Category Archives: Canadian

Wilfred Pichette

Canadian, Other Regiments, Registered War Grave

 

Wilfred Pichette
Private 648987
224th Canadian Forestry Corps.

 War Plot
Division 71 & 72

Wilfred Pichette was the son of Napoleon Pichette and Melina Matte, of 29, Demers Street, Quebec.   He was found drowned on 10th October 1916, aged 23.

The Standard and the Mercury on October 14th 1916 carried an  account:

 Record of death of Alfred Pichette  

 It seems Alfred Pichette came to Reading for a weekend visit from his station at Bagshot – Lieut. G.H. Frith, acting adjutant of corps, said he had been a labourer in Quebec and enlisted in March.  Aged about 25 years. “He was a steady man , and had only twice been absent without leave”.

 Mysterious Death 

An open verdict “found drowned”. The body was taken from the River Kennet – there were one or two mysterious points surrounding the drowning which fully justified the jury arriving at the decision they did.  It was a mystery how Pichette came to be where he was.  The Canadian Forester, was stationed at Bagshot.  The adjutant stated that he believed the deceased to be a fairly steady man, he had two marks for “absence without leave”.  He had gone away at the end of September and had not reported back.  Witnesses could not account for how the body got into the water.  Mr John Ernest Palmer, house-surgeon found no signs of external violence.  The body was in a state of decomposition; it had been in the water about a week.  Death was by drowning.  A shunter for Huntley and Palmer who gave evidence as to assisting in taking the body from the water said “The clothing of deceased was not properly adjusted”.

Wilfred Pichette is remembered in the Canadian  First World War Book of Remembrance

Richard Penford

Arras, Canadian, Registered War Grave, Royal Berkshire Regiment

Richard Penford
Corporal 7495
1st Batt. Royal Berkshire Regt.

Division 34

RPenfold photo RPenfold grave

 

 Corporal Richard Penford was the son of George and Mary Penford. He had emigrated to Canada where he had a wife, Mary, and two children. They lived at 196A, Gowan Avenue, Todmorden, Toronto. He was in the “reserve” and at the onset of WW1 he returned to Britain when “called up”. His CWGC headstone states “Missed by wife and children”. The Standard 12June 1915 reports:

 Penford Military Funeral
Hero of 1st Berks. Charge at Festubert

“previously wounded in the head in March 1915, he had spent a month at the Base. Corporal Penfold on returning to the front fought at Festubert on May 16th, where he received the injury which proved fatal.  He and his comrades had taken one line of German trenches and were taking the second when shrapnel caught him in the groin.  He died at Sheffield Royal Hospital on 3rd June.  Full military honours were accorded at the funeral. His widow and young two children were unable to attend his funeral being in Canada at the time but several other family members were in attendance, there were  beautiful floral tributes.”

 Like most of the Canadians buried in the Reading Cemetery, Corporal Penford, has had his name recorded in the “Books of Remembrance”.  It is to be found in the Addendum to the 1915 B.E.F. entries.

Penfold Remembrance Page

William MacFarlane MacBeth

Canadian, Registered War Grave

William MacFarlane MacBeth
Corporal 1099189
10th Batt. Canadian Railway Troops
(Ontario Regt.)

Division 75
Extension

William MacBeth died on 20th March 1919.  He was the husband of Nellie MacBeth,  of Coleman, East Totonto.

The grave of William MacBeth grave is one of the registered CWGC graves in the cemetery.  Grave number 16605.The original family memorial of a cross with the inscription to William MacBeth was replaced in 1998 with a war pattern CWGC headstone after the author alerted the Commission that the inscription was indistinct.  The headstone bears the traditional Canadian maple leaf.

A copy of the Canadian Book of Remembrance page can be obtained via the Internet.