WorldWar I
FallenSoldiers - RockwoodCenotaph
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of Ploegstreet andYpres. Hewas survived by hiswidow,AliceElizabethMutrie, of 44Bellevue
Place, Guelph and his four children, the eldest being an 8 year old son. Mrs. Mutrie received the
Memorial Cross from theCanadianGovernment. Later, one of his sons, Eric (1912-2003), became
awell known physician inGuelph.
Major Robert J. Mutrie is buried at PoperingheNewMilitaryCemetery inBelgiumand his name is
alsomemorialized in theBooks of Remembrance, in thePeaceTower of theCanadianParliament
Buildings, Ottawa.
TheBattleof theSt. Eloi Craters
TheBattleof theSt. Eloi Craterswas that first major engagement for the 2ndCanadianDivision,
shortly after their arrival fromEngland. After twoweeks of confused fighting, it ended in disaster with
the loss of 1,373menand a change of command.
Previously, British forces had blown a series of undergroundmines that were filledwith a large
amount of explosives to destroy the sector’sGerman defences. This left massive, mud-filled craters
for the attackers to occupy. When theCanadians relieved theBritish troops on the night of 3April,
they found few actual trenches inwhich to take cover, withmost of them filledwaist deepwith
water. TheGermans could observe theCanadian positions and bombarded them continuously in
preparation for a series of German counterattacks on 6April that drove theCanadians out of the
muddy craters. The battlefield conditionswere so badand confusing, theCanadian commanders
wereoften uncertain as to the location of both theCanadian andGerman forces.
Eventually, with the aid of aerial photography, theywere able to see the trueCanadian andGerman
positions. On16April, the battle ground to a halt with enemy forces holdingmost of the key points.
