Most recent news (last six months) - for previous news updates, please click News Archive
9 March 2010
The number of 4CMR men represented by family or researchers today rises to 226, with the addition of Pte. William "Jack" Sharp, who is represented by his great neice, Debbie Bennett-Toms. Welcome, Debbie.
As three further names await confirmation for inclusion, interest in the site increases at this time of year as the Vimy commemoriation approaches. The traffic on the site has exceeded all previous year on year records for the year so far; receiving some 300 hits per day now. Thank you all for your interest and I look forward to hearing from many more people in due course.
7 March 2010
Pte Walter Finnie is added to the In Memoriam page, with regular contributor, Bruce Gilbert, standing by his side. Walter died of wounds in September, 1916, and becomes our 225th man to be specifically remembered and represented by someone today.
5 March 2010
I welcome John Segain to the fold, as he represents his great uncle, Pte. Frank Scott, who was one of the few 4CMR Nov 1914 "originals" to see and survive service throughout the war.
4 March 2010
A very warm welcome is extended to Mattan Jones, who stands along side his half great uncle, Pte. John Wilson. John was lost in action at Vimy in September 1916.
14 February 2010
Lt. Percy Wright was added to the In Memoriam page today, represented to by his grandson, Yvo Henniker-Heaton. One of three men to have originally come from the P.P.C.L.I. (Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry), Percy was transferred into the 4CMR in June 1918, but alas lost his life in September, 1918. He lies at rest in Ligny-St.Flochel British Cemetery, Averdoingt, France. A warm welcome to Yvo as his grandfather becomes the 222nd man to be represented on the In Memoriam Wall. We will remember them.
12 February 2010
It is an honour and pleasure to welcome Jerry Sanderson to the fold, as he represents his grandfather, Cpl. Edward Henry Sanderson. Edward who was one of the 277 men of the 4CMR taken prisoner in the first hours of June 2nd, 1916's Battle for Mount Sorrel. Edward survived that dark day to endure many more as a POW, before being repatriated on November 18th, 1918. Jerry had no details about his grandfather prior to contacting the website, so I am both delighted and proud that once more 4cmr.com has been able to step in, provide vital links to the past and touch lives today.
7 February 2010
Citation details for the Military Cross (MC) have been added to Lt. Archie Black MC's page. Many thanks to Arnie Kay for his help on this. Do see the Links page, Researchers section, for details on Arnie's research services.
5 February 2010
A further 4CMR man has been added to the In Memoriam page today, bringing the total represented now to 220. I thank George Auer, a regular contributor, for standing alongside Pte. Roger Lamont, who died in October 1917 and lies at rest at Nine Elms British Cemetery, Poperinghe, Belgium.
Welcome, also, to the new-look website, which features additional navigation functionality between In Memoriam pages and extended detail on the Memorials pages. Many thanks again go to Mark at Silverknife for his support and advice. For all of your web services and PC needs, pay Mark a visit for genuine and affordable support services. Thanks also go to my long suffering family, who were beginning to wonder if I'd ever come out of the Study. Whilst the website remains a work-in-progress, feedback is always welcome.
4 February 2010
With pleasure, I welcome Jim Whaley, who stands alongside his great uncle, Pte. Roy Urquhart; who died during the 4CMR's attack on Wolfe Copse, Passchendaele, in October, 1917.
An image and a short biography have been added to Lt. Archie Black MC's page. Many thanks to his son, Richard Black, for the details.
1 February 2010
There has been much interest in the reburial of 250 British and Australian soldiers, who died in 1916 in the Battle of Fromelles. Their mass grave was discovered recently and whilst DNA testing continues, in a bid to identify as many as possible through matches with proven, living relatives today, the first of the reburials took place at the new CWGC cemetery (Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery, Fromelles, France). For further details, and video coverage from the service, please click BBC coverage.
17 January 2010
It is a pleasure to add two new names to the In Memoriam page today: Pte. William Stuart Ritchie, represented by Bruce Gilbert, and Lt. Archie Black MC, represented by his son, Dr R Black. In the former, a letter describing the transit from Canada to the UK and then life in the front line, written by William Ritchie to his brother, has been transcribed by Bruce, and will appear in due course in an In Memoriam page to be formed for William.
9 January 2010
I welcome the first addition to the In Memoriam page in 2010, with Pte. Erniest Trump being represented by Geoffrey Holdsworth. A warm welcome.
The website is, as reported on Jan. 1st, undergoing an off-line development, which I hope to be able to roll out by the end of the month. There will be a faceflift overall and added functionality within the In Memoriam page, allowing visitors to scroll through the entries rather than having to go back to the In Memoriam main page each time to see the next or previous entry. Major changes to the Memorials page have also been implemented, changing that to a more useful resource than a straight links to headstone images page. Further afield, work is also planned on the improving the Gallery page. If you have any suggestions on developments, do drop me a line or two.
