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Basil Dartrey Dawson

A Corporal with the 44th Battalion, Basil died on 25th of October 1916 at the age of 23.

Basil was born at Southsea Portsmouth on 18 July 1892, a son of Samuel John and Minnie Eliza Dawson. In 1901 his family lived at 19 Albion Place, Ramsgate. As a child Basil spent some time in Rochester, Kent, and then in London, where he boarded with Mr. A. Russell Baker at 2 Rectory Grove, Wandsworth. Basil attended Gideon Road School, Wandsworth, between 26 February 1902 and 12 July 1907. In 1908 his father died and by 1911 his family were living at 20 and 22 Denmark Road (Boarding House), Lowestoft, and Basil worked as an electrician at the Lowestoft Corporation Electric Light Works. He had been an electrician pupil under Mr. G. A. Bruce at Lowestoft. Later his mother lived at 116 Worthing Road before moving to 2 Gordon House, Chantry Road, Saxmundham. 

In May 1911 Basil emigrated to Canada where he became a ‘homesteader’ and also served in the 90th Militia. 

On 2 June 1915 Basil attested for the 61st  Overseas Battalion, service number 460277, at Winnipeg, Manitoba. He embarked on the S.S. Olympic at Halifax, Canada, on 1 April 1916 and arrived at Bordon, England, on 11 April 1915. On 12 May 1916 he was transferred to the 44th Battalion Canadian Infantry, service number 229393. Basil was appointed Acting Lance Corporal on 12 June 1916 and Acting Corporal on 27 July 1916, and was then confirmed in this rank. He arrived in France on 12 August 1916. 

On 25 October 1916 the 44th Battalion were in trenches east of Courcellette. A note in the Canadian War Graves (Circumstances of Casualty) records explains what happened to Basil:

Was wounded by machine-gun fire, when advancing across “no man’s land” on the morning of October 25th 1916. He was carried back to our lines by stretcher bearers but before he could be evacuated, he was killed by an enemy shell which exploded in the trench. 

The records add that there was no record of his burial.  

Lived at

Basil Dawson
20-22
Denmark Road
Lowestoft
United Kingdom

52.4747964, 1.7496102

CountryOfService
Canadian
BranchService
Army
Regiment
Canadian Infantry
ServiceNumber
229393
Burial/Memorial
France
VIMY MEMORIAL

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