6th Bde CMG Coy Personnel Database - O  
6th Brigade Canadian Machine Gun Company
&
2nd Battalion Canadian Machine Gun Corps
Personnel Database - O
Please contact Brett Payne if you have further details relating to any soldier mentioned on this page.
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Oakes, Harry, 663720, Private
Oakley, James, 228440, Lance Corporal (c1889-1918)
O'Handley, Daniel Archibald, 68347, Private
Oldfield, Edward, 454499, Private (d. 1918)
Olmsted/Olmstead, William Lewis, 100140, Sergeant
O'Neill, Edmund, 53496, Private
Orme, -, Private
Orme, Alfred Joseph, 240267, Private
O'Rourke, Thomas Harold, Lieutenant
O'Shea, Jeremiah (Jerry), 725156, Private (d. 1918)
Orr, -, Private?
Owens, -, Corporal

Oakes, Harry, 663720, Private

Private H. Oakes was gassed on 9 September 1918.


Oakley, James, 228440, Lance Corporal (c1889-1918)

Lance Corporal James Oakley died of wounds on 9 September 1918, aged 29, and was buried at Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais (Grave Ref. IV.B.10).  The CWGC database shows his next-of-kin at that time to have been his parents, Thomas & Ann Oakley of 357 Perth Avenue, Toronto.


O'Handley, Daniel Archibald, 68347, Private

Private D.A. O'Handley was wounded on 11 October 1918.


Oldfield, Edward, 454499, Private (d. 1918)

Private Edward Oldfield died on 26 August (or, according to a list of casualties accompanying the Battalion War Diaries, compiled at the end of that month, 27 August) 1918, and was buried at Windmill British Cemetery, Monchy-le-Preux, Pas de Calais (Grave Ref. II.B.10).


Olmsted/Olmstead, William Lewis, 100140, Sergeant

10 April 1917 - Battle of Vimy Ridge: "Lts Waddington, Williams, Tucker and Hardiman rendered exceptionally good services throughout whole of the operations as did Sgts McGirr and Eustace, L/Cpls Olmstead and Rust, and Ptes Woodean, Climie and Halstead." [6th Brigade CMG Company War Diary]  Donald Fraser, in his diary (The Journal of Private Fraser, ed. Reginald H. Roy, publ. 1998, CEF Books) had his own views of the awards that were eventually made on 30 May: "... today we are notified of the Vimy honours for the company.  Decorations are fast falling into disrepute as most of them by far are given for no outstanding service, and as a certain number of awards are allotted to each unit, they have to be distributed.  At Vimy there was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary done by our fellows.  The artillery took such good care of the enemy that there was nothing much for us to do but to move to our objective with little opposition.  In spite of this ... L/Cpl. Olmstead and Dincen were awarded M.M.'s.  It is too bad that the decorations are not granted for bravery exclusively."

An Operation Order dated 17 November 1917 states that "Crews at nos. 15 & 16 Positions will come under command of Cpl Olmstead."  In the "List of Casualties for the month of September", the following entry is shown: "GASSED - 100140 Sgt. Olmstead W.L. 8-9-18"


O'Neill, Edmund, 53496, Private

Private E. O'Neill was wounded on 26 August 1918, during the Battle of Arras.


Orme, -, Private
On 4 November 1917, as they were preparing for the attack on Passchendaele village, Fraser found some time to contemplate the make-up of his crew (The Journal of Private Fraser, ed. Reginald H. Roy, publ. 1998, CEF Books): "Expecting to remain here until the end of the Passchendaele action, I found time to check up on the crew and the gun and noted the following:
No. 14 Gun Crew Gun Particulars
1. Fraser, D. 1. Tripod and Crosshead C48348
2. Ladd, Wm. 2. Gun L862
3. Reid 3. Field Mount C79931
4. Linden 4. Lock A313
5. Orme 5. Lock (Spare) 47734
6. Goodman, C.W. 6. Feed Block 41788
7. Bartley 7. Feed Block (Spare) A45
8. Fage
Crew members 4, 5, 6 and 7 were new men and at the present date I have no recollection of them.  Although I was the longest in France and Belgium Fage was longer with the Machine-Gun Company and was latterly transferred to my crew from No. 15."  It is possible that this "Private Orme" is the same as the one shown below, who was later wounded at the Battle of Arras.
Orme, Alfred Joseph, 240267, Private

Private A.J. Orme was wounded on 29 August 1918, during the Battle of Arras.


O'Rourke, Thomas Harold, Lieutenant

6th Brigade CMG Company War Diary shows that Lt. T.H. O'Rourke reported for duty with this unit on 5 November 1917.  He proceeded to the forward area commanding No. 1 Section three weeks later on the afternoon and evening of 26 November.  On 10 February 1918, Lt. O'Rourke proceeded on 14 days leave to Ireland, returningto his unit on 27 February.  The 2nd Battalion CMG Corps Nominal Roll for March 1918 shows Lt. O'Rourke in "H" Battery, No. 2 Company.  On 12 July a monthly report noted that Lt. O'Rourke missed a banquet given to officers because he was orderly officer that day.  This was the last month that he was mentioned in the Battalion Nominal Rolls.


O'Shea, Jeremiah (Jerry), 725156, Private (d. 1918)

Private Jeremiah O'Shea died on 28 August 1918, during the Battle of Arras, and was buried at Quebec Cemetery, Pas de Calais (Grave Ref. C.17).


Orr, -, Private?

On Thursday, 24 August 1917, Fraser made the following entry in his diary (The Journal of Private Fraser, ed. Reginald H. Roy, publ. 1998, CEF Books): "Early this morning we were relieved and another fellow and I reached the billets at Sains[-en-Gohelle] first, arriving around 2.00 a.m.  Manville was wounded coming out and Orr was slightly gassed."


Owens, -, Corporal

In his report on operations for the attack on the village of Passchendaele by No. 2 Section of the company, Lt. H.J.L. Pierce mentions Corporal Owens commanding No. 8 crew.  The War Diary includes the following: "[5 November] Dug funk holes & rested there without casualties until 6 p.m. when we went over with the two crews about 25 yds apart. Sgt. Bierd taking command of No 9 Gun Crew & Cpl. Owens of No. 8 Crew, were able to get into position ... At 8 a.m. guns were mounted and remainder of crews put into shell holes."


This page last updated 10 January 2003
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