CVWM Page
Source: August 1918 casualty.
Private Graham and his comrades with the 161st Battalion arrived in England on November 11, 1916. He then goes to France on February 2, 1918 after being drafted by the 18th Battalion. He arrives at Canadian Base Depot in Etaples and joins his unit already in the field on March 15, 1918.
Lance Corporal Graham suffered a penetrating gunshot wound to his abdomen and he died from those wounds at No. 42 British Casualty Clearing Station – Mingoval.
The weather was fine with warm temperatures.
The Arras/Cambrai road was the left boundary and the Battalion with the support of the 20th Battalion who attacked Villers Cagnicourt and by noon Vis-en-Artois and the Senssee River / Valley had been reached. An outpost line had to be formed from Vis-en-Artois to the west bank of the river was formed because a scheduled artillery barrage did not happen.
Casualties were suffered from snipers and shell fire. Casualties this day were 10 killed and 150 wounded.
The Brigade continued the advance on August 27th and had a frontage from the light railway on the right to the Arras-Camerai road on the left and this was about 1,600 yards.
The 18th Battalion was on the left with the 20th Battalion in support. At mid-morning with the support of artillery the advance began and the Senssee River being the first objective was reached. Here, the enemy fire was intense and advancing against the enemy trenches (Olive, Ocean Works, Cable Trench) caused very severe casualties, so a line was established west of the Senssee and a bridgehead was made on the Arras-Cambrai Road. Enemy aircraft hindered the advance with machine gun fire and bombs.
During the night, the enemy artillery was extremely active and many casualties took place.
This is how our research indicates how Lance Corporal Graham fell in battle.
Source: Huron Remembers
A.A. and Mrs. Graham, 10th Con.m are in receipt of a war memento which they cherish highly. It is the wood cross taken from the head of the grave of their son, Alex, in France and sent to them by the War Graves Commission. It is a plain white wooden cross bearing these words:- “A.J.G. Graham, No. 654805, 27-8-18.” It also shows where it had been in the ground about two feet as the clay was still clinging to it.
The Brussels Post. May ,7 1924. Page 5.
War Diary of the 18th Battalion CEF 