OUR FAMILY SERVICE RECORD IN THE GREAT WORLD WAR
FAMILY RECORD
Father's Name: Clement Boucher
Address: Moncton, N.B., Canada
Mother's Name: Mary Boucher
Address: Moncton, N.B., Canada
MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY IN SERVICE
Name: Placide Boucher
Home Address: Springhill Mines, N.S., Can.
Name: Joseph Richard Boucher
Home Address: Old Town, Maine, U.S.A
Name: Clement Edward Boucher
Home Address: Amherst, N.S, Can.
Name: Charlie LeBlanc (Son-in-law)
Home Address: Amherst N.S. Can.
Albert Fogarty, (Son-in-l)
Sydney, N.S., Can.
Albert L. & Roy Fogarty - Grandsons
MEMBERS OF FAMILY RECEIVING HONORABLE MENTION - DECORATIONS
Name: J.R. Boucher
Mentioned in dispatches. 1916
Albert Fogarty
Military medal
FAMILY RECORD
BRANCH OF SERVICE AND RANK ON ENLISTMENT
Name: Placide Boucher Age: 33
Branch of Service: Infantry
Rank: Lieutenant Date:
Name: J.R. Boucher Age:
Branch of Service: Artillery
Rank: Gunner Date:
Name: C.E. Boucher Age:
Branch of Service: Infantry
Rank: Private Date:
Name: Albert Fogarty Age:
Branch of Service: Infantry
Rank: Private Age:
Charlie LeBlanc, Private. Infantry.
BRANCH OF SERVICE AND RANK ON DATE OF DISCHARGE
Name: Placide Boucher Age: 37
Branch of Service: Infantry
Rank: Major Date:
Name: J.R. Boucher Age:
Branch of Service: D. French Mortars
Rank: Bombardier Date:
Name: C.E. Boucher Age:
Branch of Service: Infantry
Rank: Sgt. Date:
Name: Albert Fogarty Sr. Age:
Branch of Service: Infantry
Rank: Corp. Date:
Pvt [sp?] Charlie LeBlanc Died in Service
Pvt [sp?] Roy & Albert Fogerty Jr.
INDIVIDUAL RECORD
BATTLES ENGAGED IN ON LAND AND SEA
On Land
By J.R.B
Battle of: "The Craters" St. Eloi March 27th 1916 to April 19th 1916
Battle of: "Sanctuary Wood" June 2nd 1916 to July 13th 1916
Battle of: The Somme Sept. 1916 to Nov. 13th 1916
Battle of: Courcelette Sept. 15th 1916 to 8:40am
Battle of: Vimy Ridge March 1917 to April 11th 1917
Battle of: "Hill 70" "wounded" August 15th 1917 to 4:30am wounded at 8:00am
Battle of: Passchendaele Nov. 1st 1917 to Nov. 10th 1917
INDIVIDUAL RECORD
SAILING AND ARRIVING "OVER THERE"
Entrained at: Fredericton, N.B. June 1915
Detrained at: St. John, N.B. " 1915
Embarked Port of: " " " " " 1915
On S.S.: Herchial [sic] Captain:
Arrived Port of: Southampton, Eng. June 1915
Embarked at: Southampton " " 1915
Disembarked at: " " 1915
Entrained for: Shorncliffe, Eng. " 1915
INCIDENTS OF TRIP
We had an extra fine trip, good weather all the way over, and everyone enjoyed the trip across. Of the 750 horses taken on board at St. John 7 of them were lost at sea thru sick-ness, sharks followed us daily after the first horse had been thrown over-board. We were eleven days making the trip.
J.R.B.
INDIVIDUAL RECORD
BEGINNING OF LIFE ABROAD
Billeted (on arrival) in: Shorncliffe June 1915 to Jan. 1916
Rest camp (on arrival) in Barracks
OFF FOR THE FRONT
Entrained at: Shorncliffe, Eng. Jan 17th, 1916
Detrained at: Dover, " " 1916
Disembarked at: Calais, France " 1916
Entrained for: Flanders " 1916
Detrained at: Dickevusoh [sp?] Bel. March 9th 1916
Off for the Front: 1916 Arrived 1916
Name of Battle Front: Ypres Salient Location: Belgium
Entered Trenches First Time: July [???] 15 1916 Number Days in Trenches First Time in: 1
Longest Period in Trenches: 53 Days at: Vimy Ridge
Shortest Period in Trenches : 1 Days at: St. Pierre "Hill 70"
Total Number of Days in Trenches from 19 to 19
J.R.B.
