Most recent news (last year or two) - for previous news updates, please click News Archive
Latest News:
15th November 2024
Warm welcomes are extended to Lee Nielsen for representing her great grandfather 159660, Pte Ernest Bishop, an 81st BN man who was injured by burial from a shell blast, and Steven Wright for representing his grandfather, 838214, Pte Hugh Wright, a 147th (Grey) BN man, who was wounded by gas twice. Both men, however, survived the war.
5th November 2024
A warm welcome is extended to Alex Clayton for representing Major Charles Herbert McLean, DSO. A former 6th CMR man, Charles would see his brave actions in the canal crossing near Valciennes, in the final weeks of the war, rewarded with a Distinguished Service Order.
3rd November 2024
Thanks are extended to Stuart O'Brien for representing great grand-uncle 145062 Pte John Alexander "Jack" McIntosh. Originally attesting into the 77th (Ottawa) Battalion, Jack was transferred to the 4th CMR in March 1916. After being wounded in the actions against Regina Trench, he was evacuated to England for treatment. As his wounds continued to bother and affect him, he was returned to Canada and taken off strength in August 1918. Thank you for standing alongside Jack, Stuart. And welcome.
29th October 2024
A warm welcome is extended to Lorna Hawley Norton, who represents 146th Battalion brothers 835559, Pte Alexander Turpin and 835719, Pte Thomas Alfred Turpin, her grandfather and great uncle respectively. Both signed on a month apart in Verona, Ontario, in early 1916 and, via the 95th Reserve Battalion, were transferred to the 4th CMR in December 1916. Sadly, both were caught in actions in front line patrols near Méricourt around 11th May 1917. Though Alexander was wounded in the back, he was evacuated to hospital on the 13th and survived. Thomas was not so lucky and was lost on the 11th. He is remembered on the Vimy Memorial.
17th October 2024
Thanks are again extended to George Auer for representing and providing biographies for the following 147th and 248th BN men: 1066244, Pte Richard Henry Whitney, 838798, Pte Frederick Simon Yandt, 1066156, Pte George Alexander Young, 839093, Pte John Ferguson Young, and 527731, Lt Joseph Bowman Lynn Young.
4cmr.com duly acknowledges George's dedication to the memory of the men of the 147th and 248th BNs.
25th September 2024
A warm welcome is extended to Ben Lackey, who represents his 3 times great-grandfather's brother, 157615, Pte Emerson William Lackey. Assigned to the 81st Battalion, Emerson was transferred into the 4th CMR as part of the draft to rebuild the regiment after the huge losses of 2nd June 1916's 'Battle for Mount Sorrel'. Sadly, Emerson was lost on the opening day of the '2nd Battle of Passchendaele', 26th October 1917.
9th July 2024
Researcher George Auer has done it again, providing biographies for 147th BN men transferred into the 4th CMR: 839022, Cpl Russell Kirk, 839052, Pte Malcolm Greenlees Kirkland, 838815, Pte William Henry Knisley, and 838104, Pte Robert Thompson Knox.
23rd June 2024
Thanks are extended to 147th BN researcher, George Auer for representing and providing a biography for 838103, Pte William Henry King, who, though wounded in France, would survive the war.
10th June 2024
A warm welcome to Peter Butler, representing 853280, Pte. Lancelot Ormond Butler, formerly a 177th Battalion man who was transferred to the 4th CMR in February 1918. Wounded in the push towards Mons in the last of the Final 100 days, "Lance" survived the war.
22nd May 2024
Further research in the reinforcements nominal rolls has discovered a further three men confirmed as serving with the regiment, now bringing the final figure of men serving with the regiment to 4,545. This project is currently around 50% complete, so may yet uncover further members of the regiment. Updates will be posted here should that be the case. A full update to the demographics page will follow once this particular project is completed.
