Hessey, Charles: Service no. 53342

Digitized Service Record

Source: Witness to the accidental death of Lieutenant William Ormiston Brown.

Sergeant Charles Hessey, Regimental no. 53342, 18^th Battalion stated:

Lieut. Brown left ALBERTA CAMP at 9.30 a.m. in charge of “B” Company Bombers, 18^thBattalion, consisting of 4 N.C.O’s, and forty men. I am not a bomber, but, was sent down for instructions. A squad arrived at the 2^ndCdn. Divisional School of Instruction at 9.45 a.m. Lieut Brown went over to the Quartermaster Stores and got some bombs, including a No. 5 Mills, G.S. No. 1, Newton Rifle Grenade and No. 19 Percussion. Lieut. Brown had the Squad drawn around him and sit down while he explained the bombs. He explained the No. 5, Mills, the No. 19, and was explaining the G.S. No. 1, when it exploded. He picked up the G.S. No. 1, and was telling the Squad the name of the Grenade, the method of throwing, it, the name of explosive, T.N.T. He then picked up the detonator from the ground and said this is a dummie [SIC] detonator. He then put the detonator in the grenade, put on the cap with the safety pin out, he explained the meaning of, “Remove”, “Travel” and “Fire”, then turned the cap to “Fire” and said, “When it lights” he then hit the cap with his right hand, and the bomb exploded.