Charles Maitland - Link to Larbert

Menin Gate Memorial. Authors image

1000443 Private, 43rd Battalion (Cameron Highlanders of Canada), 9th Canadian Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division.

Age: 29

Date of death: 27.10.17

Buried: Menin Gate Memorial Panel 24

Family history: Son of John and Marjorie Maitland, Castlehill, Larbert. He was married to Janet Maitland, Stewartfield Place, Larbert. Prior to emigrating to Canada in 1910 he was employed as a ticket collector at Larbert Station. He was employed as a Bank Clerk with the Bank of Canada when he enlisted in the town of MacGregor, Manitoba, on 28 December 1915 in the 226th Overseas Battalion before being transferred to the 14th Reserve Battalion. He sailed on the SS Olympic from Halifax on 15 December 1916 and landed in Liverpool before going onto Bramshott Training Camp in Hampshire. He was granted permission to marry Janet on 29 May 1917. He was promoted to temporary Sergeant however, he reverted to Private at his own request in order to go with a draft to France on 17 June 1917 were he joined the 43rd Battalion.

Aerial photograph showing the condition of the ground.

Action leading to his death

On the 26 October 1917, the 43rd Battalion was preparing for the attack on Bellevue Spur on the Passchendaele Ridge and had formed up with ‘B’ and ‘C’ Companies given the intermediate objectives and ‘D’ was detailed to go through to the final objective and consolidate a line joining up with 8th Brigade on the left. ‘A’ Company in support and to follow through and dig in forward or in rear of Crest of Bellevue spur according to the situation. During the night of 25 October the Canadian Engineers had a laid duck board bridges across the Ravebeek stream at four points leading to the assembly ground forward of the stream. There was heavy rain when the attack began at 5.40am on 26 October supported by a barrage. The commander of ‘B’ Company and his second in command were hit early in the attack and the command of this Company devolved to a Corporal. Both ‘B’ and ‘C’ Companies had made good

progress up the slope and by 7am could

Reconnaissance photograph of the ground on 26 October 1917

Trench map showing the location of the pill boxes on Bellevue.

be seen moving over the skyline and around two formidable pill boxes on the crest of the ridge. On the Battalion right, 58th Battalion had been held up by sniper and machine gun fire and two pill boxes and had fallen back to their jumping off line. The men on the top of the ridge from 43rd Battalion were holding on although casualties were high with all officers of ‘B’ and ‘C’ Companies out of action and the officers of ‘D’ company could not be found. By10am it was reported that ‘Lieutenant Shankland (‘D’ Company) and 40 men including men of the 9th M.G. Coy with two guns in action’ were holding the ridge. Now that the situation was clear the 52nd Battalion from Brigade reserve had gone forward on the low left of the slope of the ridge and to fill in a gap in the line to the left. They cleared up pill boxes on the left front and Bellevue as well as strong points on the right front. By 7.25pm the position had settled down and what was left of the 43rd Battalion was relieved and moved back to the support area on Abraham Heights and Battalion HQ moved to Otto Farm by midnight on 27 October. Casualties were Officers: 2 killed, 1 missing believed killed, 10 wounded. Other Ranks: 36 killed in action, 66 missing, and 234 wounded.

IWM CO2246 Canadian machine guns providing fire support. Private R Le Brun is nearest the camera