CAMERON, Robert Franklin Gordon
NAME: CAMERON Robert Franklin Gordon
RANK: Private
DIVISIONAL UNIT: 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
9th Infantry Brigade
58th Battalion - Central Ontario
Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO: 654275
RESIDENCE: Brussels – Ontario
DATE OF BIRTH: July 3, 1897
Brussels - Grey Township – County of Huron – Ontario
DATE OF DEATH: August 27, 1918 21 years 1 month
CEMETERY: Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery – Vis-en-Artois –
Pas de Calais – France
V G 7
PARENTS: Mr. James and Ida Janex Cameron – Brussels – Ontario
Occupation: Teamster Religion: Presbyterian
Enlistment: Brussels – January 17, 1916 – 161st Huron Battalion
Enlistment Age: 18 years 6 months
Shortly after arriving in England which was on November 11th, on November 27, 1916 Private Cameron transferred to the 58th Battalion and immediately left for France and joined his unit in the field on December 22, 1916.
Private Cameron was fatally injured during an attack at Bois-du-Sart by an enemy shell fire falling nearby. The explosion shattered his hip and he died from those wounds a very short time later.
During the fighting that took place on this day there were 32 killed, 110 wounded and 7 missing.
The Battalion was to attack Bois du Sart with the support of the artillery and tanks. Zero hour was 4:50 am.
“A” Company was in the lead with the objective to capture all enemy defences west of Bois du Sart as the enemy’s exact location was not known. “D” Company would then push forward from the left along with “C” Company on the right and their objective was to clear out the wood. “B” Company was in support.
The task was to be difficult as the Battalion had left Orange Hill at 2:15 am, marched 4 miles in the dark over unfamiliar ground to take over territory never before seen. Very heavy fighting took place in the woods but by 6:50 am both “D” & “C” Companies had pushed completely through with a small company penetrating Hatchet Wood.
The Hatchet Wood patrols were driven from the wood at 7:00 am as the enemy forced their way into Bois du Sart but again the woods were in the hand of the battalion by 7:30 am.
“D” Company had suffered very heavily with much enemy machine gun fire coming from Pelves. The enemy also heavily shelled the wood with gas.
One Company of the 49th relieved part of “A” and protected the left flank.