JOHNSON, Charles Harold

DIVISIONAL UNIT:  1st Canadian Infantry Division, 2nd Infantry Brigade, 7th Battalion - 1st British Columbia, Canadian Infantry Corps                                                                                                                  
RESIDENCE:        Vancouver - British Columbia
PARENTS:          Mr David and Jemima Johnson - Edmonton - Alberta 
Personal:         Height 5'  7", Weight 185 pounds. He had a dark complexion, blue eyes and brown hair.  Charles was a steamfitter by trade and raised in the Methodist faith.

Private trained for 5 months prior to travelling to Halifax. He boarded a ship there and embarked from Canada on August 14, 1916 arriving overseas in Liverpool on August 24th. In late November he transferred to the 7th Battalion and following that went overseas into France and joined his unit in the field on December 9, 1916.

At zero hour, the Canadian barrage began and the Battalion advanced with the first wave encountering enemy machine gun fire that caused some casualties. One the barrage lifted the infantry quickly moved and captured the enemy front line trenches. The first objective was reached without very much difficulty or heavy fighting, however, casualties were taken by one Company from the Canadian guns at the rear that were firing short of the enemy lines. The Battalion then had some difficulties finding the only remaining entrance to the Bastion Tunnel but once located they entered and cleaned it up. The Canadian barrage came down again and the Battalion advanced and were able to achieve the Red Objective and here they met considerable resistance from the enemy. 

Bombing parties were then sent out to dislodge the enemy from the trenches.   Casualties in the two advancing Companies had been very heavy moving forward and it was during this day of battle where Private Johnson fell on the battlefield.