Dumfries and Galloway Saturday Standard 28/04/1917

La Chaudiere Military Cemetery

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

The youngest child of Scottish farmer John Mather and his wife Mary (nee Stewart), Wilfred Ernest Mather was born on 5th June 1894 at the family home, Grovehill House, Penpoint, Dumfries. His older brother Alfred was born in 1884, and there was also Stewart, Edwin, Julia and Olive. All of the children, including the girls, were educated locally in the village school and at Wallace Hall, and Wilfred went on to board at Barnard Castle School, where he joined the Officer’s Training Corps.

His older brothers Alfred and Stewart had both moved to Canada and were farming in Manitoba, and Wilfred did visit them after he had finished his schooling. In 1911 he too emigrated to Canada and after working on a farm he crossed the border into the USA where by 1913 he was living in Spookane, Washington and working on the railway.

Back in Canada in the summer of 1915 Wilfred enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Calgary becoming Private 447160 of the 56th Battalion. After initial training at Sarcee Camp Private Mather was transferred to the 2nd Reinforcement Draft of the 49th Battalion and travelled with them to England, arriving at the end of September, and a posting to Shorncliffe in Kent. Granted leave in November, Wilfred travelled to Scotland to visit his family before being posted to join the rest of his battalion in France.

Wilfred would have joined them at the beginning of February in Brigade Reserve at Kemmel Shelters, and entered the trenches for the first time a week later. Fighting as part of the 7th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division Wilfred stayed with the Battalion throughout their time on the Ypres Salient and the Somme. Arrested on 1st December 1916 for drunkenness, resisting arrest and being in possession of a civilian horse and cart he was awarded thirty one days field punishment which involved being tied to a post for two hours a day, no drinking or smoking, deduction of pay, pack drill for one hour a day, sleeping on the guard room floor and rations of tea, biscuits and bully beef only.

On 6th April 1917 Private Mather wrote out his paybook will leaving any pay due to his mother and all his remaining property to his brother Stewart, also in the CEF. Three days later the Battalion was fighting at Vimy Ridge and it was here at 5.30am on 9th April that he was killed instantly by a bullet.

Wilfred Ernest Mather is remembered in Barnard Castle on B135.04 and B135.20

In Canada he is remembered on their Virtual War Memorial and in their Book of Remembrance

Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual Memorial
The CWGC entry for Private Mather