CURRIE, Kenneth

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        1st Canadian Infantry Division
                                             1st Infantry Brigade
                                             1st Battalion - Western Ontario
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO:                   654469
RESIDENCE:                    Bayfield – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH:            April 16, 1898
                                             Clinton – Goderich Township – County of Huron – Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           August 30, 1918                   20 years     4 months
CEMETERY:                     Upton Wood Cemetery – Hendecourt-les-Cagnicourt –
                                             Pas de Calais – France
                                                  D     3
PARENTS:                         Mr. James and Agnes Currie – Bayfield – Ontario
Occupation:                        Labourer.                              Religion:     Methodist
Enlistment:                         Clinton – February 17, 1916 – 161st Huron Battalion
Enlistment Age:                 17 years     10 months

Private Currie on November 11, 1916 arrived in England. During February of 1918 he is Struck off Strength of the 161st and Taken on Strength with the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion. Private Currie at the end of March 1918 heads overseas to join the 1st Battalion but before this he joins the Canadian Corp Reinforcement Camp on March 30, 1918 and arrives with his unit on August 14th, 1918. 
Private Currie was wounded in both legs from shrapnel during an attack north-east of Hendecourt-les-
      Cagencourt. He succumbed to those wounds a short time later. He was with his unit a total of 16 days.
The artillery began the advance and objectives were reached through very heavy enemy machine gun fire. The enemy guns had the advantage of the slope.  One platoon of “A” Company withdrew from the front and moved to the line under heavy fire. “B” Company suffered terribly. “A” Company had to strengthen “C” Company.
The weather was dull with poor visibility and it did not rain.
Just prior to noon the enemy counter-attacked in force and turned the left flank of “B” Company who then withdrew to “D” Company.
The Battalion then counter-attacked the enemy and pushed them back with the help of all reserves being in the line.
By early afternoon the line was along Cemetery Avenue across railways tracks to Vis-en-Artois switch.
Due to heavy enemy fire, the wounded were not able to be evacuated from the field.
Cemetery Avenue was only held by 60 men and the enemy was coming through the lines between Chateau Wood and Crow’s Nest. Artillery fire was then brought down on the Germans.
Battalion casualties numbered 167 men killed, wounded or missing in action.