Private Arsène Joseph Delvaux

Few information could be found about this brave individual, who enlisted at 40 years old. Based on elements found in his military file and customs records, it appears that he was a miner, and as thousands of Europeans, he came to America to start a new life. He and his wife arrived separately in Canada, in 1901-1902, and after two failed attempts in the United States (in Arkansas and in Pennsylvania), they finally settled in Joggins Mines, a mining site in Nova Scotia. They always kept a connection with Belgium and travelled there on a few occasions. It seems like Arsène did not apply to become Canadian citizen.

Enlisted in the 150th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, he arrived in Liverpool, England, on October 6, 1916. He was posted to the Canadian Engineers Training Depot from November 16, 1916 to January 19, 1917, and then to the 1st Tunneling Company until October 12, 1917, when he was transferred to the 22nd Battalion. On March 4, 1918, he was awarded the Good Conduct Badge.

"On August 27 [1918], at 430 hrs, the 22nd reached the assembly point for the attack. The starting trenches are called “La Panthère” and “L'Aigrette”. At 1000 hrs, the artillery opened a barrage of all its guns on the German trenches. Three minutes later, the 22nd once again jumped the parapet and was greeted by intense artillery and musketry fire... For two long hours, it's a slow approach, in small groups, proceeding by leaps and bounds, from one shell hole to the next, through the barbed wire, across the plain mowed down by machine guns, sprayed with shrapnel and hammered by shells, to the enemy trenches, it's hand-to-hand, bayonet-to-bayonet. " Histoire du 22e Bataillon canadien-français, tome 1, 1914-1919, page 365-366.

He was killed in action at the Battle of Chérisy during an assault from Neuville-Vitasse towards Wancourt.