Charles Lorne Purdy Died: September 23, 1916 Regimental Number: 469371 Survived War: No Force: Army Regiment: Canadian Infantry Battalion: 64th Battalion/2nd Battalion Regimental Number: 469371 Rank: Private Date of Birth: December 30, 1896 Place of Birth: Yarmouth, N.S. Date of Enlistment: August 28, 1915 Place of Enlistment: Sussex, New Brunswick Age at Enlistment: 19 years, 9 months Height: 5 feet, 9 1/2 inches Trade: Moulder Marital Status: Single Religion: Baptist  Next of Kin: (Mother) Grace Purdy, Yarmouth, N.S. Charles Purdy was the son of Charles and Grace Purdy, Grove Rd., Yarmouth N.S. He enlisted with the 64th Battalion and served with That Battalion in England.  In France he served with the 2nd Battalion.  He was wounded in action and died as he was being conveyed by ambulance to hospital. Private Purdy was a victim of a creeping barrage. British guns were to shell a certain area and the British were to occupy that area after the fire of the guns lifted and the shells directed to the next line of German emplacements.  On this occasion, due to faulty liaison, British guns continued to shell an area moments earlier seized from the Germans.   Date of Death: September 23, 1916 Cemetery: Albert Communal Cemetery Extension, France Plot: I. O. 19. Albert is a town 28 Kms north-east of Amiens.  The town was held by French forces against the German advance on the Somme in September 1914. It passed into British hands in the summer of 1915; and the first fighting in July 1916, is known as the Battle of Albert, 1916. It was captured by the Germans on the 26th April 1918, and before its recapture by the 8th East Surreys on the following 22nd August (in the Battle of Albert, 1918,) it had been completely destroyed by artillery fire. The Extension was used by fighting units and Field Ambulances from August 1915 to November 1916, and more particularly in and after September 1916, when Field Ambulances were concentrated at Albert. From November 1916, the 5th Casualty Clearing Station used it for two months. From March 1917, it was not used (except for four burials in March, 1918) until the end of August 1918, when Plot II was made by the 18th Division. There are now 862 First World War  casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 12 First World War casualties  are unidentified. Five graves, destroyed by shellfire, are now represented by special memorials. Two soldiers known to be among the casualties buried here, but whose graves could not be identified, are commemorated by special memorials, inscribed, "Known to be buried in this cemetery". Commemorated on Page 151 of the First World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on April 7 Sources: Library and Archives Canada (Attestation Paper) Commonwealth War Grave Commission Commonwealth War Grave Commission (Cemetery Information) Canadian Great War Project Veterans Affairs Canada Additional Information: “A Monument Speaks” A Thurston; 1989 (p 278)  

  Private Charles Purdy