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Pte. Edgar Stewart Meeres, 475937, died 05 May 1916. He was described in this letter sent home by a fellow member of the P.P.C.L.I. in April 1916. His obituary appeared in a Saskatoon paper and in the Red Deer News on 24 May 1916. He left behind a wife and two sons.
Dated:
Letter to Lieut. Horace Meeres
Lieut. Horace Meeres1 received the following letter from Corp. J. A. Carswell, regarding the death of his brother at the front a few weeks ago:
May 5, 1916
BelgiumDear Horace:--Sad news I have to send you concerning the death of your brother here today. The enemy artillery were sending over some rather heavy shells quite close to where we were stationed in a small wood. I take it that one of the splinters flew off a shell, which burst about 70 yards away, and it struck him directly over the heart and penetrated through his pay book and other material in his pocket. He only lived a few minutes afterwards.
A number of his platoon, including myself, buried him in a small graveyard here,2 while quite a heavy shell fire was going on not many hundred yards distant, a place I am sure he would have chosen. One of our company, who is a student of theology, performed the last sad rites, afte I had lowered him into the hastily dug grave. A suitable cross, such as is erected over all our dead, will be put up marking his resting place.
I might add that Mr. Meeres was probably the oldest man3 in our battalion and the life may have been pretty hard for him at times. But he did his duty nobly and no one heard him complain. He refused more than one chance to take a safe job at the base, and other places. He was in my platoon, although not in my section, and I know all of the platoon respected and admired him and much regretted his removal. I believe news is being sent to his home.
Sincerely,
JOHN ARTHUR CARSWELL
1Lieut. Horace Meeres (later Major), 187th Battalion C.E.F.
2His burial place today is Maple Copse Cemetery, Belgium.
3Born in 1871, Meeres died at age 45.
Transcribed by: M. I. Pirie