201176 Pte. Frederick James Hartrick


Tyne Cot Cemetery

Zonnebeke

Belgium



Born in Whitby, Ontario, in January 1887, Frederick was a "collector" by trade when he signed on in October 1915.


Attesting into the 95th Battalion, in Toronto on October 2nd, 1915, Frederick was one of 40 men of the 95th to be transferred to the 4th CMR on November 3rd, 1916.


At the time of Frederick's loss, on October 26th, 1917, the 4th CMR had just taken over the front line from the 1st CMR, west of Passchendaele, in the early hours of October 25th, in preparation for going into action in what was to become known as the "Second Battle of Passchedaele", on the morning of October 26th.


The assault began at 05:40 on the 26th, opening with a heavy barrage amidst a torrential downpour of rain. Some 4th CMR casualties were sustained from the erratic barrage, and the enemy also responded with a light barrage and sweeping machine gun fire. At some point in the melee that developed, Frederick was with his unit, consolidating a position near to Sunken Road, beyond Bellevue Spur, after a successful attack, only then to be cut down by a bullet from an enemy machine gun.


Frederick Hatrick is one of 12 men of the 4th CMR known to lie at rest in Tyne Cot Cemetery, near Zonnebeke, 10km north-east of Ieper.






Biography excerpt courtesy of David Kavanagh, headstone image courtesy of 4cmr.com