Corporal 687443 Daniel George McCurdy MM 54th Battalion, Central Ontario Regiment CEF was born the 3rd of February 1888 at Similkameen, British Columbia the son of Daniel McCurdy of Similkameen, British Columbia where he died the 8th of June 1931 and the late Louisa McCurdy One of four children; his siblings being - Sarah (married name Richter) 1877 to 1916; Samuel (1879 to 1963) - served overseas 54th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force and Robert Joseph (born 1883) served overseas with the 15th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force as Private 77760; he returned to Canada where he died in 1919 and is buried Keremeos Cemetery, British Columbia.

Daniel enlisted on the 18th of January 1916 at Kamloops, Princeton, British Columbia, whilst employed as a rancher. His religion was Methodist and he was 5ft 4ins tall.

He was posted to the 172nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. On the 25th of October 1916 he embarked on the Mauretania for England where he arrived on the 31st of the month and proceeded to Bramshott, Surrey.

Here, he was transferred to the 54th Battalion. The battalion then embarked for France, where it arrived on the 5th of December.

Daniel contracted mumps and was evacuated to hospital on the 12th of March 1917 until discharged back to his unit on the 3rd of April. He was then wounded twice.

Firstly, on the 14th of November, 1917 and admitted to the 9th Field Hospital with “general contusions”, the result of a wound to his right leg for which he was sent to hospital at Le Treport until discharged back to his unit on the 22nd of the month.

Again, on the 19th of August, 1918 he was admitted to 6 General Hospital with a gunshot wound to his left arm; he was discharged back to his unit on the 28th of the month.

On the 18th of January 1918, Daniel was awarded a Good Conduct Badge. Then on the 9th of August he received the Military Medal, the award of was notified in the London Gazette on the 14th of May 1919.

In September, 1918,the battalion was advancing to take the Canal du Nord and the capture of Bourlon Wood. Daniel McCurdy was killed in action near Sandcourt on the 30th. He is buried in Cantimpre Canadian Cemetery.

To commemorate the Canadian action at Bourlon wood, stands a memorial - the Bourlon Canadian Memorial.

The Canadian Veterans website gives a fine account of the action and is significance - see https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/bourlon-wood.

The site notes that “Today, the Bourlon Wood Canadian Memorial commemorates the attack across the Canal Du Nord on ground donated by the Comte de Franqueville, then Mayor of Bourlon.

The great stone block is at the top of a hill. It is approached by climbing steep, stone steps past terraces cut into the hillside, and bears the message: THE CANADIAN CORPS ON 27TH SEP. 1918 FORCED THE CANAL DU NORD AND CAPTURED THIS HILL. THEY TOOK CAMBRAI, DENAIN, VALENCIENNES & MONS; THEN MARCHED TO THE RHINE WITH THE VICTORIOUS ALLIES”

Cantimpre Canadian Cemetery contains 225 Commonwealth casualties of which 205 are identified.