JOHNSON, George Reginald

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        3rd Canadian Infantry Division
                                             9th Infantry Brigade
                                             58th Battalion - Central Ontario
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO:                   654665
RESIDENCE:                    Hensall – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH:            July 15, 1893
                                             Hay Township – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           April 13, 1917                      23 years     9 months
CEMETERY:                     Lievin Communal Cemetery Extension – Lievin –
                                             Pas de Calais – France
                                             III     B     9
PARENT:                           Mr. J. W. Johnson – Hensall – Ontario
Occupation:                        Labourer                               Religion:     Presbyterian
Enlistment:                         Hensall – March 22, 1916 – 161st Huron Battalion
Enlistment Age:                 22 years     8 months

The Battalion arrived in Liverpool on November 11, 1916. Private Johnson transferred to the 58th Battalion on November 30, 1916 and was Struck off Strength from the 161st Battalion. He went overseas into France on December 1st and joined the unit just prior to Christmas of 1916.
Private Johnson was killed in action during military operations in the trenches near Vimy.
The weather this day was wet with winds from the west at 5 mph.
The battalion war diary stated the enemy was quiet but as the Brigade moved forward they did so with difficulty due to the amount of mud. They were advancing forward to relieve the 60th Battalion to a line of trenches running around Vimy.
Patrols from the 60th Battalion had been sent out and they reported back that the trenches that had been full of Germans yesterday were now empty. This was at 9:00 am.
During the night when the relief was in progress it was very dark and during the day 4 men were killed, a number more were wounded and 3 men were missing.
The Brigade war diary states they have been ordered to advance to the Divisional Outpost line located between the north of Vimy Station and La Chaudiere.
At 1:00 pm the 60th Battalion patrols went out again and the 58th Battalion sent their patrols up Fillip Trench to Petit Vimy. At 5:15 pm the signal was given by the 60th Battalion that all was clear and the order was given to occupy Vimy, Petit Vimy and La Chaudiere
In the late evening of April 13th, the 58th Battalion began moving into place with the order to be in support of the 
60th Battalion at the northern Vimy defences and Flower Trench.