Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Flanders | Panel 26 - 30. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.134 | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Born in Poplar. Husband of Maude Siddle, of 39, Harvard St., Halifax, Nova Scotia.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 25/Canadian Infantry (Nova Scotia Regiment) |
| Action : The Battles of Ypres 1917 (Third Ypres, or Passchendaele) |
31 July - 10 November 1917. By the summer of 1917 the British Army was able for the first time to fight on its chosen ground on its terms. Having secured the southern ridges of Ypres at Messines in June, the main attack started on 31st July 1917 accompanied by what seemed like incessant heavy rain, which coupled with the artillery barrages conspired to turn much of the battlefield into a bog. Initial failure prompted changes in the high command and a strategy evolved to take the ring of ridges running across the Ypres salient in a series of 'bite and hold' operations, finally culminating in the capture of the most easterly ridge on which sat the infamous village of Passchendaele. The Official History carries the footnote ?The clerk power to investigate the exact losses was not available? but estimates of British casualties range from the official figure of 244,000 to almost 400,000. Within five months the Germans pushed the British back to the starting line, which was where they had been since May 1915.
See also: Canadian Great War Project.
He became Regimental Sergeant Major of the 25th and 40th Battalions Canadian Infantry.
Died at Passchendaele with the 25th Battalion. War Diary of the 25th Cdn Infantry Battalion for November 7, 1917 states: "Casualties very slight. R.S.M. E.A. Siddle Killed. 3 O.R. killed - 2 wounded and 1 missing." Listed on the Nominal Roll of the 40th Battalion.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Broad Arrow No. 1890 E.C. | Bermuda |
| Joined : | Moore Keys No. 2519 E.C. | Jamaica & The Caymans |
| Joined : | Abercrombie No. 2788 E.C. | Barbados & E. Carbibean |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
2nd October 1902 | 6th November 1902 | 4th December 1902 |
Listed as a Company Sergeant Major at Prospect, Bermuda and part of the West India Regiment when he was initiated into Broad Arrow Lodge in 1902. His war service is recorded and terminated by the final comment "Killed in Action 29/9/16." Not long after he joined Abercrombie Lodge No. 2788 on St. Lucia on the 13th February, 1903, but resigned in 1905. He also joined Moore Keys Lodge No. 2519 21st March, 1912 where he is listed as a Company Sergeant Major, based at Upper Park Camp Kingston, Jamaica. He resigned 18th December, 1913.
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