“Why, what is the news?”
Those words probably reverberated in the vestibule of 696 Ashdale Avenue[1] in Toronto, Ontario one day in early December of 1916. It was a question posed by the mother of Private Charles Duncan Compton as a Toronto Star newspaper reporter followed up on the news of this soldier’s death. His queries were the first news of his passing and the shock and sadness of having a second son killed in action was compounded by the news being delivered by a reporter and not officially by the Government of Canada via telegram.
“Why, what is the news?” asked the mother wen The Star reporter called. “Is he killed?” The news was then told Mr. Compton. Pte. Charles Compton was only 16 years of age when he enlisted with the “Pals” Battalion.”[i]
The reporter states in his news story that Private Compton joined underage at the age of 16 making it appear to be common knowledge in the family and with the tacit consent of the parents, yet no notation or form in his service record[ii] indicates that the Canadian Army was aware of this age. Private Compton died in the afternoon of April 9, 1917 during the Vimy attack at the age of 17 years and 3 months.
Private C. D. Compton was taken on strength with the 18th Battalion on November 6, 1916 after joining and training with the 124th Battalion at Camp Borden originally. This was a short 20 days before the death of Charles’ brother, Private Harold Compton of the 60th Battalion who died November 26, 1916. He too was underage being born in 1898[iii]. Charles, being born in 1899, was the youngest of three brothers being a year younger than Harold.
A notation at the Canadian Great War Project states: “The family story goes that once he [Harold] was over fighting, my Great-Grandmother found out and she wrote and said that he was under-age. The official letter arrived at his unit saying that he was to be sent home – but it was too late, he had been killed that morning.” Harold Compton’s service record shows no evidence of such a letter.
This statement and the fact that both son joined underage and that Harold was in correspondence[iv] with his parents a late as October, 1916 begs the question: If the family was aware of their enlistment of both brothers were they really that concerned about their being underage?
An article in the Toronto Telegram relates:
HAROLD COMPTON KILLED
Had Two Brothers Serving With the Colours.
Signaller Harold Compton, 696 Ashdale avenue, who is today reported to have been killed in action, was born at Beverley, England, 19 years ago [emphasis mine], and had been in Canada about two years. Prior to enlistment with the 95th Battalion, from which he was subsequently transferred, he was employed on a farm at Indian River, Ontario.[v]
This article dated December 6, 1916 clearly states the age attributed to Harold as it is reflected on his attestation papers but the Toronto Star article is quite explicit in stating the true age of Charles at his enlistment as the age of 16. What ever the case and circumstances the official record at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial for Harold gives his incorrect age and birth date, where as Charles’ information is correct.
The Compton family had a third son, Percy, who was living in England at the time of the start of World War 1, was of age and joined the Royal Field Artillery and survived the war, eventually emigrating to Canada in 1919.
Regardless of Private Charles Compton’s age he served his new country faithfully but died tragically on that historical day in April. At 4:00 PM that afternoon, no doubt exhausted from the advance and stress of combat himself and a comrade created a dugout in a shell crater. It took a direct hit killing both of them. There are no known remains of Private Compton and he is memorialized on the Vimy Memorial.
[1] This address appears to no longer exist. Would be approximate to the Monarch Park Stadium in Toronto.
[i] Toronto Star – May 3, 1917.
[ii] Service Record in PDF format.
[iii] An interesting note: Harold Compton assigned $20.00 of his pay from June, 1916 to his death on November, 1916 to his brother Charles. This is unusual as most sons assigned pay to their mothers. Charles assigned his pay to his father, Charles Compton Sr.
[iv] The letter was written some time in September/October 1916 and related in a news article. It is not clear from the source the date of the letter (possibly written October 14, 1916) but the letter indicates that the parents had full knowledge of the whereabouts of Harold. Up to 20,000 under age soldiers served with the Canadian Forces with an estimated 2,000 who perished. The letter’s text: “We are only company signallers now and have to do working parties. We were out digging a trench one night and Fritz gave us a pretty lively time, sniping and whizz-bangs. He must spend lots of money on the flares he sends up in hundreds. I was out on outpost and had quite a good view. It looked pretty, but it is not very nice to be in it. The other night we were carrying out a wounded man and Fritz could see us all the way out. He sniped at us and sent over quite a few whizz-bangs. One of them exploded at the other side of the stretcher to me, about five yards away. How it missed blowing us all up I do not know, but none of us got a scratch.”
[v] Toronto Evening Telegram published Wednesday, December 06, 1916.
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 
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