Pvt. George Angus #911008 was born to James and Sarah Angus in Oshawa, ON on April 10, 1881 who moved to 82 North District of Leeds-Grenville in Merrickville Village by 1891 near the Phillippo, Lisson and Maxwell families in sub-district D1. George was the second of six siblings including Margaret, William, Gordon, Christina and Minnie. His dad worked on the rails and was of Scottish descent and earned very good money. He enlisted on April 19, 1916 in Saskatoon, SK at the age of 33 and assigned to the 196th battalion . He was 5’5, 36” chest, single, grey eyes and fair hair. He listed his father, James Angus of Merrickville, ON as next of kin, his occupation as farmer at Kinley, SK and his religion as Presbyterian. His father received his medals, decorations, plaque and scroll and his mother received the Memorial Cross. His pay of $15 per month went to his father James who lived in Merrickville.
Pvt. Angus sailed on the SS Southland on Oct. 31, 1916 from Halifax and arrived in Liverpool where he was assigned the 19th reserve battalion. On Feb. 1, 1917 he was assigned to the 46th battalion and headed for France. On April 5th, he lost part of his rations, tea and sugar due to neglect of rations. On April 16, he was sentenced to five days of prison for leaving a working party without permission while on active duty.
The 46th battalion participated in the battle of Vimy Ridge on April 7-10, 1917 and carried out their objective. While casualties were high, George Angus survived this battle without incident. The 46th was then moved to the Lens area where they supported the next main line. On June 2, the 44th and 50th battalions supported by the 46th was given the order to capture a machine gun emplacement. They successfully did so but because the attack happened at night, they weren’t sure where they were located. When the sun rose the next morning, they discovered they had gone beyond their artillery support and in the middle of the German line. They had to abandon the emplacement after destroying it with a couple bombs and took heavy casualties in their retreat. German artillery remained heavy the rest of the day on June 3 and then on June 4. The 46th battalion was relieved by the 102nd battalion during this bombardment.
On June 4, 1917, while with the 46th battalion, Pvt. George Angus was instantaneously killed by flying shrapnel at Fyles Trench near Lens (Avions) at the age of 36. He is memorialized on the Vimy Memorial as one of the 11, 242 veterans remembered on the memorial. His name can be viewed on May 3 at the Memorial Chamber in the Peace Tower in Ottawa. The Vimy Memorial overlooks the Douai Plain from the highest point of Vimy Ridge. Located north of Arras in France, the Vimy Memorial is Canada’s largest overseas National Memorial. It commemorates more than 11,000 men of the Canadian Expeditionary Force killed during the First World War in France and who have no known grave. Many of them died in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. He is commemorated on page 192 of the Book of Remembrance.
Pvt. Angus sailed on the SS Southland on Oct. 31, 1916 from Halifax and arrived in Liverpool where he was assigned the 19th reserve battalion. On Feb. 1, 1917 he was assigned to the 46th battalion and headed for France. On April 5th, he lost part of his rations, tea and sugar due to neglect of rations. On April 16, he was sentenced to five days of prison for leaving a working party without permission while on active duty.
The 46th battalion participated in the battle of Vimy Ridge on April 7-10, 1917 and carried out their objective. While casualties were high, George Angus survived this battle without incident. The 46th was then moved to the Lens area where they supported the next main line. On June 2, the 44th and 50th battalions supported by the 46th was given the order to capture a machine gun emplacement. They successfully did so but because the attack happened at night, they weren’t sure where they were located. When the sun rose the next morning, they discovered they had gone beyond their artillery support and in the middle of the German line. They had to abandon the emplacement after destroying it with a couple bombs and took heavy casualties in their retreat. German artillery remained heavy the rest of the day on June 3 and then on June 4. The 46th battalion was relieved by the 102nd battalion during this bombardment.
On June 4, 1917, while with the 46th battalion, Pvt. George Angus was instantaneously killed by flying shrapnel at Fyles Trench near Lens (Avions) at the age of 36. He is memorialized on the Vimy Memorial as one of the 11, 242 veterans remembered on the memorial. His name can be viewed on May 3 at the Memorial Chamber in the Peace Tower in Ottawa. The Vimy Memorial overlooks the Douai Plain from the highest point of Vimy Ridge. Located north of Arras in France, the Vimy Memorial is Canada’s largest overseas National Memorial. It commemorates more than 11,000 men of the Canadian Expeditionary Force killed during the First World War in France and who have no known grave. Many of them died in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. He is commemorated on page 192 of the Book of Remembrance.