THOMAS GRIEVE
Personal History
The thing that immediately stands out about Thomas Grieve is the initial lack of training that he received.
After enlisting at Niagara on June 15, 1916, four days later he embarked from Montreal on the S.S. Corsican for England.
By October 12, only four months later he was in Belgium and advanced to the front. Assigned to the 25th
Infantry Battalion, he fought in all the major theatres of the war: the Ypres salient, the St Eloi sector, the Somme, one of the greatest human disasters ever created by mankind, where he served at Courcellette from Sept. 15th to Oct. 15, and the Vimy sector, including the assault of Vimy Ridge.
Training improved as the unit was rotated through time: at the front, in support, in billets as reserve and in training. Some of these sessions lasted several weeks as they practiced over a taped course for an upcoming
battle or assault. Thomas Grieve must have shown well; on June 6, 1917, he was promoted to sergeant.
In late October 1917, they were moved north to participate in the battle for Passchendaele, which had started on July 31 and would rage until Nov. 17th. The conditions were horrendous; the region was experiencing the worst rainfall in 30 years.
Personal History
The thing that immediately stands out about Thomas Grieve is the initial lack of training that he received.
After enlisting at Niagara on June 15, 1916, four days later he embarked from Montreal on the S.S. Corsican for England.
By October 12, only four months later he was in Belgium and advanced to the front. Assigned to the 25th
Infantry Battalion, he fought in all the major theatres of the war: the Ypres salient, the St Eloi sector, the Somme, one of the greatest human disasters ever created by mankind, where he served at Courcellette from Sept. 15th to Oct. 15, and the Vimy sector, including the assault of Vimy Ridge.
Training improved as the unit was rotated through time: at the front, in support, in billets as reserve and in training. Some of these sessions lasted several weeks as they practiced over a taped course for an upcoming
battle or assault. Thomas Grieve must have shown well; on June 6, 1917, he was promoted to sergeant.
In late October 1917, they were moved north to participate in the battle for Passchendaele, which had started on July 31 and would rage until Nov. 17th. The conditions were horrendous; the region was experiencing the worst rainfall in 30 years.
On November 5th, the 25th arrived in Ypres and moved to battle positions. They relieved the 26th battalion in the front line, which was "simply a series of disconnected posts in shell holes....but by night the whole line was pretty well connected up." The next day they were relieved and returned to billets in Potijze. Casualties for the trip were: 17 killed, 67 wounded, and 6 missing. Among these was Sgt. Grieve, "Killed in
Action", on November 7, 1917.
It is noteworthy that the letter referred to in the newspaper clipping, was received by * Mrs. Reilly. The only other man to sign up on the same day as Grieve was her son Robert. The letter may well have been from him.
* Mrs. Reilly had two other sons ( John and George) who served in WWI and a daughter, married to Andrew Garster, who died at the Somme. Anyone having further information regarding these connections, please contact us.
Thank you to Dorene Inglis who contributed the above newspaper article, from Special Collections, St
Catharinies Public Library.
Personal Information
Birth date: February 3 1894
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Parents: (illegible on Attestation Paper)
Occupation: Labourer
Military Information
Service Number: 407033
Rank: Sgt.
Regiment: 25th Battalion, Can Infantry
Theater of Service:
Date of Death: November 7 1917
Age: 23
Length of Service: 1 year 5 months
Last Battle: Passchendaele
Burial Details: Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium
Grave Reference: XIV B 3
Commemorations: Commemorated on Page 247 in the Book of Remembrance
Photos:
Action", on November 7, 1917.
It is noteworthy that the letter referred to in the newspaper clipping, was received by * Mrs. Reilly. The only other man to sign up on the same day as Grieve was her son Robert. The letter may well have been from him.
* Mrs. Reilly had two other sons ( John and George) who served in WWI and a daughter, married to Andrew Garster, who died at the Somme. Anyone having further information regarding these connections, please contact us.
Thank you to Dorene Inglis who contributed the above newspaper article, from Special Collections, St
Catharinies Public Library.
Personal Information
Birth date: February 3 1894
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Parents: (illegible on Attestation Paper)
Occupation: Labourer
Military Information
Service Number: 407033
Rank: Sgt.
Regiment: 25th Battalion, Can Infantry
Theater of Service:
Date of Death: November 7 1917
Age: 23
Length of Service: 1 year 5 months
Last Battle: Passchendaele
Burial Details: Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium
Grave Reference: XIV B 3
Commemorations: Commemorated on Page 247 in the Book of Remembrance
Photos: