RUFFELL, Clifford William

DIVISIONAL UNIT:         3rd Canadian Infantry Division
                                             9th Infantry Brigade
                                             58th Battalion - Central Ontario
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO:                   654166
RESIDENCE:                    Seaforth – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH:            July 28, 1899
                                             Croydon - England
DATE OF DEATH:           October 26, 1917                 18 years     3 months
MEMORIAL:                    Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial – Ieper –
                                             West Vlaanderen – Belgium
                                             Panel 18-24 & Panel 26-30
FOSTER PARENT:          Mrs. Clara Mason – West Croyden – Surrey - England
Occupation:                        Farmer                                  Religion:     Methodist
Enlistment:                         Seaforth – December 23, 1915 – 161st Huron Battalion
Enlistment Age:                 16 years     5 months

Private Ruffel departed Canada and arrived in Liverpool on November 11, 1916. At the end of November he transferred to the 58th Battalion at Dibgate Camp – Kent. At the beginning of December he went overseas into France to the Canadian Corps Depot on December 2, 1916. Then on December 23 he arrived at the 3rd Canadian Entrenching Battalion. On March 6, 1917 he joined his unit in the field. 
Private Ruffel lost his life during the operations at Passchendaele.
The advance moved ahead at 5:40 am under wet and heavy clouds with light winds.
The Battalions of the 3rd Division began their advance onto Passchendaele by following the ruined Gravenstafel-Passchendaele road towards the Bellevue Spur. They overran the forward enemy positions and it was about this time the enemy used his artillery to bring down a murderous barrage on the Canadians. They still advanced through the water and waist deep mud. They advanced until the enemy artillery and machine guns halted the advance. They tried hanging onto their gains but eventually had to fall back, dig in and seek any kind of cover to protect themselves. The Divison failed to achieve its objectives but did manage to advance 1,000 yards.
The casualties suffered on this day numbered 2,900 with 600 men being killed.
The infantry followed the creeping barrage, but the enemy artillery responded and their barrage caused some casualties. It was noticed that the creeping barrage of the Brigade was uneven and much slower on the right than the left and this was the cause of casualties. 
The 58th / 43rd Battalions were assaulting with the 52nd Battalion supporting and the 116th Battalion in reserve.
The advanced moved ahead and in doing so were able to capture some “pill boxes” at Lamkerk and Dads Trench. Here they encountered extremely heavy enemy machine-gun fire from the opposite trenches and a heavy enemy enfilade fire from Bellevue Farm to the left of the front.
More heavy enemy fire was coming from Crest Farm and this forced the men to seek cover in shell holes. Following this there was a bloody and bitter fight for the control of Contour Trench. During the fight in the afternoon 64 enemy soldiers surrendered and this enabled Contour Trench to be taken and consolidated.
Very heavy casualties had been taken during the advance and the fight that followed. Then in the early evening machine-gun posts were established in front of Contour Trench but the enemy made no attempt to recapture what they had just lost.