Pte. Bertie Watley 195633 93rd Bn/ 87th Bn

 

Pte.Bertie T. Watley

93^rd Battalion

Regimental Number 195633

 
Bertie Theodore Watley was born on March 26^th, 1895 in Dummer Township, Ontario. He was the son of Edward and Mina Watley.   
 
Watley was living in Lakefield and working as a farmer when he enlisted with the 93^rd Peterborough Overseas Battalion on February 2^nd 1916.  He was nearly 19 years old, stood 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 135 pounds. He sported a sandy complexion, brown eyes and light hair.  He listed his religion as Methodist, his marital status as single and that he had previous military service in the 46^th regiment of militia.  After an initial medical exam, he was declared fit for overseas service.
 
Bertie joined the 93^rd Battalion training in Peterborough for the next three months while they continued to recruit up to strength.  By the end of May the battalion moved to the Canadian Forces training camp at Barriefield, near Kingston.
 
Watley embarked with the 93rd from Halifax on July 15^th 1916 aboard the S.S. Empress if Britain, arriving safely in Liverpool 10 days later.  Upon arriving his battalion was sent to West Sandling Camp.  Like many infantry units at that time, the 93rd was soon served with the news that it would be broken up and its ranks used to reinforce fighting units already at the front.
 
While waiting for his re-assignment, Watley was admitted to the Military Hospital, at Otterpool with appendicitis on August 22^nd, 1916. He was transferred to Moore Barracks Hospital three days later, and then to another hospital at Shorncliffe, where he stayed until October 2^nd, when he was discharged.
 
Upon leaving the hospital, Bertie rejoined the 93^rd Battalion at Shorncliffe before being transferred a few days later to the 39^th Reserve Battalion on October 6^{th. .}  He would spend another two months in England before finally being transferred to the front on December 6^th.  He was among a draft of men who were attached to the 87^th Grenadier Guards Battalion, a unit that had been in France since August. 
 
Joining the 87^th in the trenches would be somewhat of a round-about journey, as Watley would first spend a month at the Canadian Base Depot in France, before being transferred to the 4^th Entrenching Battalion (a labour battalion) from January 4^th to April 21^st 1917.  At this time he joined the Grenadier Guards in a rest camp the Arras sector as the shattered battalion had recently left the trenches of Vimy to regroup and refit.
 

Peterborough Examiner - 1917 06 Jun 23 Pg11.

Watley spent the first two weeks May training with the 87^th before moving into the
trenches on Vimy Ridge May 10^th.  Watley would have fought with the 87^th Battalion at Vimy in April and later at Lens where he was wounded on June 10^th 1917.  It was there Watley suffered a gunshot wound to the right hand, a wound sufficient enough to warrant evacuation to the Beaucroft hospital in Wimbourne, England on the 14^th of June.
 
Watley’s wound healed sufficiently to be discharged from hospital September 9^th to resume gradual duty at the 3^rd Canadian Casualty Clearing depot.  Doctors notes report that his first and second fingers remained permanently still at the first joint, resulting in him being declared unfit for active service.  He would be sail back to Canada on September 22^nd 1918, but not before he was married.
 
Pte. Watley was given a full discharge in Kingston, Ontario on October 9^th 1918.
 
Sources
Canada. "Military Service File of Arthur Tighe." Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa: Record Group 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 10127 - 4. Item Number 301477.