1 January 2010
Happy New Year to one and all. 2009 was the busiest year so far for the site, receiving some 64,000 hits, as against 56,600 in 2008. The total number of men represented on the In Memoriam page rose from the low 100 mark to 215 by the close of the year. Some heart-warming stories of family branches being brought back together through the site were reported to me and to all I say you are most welcome.
2010 will no doubt be another interesting year, certainly as a major facelift for the website is currently being worked on. On that front, I am indebted to Mark Hewitt over at www.silverknife.co.uk for his further help in tutoring me on raw xhtml programming, as I endeavour to pep things up a little whilst maintaining a simple and straightforward website. If you have home or business needs in website design, development or maintenance, be it in the UK or beyond, I have no hesitation in recommending Mark, as through Silverknife he genuinely provides affordable, professional computer support you can trust.
19 December 2009
Merry Christmas and may 2010 be all you need it to be. Let us not forget.
8 December 2009
The website has undergone further minor visual improvements today in preparation for a more in-depth facelift, which will be coming around New Year.
November 09 saw 9,500 hits; the highest hit rate on the site to-date - barring of course the 8,500 hits on one day in May 2008, on the weekend the medals ceremony was aired on Canadian TV and reported on in coast to coast papers and on-line (please do see Frank Forsdike for details). Thank you all so much for your interest in the site.
24 November 2009
Catherine Switzer has provided a stunning and thoroughly researched double biography for Ptes. Collins and David Cooke. Thank you, Catherine, you have done a wonderful job.
20 November 2009
It is with great pleasure that I welcome Ted Burns, representing his grandfather, L/Cpl. Edward Edwin Burns. Ted was able to supply some cracking images and a thorough biography of his grandfather to share with us. Also, I welcome Ted's sister, Edward Burns' granddaughter, Marie Janowiak. It is an honour to remember your grandfather this way and whilst we mourn all of their losses, they are not forgotten here.
19 November 2009
I have been contacted by a British Columbia man who has offered an original copy of "Out of the Jaws of Hunland" for sale. In the region of CAN$25, the Evans & McMullen book, written before WW1 was concluded, concerns the exploits of these two men, and their various colleagues, in being taken POW on June 2nd, 1916, during the Battle for Mount Sorrel, and their amazing stories of endurance and escape. If you are interested in buying this book I will forward your email to Steve in B.C. and you can come to an agreement on cost and shipping arrangements. I have a copy of this book and highly recommend it.
16 November 2009
Accompanying a slight format update on the website (better handled by IE7 than it is Firefox - big shock), I welcome John Workman, who is standing alongside his wife's grandfather, Pte. Francis Blackbourn, formerly of the 8th CMR, which was transferred to the 4CMR in January 1916. A pleasure to have you with us, as your grandfather becomes the In Memoriam's 214th man represented (that's an amazing 5% of the Regiment's closing numbers).
15 November 2009
Ahead of a planned although minor update to the website's format, I am pleased to welcome Bill Howitt to the fold, representing his father. Pte. Richard Howitt was taken POW on 2nd June, 1916 (during the 'Battle for Mount Sorrel'), only to escape in October 1917 and make it back home. He features in the Evans and McMullen book, "Out of the Jaws of Hunland". Thanks to Richard Johnston for intially bringing his grand uncle to my attention and then seeing to it that Richard Howitt's son, Bill, was put in touch. Welcome both.
14 November 2009
There have been some exciting contacts in recent weeks, pushing the represented men on the In Memoriam page to 212. Of note has been yet another story of families being reunited by this website, this time through 4CMR man, RSM Donald Smith. The backstory to this website was always to be there in the hope that relatives of Cpl. Frank Forsdike (my great-grandfather's brother) would one day go looking for Frank's history, find this site, contact me and I would be able to see Frank's medals return to the family they never reached. That happened and I gained a whole new line of family in Canada I had spent 13 frustrating years trying to find. To Anne & Ted, then, a warm family welcome.
There have been another couple of contacts where people had relatives in the 4CMR, who have not subsequently come back to me to consent to being placed on the In Memoriam page alongside their relative. I trust that in due course they will.
