WorldWar I
FallenSoldiers - RockwoodCenotaph
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FergusNews-RecordThursday, June 24, 1915: CaptainPickKilled inAction.
Monday’s rural mail brought sad news toMr. andMrs. RichardPick for it contained a telegram from
Ottawa notifying them that their son, Capt. PeterW. Pick, was killed in action inFrance on June
15th, 1915. Thenews quickly spread around townwhereCapt. Pickwaswell known, and cast a
gloom over the entire neighbourhood.
Thewar has been brought home very close to us in the deaths of Mess’rsGregsonandPick, the
only twoCanadian-born boyswho left herewith the first contingent. They didnobly, gave up their
lives for their country, andare honored by all. Capt. Pickwas born inGuelphTp. 31 years ago,
being the youngest son of Mr. andMrs. RichardPick. The family latermoved near Barrie’sChurch,
and finally to Lower Nichol, near Ennotville, where the father andmother, and one daughter,
Barbara, still reside. The only surviving son lives at Davidson, Sask.
WhenCapt. Pick enlisted hedid so as a lieutenant, andwas the first officer of the 30th to volunteer
his services. Hewas foreman in thewood-working department of BeattyBros. lower shops andwas
exceedingly popular with hismen, as hewaswith all who knew him.
Private letters fromour soldier boys at the front do not fail tomentionCapt. Pick’s bravery andhis
losswill bedeeply deplored by them also. Hewaswounded in the arm in the severe fighting at St.
Julien, but fought on, not even going to the hospital until theworst of the engagement was over. He
later returned to the trenches. After the terrible fight at Langemarck, where he distinguished himself,
hewas promoted to the captaincy. In a letter received by his parents thisweek he stated that he
had been lately on the transport service, inwhich he probablymet his death.
Capt. Pickwas amodel youngman in everyway, andhis parents have the sincere sympathy of a
very large number of friends in this locality, in their sudden bereavement.
FergusNews-RecordThursday, July 1, 1915:MEMORIALSERVICE
Thememorial service last Sunday afternoon for Capt. Peter Pick, killed in action inFrance, held
at the home of his parents, Mr. andMrs. RichardPick at Ennotville, will not soon be forgottenby
the large number present. Shortly after dinner vehicles of all kinds left town for Capt. Pick’s former
home, several of them containingmany of the employees of BeattyBros.Workswhere theCaptain
was engagedas foremanat the lower factory, at the time he enlisted, and inwhose hearts he ever
heldawarm place.
Rev. J.A. Brown opened the servicewith prayer, after whichRev. R.W. Crawmade the address,
speaking in the highest terms of thebravery of Capt. Pick, of the clean life he lived, of his untiring
devotion to duty, and finally the laying down of his life for King andCountry, in aworthy cause. He
appealed to the youngmen of the vicinity to volunteer to fill the vacancy caused by the death of
Capt. Pick. Rev. Mr. Kaye of BarrieHill church read the scripture. It was at this church that the late
Capt. Pickwhenbut 14 years of agehad taken communion and becameone of itsmembers.When
16 years oldhe joined the 30th regiment, and gradually rose until he becameCaptain.
Much sympathy is expressed for the aged parents and particularly forMrs. Pick at this time as on
Friday last she had themisfortune to stumble and break her leg.
FallenSoldiers - RockwoodCenotaph
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(FRANCIS)ARNOLDPHILLIPS
602306Private
Born:
18Septemb r 1896 inEramosaTownship, Ontario
PreviousOccupation:
TelegraphOperator
Enlisted:
3February 1915 inGuelph, Ontario
Di d:
26Oct 1917 at theageof 21
Buried:
AubignyCommunityCemetery near Pas deCalais, France
FrancisArnoldPhillipswas born on 18September 1896. Hewas the first son of Francis andMary
J. (neeDarby) Phillips, who farmed thewestern half of Lot 5, Concession 2, betweenEdenMills and
Rockwood. Hewas the third of their four children (Ethel b.1886, Isla b.1894 andGerald b.1900).
After his father’s death in 1903, hismother continued to run the family farmwith hired help. Arnold
workedas a telegraph operator until at the age of 18 years, he volunteered for overseas service on
3February 1915 inGuelph.
PrivatePhillipswas assigned to the 34thBattalion and subsequently transferred to the 5thCanadian
MotorizedRifles (QuebecRegiment 5CMR). PrivatePhillips
is reported tohavesustainedaskull fractureand injuries tohis
left eye, awound to his left ankle and a fractured right ankle
when he fell into a damagedwell on the night of 12October
1917. A Board of Inquiry was convened to investigate this
incident. Witness testimony from patrol members revealed
that Phillips and one other soldier (Private Aldridge) had
been moving in the dark towards a small building. Private
Phillips was in the lead by about ten paces. Aldridge, who
had stopped to light a cigarette, heard a scream and found
Phillips had fallen some 80 feet down thewell. Apparently, a
runaway General Service wagon at some time had knocked
some of the boards and thewooden top off thewell, leaving it unguarded on one side.
At theageof 21 years, PrivatePhillips succumbed to his injuries on 26October 1917 andwas listed
as ‘DiedofWounds’ latermodified to ‘Died ofAccidental Injuries’.
He is buried inAubignyCommunityCemetery near Pas deCalais, France and his name is also
memorialized in theBooks of Remembrance, in thePeaceTower of theCanadianParliament
Buildings, Ottawa.
AubignyCommunal Cemetery
5thCanadianM torizedRifles
The 5thCanadianMotorizedRifles (QuebecRegi ent 5CMR) was formed in 1915, andwere sent to
Engl nd for additional training later that year. In 1916, theywere converted to n infantry battalion
whichwas thenattached to the 8thCanadian InfantryBrigade, 3rdCanadianDivision, CEF (later the
CanadianCorps). The battali n saw action inFrance andFlanders between 1916 and 1918.
