EDGAR, Thomas
DIVISIONAL UNIT: 1st Canadian Infantry Division
3rd Infantry Brigade
15th Battalion - 48th Highlanders of Canada
Company 3
Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO: 46573
DATE OF BIRTH: December 4, 1895
Cumberland - England
DATE OF DEATH: January 11, 1916 20 years 1 month
CEMETERY: La Plus Douve Farm Cemetery – Comines-Warneton –
Hainaut – Belgium
VI A
PARENTS: Mr. Robert and Martha Edgar – Seaforth – Ontario
Occupation: Iron Worker Religion: Church of England
Enlistment: Niagara Camp – May 31, 1915
Enlistment Age: 19 years 5 months
Private Edgar transferred to his Battalion in September of 1915 and joined them in the field on September 8th.
Private Edgar was killed in action near Ploegsteert in Belgium.
On January 11th the weather began fine but cool and at the noon hour it clouded over with the winds being from the north-west.
It was quiet on the Battalion front until 4:40 pm just when the relief was to begin when the enemy began a heavy bombardment onto the front and supporting trenches. Once casualty was suffered at this time. Our artillery replied and the enemy guns became silenced.
The 16th Battalion finished relieving the 15th Battalion at 7:30 pm. Patrols had been out every night during the past week and these patrols had “no mans land” all to themselves. It was thought the enemy facing us had in all likelihood been relieved and it was still very quiet from the Christmas period.
Our research from his files, the Battalion and Brigade diaries tell us this is where Private Edgar lost his life in action performing his duties, and it turns out that he was the only casualty suffered by the Battalion on this day.