HOGARTH, John Gordon

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        3rd Canadian Infantry Division
                                             8th Infantry Brigade
                                             5th Canadian Mounted Rifles  -  Sherbrooke
                                             “A” Company
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO:                   603263
RESIDENCE:                    Exeter – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH:            October 23, 1895
                                             Exeter – Stephen Township – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           October 1, 1916                   20 years
MEMORIAL:                    Vimy Memorial – Vimy –
                                             Pas de Calais - France
PARENTS:                         Mr. Stephen & Alvira Hogarth – “Ivanholm Farm” – Exeter - Stephen Township
Occupation:                        Farmer                                  Religion:     Methodist
Enlistment:                         Exeter – September 18, 1915 into the 71st Battalion then transferred to 34th Battalion
Enlistment Age:                 20 years

Private Hogarth was the first man from Exeter to enlist. He was educated at the Exeter High School and the Ontario Agricultural College.
In early February 1916 Private Hogarth is transferred to the 23rd Battalion and then to the 5th Canadian Mounted rifles on June 6, 1916. He then goes into France and joins up with his unit on June 9, 1916.
Private Hogarth was killed in action during an attack near Courcelette in France.
While he was in France he sent letters home and asked for socks and OXO cubes to make warm drinks.
The unit was located between Thiepval and Courcelette and the account was that the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles were advancing and went over the parapet and their section had taken their section of the Regina Trench despite the heavy enemy artillery and machine gun fire. Following this they were going through the trench trying to clear it when he was killed. The objective was to capture and then consolidate Regina Trench and the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles were on the right of the advance. “B” Company plus one platoon from “C” Company with Lewis guns attached were to attack on the right of their front. “A” Company were to attack on the left of their front. “C” Company less one platoon will begin to move forward to the 5th Mounted Rifles front line and then garrison the whole of the front line terench and then hold at all costs. Communication trenches were to be dug immediately after Regina trench is captured and consolidated.
From zero hour +2 minutes the artillery barrage was to be laid down 100 yards in advance of objective; from +2-+7 minutes the barrage was to directly onto their objective; from +7-+10 the barrage was to be 100 yards past their objective and then from +10-+13 it was to be laid down 200 yards past objective. At 3:10 pm “A” Company went “over the top” and advanced within 100 yards of Regina Trench when the enemy opened up with rifle fire that became very intense for the next 50 yards causing heavy casualties and when “A” Company got to the trench the enemy was gone. By 5:20 pm “A” Company was holding Regina Trench. They immediately set up blocks at both end of the trench, but the enemy was on their both sides. Enemy resistance was intense and few of the attacking Companies reached their objectives. They had casualties at 50%. By 6:20 pm “A” and part of “D” were holding the trench. Casualties were 224 killed / wounded.
A letter to his parents states that the unit over the parapet and taken their section of the Regina Trench against very heavy enemy machine-gun fire and shelling. In the evening as they were clearing the tranches was when he was killed.