Thomas Richard Head enlisted on 22 September 1914 with the 15th Battalion, 48th Highlanders at Valcartier, Quebec and was given the service number 27669. He stated his date of birth as 1 January 1888 in Greenwich, Kent, England. He went overseas with the battalion as part of the First Canadian Expeditionary Force to the UK. Following a short period of training they were sent to the continent, sailing through a stormy Bay of Biscay to St. Nazaire, France and were in the trenches by 6 March 1915. After familiarization with trench war procedures near Armentieres, the Battalion moved to Ypres, arriving 15 April.
A passage from our regimental history states: “Here the 48th, as part of the 3rd Brigade, and other Canadian battalions would be called upon to save the line from a disastrous breakthrough. The 48th would face gas and virtual extinction as they met the call with gallantry.
Battle of 2nd Ypres
On 22 April the Germans attacked the Turcos (Algerians) to the left of the Canadian line using the first gas attack of the war. Despite valiant counterattacks by the Canadian 3rd and 2nd Brigades, and the establishment of a defensive position by the 1st Brigade on the ground that they had retaken, by the 24th the German penetration had the 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders) all but surrounded. They were ordered to “stand to the end” to prevent a catastrophic breakthrough. At 4 a.m., as dawn broke, two Germans rose out of their trenches dragging hoses pouring green gas. When the German troops assaulted the trench of No. 1 Company, they found only dead Highlanders. In the trench beside them, two platoons and machine guns held tenaciously, repelling five waves of Germans until finally overwhelmed, the last of the front-line positions of the 3rd Brigade to fall. Back at St. Julien No. 2 Company and two companies of the 14th Battalion repelled three waves of the enemy but by 12:45 p.m. they too were overwhelmed. At advance headquarters, Major W.R. Marshall of the 15th Battalion rallied a makeshift group and stopped a mass attack. Surprisingly the Germans failed to follow up their advantage across the front. The Canadians had plugged the gap and the 48th had met their challenge.
Army Form B.213, which battalions were required to furnish showing their effective strength records:
18 April 1915 – 27 officers, 953 ORs [other ranks]
25 April 1915 – 3 officers, 316 ORs
Colonel Currie, in a handwritten note, said simply: “I have lost 661 out of 881 available rifles.””
Thomas Head was reported missing in action after the battle. On 28 April he was named on a German POW list at Grisson camp. He was moved on 3 June 1916 to Soltau camp. On 27 December 1918 he was repatriated to England. In Canada he was released from the army on 01 April 1919 at District Depot No. 2 in Toronto.
NOK: Mother – Mrs. Thomas Head in Castleton, Ontario, changed later to 150 Gladstone Avenue Toronto.