7th May 2024
After carrying out detailed transcription work on the regiment's Nominal Roll log, it was found that 21 members of the regiment had been overlooked in the S. G. Bennett Regimental History nominal roll listing that had been used to create this website's In Memoriam pages - a full A to Z listing of all who were assigned to the 4th CMR between 1914 and 1919. These missing entries have now been added to the relevant In Memoriam pages, bringing the ranks up to 4,542, from 4,521. This project had been waiting in the wings to be done for a number of years, and I am pleased now to present the fullest possible listing of the regiments's members. We will remember them.
1st May 2024
Per his recent contact (Apr. 25th), 2Lt Jimmy Birtwell has submitted biographies for his great grandfather 113092, Pte. Horace Blake and great uncle 113093 Pte Leonard Blake. Thank you, Jimmy.
30th April 2024
A further biography has been submitted by 4th CMR researcher, David Kavanagh, for 407110, Sgt Gordon Emerson Levy, DCM, a 36th BN man transferred to the 4th CMR in January 1916, who, though wounded, survived the 4th's darkest day on 2nd June 1916. After recovery he was transferred to the 3rd Canadian Division's 8th Machine Gun Company, where he was more severely wounded in October 1916's action on the Somme; action for which he was awarded a DCM, Distinguished Conduct Medal. He survived the war.
26th April 2024
4th CMR researcher, David Kavanagh, has submitted a biography for 214321, Pte Charles Christopher Quinn, a 99th BN man who was transferred to the 4th CMR via the 35th BN in 1916. Attached to the British Army's School of Mortars, he served as Batman to a Lt Hastings. Charles was returned to the 4th CMR at the end of the war, unscathed.
25th April 2024
A warm welcome is extended to 2Lt Jimmy Birtwell for representing great grandfather 113092, Pte Horace Blake and great uncle 113093, Pte Leonard Blake, brothers who signed up together, originally attesting into the 8th CMR before being transferred to the 4CMR in the divisional restructuring of January 1916. Horace survived the war, whilst, sadly, brother Leonard was lost on the 4CMR's darkest day, 2nd June 1916, in the 'Battle for Mount Sorrel.'.
25th April 2024
A warm welcome is extended to 2Lt Jimmy Birtwell for representing great uncles 113092, Pte Horace Blake and 113093, Pte Leonard Blake, brothers who signed up together, originally attesting into the 8th CMR before being transferred to the 4CMR in the divisional restructuring of January 1916. Horace survived the war, whilst, sadly, brother Leonard was lost on the 4CMR's darkest day, 2nd June 1916, in the 'Battle for Mount Sorrel.'.
8th February 2024
Thanks and warm welcomes are extended to Marguerite and Michael & Pauline O'Neill for providing details for 3033834 Pte Frank Sims Wilton, and to Alex Clayton for providing details for brothers 111095 Pte Ernest Clayton and 111096 Pte. Joshua Clayton.
12th October 2023
A warm welcome is extended to Sean Maas-Stevens, who has provided a biography for 334232, Pte. Curtis Walker. Orginally a 63rd Battery C.F.A. man, Curtis was transferred to the 4th CMR in in May 1917, and served without incident until he was wounded by a gas shell three days before the Aristice. Thankfully he survived for a full life in the USA thereafter. Thank you, Sean, for standing alongside Curtis.
19th September 2023
Thanks are extended to long term contributor and 4CMR researcher, David Kavanagh, for providing a biography for 113371, Pte. Harry Loxley. Orginally an 8th CMR man, Harry was transferred to the 4th CMR in the divisional restructuring of January 1916. Surviving the 4th's blackest day, the 'Battle for Mount Sorrel' on June 2nd 1916, Harry, taken as POW that morning, was not repatriated until two weeks after the end of the war.
10th March 2023
A warm welcome to Ann Henderson, who steps up alongside her grandfather, Lt Frederick Watt, a former 111th & 35th Battalion man, who was transferred to the 4th CMR in late November 1916. Though wounded at Vimy and subsequently discharged, Frederick did survive the war and was previously represented here by his late daughter, Joann. Thank you, Ann.
