DAVIDSON, Nelson

War
1st World War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Regimental Number
216874
Rank
Private
Date of Death
Age at Death
25 years 2 months
Cenotaph
Biographical Summary

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        3rd Canadian Infantry Division
                                             9th Infantry Brigade
                                             43rd Battalion - Cameron Highlanders of Canada
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps    
SERVICE NO:                   216874
RESIDENCE:                    Cartwright – Manitoba 
DATE OF BIRTH:            June 25, 1893
                                             Walton – Townships of Morris / Turnberry – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           September 7, 1918               25 years     2 months
CEMETERY:                     Dury Crucifix Cemetery – Dury –
                                             Pas de Calais – France
                                             I     A     61
MOTHER:                          Mrs. Bessie Ann Davidson – Walton - Ontario
Occupation:                        Farmer                                  Religion:     Presbyterian
Enlistment:                         Winnipeg – Manitoba – March 17, 1916 into 100th Winnipeg Grenadiers
Enlistment Age:                 22 years     11 months

Sometime in late October 1916 he transferred to the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles. He then went overseas into France and was Taken on Stregth by the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles on Secember 1, 1916 and he left for his unit on December 20, 1916. He joined this unit on December 23, 1916. 
On April 21, 1917 Private Davidson was slightly wounded in the arm and admitted into No. 2 Australian General Hospital which was based at Wimereux. Then he was moved to 1st West Hospital in Liverpool, England and then to a Canadian Convalescent Hospital based in Epson in England. He was released on July 4, 1917. 
Following this he was Taken on Strength by the 15th Reserve Battalion which was then absorbed by the 19th Reserve Battalion. Then in August he was Taken on Strength by the 43rd Battalion.
The Battalion was in the Drocourt area and at 1 pm there were very heavy thunderstorms that flooded the area and nearly all of the dugouts. Did he lose his life here? At the same time there was Lewis Gun Training and Rifle Grenade Training followed by rifle inspection and Special Box Respirator (SBR) Inspection. At 4:30 pm reconnoitering parties from all the Companies went out to look over the 116th Battalion with plan to relieve them the following day. This is the information from the Battalion war diaries. The Battalion was either in the support area or the reserve area of the front.
The Brigade diaries state the weather was sunny and cool with some rain with the winds south-west at 25 mph and that the Brigae was in the Palleul area. The diaries also state that the 43rd had one casualty.
From our research of both the Battalion and Brigade diaries and from the Commonwealth War Graves information and from looking at the file of Private Davidson we are confident that the one casualty mentioned was Private Davidson.