INDIVIDUAL RECORD
FURLOUGHS
PRINCIPAL POINTS VISITED INCIDENTS OF TRIPS
Had one leave of absence from Fredericton to Moncton (10 days)
From Shorncliffe to Bolton, Lanc. 10 days, visiting London, Manchester
From France to London Eng.
Windsor
"Tower of London"
Mde. Toussards [sic] Wax Works"
"Zoological Gardens"
"British Museum"
"St. Paul's Cathedral"
"Westminster Abbey"
"Scotland Yard"
Houses of Parliament"
"Windsor Castle"
"Eaton Colledge [sic]" at Windsor
Buckingham Palce
"Albert Hall"
Piccadilly Circus
London Bridge
Trafalgar Square
The Tower Bridge
The National Gallery
Albert Memorial
Hyde Park Corner
"Rotten Row" H. Park
Natural History Museum
INDIVUAL RECORD
IMPORTANT INCIDENTS
2nd Lt. R.A.J. Warneford on the 7th of June 1915 brought down the first Zep to be shot down during a raid in England.
On Friday June 18th he was killed in an aireal [sic] accident. He was buried in Brompton Cemetery on the 23rd the funeral was attended by nearly fifty thousand people/
Germans first made use of poison gas April 22nd 1915.
INDIVIDUAL RECORD
CASUALTIES
Injured at: Hill 70 Aug 15th 1917
Nature of Injury: Gunshot Wounds
Injured at: Avion Feb 10th 1918
Nature of Injury: Gunshot Wounds
In Hospital at: Etaples, Fr. Aug 20th 1917 to Sept 1917
In Hospital at: Cormais [???] Feb 13th 1918 to Feb 20th 1918
In Hospital at: London Eng. " 22nd 1918 to Nov. 1918
Convalesced at: Epsom Downs. Eng. March 28 1918 to April 17th 1918
Convalesced at: 5 Con. Depot Aug 29th 1917 to Sept. 7th 1917
Gassed at: "The Somme" (chlorine) slightly 1916 and refused to go to hospital the same
night that fire started on ammunition dump.
"Over the Top" 28 Times, from Sept. 1916 to Feb 11th 1918.
INDIVIDUAL RECORD
HONORABLE MENTION-DECORATIONS-DISCHARGE FROM SERVICE
Honorable Discharge at Close of War: Feb 8th 1919
At: Halifax, N.S.
Cited for Honorable Mention for: Putting out fire on ammunition dump, while at The Somme
MY EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVATIONS AT HOME AND ABROAD
By: Richard Boucher
Incidents worth remembering The Canadians in company with the Australians tore through the German lines in port of Amiens to a depth of 14,000 yards, The greatest advance ever made in a single day during the war.
The Canadians got to be known as "The Spear-head of the British army". With the exception of two sacrifice guns placed in front line trences [sic] at Mt. Sorrel, They never lit [??] a gun. They never permanently lost a position. During the last two years of the war they were never driven out of a captured position once consolidated and consequently never went backward. In the advance mentioned above, which took place Aug 8th 1918 they took 6000 prisoners, 100 guns and large amounts of material. The Battle last untill [sic] the 22nd and during that time the Canadians fought and overcame ten German divisions with five others being partially engaged, capturing 9131 prisoners, 190 guns 1000 machine guns and trench mortars.
Underwent a course of Physical Training and Bayonet Fighting at the Garrison Gymnasium, Shorncliffe, for 21 days. Standard of Efficiency obtained "Very Fair". Leaving school Sept. 2nd 1918. R.B.
On the 10th day of April 1926 formed The "National Guards of the State of Maine" appointed "Staff-Sergeant, Grade 3 and served at Assit [sic]-Supply Sgt. And Pistol Instructor (incidentally bringing back a first-place medal and the team bringing back the two cups donated in the state shoot at Auburn, M.E. for 1927.) Received discharge Feb. 23rd 1929.
