Behind the Wire 1915
16th Battalion C.E.F. Prisoners of War (Part 1)
At long last the first installment of Canadian Scottish soldiers captured during the Great War. This work would not have been possible without the tremendous effort of the late Ted Wigney whose work, in recording and publishing (for all) a record of CEF prisoners of war, was a fine accomplishment.
No matter how often one walks these fields of France and Flanders attempting to learn more about these days of fury, there is always one more feature or landscape , one more place to visit, one more path to walk. It is this call to the heart that builds upon my memories of previous visits, – these investigations into the soul of this earth, water, and sky. The feelings we sense of these places, the quiet now, the combat then, the light, the dark, the known, the unknown, all felt or witnessed by those who were here before us. Research is my kindling, fanning the spark to return time and time again.
Next visit will include a return to Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery where my kindling of research has led me to the burial sites of two 16th Battalion prisoners of war. I wonder what we will feel this time as our ever watchful eye wanders across the horizon always searching…
See also Behind the Wire 1916 and Behind the Wire 1918.
(DATES OF CAPTURE IN BOLD)
April 22, 1915
Wood, Andrew
Private 28691
Released December 27, 1918
April 23, 1915
Adams, Charles John
Private 29178
Died of Wounds as Prisoner of War April 23, 1915
Commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium
Annand, Archibald
Private 29176
Died of Wounds as Prisoner of War August 7, 1915
Buried Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery, Belgium
Barlow, Frank
Private 28565
Released January 7, 1919
Bushnell, Lucien Hamilton
Sergeant 29072
Released November 18, 1918
Dougall, Thomas
Private 420842
Released December 18, 1918
Guilbride, Samuel Arthur
Private 28627
Released December 10, 1918
Hayward, Harold Blakeney
Private 28633
Released December 24, 1918
Hill, Bertram Thomas
Lance Corporal 28743
Released December 27, 1918
Hobbs, Selwyn
Private 29330
Released November 25, 1918
Houston, Richard
Private 29332
Released November 24, 1918
Long, Fred
Prvate 29113
Released December 7, 1915
Siberry, Richard
Private 29268
Gunshot wound lower left leg
Died of Wounds as Prisoner of War May 6, 1915
Buried Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery, Belgium
Speirs, Lewis Maurice
Private 28867
Escaped May 2, 1918
Awarded the Military Medal
“In recognition of gallant conduct and determination displayed in escaping or attempting to escape from captivity which services have been brought to notice in accordance with the terms of Army Order 193 of 1919. To be dated 5 May 1919″.
Walker, William Harry
Private 28685
Released December 7, 1918
Warwick, Albert George
Private 29280
Released December 15, 1918
April 24, 1915
Bruce, Joseph Charles
Corporal 28715
Released November 18, 1918
Buchan, William
Private 21678
Released January 10, 1919
Bullock, Cecil Hurst
Private 29074
Released January 6, 1919
Chiverall, Sidney Joseph
Private 28853
Released October 7, 1915
Leg Amputated
Giles, Frederick
Private 29446
Released February 15, 1919
Grant, Peter Martin
Private 28976
Released December 19, 1918
Mentioned in Despatches
Hamilton, Harry Edgar
Private 28629
Released January 7, 1919
Hoggarth, Thomas Emanuel
Private 29106
Released December 9, 1918
Kiloh, James
Corporal 29565
Released December 27, 1918
McAuley, Malcolm Angus
Sergeant 23029
Released December 27, 1918
McNicoll, Donald
Private 28653
Released December 18, 1918
Ragbourn, Herbert William
Private 28866
Died of Wounds as Prisoner of War May 4, 1915
Buried Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium
Robinson, Peter Herman
Private 23045
Released December 23, 1918
Royston, Richard Cuthbert
Private 29015
Escaped April 15, 1918
Awarded Military Medal
“In recognition of gallant conduct and determination displayed in escaping or attempting to escape from captivity which services have been brought to notice in accordance with the terms of Army Order 193 of 1919. To be dated 5 May 1919″.
Williams, Edmund John
Private 29032
Died of Wounds as Prisoner of War May 1, 1915
Buried Niederzwehren War Cemetery, Germany
April 26, 1915
MacLean, Victor Alexander
Captain
Released November 18, 1918
Awarded the Military Cross and the Russian Order of St. Anne 4th Class
Military Cross announced in Supplement to the London Gazette 30 January 1920, page 1219
“In recognition of gallant conduct and determination displayed in escaping or attempting to escape from captivity which services have been brought to notice in accordance with the terms of Army Order 193 of 1919. To be dated 5 May 1919″.
Army Order 193 (1919)
“Rewards for Officers and Soldiers for services in the field and for services rendered in captivity or in attempting to escape or escaping therefrom.”
List of Prisoners of War (16th Battalion CEF) compiled from:
Wigney, Edward H. “Guests of the Kaiser; Prisoners-of-War of the Canadian Expeditionary force 1915-1918”, (CEF Books, 2008)
Marker of Private Richard Siberry added 20 January 2018.
Behind the Wire (Part Two) of this subject was published January 20, 2018.
Behind the Wire (Part Three) of this subject was published January 10, 2020. Link added.