Also welcome to Scott Bradley, who represents his great uncle, 109149, L/Cpl Stanley Longmoor, who as a 4th CMR "original" signed up in November 1914. Sadly, Stanley was lost in the 'Battle for Mount Sorrel' in early June 1916. Thank you, Scott.
17th December 2022
A warm welcome is extended to Leo Belval, representing 144993 Pte Andrew Mesick, who served as Pte Howard Martin. Originally assigned to the 77th (Ottawa) Battalion, Andrew was transferred to the 4th CMR in March 1916, but sadly was lost on 2nd June of that year in the 4th's blackest day, in the 'Battle for Mount Sorrel', near Ypres (now Ieper), Belgium.
28th November 2022
Thanks are extended to 4CMR researcher David Kavanagh for representing Croix de Guerre medal recipient 109699, Sgt. Arthur Yeates. Arthur was a Barnado's Boy, sent overseas to Canada from England for a better chance at life. He was a farm labourer at aged 15 and when he signed on was amongst the original intake for the 4CMR. He quickly rose through the ranks from Private to Sergeant. Though with ill health after returning home, Arthur survived the war.
13th June 2022
A warm welcome is extended to Roy Sullivan for representing 400907, Pte. John Hatch, a former 33rd Battalion man who was transferred to the 4th CMR on 26th May 1916, only to be lost exactly a week later in the 'Battle for Mount Sorrel', near Sanctuary Wood, Ypres (now Ieper), Belgium.
12th April 2022
A hearty welcome is extended to Diego Gonzalez and Verna Warden for representing 633088 Pte Frederick Lauzon, a former 154th Battalion man who was transferred to the 4th CMR in November 1916. Although Fred was wounded at Arras, by shrapnel, he survived the war. And here's a special hello and thanks to Debbie Gonzalez for facilitating the contact with 4cmr.com.
3rd April 2022
A warm welcome is extended to Karen Aston and Chris Aston, who represent their grandfather, 159693 Pte Rowland Aston. Attesting into the 81st Reserve Battalion, Rowland was transferred to the 4th CMR in June 1916, to rebuild the regiment after huge losses at the 'Battle for Mount Sorrel' on the 2nd. Sadly, however, Rowland was lost the following October in the costly attack on Regina Trench.
1st March 2022
A hearty 4cmr.com welcome is extended to Iain Faulkner for representing his 3 x great uncle Capt. John Robinson Woods, who was transferred from the 35th Battalion to the 4CMR in mid-June 1916, after the regiment's horrendous losses on June 2nd. Sadly, Captain Woods was lost at Passchendaele in October 1917. A biography will follow in due course.
9th February 2022
A very warm welcome is extended to Constance Marlatt, granddaughter of and representing Capt. Kenneth Marlatt, a 4th CMR original who signed up in December 1914. Kenneth survived the war.
14th January 2022
Thanks are extended once again to Vincent Goudsmet, this time for providing an image of Nine Elms British Cemetery in West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Headstone images were provided too, which will be added to the biographies of the five 4th CMR men at rest there, when they have been written up.
10th January 2022
A New Year's welcome is extended to the Warwick family, specifically with regards to Bruce Warwick for representing his grandfather, 112079, Pte Donald "Harry" Laird, who was a divisional restructuring transfer from the 7th CMR, and joined the 4th CMR in October 1915. Though seriously wounded in the 'Battle for Mount Sorrel', near Ypres, on June 2nd 1916, Harry was one of 350 men of the 4th CMR taken POW that June morning. He was repatriated in September 1917. Harry wrote a book about his experiences, Prisoner 5-1-11, which can still be obtained as a CEF Books reprint from 2006. Due to the extent of his wounding, and as a proviso of his repatriation, Harry returned to Canada and was struck off strength in January 1918.