Percy Bertrand was buried in the Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery in grave plot 38 1 B. This cemetery holds 9839 soldier that fell from August 8 1918 to the date of the Armistice. these soldiers belong to the forces of Great Britain and Ireland and South Africa; Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Forces.
Vis-en-Artois and Haucourt are villages in the Department of the Pas-de-Calais, France, on the road from Arras to Cambrai. The VIS-EN-ARTOIS BRITISH CEMETERY, HAUCOURT is at the north side of the main road between the two villages.
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The memorial was designed by J.R. Truelove, with the sculpture Ernest Gillick. It was unveiled on August 4th 1930, by Rt. Hon. Thomas Shaw.
Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery
Vis-en-Artois Cemetery (front view)
Layout (grave plots)
Google maps Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery
Courier New is a throwback font with a vintage feel. It’s great for storytelling, narratives and news reporting.
Percy Bertrand
Letter from Percy Bertrand to Lula Bertrand (wife)
Letter from Lula Bertrand to Percy Bertrand (Husband)
Photograph of Percy Bertrand as a Corporal next to Sergeant Cash.
631 Union St. Peterborough, ON
Letter Soldier to Home Audio
Letter Home to Soldier Audio
The 18th Bn. was authorized November 7th 1914, they embarked for Great Britain April 18th 1915. They went to France on September 15th 1915, fought as part of the 4th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war.
Battle Honours:
-Ypre 1917 -MOUNT SORREL
-Passchendaele -Somme, 1916-’18
-AMIENS-Flers -Courcelette
-Scarpe, 1918 -Thiepval
-HINDENBURG LINE -Ancre Heights
-Canad du Nord -APRAS, 1917, ‘18
-Cambrai, 1918 -Vimy, 1917
-PURSUITTO MONS -HILL 70
-France and Flanders, 1915-’18
Theatre Of War: France
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18th Battlion
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The Owl
Downhill I came, hungry, and yet not starved;
Cold, yet had heat within me that was proof
Against the North wind; tired, yet so that rest
Had seemed the sweetest thing under a roof.
Then at the inn I had food, fire, and rest,
Knowing how hungry, cold, and tired was I.
All of the night was quite barred out except
An owl’s cry, a most melancholy cry
Shaken out long and clear upon the hill,
No merry note, nor cause of merriment,
But one telling me plain what I escaped
And others could not, that night, as in I went.
And salted was my food, and my repose,
Salted and sobered, too, by the bird’s voice
Speaking for all who lay under the stars,
Soldiers and poor, unable to rejoice.
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In Flanders Fields
By John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
World War One Poetry
Poems courtesy of the Poetry Foundation
Percy Bertrand's Attestation Papers
Percy Bertrand was born May 20th 1887 in Smith Township, Peterborough County, Ontario, and lived with his mother, Addie Bertrand. They were Methodist. He had a dark complexion, blue eyes, and dark brown hair. He grew up in Smith Township, then with his mother, moved into Peterborough when he got older, to 631 Union St. in Peterborough, ON. He worked as a labourer, until he joined the 46th Regiment for one year and came back to Peterborough and continued his work as a labourer. Then, on March 20th 1916, he enlisted for the First World War, in Peterborough. He put his next of kin as Addie Bertrand, his mother, so she would get his money earned and notified when or if he died. He was not married at the time when he wrote his attestation papers, but he got married to Lula Bertrand on April 10th 1916 (Lula lived on 502 George St. Peterborough, ON). He was examined and deemed fit by a Major in the 57th Regiment, J. Eastwind. Percy stood 5 ft 3 ½ inches tall, weighed 130 lbs., and his apparent age was 28 years and 10 months. After being examined and deemed fit, filling in his attestation papers, and taking the Oath, he was given his Regimental number, 195821, and the okay to serve in World War One.
Percy arrived in England with the 93rd Battalion on the 25th of July on the S.S Empress of Britain. He first served in the 93rd Battalion as a private, in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Then he transferred to the 18th Battalion on September 15th 1916, in the unit Canadian Infantry (Western Ontario). He earned $20.00 dollars (changed from $17.00) a month which was paid to Lula, his wife, while he was a private. The 18th Battalion fought as part of the 4th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division France and Flanders until the end of the War. While in the 18th Battalion, Percy was promoted to Corporal August 16th 1917. On April 24th 1917, Percy was wounded in the field, which was noted by the Winnipeg Tribune, but he survived. On November 2nd 1917, Percy was awarded the Military Medal for his bravery and service in War. He was promoted to Sergeant on the 18th of April, 1918. Percy earned approximately $40-$45 dollars a month in his position of Sergeant, and his money was sent back to Addie and Lula Bertrand, his mother and wife.
While in the 18th Battalion, Percy fought in Vis-en-Artois on the Western Front. Vis-en-Artois was a town in France that was deeply affected by WW1. It was under German control from September 30th 1914 to August 24th 1918, when the Canadians liberated the town of German forces. Shortly after the Canadians liberated the town, Sergeant Percy Bertrand died in Vis-en-Artois, on August 28th 1918, by stray machine gun fire that killed him instantly. He was buried in the Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt, Pas de Calais, France, grave plot 38 1 B. His wife, Lula Bertrand received the severance money when Percy died. Lula received one hundred dollars in cheque when Percy died.