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Record #3724
Name :
: Gordon CAMERON (1898 - 1918)


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: Nov 1898

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
: 28 Sep 1918   Notes : Killed in Action
Abode (1) : Place of BirthScotland, Helensburgh
Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialFrance, Vimy Ridge
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: 11 Apr 1911
Country
: Canada

Ship
: Hesperian

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Quarriers
NotesIn 1901, Gordon Cameron, 2 years of age, was residing at 40 John St, Row, Helensburgh, Dumbartonshire, Scotland. Other family members included: Donald Cameron, 31 coachman (not domestic); David Cameron, 5; and Jessie Cameron, 24. (Source: 1901 Census of Scotland; Parish: Row; ED: 8; Line: 14; Year: 1901.)

At the age of four, Gordon's father, Donald Cameron, died of pneumonia which he caught while helping a young pregnant women and her husband to the hospital during a severe storm. Two years after his father's death, Gordon's mother, Jessie, remarried. Her new husband forced Jessie to give up two of the boys. She gave up Gordon, the youngest and David, the oldest. A terrible choice to make under any circumstances.

In 1910, Gordon Cameron, 11 (along with brother David Cameron, 14) arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, with a group of 100 children en route to Brockville, Ontario, Canada.

In 1911, Gordon Cameron, 12, is shown as adopted by John and Sarah Carr in Bathurst, Lanark, Ontario, Canada. His date of birth is shown as November 1898 and his immigration year as 1910. The hours were long, the work was hard and the pay was small.

On November 15, 1916, Gordon Cameron, 18, enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces (Service Number: 1042365; Force: Army; Unit: Canadian Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment)). He declared that he resided in Perth, Ontario; that he was born in Dumbarton, Helensburg, Scotland; that his next of kin was his mother, Jessie Mitchell, who resided at 41 Hills Street, Maryhill, Glasgow, Scotland; that he was born on November 22 1897; that he was a farmer; and that he was not married. He was described as 5 foot 3-3/4 inches in height; ruddy complexion; hazel eyes; and black hair. He was a member of the Presbyterian faith. He had distinguishing marks of a pitted scar along inner border of scapula. Gordon shipped off to Seaford, England aboard the S.S. Megantic.

(Gordon's brother, David Cameron, enlisted, but due to a bad stomach, left the service.)

On January 28, 1918, after six months of training, Gordon, who had taken as much of the time as he could to get to know his mother all over again, joined the forces of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) - one of Canada's most historic, decorated and respected military units then and now. All the while, Gordon's brother Donald, had registered to fight with British infantry forces. Donald survived the first World War but was killed in the Second World War.

Gordon joined the PPCLI in France and participated in battles throughout 1918. In late September, Canadian forces pulled off the miraculous, middle of the night Battle of Canal du Nord. Tens of thousands of troops were marched across the canal and took the enemy forces by total surprise when morning broke. This led to the major push to Cambrai and then onwards to Germany where war ended just over a month later. On September 28, 1918, Gordon was lost in action. The action leading up to his death had the Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) attacking German positions along the Marcoing Line. Their advance was arrested by barbed wire fencing, not visible in aerial photographs of the area due to foliation. The RCR was bogged down and many lost there lives in a hail of bullets from enemy machine gun nests. In a valiant effort, the RCR held their position. The PPCLI were called in to support the RCR. Five hours later, the allied forces had overun German positions in the immediate area. In all likelihood, Gordon was killed in this fighting.

There is no specific record of him falling, and no body was ever found, but the story that was passed on to his brother back in Canada was that Gordon had strapped hand grenades to his body, pulled the pins and threw himself into a German machine gun nest, sacrificing himself for the safety of his buddies. A few of his possessions were returned to his brother David, including two bibles, both recognized as belonging to Gordon. One of the bibles is singed from fire, while the other is blood stained on every page. This lends some credence to the story. Because no body was ever found and Gordon was listed as missing in action and presumed to have died of wounds on his official record.

Private Gordon Cameron is remembered on the VIMY MEMORIAL in Pas de Calais, France.

