After David George Read arrived in France in late summer 1915, he joined up with the somewhat weakened Princess Patricias. After their recent battle in May of that year they lost countless soldiers and most officers, which left them very deoendent of the 80th brigade. David spent most of that year as well as spring of 1916 travelling and camping in trenches. He participated in minimal warfare until june 1916, at the Ypres Salient, Belgium. On June Second the battle of Mont Sorrel commenced. on this Day the germans bombarded the Canadian units on posts with artilleries. During this action, Soldier David George Read was reported missing in action between the dates June 2-4, 1916. David Reads body was never reported found during that battle. His name now lies on the Menin Gate (Ypres) memorial in belgium, to honour his heroic actions in World War One
David George Read's Battalion Diary from June 2, 1916. His assumed date of death.
David George read
David George Read was a Canadian Soldier that served in the First World War of 1914-1918. David Read was born on July 27th, 1896 in Peterborough, Ontario to his parents William G. and Nellie C. Read. David lived with his parents at 561 King Street, Peterborough until age 18, when he enlisted for the war. David was the only heir to his family, with no other siblings. His father had an injury from when he was younger and was unable to serve in the war alongside his son, leaving David the only Read family member to serve in World War One.
Before his enlistment David Read was a student at a local high school. From a young age David was fascinated by war and dreamt of being part of the army. Up to his enlistment, he participated in cadets with other boys of his age. At one survival camp David got in a minor accident that resulted in two scars on his knee, which remained for his enlistment.
Biography
The original attestation Papers of David George Read from 1915
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At the time of David George Reads enlistment, march 16, 1915 in Guelph ontario, he was a tall 18 year old man at five feet, seven and a half inches. He had grey eyes and black hair with fair skin. He was considered physically average, and therefore eligible to enlist for the great war.
At enlistment, David was originally planned to fight with the 38th Recruitment battalion, and eventually got transferred to the Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry, which was already stationed in Europe. During late spring or early summer of 1915 David Read travelled to France on the SS Megantic to join his unit.
King street Peterborough, 1900s
Princess PAtricias CAnadian Light Infantry battalion
The Battle of Mont (mount) Sorrel, was an operation in World War I between select divisions of the British and german armies. This battle, located near Ypres Belgium (Ypres Salient) lasted for 12 days from June 2-14, 1916.
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The Germans original incentive was to gain control of the critical positions east of Ypres. Their goal being to restain british units from transferring to the Somme front.
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With Units on either side having dug out trenches for this battle, on the morning of June 2, the battle commenced with heavy artillery bombardment Towards Canadian lines. This began the Battle of Mont Sorrel
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Due to the extensive casualties of this battle, and others in the Ypres Salient such as St. Eloi Craters, Hill 62, and Sanctuary Wood, between April and August 1916, The Canadian Hill 62 or 'Sanctuary Wood' Memorial was built. This is a war memorial that commemorates the actions of these Canadian soldiers.
There were 8,430 canadian casualties in the Battle of Mont Sorrel.
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Battle of Mont Sorrel
PPCLI's emblem
The SS Megantic
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These letters are not authentic, they were written by grade 10 student Thomas Waddington. They represent what how letters to and from soldier David George Read would have looked in during WW1.
Canadian Soldier David George Read was originally planned to serve in World War One with the Canadian 38th Battalion during his enlistment. During spring of 1915 he got transferred and sent to France with another unit, The Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI).
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At the breakout of World War One, The Princess Patricias Canadian Light infantry was the first Canadian division to be established and brought to war. In August 1914, captain Andrew Hamilton Gault offered to finance and equip a Canadian unit to participate in the overseas war effort. As the unit quickly grew with extreme interest, the battalion originally arrived in Europe on October 18, 1916 on the SS Megantic. Privates in this Battalion, such as David Read, typically were equipped with a british gun, the Lee-enfield.
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Andrew Hamilton
In May 1915 the unit took their first place in the trenches. The PPCLI engaged in their first major battle in may of 1915 at the battle of Frezenberg where they were the defence of the Bellewaerde Ridge. This battle ended as a celebration and victory, but it resulted in the loss of over 500 men in 3 days, including nearly all the commanding officers of the battalion. On december 22, 1915 they transfered from the 80th brigade to the new 7th brigade along with two other Canadian divisions. At this time they had ranked many new officers and had recovered from their last feud. At the time, the Princess Patricias was the only division Canadian with trench fighting experience. for most of winter and Spring of 1916 the battalion was travelling through france, and in june they arrived in Belgium. Here they Participated in the Battle of Mont Sorrel, where they earned a memorial, as well as the Somme in july 1916. In 1917 The PPCLI went on to fight in both recognitional battles of Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele. And in 1918 the division participated in battles up until the the singing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918.
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The countless Efforts the Princess Patricias Canadian Light infantry contributed to the war has made it the the first and most acknowledged Canadian unit of World War One