During the period July 20-23, 1917 the 15th Battalion was in the line near Loos and throughout that four day trench tour their positions were heavily bombarded by German 77mm artillery and especially ‘Whiz-bangs’ – minenwerfers. The unit suffered a number of men wounded on the 22nd and 23rd but on the 20th three men were killed in action. All three men had come to the 15th Battalion as reinforcements following Vimy in April 1917 and they served in the Arleux, Mericourt and Loos trench tours between April and July.
678032 Private Ernest George Hanson was a 37 year old caretaker originally from Dover, England when he attested into the 169th Battalion in February 1916 at Toronto. He was transferred to the 5th Reserve Battalion at Bramshott in January 1917 and from there sent as a reinforcement to No. 1 Company of the 15th Battalion in the field following Vimy in late April.
During the bombardment on July 20th, Privates Hanson and Allbright were killed by a ‘whiz bang’ in a trench called Scot’s Alley and Private Ficht was killed by artillery fire while on sentry duty in a front line trench. All three men are buried in Barlin Communal Cemetery Extension.
NOK: Mary Hanson (W) 288 Church St., Toronto, ON