Pte. Robert H. Morley was brought to my attention by Linda, who had spotted his headstone in the military section of Little Lake Cemetery, Peterborough, Ontario. Able to view the man's obituary in the local archives, Linda dropped the details over to me, where a mystery began to unravel. Although it is very clear from his headstone that Robert was associated with the 4CMR, and that his records show that he attested into the 136th BN, there is no record of him having been in the 4CMR. Various battalions fed into given regiments during the Great War, but the 136th BN had no connection with the 4CMR, save one other man, Lt Butson. Other BN's, such as the 147th and the 248th, for instance, fed men numbered in the hundreds into the 4CMR. The 136th only had one known man, and now Robert Morley. That his headstone states bodly that he was associated with the 4CMR is good enough until we can prove whether Robert fully served with the 4CMR or not. Many thanks to Linda for bringing him to my attention.
11 November 2009
Lest we forget.
02 November 2009
Art Hubbs continues sterling work with his research, adding 4CMR men Robert Holmes, brothers Harland & James Martin and Harold Lawrence to the In Memoriam page. An earlier man, Harold Lattimer, again one of Art's research subjects was missed off the In Memoriam wall, so in bringing him into the fold, the In Memoriam total now stands at 208 4CMR represented today.
Pte Thomas Lyons was added to the In Memoriam page a while back, and Meredith Johnson has provided a further picture of the 19 year old, taken just 16 days before he was lost. A question is being asked as to who the fellow 4CMR man is in the picture. Referred to as his "chum", it is possible that he may be a fellow former 83rd BN man. Take a look-see at the image on the Gallery page and if you can help provide any clues as to who he is, let me know.
30th October 2009
With the final images from the UK 4CMR memorials being claimed and represented, thank you Chris Henzler, the number of 4CMR men now represented today rises to 203. As we approach that significant time of remembrence, let us not forget.
27th October 2009
A pick up in contacts in recent days brings Roderick Groundes-Peace to the 4CMR fold, representing his grandfather, Pte. Albert Grounds Peace. Albert's time in the 4CMR gave way to a commission in the RFC. Please do see his biography on the In Memoriam page. Welcome, Roderick.
25th October 2009
I have been debating for some time as to whether or not to add 26 men of the 4CMR to the In Memoriam page, for whom I had taken headstone images at Maple Copse, Sanctuary Wood and Tyne Cot cemeteries - which can be seen on the 4CMR Memorials > Belgium page. These included a few whose headstone images had been supplied over a four year period and for whom those persons did not want to be mentioned or for whom I had subsequently lost the credit links.
After some deliberation I have decided to include them, as certainly those headstones I had imaged in the Ypres area were for my own research project and as such I (or rather the website) should represent them on the In Memoriam page, as that is what this website is all about - specifically remembering and representing those men today. As such, 26 men were added to the In Memoriam page today, with links to their headstone images, as biographies have not yet been written up. A further 5, UK based, additions, also purely headstone images, await confirmation for adding from the source of the images. Not including these 5 additonal UK based links, the total 4CMR men represented on the In Memoriam page stands at 197. Of some 4,546 men who it is known served with the 4CMR, 197 men represents some 4% of the regiment directly represented today.
18th October 2009
Joseph Villeneuve served with the 4CMR from the outset, being part of the original intake, and whilst he was one of the lucky few to have survived June 2nd, 1916's onslaught at the outset of the Battle for Mount Sorrel, he was one of 280 or so 4CMR men taken POW that day.
An article being run by reporter Tamara Cherry in the Toronto Sun today, focusses on a quest by Royal Canadian Legion man, Ken Creighton, to find the family of Joseph Villeneuve. In receipt of an photograph of Joseph, from a Nottinghamshire, England, lady, Edna Callaghan, asking Ken for help in finding the family, it seems the picture was given to her father, a fellow, English, POW in Gustersloh, Germany, during captivity.
If you feel you can help in the quest for family of one Joseph F. Villeneuve, originally from Moose Creek, Ontario, please do contact me, or Ken Creighton direct through details in the Toronto Sun article.
17th October 2009
A warm welcome is extended to Anne Green, who represents her great uncle, RSM Donald Oscar Smith, one of the lucky few to have survived the 2nd June, 1916, obliteration of the 4CMR at the Battle for Mount Sorrel.
11th October 2009
The number of men represented on the In Memoriam page has now risen to 167, with the addition of 4CMR men Thomas Gill and Hubert Petty. Their biographies can be reached through links from their names on the In Memoriam page, which will take you to the Matrix Project blogs for these men.
Richard Laughton manages the The Matrix Project blogspot, formed by members of the Canadian Expeditonary Force Study Group. The project creates blogs about men who served with the CEF in the Great War. A stunning body of work and collective research, which will be of great value and interest to anybody wishing to learn more about the men who served with the CEF.
23rd September 2009
There has been a flurry of activity on the website this week, seeing the addition of four men: Pte's Arthur Cuppage, Collins and David Cooke and Herbert Fair. Thanks are extended to Don Jenkins, Catherine Switzer and Joe Fairway for bringing these men to my attention and for remembering them.