MY EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVATIONS AT HOME AND ABROAD
Kind friends, this is just as taken from a diary kept by me during the war, pass lightly over all its imperfections; let the time, and place, the circumstances under which it was written, be my excuse for all the imperfections and follies it contains. It was written for the perusal of my relatives and friends, and not for comments. And now for the entries in the Diary, which are written here exactly as contain [???] in "My War Diary. First-let-me tell you of the difficulty I had before I could inlist [sic].
In Nov. 1914 when war was declared I was found unfit for the service on account of a slight hernia (rupture). So I underwent an operation and on Dec 24TH 1914 was discharged from the hospital.
The following has been faithfully copied from the Diary.
Dec 24th Left hospital at Moncton, N.B. Can.
Feb 27th 1915 Enlisted at Springhill, N.S. in the 40th Battalion.
March 10th Transferred to the 28th Battery C.F.A and left for Fredericton, N.B.
May 30th Went home on leave (10 days)
June 13th Sailed from St. John, N.B. on SS Herchial [sic]. 1st draft of 28th Batty for England (I kept no record of the trip across but in another part of this book I have made a few comments from memory).
June 25th Arrived in Southampton and proceeded to Shorncliffe.
July 30th On leave to Bolton, Lanc. for six day
Dec. 29th " " " London (4 days).
Jan 17th 1916 Leaving for France
" 18th 1916 Sailed from Dover
" 19th Landed on French soil
" 20th Boarded train to proceed to advance base with 19th Batty.
" 21st Finished train journey and after 5 mile march arrived at base.
" 22nd Left 19th Batty to rejoin B.C to whom I had been transferred to while in England
Feb 4th 1916: Rev. at 3:00am. moved at 6:00am. arrived at position where we relieved the 2nd Brig. A.C. met a Moncton, N.B. boy "[???]" McKenna.
Feb 5th Met Jack Butler [??] of the 6th Batty, 2nd Brid. A Sydney boy whom I had known in N.S.
Feb 7th Carrying Am. to Batty guns.
Feb 8th "Stand to" till 4:00am in 9th.
" 9th Up at 6:45am. Handled bricks from village near line.
" 10th Heavy rain. Quiet.
" 11th Handled bricks all day. German plane dropped a bomb in field near by [sic]. No damage.
" 12th Quiet
" 13th Met Corp. Goodison [???], old 28th Batty Boy from Halifax, N.S.
"15th Very dirty had rained and snowed since 2:00am high wind at 8:00am but rained [sic] stopped. Shells are coming our way 1 man killed & 3 wounded. Heavy rain again at night.
" 16th Hauling bricks, quiet but showering all day.
" 18th On guard. Raining. Heavy bombardment going on.
" 19th Clear day. Artillery duel on.
Feb. 20th Heavy rifle and machine gun fire, also severe artillery fire, we seem to be getting the best of it.
Feb. 23th - On duty up to trenches with S.A.A. and up again with team at night for bricks. Lots of bullets flying but no one hurt. Snowing & very cold.
Feb. 24th They take toll again. Air raid. 1 man & 7 horses killed.
Feb. 25th 26th & 27th Confined to bed, very bad cold & sore throat our Capt. proves himself a "Brick" even tho he seems hard boiled, as he comes in with a hot drink for me every night.
Feb. 28th On guard. A great deal of aeroplane fights, one of ours fell about 900ft righted itself and managed to make a fair landing.
March 1st Took 2300 rounds of Am to the guns. We're getting lots of Am now.
" 2nd Have had no sleep for 48hrs.
" 3rd Few hours sleep last night. Weather fair. Artillery duel on.
" 4th Snowing hard.
" 5th Weather fine.
" 6th Snowing most all day. Shell and rifle fire moderate. Artillery fire slight.
" 9th Took up new position in Ypres Salient
March 11th 1916. - Spent clearing mud.
" 12th Lots of rifle fire our way but no one hurt.
" 14th Plane dropped bomb in adjoining field but it failed to explode. The same plane was brought down by our anti-aircraft guns.
" 15th With the exception of a heavy shower last night - the weather here has been very good since the 12th fields & radio are drying fast.
" 16th Nine planes in [???] towards [?]
" 17th St. Patricks day [quiet]
" 26th "Fritz's unloaded his express [?] shells in an empty field." Thanks, no one there.
