SEWARD, William
DIVISIONAL UNIT: 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
9th Infantry Brigade
58th Battalion - Central Ontario
Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO: 453128
DATE OF BIRTH: March 21, 1897
Clinton – Goderich / Hullet / Tuckersmith Townships
County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH: April 10, 1916 19 years
CEMETERY: Maple Copse Cemetery - Ypres
West Vlaanderen – Belgium
Memorial K 2
UNCLE: Mr. George Martin – Sault Ste. Marie - Ontario
Occupation: Baker Religion: Methodist
Enlistment: June 30, 1915 – Camp Niagara – Niagara on the Lake – Ontario
Enlistment Age: 18 years 3 months
Private Seward boarded a ship in Halifax Harbour and departed Canada arriving overseas in England on December 2, 1915.
Private Seward died of his wounds in the fields of Belgium after being wounded by a German high explosive shell. He and his unit were located in the trenches of Sanctuary Wood.
Maple Copse Cemetery was obliterated following the burial of Private Seward when the battles came back to the area and shell fire destroyed his grave along with four other men. They are honoured and remembered on a special Memorial Cross situated within the cemetery.
Private Seward boarded the SS Saxonia in Halifax and embarked from Canada on November 22, 1915 arriving in England on December 2, 1915. Once in England he took a “cookery course: in Aldershot on January 3, 1916. He then left for France on February 20, 1916.
This day began clear and warm and extremely quiet on the front.
An unknown aircraft flying overhead just crumpled and fell to earth.
Later in the day there were explosions from enemy high explosive shells falling onto the Battalion trenches where Private Seward was located.