lance Corporal James Ross Binkley, Private Deric Broughall, and Private Everard Bickerstaff.
All five served in the Machine Gun Section of the battalion. Mado MacDonald was their commanding officer. Ross Binkley was his close friend. News of their deaths made a great impression in the Canadian press. Ross, captain of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, was a well-known figure.
When the heavy shell exploded, Binkley and MacDonald were killed instantly. They were buried along with a third fatality, Sergeant Edwin Harold Mulloy, a 26-year-old bank clerk from Aurora, Ontario. Deric Broughall, the fifth victim, died at the dressing station at Mouse Trap Farm.
Sources 1
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N.N., War diaries – 3rd Battalion Canadian Infantry, RG9-III-D-3, Volume number: 4913, Microfilm reel number: T-10705, T-10705, File number: 353, File part: 1=1914/10/14-1915/12/31;2=1916/01/01-1916/12/31, Ottawa, Library and Archives Canada, pg. 76. Sources used |