STONEMAN, John Herbert Adams

War
1st World War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
Toronto, Ontario
Regimental Number
238200
Rank
Lieutenant
Date of Death
Age at Death
25 years 6 months
Cenotaph
Biographical Summary

DIVISIONAL UNIT:         4th Canadian Infantry Division
                                             4th Machine Gun Battalion
                                             Canadian Machine Gun Corps
SERVICE NO:                   238200
RESIDENCE:                     Toronto - Ontario
DATE OF BIRTH:            March 29, 1893
                                             Hensall – Hay / Tuckersmith Townships – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           September 29, 1918             25 years     6 months
CEMETERY:                     Sains-les-Marquion British Cemetery – Sains-les-Marquion
                                             Pas de Calais – France
                                             II     A     4
MOTHER:                          Mrs. Margaret Stoneman – Toronto – Ontario
Occupation:                        Lawyer                                 Religion:     Methodist
Enlistment:                         April 3, 1916 - Toronto
Enlistment Age:                 23 years

John was educated at Hensall Public School, Exeter and Clinton Collegiates, and entered Victoria College at the University of Toronto at age 17 and graduated three years later in 1913. He then entered Osgoode Hall.
He is remembered on the University of Toronto Roll of Service and at Osgode Hall Memorial.
He survived the Battle at Passchendaele and at that time he was the 13th Machine Gun Company.
Early in 1918 he returns to England to pursue a commission. He receives this on April 27, 1918. He then goes overseas into France and arrives at the Canadian Machine Gun Pool on July 13, 1918. He is then posted to the 4th Battalion Canadian machine Gun Corps and joins them in the field on September 3, 1918.
During this day the 12th Infantry Brigade advanced and attacked through the 10th Infantry Brigade. “K & M” Batteries were with the infantry; “J” battery in support and “L” Battery in reserve.
The 72nd Battalion made good progress on the left and crossed the railway and here the enemy counter-attacked and the 72nd was pushed back to Sancourt. “M” Battery then took up defensive positions.
The 38th attacked on the right and then met heavy enemy fire coming from the railway embankment. “K” Battery was able to reach the Douai-Cambrai Road but had to fall back to trenches at noon. They held these positions all day.
That night the guns were withdrawn to the Marcoing Line to secure a better field of fireand to establish defensive positions until relieved on October 2/3. “L” Battery was brought up with the 78th Battalion at noon and they passed through the 38th Battalion and they took up positions as well until October 2/3.
Lieutenant Stoneman was killed in action during the Battle of Cambrai and very late on September 29th he went out on an inspection and was passing by on a sunken road when an enemy shell burst very nearby and a fragment from the exploding shell instantly killed him.