ROSE, Henry Elwin

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        1st Canadian Infantry Division
                                             1st Infantry Brigade
                                             1st Battalion  -  Western Ontario
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO:                   6955
DATE OF BIRTH:            March 11, 1895
                                             Argentine Republic
DATE OF DEATH:           April 30, 1915                      20 years     1 month
MEMORIAL:                    Ypres (Menin Gate Memorial) – Ypres
                                             West Vlaanderen – Belgium
                                             Panel 10 – 26 - 28
PARENTS:                         Mr. Henry and Mary Ann Rose – Goderich - Ontario / Bishop’s Castle – Shropshire - England
Occupation:                        Labourer                               Religion:     Church of England
Enlistment:                         September 22, 1914 – Valcartier – Quebec 
Enlistment Age:                 18 years     5 months

Private Rose boarded the SS Laurentic in Quebec and part of the 1st Canadian contingent and embarked from Canada on October 4, 1914.
Private Rose was first reported as being wounded and missing between April 22-30, 1915. The the report was changed to read Private Rose is presumed to have died on April 30 or since. We have found that very early in the war the diaries kept by Battalions and Brigades was very poor and they were confusing. Sometimes there was very little or no information and this is the case with Private Rose.
What our research tells us for certain is that on April 26-27 the Battalion was located on the west bank of the Yser Canal. On April 28th the Battalion moved to the east and constructed trench systems on various farms. On April 29th, the Battalion withdrew into billets located in the town of Vlamertinghe. The next day April 30th saw the Battalion move south-west from the town because the enemy was bringing down heavy artillery barrages onto them.  The next day was May 1st and the enemy brought down more heavy artillery bombardments north-east of Ypres all day and night.
From the little information we have from the files of Private Rose, from the Battalion diaries and the diaries of the Brigade we are not at all certain but are assuming that he lost his life on April 30th or May 1st from the effects of heavy enemy artillery bombardments and that his body was never located.