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William Merrifield
William Merrifield VC, MM (9 October 1890 – 8 August 1943) was an English-born Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. A soldier with Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War, he was awarded the VC for his actions on 1 October 1918, during the Battle of the Canal du Nord. Earlier in the war he had been awarded the Military Medal. Early life William Merrifield was born at Brentwood, Essex in England on 9 October 1890. He emigrated to Canada for employment, settling in Ottawa. He later moved to Sudbury, where he worked as a fireman on the Canadian Pacific Railway. He also joined the 97th Regiment, known as the Algonquin Rifles, a unit of Canada's militia. First World War On 23 September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, Merrifield enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), being posted to t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously awarded by countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, most of which have established their own honours systems and no longer recommend British honours. It may be awarded to a person of any military rank in any service and to civilians under military command. No civilian has received the award since 1879. Since the first awards were presented by Queen Victoria in 1857, two-thirds of all awards have been personally presented by the British monarch. The investitures are usually held at Buckingham Palace. The VC was introduced on 29 January 1856 by Queen Victoria to honour acts of valour during the Crimean War. Since then, the medal has been awarded 1,358 times to 1,355 individual recipients. Only 15 medals, of which 11 to members of the Britis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Front (World War I)
The Western Front was one of the main theatres of war during the First World War. Following the outbreak of war in August 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The German advance was halted with the Battle of the Marne. Following the Race to the Sea, both sides dug in along a meandering line of fortified trenches, stretching from the North Sea to the Swiss frontier with France, which changed little except during early 1917 and in 1918. Between 1915 and 1917 there were several offensives along this front. The attacks employed massive artillery bombardments and massed infantry advances. Entrenchments, machine gun emplacements, barbed wire and artillery repeatedly inflicted severe casualties during attacks and counter-attacks and no significant advances were made. Among the most costly of these offensives were the Battle of Verdun, in 1916, with a combined 700,000 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
4th Battalion (Central Ontario), CEF
4th (Central Ontario) Battalion, CEF was an infantry battalion raised as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force for service during the First World War. Raised in Canada in September 1914, the battalion sailed to the United Kingdom within weeks of its establishment. After a short period of training it was committed to the fighting on the Western Front, remaining in France and Belgium until the war ended. It returned to Canada in mid-1919 and after its personnel had been demobilized, the battalion was subsequently disbanded in 1920. History The 4th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force was raised at Valcartier on 2 September 1914. Consisting of recruits from the 2nd Military District, which encompassed Aurora, Brampton, Brantford, Hamilton and Niagara Falls, the battalion's first commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel W.S. Buell, although he was replaced by Lieutenant-Colonel R.H. Labatt after only a short period in command. Within several weeks of its formation, the bat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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