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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Charles Watson

In memory of:

Driver Charles Watson

April 24, 1915

Military Service


Service Number:

40727

Age:

26

Force:

Army

Unit:

Canadian Field Artillery

Division:

3rd Bty. 1st Bde.

Additional Information


Born:

January 24, 1888

Son of Charles and Marjory C. C. Watson, of Gananoque, Ontario.

Commemorated on Page 41 of the First World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information


Cemetery:
Grave Reference:

Panel 10

Location:


The Menin Gate Memorial is situated at the eastern side of the town of Ypres (now Ieper) in the Province of West Flanders, on the road to Menin and Courtrai. It bears the names of 55,000 men who were lost without trace during the defence of the Ypres Salient in the First World War. Designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and erected by the Imperial (now Commonwealth) War Graves Commission, it consists of a Hall of Memory", 36.6 metres long by 20.1 metres wide. In the centre are broad staircases leading to the ramparts which overlook the moat, and to pillared loggias which run the whole length of the structure. On the inner walls of the Hall, on the side of the staircases and on the walls of the loggias, panels of Portland stone bear the names of the dead, inscribed by regiment and corps. Carved in stone above the central arch are the words:


TO THE ARMIES OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE WHO STOOD HERE FROM 1914 TO 1918 AND TO THOSE OF THEIR DEAD WHO HAVE NO KNOWN GRAVE.

Over the two staircases leading from the main Hall is the inscription:

HERE ARE RECORDED NAMES OF OFFICERS AND MEN WHO FELL IN YPRES SALIENT BUT TO WHOM THE FORTUNE OF WAR DENIED THE KNOWN AND HONOURED BURIAL GIVEN TO THEIR COMRADES IN DEATH.

The dead are remembered to this day in a simple ceremony that takes place every evening at 8:00 p.m. All traffic through the gateway in either direction is halted, and two buglers (on special occasions four) move to the centre of the Hall and sound the Last Post. Two silver trumpets for use in the ceremony are a gift to the Ypres Last Post Committee by an officer of the Royal Canadian Artillery, who served with the 10th Battery, of St. Catharines, Ontario, in Ypres in April 1915."

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

Send us your images

  • Photo of Charles Watson– Group from 3rd Bty photo taken in U.K.
Gnr. Charles Watson - Back row, middle (marked)
  • Roll of Honour– St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Gananoque.
(No star beside name of Charles Watson to indicate he was killed in action.)Photo courtesy of Chris Andrew.
  • Gananoque Remembers– Gananoque, Ontario is a small town situated on the St. Lawrence River in the heart of 1,000 Islands.  It is one of hundreds of communities throughout Canada with war memorials which commemorate more than 110,000 men and women who lost their lives during both world wars. Over a  thousand citizens from Gananoque and surounding areas served in the navy, army, or air force: 83 lost their lives in parts of Canada, and in the battlefields of Europe.  Among the dead of Gananoque include a 15 year old solider, a father of ten, four sets of brothers and a Victoria Cross winner. 

Today the town cenotaph lists the names of those who died and  few citizens are aware of their family backgrounds or their circumstances of their deaths. Geraldine Chase of Gannaoque and Bill Beswetherick of Kingston believed it was necessary to collect this information and perpetuate their sacrifices. 					

Gananoque Remembers book is a tribute to those who gave their lives for our freedom.
  • Memorial Page– Charles Watson is honoured on page 24 and 25 of the Gananoque Remembers booklet, published on January 31, 2005.
  • Memorial Page 2
  • Gananoque War Memorial - Gananoque, Ontario.
  • Memorial– Menin Gate - August 2012 … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Memorial– Panel 10 of the Menin Gate - August 2012 … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Inscription– Inscription on the Menin Gate - August 2012 … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Inscription on Menin Gate (Ypres) Memorial

Learn more about the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

To learn more please visit our help page. If you have questions or comments regarding the information contained in this registry, email or call us. For inquiries regarding the names and information found in the RCMP Honour Roll, please email the RCMP.

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