The Vimy Memorial is Canada's most impressive tribute overseas to those Canadians who fought and gave their lives in the First World War. The monument overlooks the Douai Plain from the highest point of Vimy Ridge. At the base of the memorial, these words appear in French and in English:

TO THE VALOUR OF THEIR COUNTRYMEN IN THE GREAT WAR AND IN MEMORY OF THEIR SIXTY THOUSAND DEAD THIS MONUMENT IS RAISED BY THE PEOPLE OF CANADA

Inscribed on the ramparts of the Vimy Memorial are the names of over 11,000 Canadian soldiers who were posted as 'missing, presumed dead' in France. 
ContributorsCreated : 2008-04-28 13:26:54 / From original database

Last Updated : 2015-07-02 11:02:11 / alanmack

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Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  30 Entries        
Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 881 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
3042 ABBOTT, John1881SCT,     Sep 1886 : Carthaginian CAN Emma Stirling  
3075 ABERCROMBIE, Andrew1878SCT,     Mar 1891 : Hibernian CAN Quarriers  
3076 ABERCROMBIE, William1855SCT, LKS, Glasgow Aug 1872 : St. Andrew CAN Unknown  
3100 ABRAMS, Mary Ann1898SCT,    , Dumfries May 1913 : Victorian CAN Refuge Home, Cheetham Hill, Manchester  
22560 ACTON, Philip John1917SCT,     May 1931 : Athenia CAN Quarriers  
3159 ADAIR, Henry Bower1895SCT,    , Dumfries Apr 1906 : Sicilian CAN Quarriers  
3164 ADAM, Allan Devrix1885SCT,    , Govanhill, Glasgow Apr 1897 : Siberian CAN Quarriers  
3168 ADAM, Isabella1897SCT,     Jul 1910 : Southwark CAN Quarriers  
3171 ADAM, Maggie1887SCT,     Jun 1897 : Sarmatian CAN Quarriers  
3172 ADAM, Margaret1899SCT,     Jul 1910 : Southwark CAN Quarriers  
3175 ADAM, William Butter1884SCT,    , Govanhill, Glasgow Apr 1897 : Siberian CAN Quarriers  
25417 ADAMS, William1889SCT,     Jun 1897 : Sarmatian CAN Quarriers  
9871 ADAMSON, Charles Daniels1897SCT,    , Airdrie Apr 1909 : Hesperian CAN Quarriers  
6389 ADAMSON, Christina Alison1894SCT, LKS, Glasgow Jun 1907 : Sicilian CAN Quarriers  
9872 ADAMSON, James Balfour1892SCT, LKS, Glasgow May 1905 : Corinthian CAN Quarriers  
7357 ADDISON, Hugh1876SCT,    , Jamestown Apr 1887 : Siberian CAN Quarriers  
10483 ADDISON, Thomas Snowden1905SCT,     Apr 1920 : Scandinavian CAN Quarriers  
3147 ADIE, Gregor McGregor1880SCT, LKS, Glasgow Apr 1894 : Buenos Ayrean CAN Quarriers  
5358 AITKEN, Lawrence Gray1909SCT, LKS, Glasgow Aug 1925 : Montnairn CAN National Childrens Home  
10484 AITKEN, Robert Plenderleith1904SCT,    , Limefield, Wiston & Roberton Apr 1920 : Scandinavian CAN Quarriers  
3156 AITON, William Lyle1888SCT, LKS, Glasgow Apr 1907 : Sicilian CAN Quarriers  
5679 ALCORN, Agnes Maxwell1894SCT, LKS, Glasgow Jun 1913 : Grampian CAN Quarriers  
5680 ALCORN, Margaret-Ann Irwin1897SCT, LKS, Glasgow Jul 1910 : Southwark CAN Quarriers  
3916 ALEXANDER, Agnes Barbour1888SCT,    , Coatbridge Aug 1906 : Corinthian CAN Quarriers  
10339 ALEXANDER, Beatrice Carlisle1889SCT, LKS, Glasgow Jun 1897 : Sarmatian CAN Quarriers  
6417 ALEXANDER, Charles1894SCT,     Oct 1910 : Cassandra CAN Unknown  
3917 ALEXANDER, Janet Murray1896SCT, LKS, Glasgow Jun 1906 : Corinthian CAN Quarriers  
3915 ALEXANDER, Mary Eliza1897SCT,    , Coatbridge Jul 1905 : Corinthian CAN Quarriers  
3918 ALEXANDER, Sarah Stewart1890SCT,    , Coatbridge Jun 1906 : Corinthian CAN Quarriers  
6418 ALEXANDER, Thomas1893SCT,     Jun 1910 : Hesperian CAN Cossar (George Carter)  
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 881 Entries        
Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  30 Entries