HARTUNG, Augustus John

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        3rd Canadian Infantry Division
                                             9th Infantry Brigade
                                             58th Battalion  -  Central Ontario
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO:                   754387
RESIDENCE:                    Gore Bay – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH:            April 30, 1885
                                             Hay Township – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           August 27, 1918                   33 years     4 months
CEMETERY:                     Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery – Haucourt –
                                             Pas de Calais – France
                                             X     A     7
MOTHER:                          Mrs. William Daer – Auburn - Ontario
Occupation:                        Labourer                               Religion:     Lutheran
Enlistment:                         Gore Bay – December 28, 1915 into 119th Battalion
Enlistment Age:                 30 years     8 months

Private Hartung left England for France and service with the 58th Battalion. On March 7, 1918, he arrived at the Canadian base Depot, left for the reinforcement camp on March 12, 1918 and then onto his unit in the field on March 20, 1918.
Private Hartung had been reported as missing in action. Further investigation then revealed that on the morning of August 27th he was advancing with the men of his unit, during an attack on Bois du Bart when he lost his life during the advance.
What we learned was that from August 23 through to August 27th the Battalion was providing working parties to assist the units at the front with the construction of their trenches and with their ammunition supply.
During this period the shelling of the front line positions by the enemy artillery was fairly active and heavy each day the casualties were 4 men killed and 4 men wounded.
The 3rd Division on August 26th advanced and very quickly were upon the enemy and the position known as Orange Hill was in under Canadian control and shortly after Monchy was in the hands of the 3rthere was d Division. The advance continued to the east and by the end of the day they were still some distance from their objective.
On August 27th the advance continued but now the enemy was resisting more forcefully. They pushed ahead onto the enemy positions on the Fresnes-Rouvroy line and there was bitter fighting for Jigsaw Wood, Boisdu Sart and Bois du Vert. the village of Vis-en-Artois was taken but they had been unable to break through their objective the Fresnes-Rouvroy line.
On August 27th, the winds were light from the south-west at 8 mph and it was raining and later in the day the Battalion moved to the front with “B & C” Companies on the front lines and “C” was in support and “D” was reserve. During the day the enemy artillery was heavy and constant and the casualties were 1 man killed and two men wounded and one man sick.
Our research indicates the man killed was Private Hartung and he lost his life in all probability from the enemy artillery coming down on the front positions.