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Apr 19, 1880
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Born in
Manchester, England.
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Sep 2, 1912
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Embarked the SS
Mongolia in Liverpool
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Sep 15, 1912
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Disembarked in
Halifax, Nova Scotia
On
disembarkation, he stated that he intended to join the army in Halifax.
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Mar 15, 1915
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Attested into
the 21st Battalion in Lindsay, Ontario
Ø Number 59130 (temporary number 1343)
Ø Next of kin given as Elizabeth Callahan (actual name Candible),
mother, 5 Zachariah St., Manchester, England
Ø Previous occupation given as Steamfitter
Ø Previous military experience given as 16 years in the King’s
Liverpool Regiment
Ø Religion given as Roman Catholic
Ø Assigned to the reorganized “D” Company
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Apr 20, 1915
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Fined $2.00 (the
offence is not recorded in the file)
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May 6, 1915
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Embarked the RMS
Metagama in Montreal, Quebec
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May 15, 1915
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Disembarked in
Devonport, England and proceeded to West Sandling, near Hythe, Kent
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Jun 1, 1915
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Fined $6.00. (the offence is not recorded in the file)
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Jun 29, 1915
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Declared to be
AWL (Absent Without Leave).
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Jun 30, 1915
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Reported for
duty and forfeited 2 days pay in addition to being sentenced to 5 days detention for his
absence.
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Aug 9, 1915
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Forfeited 3 days
pay and sentenced to restricted half pay for 2 months for being absent from August 4 to
August 6, 1915.
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Sep 14, 1915
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Embarked the St.
Seiriol in Folkestone
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Sep 15, 1915
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Disembarked in
Boulogne, France and proceeded to St. Omer.
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Nov 10, 1915
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Transcribed from
the 2nd Canadian Division Assistant Provost Marshall’s War Diary.
Report
received that two cows had been shot on a farm near Dickebusch by Canadian Soldiers. Capt. Steele will investigate this case.
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Nov. 11, 1915
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Also from the Provost Marshall's war diary:
The “cow shooting case” develops
interestingly. Capt. Steele reports that two
soldiers of the 21st Battalion got drunk and thought that they would have some
big game hunting. There being nothing bigger
than cows around they promptly proceeded to make a bag – result one cow killed, one
wounded. Just as they were about to polish
off cow No. 2, an NCO and some men of the 18th Battn. rudely interrupted their
sport, as it was feared that they might also bag the owner’s son, who had rushed into
the field and was gestulating wildly over the body of the slain animal. The sportsmen were finally arrested and a
complaint and claim for 400 Francs – value of the afore mentioned cow- was forwarded
to my office. These cows are the property of
the Burgomaster of Dickebusch. Charge
sheets, with complete evidence of three witnesses and statement of Burgomaster’s son
and Capt. Steele’s report, were at once prepared and were about to be sent in, when I
was informed by Lord Brooke, Brigadier 4th Infantry Brigade, that these men had
already been tried and sentenced to 28 days Field Punishment No. 1. In the light of the evidence secured by Capt.
Steele, I considered that the men had not been sufficiently punished and forwarded all the
papers in the case to the D.A.A. and Q.M.G., with a request that these men be re-charged.
Needless to say the account given by the
troops several years later was quite different. Below is from the August 1954 issue
of the Communiqué, the 21st Battalion Association post war newsletter:
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Nov 17, 1915
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Sentenced to 28
days Field Punishment No. 1 for
Ø Drunkenness
Ø Discharging his firearm
Ø Killing a cow belonging to the Burgomaster of Dickebusch
Ø Wounding a cow which was the property of the same owner
He was also
sentenced to a stoppage of pay to the value of 100 francs, for compensation to the owner
of the cows.
Pte Candible
was not alone in this episode. Pte William Core
was also involved and suffered the same punishment.
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Dec 13, 1915
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Sentenced to 28
days Field Punishment No. 1 for
Ø Absence from 1.30 pm parade
Ø Found drunk at 2.30 pm
It is worthy
to note that this took place while the battalion was in billets in La Clytte and that
several men were punished for the same or similar offences for actions on the same day,
including his friend, Pte. William Core.
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Jul 14, 1916
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Attached to the
1st Canadian Tunneling Company.
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Aug 25, 1916
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Rejoined the 21st
Battalion from the 1st Tunneling Company.
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Sep 15, 1916
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Private Candible was
killed in action during the attack on the sugar refinery at Courcelette. He was initially reported as missing in action,
but later it was determined that he had been killed between September 15 and September 17,
1916. His remains were never recovered
from the battlefield and consequently he is honoured on the Canadian National Vimy
Memorial, Vimy Ridge, France.
Following the war,
the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medals were sent to his sister, Teresa
Candible, 5 Zachariah St., Manchester, England.
A Memorial Cross,
Plaque (Dead Man’s Penny) and Scroll were sent to his mother, Elizabeth Candible, at
the same address.
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Jul 27, 1917
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A letter from
the Officer i/c the Estates Section sent to the Officer i/c Records regarding 59130, Pte.
T. Callahan, states:
Please note that the deceased
soldier named in the margin enlisted under an assumed name, and that his real name was
Thomas Candible.
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