" 30th A fine and quiet day. Up with Am. at night bullets whistling around, one glanced of my leg-irons and I lost a good horse. Damn their rotten hides, the man who fired the shot I mean.
April 1st 1916 Heavy bombardment and fighting, but we are more than holding our own.
" 2nd Quieter during the day, but at it again at dusk. Have had no sleep since the 30th and then only 3 hours.
" 6th Shelled out while delivering Am. to 13th Batty, but luck was with us (we delivered the goods), no one hurt, tho
April 6th, Con. - one shell burst a very short distance away and almost knocked me off my horse with concussion
" 7th Went into rest camp.
" 12th Took up new position.
" 17th Volunteered for working party, advance position 17th Btty. Enemy shelling us all day. 3 men killed. A spy was captured by the boys of the 13th Batt.
April 19th A few hours sleep and breakfast of bread and cheese washed down with water, sure tasted good, first chance we've had to eat since yesterday noon. Rejoined B.A.C.
: 25th Lots of tear gas coming our way
May 5th Counted 126 H.E. shells which dropped around us only 2 men were killed, no other damage was done.
" 17th Transferred to the 17th Btty.
June 15th While delivering Am. to the guns my off horse was killed and saddle horse badly wounded by shrapnel. I'll never come as close again without feeling the sting.
August 8th - Transferred to J.M.S (Sucide [sic] club) on my own request, don't know what's come over me; I must be getting tired [??] of life.
August 27th Went to rest camp.
Sept. 5th Left rest camp. This ruffin [??] sure have a good time in rest camps.
" 10th Arrived at Albert on the Somme
" 15th "Courceletter" after going thru this sort of Hell I guess I'll get back home allright [sic] - I wasn't meant to be killed in this war or I'd be dead now.
Nov. 9th All of crew at forward dump more or less gassed and gone to hospital, with the exception of Gen. Rehoz [??] and I, we refused to go. Had exciting time putting out fire on Am. dump.
Nov. 28th Left the Somme.
" 29th Arrived at Bully. Grenay which after our trying experience on The Somme, we consider a "Home".
Dec. 3rd Went into action with the "Heavies".
" 24th Went to 1st Army school for a course in J.M.work. Attended midnight mass and received absolution.
Jan. 12th 1917 - Back to our "Unit"
" 18th Sent to hospital from trenches sick.
" 25th Rejoined "Unit" at rest camp.
April 9th 1917 - Since writing the last entry on Jan. 25th have been too busy to even think of how time was spent, enough to say that we have be [sic] working night and day worrying the enemy and getting ready for the drive. We have had our share of casualities, [sic] but on the whole have been very lucky.
The famous "Vimy Ridge" taken, over to top about 5:00am. Thanks to our artillery, mud was our greatest obstical. [sic] (For the first time I noticed camera-men or photographers following us over). Just found out that I had been mentioned in dispatches for putting out fire on Am. dump while at the Somme.
(Made no entry in Diary from April 9th till July 22nd during which time I spent three weeks in Hospital sick with fever).
July 22nd Starting on "Special" leave to "Blighty" (P.S. "Blighty" is our word for England R.B).
" 23rd Arrived O.R. in London.
" 24th Went to Egham
" 25th Met Placide
July 26th untill [sic] 28th Spent in and around Windsor with P'cide & had visited among other places Windsor Castle and the Famous "Eton" School.
" 29th Back to London
" 30th & 31st Visiting places of interest
Aug 1st Cork's sightseeing tour. Visited Tower of London, St. Pauls [sic] Cathedral, Westminster Abey [sic], Albert Hall, Dog Cemetery, Hyde Park, H.P. Corner, Albert Memorial and a few other places.
Aug. 2nd Leaving for France.
" 3rd Arrived back to "Unit" it has been raining here for the last five days.
" 4th Started in again. "Nuff said"
" 6th Went down to H.Q's for pay, while there the Hun's shelled the town and 1 man was killed 3 wounded. Back up the line at night. Three of the D.A.C men were killed and 8 wounded while delivering Am. to our position.
Aug 7th Worrying Fritzy with J. Mortars. Ben Marsh missing.
" 5 men wounded among them being Sgt. MacTavish and Srg. "Jimmy" Auld.
