GROVES, Harold Morton

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        3rd Canadian Infantry Division
                                             9th Infantry Brigade
                                             58th Battalion  -  Central Ontario
                                             3rd Canadian Division Trench Mortar Group
                                             9th Canadian Light Trench Mortar Battery
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
RESIDENCE:                    Toronto – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH:            April 4, 1889
                                             Norval – Esquesing Township – County of Halton - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           October 25, 1917                 28 years     6 months          
CEMETERY:                     Nine Elms British Cemetery – Poperinge –
                                             West Vlaanderen – Belgium
                                             VI     A     6
WIFE:                                 Mrs. Gladys L Groves – Toronto – Ontario / Sheffield, England
Occupation:                        Manager / 
                                             T. Eaton Company               Religion:     Anglican
                                             Principal of Wingham School and Ryerson School
Enlistment:                         Valcartier – September 16, 1916 into the 139th Battery
Enlistment Age:                  27 years     5 months

Harold had lived in Wingham while he was the principal of Wingham Public School.
Lieutenant Groves arrived in France and on January 20, 1917 was attached to the 9th Canadian Light Trench Mortar Battery.
The Stokes 3” light mortar was used by the Canadian Corps and fired a 3” bomb of about 10 pounds with a modified hand grenade fuse. They could fire 20-22 rounds per minute up to a maximum range of 700 yards. These guns were manned by the infantry and as such did not have an ammunition column to bring the needed ammunition to the front.
A Battery of light mortars numbered 8 guns.
This equipment was used against the enemy trench systems because when it was fired the bomb had a very high trajectory and when it fell it was mostly straight down into the trenches.
Lieutenant Groves had been in command of the 9th Canadian Light Trench Mortar Battery when he was killed.
The casualties taken today which included Lieutenant Groves were apparently caused by the Division or Brigade Artillery firing in error on their own lines.
We found only a short sentence in the diaries of the 58th Battalion and the 9th Infantry Brigade mentioning the fact that the brigade artillery fired on their own lines by accident causing casualties. There was no mention of anything amiss in the diaries of the 3rd Canadian Division Trench Mortar Group for 
October 25, 1917.