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Military service
Service number:
802640
Age:
21
Rank:
Private
Force:
Army
Unit/Regiment:
Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment)
Division:
15th Bn.
Birth:
March 9, 1896
London, Ontario
Enlistment:
January 8, 1916
London, Ontario
Death:
April 9, 1917
Burial/memorial information
Grave reference:
Arras Road Cemetery, Memorial 21.
Additional information
Son of Thomas J. and Dorothy L. Neely, of London, Ontario.
Digital gallery of Private Wilfred Truman Neely
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Grave Marker
Grave Marker – The grave marker at the Nine Elms Cemetery located outside Roclincourt, France. It is located about 5 kilometres from Canada's Vimy Memorial. May he rest in peace. (John & Anne Stephens 2013) -
Cemetery
Nine Elms Cemetery – The Nine Elms Cemetery, located at Roclincourt, France. It is about 5 kilometres from Canada's Vimy Memorial in France. (John & Anne Stephens 2013) -
Attestation papers
Certificate of Medication examination for Wilfred Neely's enlistment -
Burial Report
Burial report - Canada, CEF Commonwealth War Graves Registers, 1914-1919 for W T Neely -
Newspaper Clipping
Pte. Wilfred Truman Neely obituary. Originally from London Ontario; killed at Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917 while serving as a reinforcement to the 15th Battalion of the 48th Highlanders. His name appears on the Vimy Cross, erected to commemorate members of the 15th Battalion killed in action during the battle of Vimy Ridge, which is now housed at the 48th Highlanders Museum of Canada located in St. Andrew’s Church in Toronto, Ontario. -
Vimy Cross
Close-up of the Vimy Cross showing Pte. Neely's name, erected to commemorate members of the 15th Battalion killed in action during the battle of Vimy Ridge, which is now housed at the 48th Highlanders Museum of Canada located in St. Andrew’s Church in Toronto, Ontario. -
Circumstances of Death Registers
"Killed in action"; south west of Thelus - Canada, War Graves Registers (Circumstances of Casualty), for Wilfred Truman Neely -
Attestation papers
Attestation Paper - Canada Over-Seas Expeditionary Force for Wilfred Truman Neely -
Memorial
Following Vimy, Arras Road Cemetery was subsequently heavily damaged in fighting, many of the graves were destroyed. After the war a new cemetery was created across the road called Nine Elms cemetery. All the remains they could recover from the old Arras Road Cemetery were collected for reburial. Pte Neely's grave was not located when the exhumations of field burials took place. This is a special memorial in Nine Elms Cemetery that commemorates a group of 15th Battalion men who were killed at Vimy and buried in field graves at what was then Arras Road Cemetery. In the case of men who were known to have been buried in Arras Road cemetery but whose remains they could find but could not identify, these graves are separated from the normal rows of graves and stone marker in the row explains why this was done. All the headstones in this special row are touching one another signifying that all these dead came from one burial place but their remains could not be distinguished individually. -
Honour Roll
135th Battalion Honour Roll donated by their First Commanding Officer, Col. Robson. From the "Southwestern Ontario Memorial Album - Dedicated to our Beloved Dead". It was published by Sergeant Major Cresswell of London, Ontario. -
War Diary
War Diary - In the Trenches from April 8, 9, 10, 1917; 15th Battalion 48th Highlanders -
Memorial
Family headstone for Wilfred T., Pte. NEELY Dorchester Union Cemetery, Section: 4 Dorchester, North Dorchester Township (Concession A, Lot 18) Middlesex County, ON -
Cap Badge
Cap Badge 135th Bn (Middlesex). Private Neely was originally a member of the 135th Bn before transfer to the 15th Bn as a reinforcement. Submitted by Capt V Goldman, 15th Bn Memorial Project. DILEAS GU BRATH -
Cap Badge
Cap Badge 15th Bn (48th Highlanders of Canada). Submitted by Capt V Goldman, 15th Bn Memorial Project. DILEAS GU BRATH -
Shoulder Patch
Shoulder Patch 15th Bn (48th Highlanders of Canada). Submitted by Capt V Goldman, 15th Bn Memorial Project. DILEAS GU BRATH -
Grave marker
Gravemarker. Photo BGen G. Young 15th Battalion Memorial Project Team DILEAS GU BRATH. -
Vimy Cross
Vimy Cross erected by the 15th Battalion following the 9 April 1917 battle at Vimy Ridge to commemorate those who fell during the engagement. Photo from the archives of the 48th Highlanders Museum, Toronto. Provided by BGen (ret) G Young and submitted by Capt (ret) V Goldman of the 15th Battalion Memorial Project. DILEAS GU BRATH -
Vimy Cross
The Vimy Cross was returned to the 48th Highlanders after the war by the CWGC and currently rests in a place of honour in their Regimental Museum. All the names of those 15th Battalion members killed during battle at Vimy Ridge remain clearly visible on the cross. Photo by BGen (ret) G Young and submitted by Capt (ret) V Goldman of the 15th Battalion Memorial Project. DILEAS GU BRATH -
Record of Service
Record of Service Card (front side). Courtesy 48th Highlanders of Canada Regimental Museum. Submitted by 15th Bn Memorial Project Team. DILEAS GU BRATH -
Record of Service
Record of Service Card (reverse side). Courtesy 48th Highlanders of Canada Regimental Museum. Submitted by 15th Bn Memorial Project Team. DILEAS GU BRATH -
Photo of WILFRED TRUMAN NEELY
Pte W T Neely from the December 1918 edition of The Christmas Echo published in London Ontario --And in the morning. -
Memorial
The 15th Battalion Vimy cross memorial was erected and dedicated at Ecurie, France close to the site where the original wooden Vimy cross was erected on the battlefield near Nine Elms Cemetery on 10 April 1917. The memorial is a granite replica of that cross and bears the names of fifty-four of the battalion's Fallen that were inscribed on the original - including Pte Wilfred Neely. Photograph taken in September 2018 at the dedication ceremony and is submitted by the 15th Battalion CEF Memorial Project. Dileas Gu Brath
Digital gallery of
Private Wilfred Truman Neely
Digital gallery of
Private Wilfred Truman Neely
Digital gallery of
Private Wilfred Truman Neely
Digital gallery of
Private Wilfred Truman Neely
Digital gallery of
Private Wilfred Truman Neely
Digital gallery of
Private Wilfred Truman Neely
Digital gallery of
Private Wilfred Truman Neely
Digital gallery of
Private Wilfred Truman Neely
Digital gallery of
Private Wilfred Truman Neely
In the Books of Remembrance
Commemorated on:
Page 300 of the First World War Book of Remembrance.
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