Robert J. Hyde 435329

152^nd Canadian Infantry Battalion/ 3^rd Canadian Siege Battery           Regimental Number 435329

Robert John Manly Hyde was born in Warsaw, Ontario on August 6, 1896 to parents Reverend Richard Hyde a Presbyterian Minister, and Barbara (Kerr) Hyde.  He grew up in Dummer, but sometime before 1911, Rev. Hyde and his family moved to Regina, Saskatchewan.

Robert was working as a musician and living at No. 2235 McIntyre St., Regina, when he enlisted in with the 152^nd Canadian Infantry Battalion in Weyburn, Saskatchewan on February 05, 1916.  He was the 3^rd, and the youngest, of three brothers to enlist.  He was 19 years, 6 months old and single.  Robert stood 5 feet, 10 inches tall and was described as having a light complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He declared that he had no previous military service and that his religion was Knox Presbyterian.  Robert listed his father, Rev. Richard Hyde as his next of kin.  It is interesting to note that Robert enlisted a month after his older brother, George enlisted for service.

Robert remained in Canada and trained out west before leaving Halifax on October 3 1916 aboard the S.S. Missanbie. The trip across the Atlantic took nine days and Robert arrived safely in Liverpool on October 12.  He was sent with his battalion to the Canadian Camp at West Sandling.  There the 152^nd was broken up and its ranks placed into the 32^nd Reserve Battalion on October 21^st 1916.  Robert was later transferred to the 179^th Battalion at East Sandling Camp on December 8^th, which is surprising because that battalion was also disbanded a couple of weeks later and its ranks sent to the No.14 Reserve Battalion on January 4^th 1917.

Hyde spent the next four months in the infantry reserve camps before being transferred to the artillery at the 2^nd Reserve Brigade of the Canadian Field Artillery at Dibgate Camp on May 23^rd 1917.  He trained with them for close to four months before taking an assignment to the 3^rd Siege Battery of the Canadian Garrison Artillery.  Hyde left to join the battery in France, and linked up with them on November 18^th 1917.  He served through deplorable conditions at Passchendaele, working to keep the big guns from sinking into the morass of mud.  The battery served from October to mid-December, locating and destroying enemy artillery, as well as supporting the Canadian infantry as they inched their way towards the village of Passchendaele.

Hyde continued to serve with the 3^rd Siege Battery throughout 1917 and 1918.  He participated in many battles and lost many comrades during these actions, but never became a casualty himself.  Near the end of the war, Hyde was granted a well-deserved leave to England.  He left on October 23^rd and returned on October 7^th, serving out the last four days of the war with his unit.  He remained in France until April 1^st 1919, when he was sent back to England for demobilization.  Hyde later traveled to the Canadian Base in Kimmel Park, Wales on April 7^th before being set back to Canada on May 3^rd.  He was given his official discharge from military service on May 13^th 1919.

Robert Hyde died in Ottawa on December 28^th 1979 and is buried in Beechwood Cemetery in that city.

Sources

Archives of Ontario. Registrations of Births and Stillbirths – 1869-1913. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Series: Series: MS929; Reel: 128.

Library and Archives Canada. Census of Canada, 1901. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Year: 1901; Census Place: Dummer, Peterborough (east/est), Ontario; Page: 2; Family No: 15.

Canada. "Census returns for 1916 Census of Prairie Provinces." Statistics of Canada Fonds, Record Group 31-C-1. LAC microfilm T-21925 to T-21956. Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa. Year: 1916; Census Place: Saskatchewan, Regina, 03D; Roll: T-21943; Page: 24; Family No: 272.

Library and Archives Canada. Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada, 2008.   Year: 1906; Census Place: 27, Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan; Page: 15; Family No: 137.

Beechwood Cemetery Interments, 1873–1990. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Beechwood Cemetery. P.617.

Library and Archives Canada. Sixth Census of Canada, 1921. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada, 2013.  RG 31; Folder Number: 159; Census Place: Regina (City), Regina, Saskatchewan; Page Number: 22