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Jun 24, 1890
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Born in Notre Dame du
Laus, Quebec to Gilbert and Marie Louise (nee Lerier) Roy
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Oct 2, 1911
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Married to Anne Flansberry
in Massey, Ontario
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Aug 6, 1915
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On the same day his wife
passed away, Dieudonne Roy attested into the 59th Battalion CEF in
the Barriefield Camp, Kingston, Ontario
Ø Number
455229
Ø Next
of kin given as Mrs. Marie Louise Roy, mother, Notre Dame du Laus, Quebec
Ø Previous
occupation given as Lumberman
Ø No
previous military experience given
Ø Religion
given as Roman Catholic
Ø Assigned
to “B” Company
The battalion trained in the
Kingston, Ontario area
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Apr 5, 1916
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Embarked the SS Olympic in
Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Apr 11, 1916
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Disembarked in Liverpool,
England and proceeded to the Bordon Camp
Appointed to the
provisional rank of Lance Corporal
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Jul 6, 1916
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Transferred to the 39th
Reserve Battalion in West Sandling
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Aug 6, 1916
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Reverted to the rank of
Private at his own request and was transferred to the 21st
Battalion
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Aug 7, 1916
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Arrived at the CBD
(Canadian Base Depot) in the Rouelles Camp, Havre, France as part of a draft
of 27 reinforcements from England and TOS (Taken On Strength) the 21st
Battalion
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Aug 14, 1916
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After leaving the base
depot he joined the 2nd Entrenching Battalion in Etaples as part
of a draft of 14 reinforcements
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Sep 3, 1916
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After leaving the
entrenching battalion, Private Roy joined the 21st Battalion in
billets in Zouafques, France
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Sep 15, 1916
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The 21st
Battalion was given the objective of capturing the sugar refinery south of
Courcelette as part of the allied advance on the Somme. The advance was supported by tanks, their
first use in combat. The refinery was
strongly defended by the German army as it was used as a headquarters. The fighting was fierce and the battalion
suffered many casualties, among them, Private Roy, just 12 days after joining
the battalion. He was buried in a
field near the jumping off point after the fighting had subsided. When the war ended, his remains could not
be located and his name was submitted to be included on the Vimy Ridge
Memorial. However, in September of
1930, the Graves Registration Commission found his remains, confirmed by his
identity disc, and he was reburied in the Serre Road Cemetery No. 2, Serre Les
Puisieux, France.
For reasons unknown, his
name was not removed from the Vimy Memorial list, and when the memorial was
unveiled 6 years later, Private Dieudonne Roy’s name was inscribed on the
walls.
Following the war the British
War Medal, Victory Medal, Plaque (Dead Man’s Penny), Scroll and Memorial
Cross were sent to his mother, Mrs. Marie-Louise Roy, Notre-Dame du Laus,
Quebec
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