Lt. Harvey Watt Cockshutt
Poperinghe New Military Cemetery
Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen
Belgium
Born in Brantford, Ontario, in November 1883, Harvey was a manufacturer by trade when he signed on in December 1914.
Still a resident in Brantford, Harvey declared no previous military experience when attesting into the 4th CMR in the original intake, in Toronto on December 3rd, 1914.
At the time of his loss, on June 2nd, 1916, the 4th CMR had been caught in the opening onslaught of the "Battle for Mount Sorrel", which then raged on for 13 days, to the loss of some 10,000 Canadian, British and German troops. Ironically the line ended up back pretty much where it was on June 1st, despite initial ground being gained by the Germans, which was then so vehemently regained by the British and then Canadian troops.
As the 4th CMR's blackest day, only 73 of some 680 men answered to their names on June 3rd. Alas, Lt. Harvey Watt Cockshutt was not one of them. Unlike so many, however, his body was recovered and subsequently lies at rest at Poperinghe New Military Cemetery, in Poperinge, 10km west of Ieper, Belgium.
Headstone image supplied to 4cmr.com anonymously. The biography excerpt is courtesy of David Kavanagh.