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Wartime Heritage
ASSOCIATION
Remembering World War I
Yarmouth Connections
Name:
William Rudolph d’Entremont
Regimental Number:
734404
Rank:
Private
Battalion:
112 Battalion/25th Battalion
Place of Birth:
Lower West Pubnico, Nova Scotia
Date of Birth:
October 15, 1892
Date of Enlistment:
March 15, 1916
Place of Enlistment:
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Address at Enlistment:
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Prior Military Experience:
29th Battery, CFA, Yarmouth, NS
Age at Enlistment:
23
Height:
5 Feet 5 Inches
Complexion:
Dark
Eye Colour:
Light Brown
Hair Colour:
Light Brown
Martial Status:
Single
Trade:
Fisherman
Religion:
Roman Catholic
Next of Kin:
Joseph d’ Entremont (Father) Lower West Pubnico, NS
Date of Death:
April 9, 1917
Cause of Death:
Killed in Action (Vimy Ridge)
Age at Death:
24
Cemetery:
Nine Elms Military Cemetery, France
Grave Reference:
IV. E. 13.
Listed on the Nominal Roll of the 112th Battalion
Commemorated on Page 227 of the First World War Book of Remembrance
Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on May 21, 22
William Rudolph d’Entremont was the son of Joseph Vincent d’Entremont and Alice (D’Eon) d’Entremont,
of Lower West Pubnico.
He enlisted in Yarmouth with the 112th Battalion. He embarked Canada on the SS Olympic at Halifax on
July 23, 1916 and disembarked in Liverpool England on July 31, 1916. He was transferred to the 25th
Battalion and proceeded to France where he joined the Battalion in the field on December 3, 1916.
On April 9, 1917 he was killed in action near Vimy Ridge. He was buried at the Nine Elms Cemetery three
miles north of Arras.
He wrote the following letter from England on August 15th, 1916.
William Rudolph d’Entremont
Dear Laurie
I have landed after a fine trip across the water. We left Windsor on Sunday at 9 am
and landed at Halifax where we boarded the ship which brought us over. We were then
given our places to sleep and I was glad to get to mine.
When I got up next morning we were on our way and we landed the following Monday
at Plymouth. We then took a train and rode all day landing at the camp after marching a
mile. We were there a week and then were given a pass to go up to London and that is how
I happen to be writing from here. I left for this city last Thursday and have had the time of
my life and have seen many places.
We were taken one morning to visit the Tower of London which is one of the oldest
places in the city and was well worth seeing. Inside there are such things as old rifles, 300
or 400 years old, breast plates they wore in olden time; the gun carriage which King
Edward VII was carried on. One of the prettiest things there was a glass case containing the
crowns of the different kings. I don’t know how far back. The golden swords and spoons,
diamonds and other precious stones were wonderful. There is one stone alone in the
present king’s crown worth $550.000 so you can imagine what the rest of it is worth.
Then we were shown the places where some of the ancient kings and queens were
beheaded as well as the block they were beheaded on. It took us about three hours to go
through the tower and even then we did not see it all.
Another day I was at Westminster Abbey which is also a place of great interest and
although a very old building is still beautiful. All England’s kings and queens have been
crowned here and the nation’s most celebrated men are here interred - the greatest honour
to be bestowed.
I visited such places as the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge and the king’s stables
at Buckingham Palace where the king’s horses are kept. It happened they were changing the
guard and this was very interesting.
On another occasion I visited Mme Tussaud’s art works seeing the wax works of such
people as the two princesses who were murdered in the Tower of London - King Henry VIII,
Queen Elizabeth and several Others.
At one the piers here they have a German torpedo boat which was a mine layer and is
practically a new sort of submarine. It was captured on the east coast sometime in April
and is believed to have made several trips across the North Sea and laid 240 mines but was
finally captured by a daring lieutenant.
London, as you know, is the largest city in the world and if you were here you would
surely think so - things are so busy. One very peculiar thing are the cars and buses which
travel around. They all have two floors. In fact, they look like one car on top of another
and you can have quite a ride for a penny. It is quite hard to get used to the ways of
English money and English people but think I shall get used to it after a while.
Today is the last day of my stay here in London and I cannot say that I am glad of it as
I have had a good time. I hate to leave this place. Well, I think this is about all the news of
interest I can think of now. Perhaps I will have something new to tell you next time I write.
William
In another letter to his mother, he wrote:
