Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Arras Flying Services Memorial | ||
| 2. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 48C GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
A portrait image and article of him can be found on Find-a-Grave.Son of James C. Shanks, M.D., and Elizabeth A. Shanks, of Howick, P.Q., Canada. B.Sc. 1910.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 108th Squadron |
| Action : The Battles of the Hindenburg Line and associated actions |
12 September - 12 October 1918. As the momentum of the British advance continued it was clear that the Hindenburg Line defences offered the greatest threat to further advances. It was highly likely that the magnificently engineered defence system would re-establish the status quo of static trench warfare. However a series of magnificent actions at Havrincourt and Epehy paved the way for dramatic crossings of the Canal du Nord and the St Quentin Canal by early October. Both canals had been integrated into the Hindenburg Line system and their capture effectively broke the defensive capability of the system. Soon afterwards the British were attacking at Cambrai (again) and then by mid October were pursuing the Germans to the River Selle.
Detail :
Enlisted, August 1917, in the Royal Flying Corps, 108th Squadron. Promoted to Lieutenant and Pilot. Served in France. Killed in action when returned from a bombing expedition over Ostend, September 21st 1918.
Canadian- Check Killed in Action with 94433 Sgt Richard Joseph Sear in DH9 D3092 (David Barnes)
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Tongshan No. 3001 E.C. | North China |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
21st April 1917 | 29th May 1917 | 16th June 1917 |
Listed as a 28 year old Electrical Engineer, resident at Tongshan in 1917 at the time of his initiation into Tongshan Lodge. The contribution record shows he was "Killed in action" in the 1919 column.
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley