Traynor, Peter: Service no. 54054 (Meritorious Service Medal)

Source: We Are the Dead

Summary of Service for Company Quarter-Master Sergeant Peter Traynor, reg. no. 54054

Date	Event	Remarks
August 13, 1892	Born	Born in Armagh, Ireland.
November 10, 1914	Enlists	Enlists with the original draft of the 18^th Battalion, CEF, at London, Ontario. He 22-years old, stands 5’7.5” inches tall. He is a brakeman listing his brother Patrick Traynor residing at 470 Wellington Street, Sarnia, Ontario as his next-of-kin. He lists 6 months service (militia) with the 4^th Battalion, Scottish Rifles, and a further 2 years service with the 2^nd Battalion, Scottish Rifles.
November 12,1914	Anti-Typhoid Inoculation
November 23,1914	Anti-Typhoid Inoculation
December 16, 1914	Vaccinated
April 10, 1915	Appointed 2^nd Class Cook	Appointed 2^nd Class Cook before the unit sails for England.
April 16, 1915	Returned to Duty	Returned to duty as 2^nd Class Cook. Not certain circumstances and meaning of this entry.
April 18, 1915	Sails for England	Sails with the 18^th Battalion for England and more training. Sails aboard the S.S. Grampian.
April 29, 1915	Arrives England	Arrives with Battalion at Avonmouth and proceeds to West Sandling, Kent.
August 5, 1915	Transferred	Transferred from cooking to “C” Company.
September 1, 1915	Forfeits 1-Day Pay	Forfeits pay for being Absent Without Leave.
September 9, 1915	Order to Forfeit Pay Cancelled	Part II Order no. 358 rescinded by Part II Order no. 365.
September 14, 1915	Embarks to Continent	The Battalion embarks at Folkestone, Kent and leaves for active front-line service.
July 3, 1916	Submits Will	Submits will with Real and Personal property assigned to his brother, Patrick.
August 7, 1916	Field Promotion	Promoted to Company Quarter-Master Sergeant. This is an unusual promotion as the service records indicate that he went from the rank of Price to CQMS in one promotion. Most promotions are stepped upwards with each promotion leading to access to the next higher rank.
October 26, 1916	Granted Leave	Granted 10 days leave.
November 1, 1917	Assigns Pay	Assigns $25.00 per month to his brother, Patrick. This is unusual, as most soldiers would assign their pay just before they went overseas.
November 22, 1917	Granted Leave	Granted 14 days leave to England.
August 8, 1918	Killed in Action	CQMS Traynor was killed in action during one of the most active days of combat the Battalion had that year. “C” Company was tasked with a 2-platoon frontage on the right-flank of the attack and was in contact with units of the 1^st Canadian Division. The objective was the village of Marcelcave, 200 yards distant from the Company’s jumping off point. The attack was successful, and the Battalion pushed on another 300 yards to a quarry and set up a main-line of defence. Though successful, CQMS Traynor and 29 other comrades of the 18^th perished that day, most to “well secreted machine-gun nests.” He is buried at the Toronto Cemetery, Demuin, Somme, France along with 76 other soldiers, almost all Canadians. There is one other member of the 18^th Battalion, Private W.R. Belcher, reg. no. 823109, who was killed in the same action a Traynor.