The following section is a transcription of the biography by Russell MacGillivary and Ian Scott in “Larbert and the Great War”
Private William FORSYTH
13th Battalion Canadian Infantry (Royal Highlanders of Canada)
Service Number: 415113
Date of Death: 7 September 1916 Aged 38
Family:
Son of the late David and Margaret Forsyth; brother of David Forsyth, Longdyke
William Forsyth was a miner in Carronhall Colliery, Carronshore, when he emigrated to Canada at the age of 23. In March, he 1915 he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, in the city of Sydney Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. He gave his occupation as being a miner. At that time, one of the world’s largest steel plants was located in Sydney, which was surrounded by numerous coal mines supplying the steel plant.
Private Forsyth arrived at the Western Front early in 1916. He is likely to have been a replacement for soldiers killed in the 2nd Battle of Ypres where the Canadians, including the 13th Bn Canadian Infantry were the backbone of allied forces following the shock of the use of poison gas. The Canadian Corps rapidly gained a reputation as an effective and determined fighting force who could be relied on to more than hold their own. We know that William was wounded during the Battle of the Somme when his battalion was ordered to support the 13th Australian Infantry Brigade in attacking Mouquet Farm, a German stronghold just north of Pozieres, on 3 September. (The Australians had already made five attempts to capture this stronghold.) The Canadian battalion advanced and dug in.
William Forsyth was a miner in Carronhall Colliery, Carronshore, when he emigrated to Canada at the age of 23.
In March 1915 he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. His enlistment took place in the city of Sydney on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. He gave his occupation as that of miner
Private Forsyth arrived at the Western Front early in 1916. He was wounded during the Battle of the Somme when his battalion was ordered to support the 13th Australian Infantry Brigade in attacking Mouquet Farm, a German stronghold just north of Pozieres, on 3 September. (The Australians had already made five attempts to capture this stronghold.)
The Canadian battalion advanced and dug in. Its war diary records that “during Sunday night (September 3rd), the men were heavily shelled, but showed great courage and endurance.” The heavy shelling continued on 4th September for the whole of the day on both the Front and Support Lines. The Battalion also suffered a heavy Counter-attack.
“On 5th September heavy shelling continued again on both sides during the whole of the day. Our artillery… fired about about two shells to every German one.”
It was on this day that Private Forsyth was wounded. (A total of 82 men from the battalion were wounded that day.)
He died of his wounds at the 2nd Canadian Field Ambulance then based at Albert. Battalion casualties, by the time it was relieved on the 7th, numbered well over 250.
William is buried in the Albert Communal Cemetery Extension, France at I. N. 35. He died of these wounds at the 2nd Canadian Field Ambulance then based at Albert. Battalion casualties, by the time it was relieved on the 7th, numbered well over 250.
Officers of 13th Battalion, Canadian Infantry: life expectancy of a subaltern was about 6 weeks.
William Forsyth was wounded during the Battle of the Somme when his battalion was ordered to support the 13th Australian Infantry Brigade in attacking Mouquet Farm, a German stronghold just north of Pozieres, on 3 September. (The Australians had already made five attempts to capture this stronghold.) The Canadian battalion advanced and dug in. Its war diary records that: During Sunday night [September 3rd], the men were heavily shelled, but showed great courage and endurance.
4th September..
the Somme when his battalion was ordered to support the 13th Australian Infantry Brigade in attacking Mouquet Farm, a German stronghold just north of Pozieres, on 3 September. (The Australians had already made five attempts to capture this stronghold.) The Canadian battalion advanced and dug in. Its war diary records that: During Sunday night [September 3rd], the men were heavily shelled, but showed great courage and endurance. 4th September. The heavy shelling continued the whole of the day on the Front and Support Lines. The Battalion also suffered a heavy Counter-attack. 5th September. Heavy shelling continued again on both sides during the whole of the day. Our artillery… fired about about two shells to every German one.”
It was on this day that Private Forsyth was wounded. (A total of 82 men from the battalion were wounded that day.)
He died of these wounds at the 2nd Canadian Field Ambulance then based at Albert. Battalion casualties, by the time it was relieved on the 7th, numbered well over 250. William is buried in the Albert Communal Cemetery Extension, France at I. N. 35.
Family:
Son of the late David and Margaret Forsyth; brother of David Forsyth, Longdyke
William Forsyth was a miner in Carronhall Colliery, Carronshore, when he emigrated to Canada at the age of 23. In March, he 1915 he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, in the city of Sydney Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. He gave his occupation as being a miner. At that time, one of the world’s largest steel plants was located in Sydney, which was surrounded by numerous coal mines supplying the steel plant.
Private Forsyth arrived at the Western Front early in 1916. He is likely to have been a replacement for soldiers killed in the 2nd Battle of Ypres where the Canadians, including the 13th Bn Canadian Infantry were the backbone of allied forces following the shock of the use of poison gas. The Canadian Corps rapidly gained a reputation as an effective and determined fighting force who could be relied on to more than hold their own. We know that William was wounded during the Battle of the Somme when his battalion was ordered to support the 13th Australian Infantry Brigade in attacking Mouquet Farm, a German stronghold just north of Pozieres, on 3 September. (The Australians had already made five attempts to capture this stronghold.) The Canadian battalion advanced and dug in.
13th Battalion war diary records that during the night of September 3rd, the men were heavily shelled, but showed great courage and endurance. The heavy shelling continued on the 4th September the whole of the day on the Front and Support Lines. The Battalion also suffered a heavy Counter-attack.
On the 5th September heavy shelling continued again on both sides during the whole of the day. The Canadian artillery fired about about two shells to every German one.” It was on this day that William Forsyth was wounded. (A total of 82 men from the battalion were wounded that day.) William subsequently died of his wounds at the 2nd Canadian Field Ambulance, then based at Albert. By the time battalion was relieved on the 7th, casualties numbered well over 250.
