WorldWar I
FallenSoldiers - RockwoodCenotaph
Page 10
TheMeninGate (Ypres)Memorial inFlanders, Belgium
Thismemorial bears the names of more than 54,400menwhowere lost without trace during the
defenceof theYpresSalient in theFirstWorldWar.
Carved in stone above the central archare thewords:
TOTHEARMIESOFTHEBRITISHEMPIREWHOSTOODHEREFROM 1914TO 1918AND
TOTHOSEOFTHEIRDEADWHOHAVENOKNOWNGRAVE.
Over the two staircases leading from themainHall is the inscription:
HEREARERECORDEDNAMESOFOFFICERSANDMEN
WHOFELL INYPRESSALIENTBUTTOWHOM
THEFORTUNEOFWARDENIEDTHEKNOWNAND
HONOUREDBURIALGIVENTOTHEIRCOMRADES INDEATH.
MeninGateArchMemorial, YpresBelgium
FallenSoldiers - RockwoodCenotaph
1
ROBERTJOHNMUTRIE
Major
Born:
2April 1883 inEramosaTownship, Ontario
PreviousOccupation:
Financial Agent
Enlisted:
9December 1914 inVictoria, BritishColumbia
Died:
5April 1916 at the ageof 33
Buried:
PoperingheNewMilitaryCemetery inBelgium
Robert JohnMutriewas born on2April 1883 inEramosaTownship toCol. John andMargaret (nee
Dow)Mutrie. Hewas their only child. His parents, grandparents and great grandparents all lived
inWellingtonCounty. His father served in themilitia, and ultimately commanded the local regiment
(30thWellingtonRifles). DuringWWI, Col. Mutriewas theChief RecruitingOfficer for thearea. He
was also thePostmaster for Rockwoodand politically, served as anEramosaTownshipCouncillor,
DeputyReeveandReeve,WellingtonCountyWarden and ultimately, two terms as the Liberal MPP
for the constituency.
Robert’s grandparents,WilliamMutrie and his first wife Jane (Beattie) and his secondwifeElizabeth
(McDonald) farmed 200 acres along the3rd Line from 1843 untilWilliam’s death in 1870. In the
early 19th century, his great-grandparents, JohnMutrie and Janet (Wilson)Mutrie, emigrated
fromScotlandwith their young sonWilliam, and settled and farmedon 100 acres of land inNichol
Township.
Robert JohnMutrie completed his schooling and became a financial agent. Like his father, he joined
the30thWellingtonRifles. HemarriedAliceTolton of Guelph and theymoved toBritishColumbia,
where he joined theCanadianMountedRifles for 3 years and a further 4 years after it was
amalgamatedand re-named the 30thRegiment BCHorse (CMR). Because the 30thHorsewas
not mobilized for actionwhenwar was declared, Robert volunteered inVictoria, B.C. for overseas
servicewith the newly formed 2ndRegiment
CanadianMountedRifles on 9December 1914 at
theage of 31 years and 8months. Hewas joined
bymany other volunteers from his former regiment.
After enlisting, hewas attached to2CMR (BCHorse)
and, because of his experience, was promoted to
2nd InChargeof theRegiment. His unit sailed on
12 June1915 fromHalifax toEngland and, after a
fewmonths of additional training inEngland, arrived
at LeHavre, France on 22September.Around this
time, hiswife and four small children left B.C. and
movedback toGuelph to livewith her parents for the
duration of thewar.
Records of theNo. 2CanadianFieldAmbulance
maindressing station showRobert Mutrie died on 5
April 1916 of wounds sustained inaction during the
Battle of theSt. Eloi Craters, near theBelgian towns
PoperingheNewMilitaryCemeteryPhoto
