William Cameron

Killed in Action on the 29/09/1918 at the Battle of the Canal du Nord (part of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line)

The Battalion was part of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. The Battle of Canal du Nord was part of the Hundred Days Offensive of the First World War by the Allies against German positions on the Western Front. The battle took place in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, along an incomplete portion of the Canal du Nord and on the outskirts of Cambrai between the 27th September and 1st October 1918. To prevent the Germans from sending reinforcements against one attack, the assault along the Canal du Nord was part of a sequence of Allied attacks at along the Western Front. This was part of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line, 12th September - 12th October 1918 : A series of very large scale offensive operations that advance to and break the Hindenburg Line system. Carried out by the First, Third and Fourth Armies these victories rank among the greatest-ever British military achievements. The German Army fights on but it is increasingly clear that their ability to do so is declining fast. Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and United States Divisions all play key parts. William was gassed in March 1918 and re-joined his Battalion on the 27/05/1918. The Battalion War Diary for the 12/03/1918 states - "Heavy enemy gas bombardment took place all along TRESCAULT VALLEY which continued for five hours. A+B Companies were gassed. 21 Officers + 392 Other Ranks gassed". SEE PHOTOS x 7 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY MARCH 1918 and PHOTOS x 3 FOR SEPTEMBER 1918. William's Service History - Enlisted 12/01/15 ; Draft for BEF 21/11/16, joined Drake Battalion. 12/12/16 - 31/12/16 Dental, re-joined Drake Battalion. 24/02/17 - 12/03/18 Gassed, re-joined Drake Battalion. 27/05/18 - 29/09/18 DD (Date of Death) plus Notes - A Butcher ; born : 25/01/1891 ; Next-of-Kin & home address : Mother, Janet, 44 Woodside St, Coatbridge. William is also remembered in the St. Augustine's Parish (book) Rolls of Honour (see photos). See photos for William's Naval Death Record, his Naval Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report, Cantaing British Cemetery, the Drake Battalion Cap Badge and William's Pension Record x 2. Finally, see photos for Newspaper clippings x 3 from the Coatbridge Express (mentioned here that William's sister was married to John Main), PHOTOS x 15 FOR THE 63rd (ROYAL NAVAL) DIVISION BOOK 8th AUGUST - 29th SEPTEMBER 1918 and the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division Order of Battle x 16 (the Division he was with when he died).