Albert Dowdall
Albert Howard Dowdall #147731
Personal Information
Albert Howard Dowdall was born on April 23, 1895. He lived in Carleton Place, ON. He was just over 5 ft tall with sandy coloured hair, grey eyes and a ruddy complexion. His father was Robert Dowdall and his mother, Sarah Jane (Legerwood). He was the fourth of seven siblings including his twin, Herbert and Heram, Maud, Robert, Elarence, and Sarah Jesse. Before joining the army, he was a farmer and a member of the Church of England. He met his wife in England and remained there after the war. He was received a medal for bravery.
Military Movements
Albert joined the 78th battalion on July 9, 1915 in Winnipeg. He had gone west to find work and ended up joining the 100th Winnipeg Grenadiers militia. He was transferred to the 32nd reserve on Oct. 5, 1915 when he arrived in England. He then was sent to the 5th battalion after completing his training on May 7, 1916. He went to fight at Mount Sorrel on June 3, 1916 when he suffered from shell shock and a concussion on June 14. He rejoined his unit on June 20 where he suffered from gunshot wounds at Albert during the battle of the Somme. He was in and out of hospitals until Oct. 21, 1917 in Hastings, England. On April 23, 1917, he married Ms. Daisy from Hastings. After Oct. 21, he became a Military Police with the 15th Reserve Saskatchewan regiment battalion until he was discharged on July 21, 1919.
Field of Action
Albert Dowdall first saw action at Mount Sorrel. At Mount Sorrel, the Canadian Third Division occupied Mt. Sorrel, the only high ground they had. On June 2, 1916, the Germans attacked by exploding four huge mines under it. So the Germans attacked the hill, but stopped before taking Ypres. The next morning, the Canadians forces counter-attacked but were unable to take the hill back. Finally on June 13, the Canadians were able to take the hill back. Albert Dowdall was involved in this counterattack.
The Battle of the Somme took place in 1916 when the Canadians planned an offensive on three fronts: Western, Eastern, and Italian. There was supposed to be a big frontal attack that had already killed thousands of men. The Western front plan was for a joint British-|French assault on the Somme in the mid-1916. In this action, Albert Dowdall fought with the First Division. The Regina Trench line was behind a barbed wire fence that went all around the trench. They also had many machine guns. Heavy rain fell on the soldiers as they fought. They carried heavy equipment that weighed around 65 pounds. Some of the men actually drowned in the mud. That battle was described as a nightmare of the foulest sort. For the next two months, the Canadian troops tried to take the Regina trench, but faced the challenges of a strong German defence, lack of grenades, and poorly trained soldiers. However, on Nov. 11, 1916, the Fourth Division finally took the trench ending the Battle of the Somme.
Medical Records
Albert Dowdall suffered from shell shock on June 14, 1916 and was in the hospital for 6 days. Then he got shot in the left leg and right hand on Nov. 15, 1916 and was in the hospital for 16 days. He then was kept at a hospital for a while and had additional surgery to fix a bone on Dec. 1, 1916 and was in the hospital for 39 days. He was also shot in the neck but didn’t have it discovered until Oct 1917 so he had metal removed from it and his right thumb on Oct. 21, 1917. He needed 45 days to recover. He died in England on Nov. 13, 1952.
By Katelyn Young
Personal Information
Albert Howard Dowdall was born on April 23, 1895. He lived in Carleton Place, ON. He was just over 5 ft tall with sandy coloured hair, grey eyes and a ruddy complexion. His father was Robert Dowdall and his mother, Sarah Jane (Legerwood). He was the fourth of seven siblings including his twin, Herbert and Heram, Maud, Robert, Elarence, and Sarah Jesse. Before joining the army, he was a farmer and a member of the Church of England. He met his wife in England and remained there after the war. He was received a medal for bravery.
Military Movements
Albert joined the 78th battalion on July 9, 1915 in Winnipeg. He had gone west to find work and ended up joining the 100th Winnipeg Grenadiers militia. He was transferred to the 32nd reserve on Oct. 5, 1915 when he arrived in England. He then was sent to the 5th battalion after completing his training on May 7, 1916. He went to fight at Mount Sorrel on June 3, 1916 when he suffered from shell shock and a concussion on June 14. He rejoined his unit on June 20 where he suffered from gunshot wounds at Albert during the battle of the Somme. He was in and out of hospitals until Oct. 21, 1917 in Hastings, England. On April 23, 1917, he married Ms. Daisy from Hastings. After Oct. 21, he became a Military Police with the 15th Reserve Saskatchewan regiment battalion until he was discharged on July 21, 1919.
Field of Action
Albert Dowdall first saw action at Mount Sorrel. At Mount Sorrel, the Canadian Third Division occupied Mt. Sorrel, the only high ground they had. On June 2, 1916, the Germans attacked by exploding four huge mines under it. So the Germans attacked the hill, but stopped before taking Ypres. The next morning, the Canadians forces counter-attacked but were unable to take the hill back. Finally on June 13, the Canadians were able to take the hill back. Albert Dowdall was involved in this counterattack.
The Battle of the Somme took place in 1916 when the Canadians planned an offensive on three fronts: Western, Eastern, and Italian. There was supposed to be a big frontal attack that had already killed thousands of men. The Western front plan was for a joint British-|French assault on the Somme in the mid-1916. In this action, Albert Dowdall fought with the First Division. The Regina Trench line was behind a barbed wire fence that went all around the trench. They also had many machine guns. Heavy rain fell on the soldiers as they fought. They carried heavy equipment that weighed around 65 pounds. Some of the men actually drowned in the mud. That battle was described as a nightmare of the foulest sort. For the next two months, the Canadian troops tried to take the Regina trench, but faced the challenges of a strong German defence, lack of grenades, and poorly trained soldiers. However, on Nov. 11, 1916, the Fourth Division finally took the trench ending the Battle of the Somme.
Medical Records
Albert Dowdall suffered from shell shock on June 14, 1916 and was in the hospital for 6 days. Then he got shot in the left leg and right hand on Nov. 15, 1916 and was in the hospital for 16 days. He then was kept at a hospital for a while and had additional surgery to fix a bone on Dec. 1, 1916 and was in the hospital for 39 days. He was also shot in the neck but didn’t have it discovered until Oct 1917 so he had metal removed from it and his right thumb on Oct. 21, 1917. He needed 45 days to recover. He died in England on Nov. 13, 1952.
By Katelyn Young