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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Cyril Gardner

In memory of:

Second Lieutenant Cyril Gardner

April 14, 1917
Monchy-le-Preux, France

Military Service


Age:

32

Force:

Army

Unit:

Royal Newfoundland Regiment

Citation(s):

Distinguished Conduct Medal and Bar

Honours and Awards:

Distinguished Conduct Medal and Bar

Additional Information


Son of Arthur and Mary Gardner, of British Harbour, Trinity, Newfoundland.

Commemorated on Page 46 of the Newfoundland Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information


Cemetery:

BEAUMONT-HAMEL (NEWFOUNDLAND) MEMORIAL
Somme, France

Grave Reference:

N/A

Location:

The largest of the battlefield parks established in memory of Newfoundlanders who fell in the First World War is Beaumont Hamel, nine kilometres directly north of the town of Albert. In BEAUMONT HAMEL MEMORIAL PARK, which was officially opened by Earl Haig on June 7, 1925, the monument of the great bronze caribou, emblem of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, stands on the highest point overlooking St John's Road and the slopes beyond. At the base of the statue three tablets of bronze carry the names of over 800 members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve, and the Mercantile Marine who gave their lives in the First World War and have no known grave. In the lodge, which houses the reception room for visitors to the Park, a bronze plaque, unveiled in 1961 by the Hon. Joseph Smallwood, Premier of Newfoundland, lists the Battle Honours won by the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and pays tribute to its fallen. The park is one of the few in France or Belgium where the visitor can see a Great War battlefield much as it was. The actual trenches are still there and something of the terrible problem of advancing over such country can be appreciated by the visitor. On the first day of the Battle of the Somme, no unit suffered heavier losses than the Newfoundland Regiment, which had gone into action 801 strong. When the roll call of the unwounded was taken next day, only 68 answered their names. The final figures that revealed the virtual annihilation of the Battalion gave a grim count of 233 killed or dead of wounds, 386 wounded, and 91 missing. Every officer who went forward in the Newfoundland attack was either killed or wounded.

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

Send us your images

  • Photo of CYRIL GARDNER– Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Photo of CYRIL GARDNER– Submitted for the Trinity Historical Society
PO Box 8
Trinity NL  A0C 2S0
709-464-2582
by Operation Picture Me
  • Photo of CYRIL GARDNER– In memory of the men and women from the Clarenville, Newfoundland area who went away to war and did not come home. Submitted on behalf of the Clarenville Legion (Branch 27) for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Photo of CYRIL GARDNER– In memory of the men and women from Newfoundland who went away to war and did not come home. From the Newfoundland Legion magazine “Lest We Forget”. Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Photo of CYRIL GARDNER– Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Memorial– Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Photo of Cyril Gardner– Son of Arthur and Mary Gardner of British Harbour, Newfoundland          Commemorated at Beaumont-Hamel(NF) Memorial, France
  • Distinguished Conduct Medal– The DCM was awarded to Warrant Officers, non-commissioned officers, and men, serving in any of the sovereign's military forces, for distinguished conduct in the field.  It was thus the second highest award for gallantry in action (after the Victoria Cross) for all army ranks below commissioned officers and was available to navy and air force personnel also for distinguished conduct in the field.  Additional awards of the DCM, like all gallantry awards, were marked with the addition of a Bar worn on the ribbon of the original award.  The Bar awarded to 2nd Lt Gardner is missing from this image.
  • Royal Newfoundland Regiment badge– In memory of the men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment who served during World War 1 and did not return home.


Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me.
  • Photo of Cyril Gardner– In memory of the men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment who served during World War I and did not return home.


Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me.
  • Memorial– Headstone of Cyril and Edward James Gardner.


1932
British Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada



Transcription of headstone:

In Memory of 2nd Lieutenant Cyril Gardner killed in action April 14, 1917, age 31 years. Also Corporal Edward J. Gardner killed in action July 1st , 1916, age 24 years.


White, Florence M. & Miller, James
Type: Image
General: Military, World War I
  • Beaumont-Hamel Memorial
  • Commemorative Plaque
  • Inscription
  • Document– Details of the events that led to him being awarded the DCM
  • Document– Details of the events in the London Gazette
  • Document– Details of his death

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