The months of July throughout the war years seem to have been relatively quiet for the 15th Battalion. There were no significant engagements and keeping in mind that even ‘routine’ frontline trench tours could result in what was termed “trench wastage” (casualties), the battalion suffered relatively few fatal casualties. July 1915 was spent mainly in frontline trench tours in the Ploegsteert area of the Ypres salient. July 1916 was mainly spent out-of-the-line in billets at Scottish Lines and Connaught Lines near Poperinghe. July 1917 was split between frontline trench tours near Loos and out-of-the-line billets in Neuville-St-Vaast, Fraser camp and Mazingarbe. The first half of July 1918 the battalion was out-of-the-line near St. Aubin and the remainder of the month in the front line in the Telegraph Hill sector near Neuville Vitasse.
In early July 1917 the battalion was out of the line but had supplied forward working parties which suffered 7 men wounded and two men killed: Private AE Robertson on the 6th and Private G. Jordan on the 7th both of whom are buried in La Targette British Cemetery.
192538 Private Gerald Jordan was a 24 year old bricklayer originally from Belfast, Ireland with pre-war service in the Royal Irish Rifles when he attested into the 92nd Battalion in August 1915 at Toronto.
He was promoted to Lance Corporal and assigned as a PT instructor at East Sandling Camp in the UK. In order to get to the Front, Jordan reverted in rank to Private and was sent to the 5th Reserve Battalion and from there to No. 1 Company, 15th Battalion in May 1917. He served in the front line trench tours at Arleux and Mericourt in June. Private Jordan was seriously wounded by shell fragments in the arm and leg and died at No. 2 Field Ambulance.
NOK: Son of Samuel and Minnie Jordan, of Belfast, Ireland; husband of Helen G. Girvin McMullan (formerly Jordan), of 148, Inkster Avenue, Winnipeg. Helen G. Jordan (W) 150 Gilbert Ave., Toronto, ON
