Raymond Woodfield
Notes on back of above photo
(image © 2006 Jeff Jonas)
World War One:
A distant memory
Raymond Woodfield (killed at the Somme)
Raymond Woodfield
Notes on back of above photo
(image © 2006 Jeff Jonas)
I am still researching details of my Grandfather's personal service but have found some details of his friend Raymond Woodfield (died of wounds), October 16th 1916 at the Somme, most likely after the bitter fighting in September as that bloody offensive wound down. The picture at top identifies Raymond as a private in the 28th (Northwest) Battalion with the 2nd Canadian Division.
Raymond lived near my Grandfather in Winnipeg at 290 Cathedral Avenue, his brothers Horace, and Cyril Woodfield served in the 78th Battalion with my Grandfather (how do I know this - well I have pictures. (see the mustering out photos)
The 90th Anniversary of the Somme offensive passed last month. The battle lasted from July 1st till late September. When the Canadians attacked they used tanks for the first time in history, but still they did not break through. The Allies lost 800,000 men at the Somme Campaign, the Germans lost 600,000. No significant ground was captured.
Mr. Woodfield's body is buried in Contay British Cemetary the Somme.
Contay Cemetary Links:
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem/cem&cemetery=8000
http://www.somme-1916.com/cemetery014.htm
http://www.silentcities.co.uk/index.htm
His name is listed in the "Book of
Remembrance"
The following are notes of the actions of the 28th Northwest battalion:
http://www.nwbattalion.com/history4.html
September 27, 1916
Cooperating with 23rd British Division on right. An attack was made along Sugar Trench
from the 28th's Block. The 28th Battalion took the German positions west of the Bapaume
road (the Practice Trenches) during the day after the Germans fell back to the Regina
Trench. The fighting resulted in heavy casualties.
October 1916
2nd Division's survivors from the Somme moved north through Picardy. Captain D.E.
Macintyre meets the 28th Battalion's acting commander, Major Alex Ross with a column of
about a company of men near Canaples. When asked where the rest of the battalion was,
Major Ross replied, "This is all of the battalion, Mac, We lost a lot of men."
Links to the Somme Battlefield:
01/20/07