Dec 25th 1917 - Does not seem like Xmas, alltho [sic] I was to Midnight Mass last night.
" 26th Day spent quietly, had a Xmas party
& dinner, party broke up at 11:15pm.
Jan. 1st 1918 Very quiet.
" 5th Leaving for 1st Army school of Mortars for a fourteen days course in the Mark III (How.)
" 20th Back in the trenches again; did not go back to Cuhem as we expected.
Feb. 5th Out for bath & pay.
" 7th Back into trenches again
" 10th Wounded, bullet through index finger.
" 11th Arrived at # 57 C.C.S. opperated [sic]on me at 6:00pm. Gee, the Doc, saved my finger. Many Thanks.
Feb. 15th From #57 C.C.S. to Base Hospital #4 Gen. at Cormais.
" 16th Marked U.K.(United Kingdom, looks like, but I'm off for "Blighty") Either they're crazy or there is a drive coming on and they want to clear the hospitals in France.
Feb. 21st, 1918. Left at 1:15am arrived at Calais at 7:30am. Sailed at 12:45 arrived at Dover 2:20pm. Left at $:00 and arrived Queen Mary's Hospital at 4:45pm.
March 28th Went to Woodcote Park, Epsom Convalescent Hospital
April 17th Went on Sick leave to Windsor
"27th Sick furlough up, resported to 2nd C.C.D. Briamshott Camp.
" 30th Went to C.R.A. Witley Camp, attached to "C" Battery.
July 15th Began prepe [sic] P.Y. course in Area School P.Y. instructor Sgt. Saunders. On or about Aug 1st went to Shorncliffe to finish course, not feeling very well, but manage to stick it out and Passed O.K. in exams.
Sept. Was back to C.R.Q and had been att. To "B" Battery for Duty.
Oct. 10th Attached to CS. H. for Duty.
Dec 10th Left C.S.H for Camp Bordon (And what a dismal hole it was).
" 30th Left Camp Bordon at 6:00am arrived at Kermel [sic??] Park, Rhyl at 5:30pm (In Wales0
Jan 8th 1919 - Left Kermmel Park, at 8:00pm. Arrived at Station Abergele 9:15 (a 4 mile walk) Left station at 11:15pm. Arrived Southampton.
Jan 9th at 8:15am and boarded the S.S.Olympic for Home.
The above is all that the Diary contained, and what follows is from memory.
We made the trip in six days and a half. We had a head wind and stormy passage all the way. Here is where I found out I'd make a good sailor. I wasn't a bit sea-sick and there were lots of cases on board. To any but sailors the trip, was a wild scene but to a bunch of men who had faced death in it's worst form for from 2 to 4 yrs, almost daily, it had no terror, to me it was a grand sight, but I'll admit I was glad that I was aboard a huge Liner instead of my Father's old fishing boat. Hurrying into the teeth of the wind, now raised upon the top of the Blue but foamed covered waves, there to pause quivering, balanced, as it were between two gulls, then heavily, and madly plunging down into the abyss below, dashing aside and throwing the spray clear up into the "Crow's nest" it seemed at times that we were bound to stay under, nut we always came out O.K. This lasted 4 or 5 days, the last day we ran into a fog and while there was no wind the seas were still mountains high. We landed safety at Halifax, N.S. Jan 15th and on Feb. 8th, 1919 received my discharge from the Army.
Richard Boucher.
Between Sept. 17th when "Freddie" Law was killed and Dec. 22nd 1917 I made no entries in my diary, it was during that time we took Passchendaele Ridge. It was there that John Sundle [sic??] was killed. Air-raids on this front was a common thing. One of the raids made by the German's [??] on themselves as they dropped most of their bombs in an enclosure. Where about 50 German prisoners had been put over-night, the intentions being to send them away in the morning, most of them were either killed or wounded. It was really too bad but no fault of ours.
At one time at "Vimy Ridge" we counted nearly 100 planes fighting over-head, every once in a while one would come fluttering down, like a wounded bird shot in flight.
While in Queen Mary's hospital in London The Germans made an air-raid over the City. Surprising how calm the civilian population are in face of a raid.
I often wonder why the Lord let me live, and so many good men lost their lives. J.R.B.
