BINKLEY, John
Note: the cenotaph shows the name John Binkle in error, need to add the `y``
DIVISIONAL UNIT: 4th Canadian Infantry Division
12th Infantry Brigade
78th Battalion - Winnipeg Grenadiers
Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO: 928841
RESIDENCE: Clifford – Ontario.
DATE OF BIRTH: March 10, 1893
Clifford – Howick Township – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH: September 29, 1918 25 years 6 months
CEMETERY: Cantimpre Canadian Cemetery – Sailly –
Nord – France
D 14
PARENTS: Mr. Jacob and Sophia Binkley – Clifford – Ontario
Occupation: Farmer Religion: Lutheran
Enlistment: Clifford – April 5, 1916 – into the 153rd Battalion
Enlistment Age: 23 years 1 month
Private Binkley arrived in England on May 7, 1917 on board the S.S. Olympic and taken on strength by the 25th Reserve Battalion on the same day. He then transferred on February 15, 1918 to the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion based at Shorncliffe in Kent. Then it was to the 18th Battalion and into France to the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp. On
April 2, 1918 he transferred to the 78th Battalion and joined them in the field on April 3, 1918.
On July 31st he suffered the effects of being gassed and was transferred to No. 13 Canadian Field Ambulance and then to No. 14 Canadian Field Ambulance on August 1, 1918. He was back with his unit on August 28, 1918.
On September 29th the Battalion was holding their first objective and was in Reserve for the beginning of the next advance to the second objective which was the Douai-Cambrai Road. The enemy was stiffly resisting with heavy shelling.
The 78th Battalion was in behind of the 38th Battalion. While advancing, the 38th Battalion came under heavy fire from the Ring Trench, the railway and the flank on the Douai-Cambrai Road. They were not able to advance further and the
3rd Division on the right was not progressing either.
An artillery barrage onto the railways opposite of the 38th Battalion was arranged and when this ended the 78th Battalion passed through the 38th Battalion and began to advance. The 78th Battalion took very heavy casualties as they crossed the road from strong enemy machine gun fire. They then established posts but could not move ahead because of the heavy enemy fire.
The 78th Battalion maintained this position until the morning of the 30th.
Private Binkley was seen during the advance as they tried to cross the Douai-Cambrai Road near Sancourt. He had been wounded and was trying to make his way to the dressing station. His body was later found on the battlefield. It is though he was wounded by the enemy machine gun fire.