Private Robert Happer

Private William Happer, 2nd Battalion, (East Ontario Regiment), Canadian Infantry. He was killed in action at Givenchy in France on 17th June 1915, aged 26 and is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. He had been born in Greenlaw and was the eldest son of Mr George and the late Susan Happer of Duns Road, Greenlaw.  Before enlisting in Canada in August 1914 he had worked as a presser in Edmonton, Alberta.  He landed in France with his Battalion in May 1915. The attacks, in support of the French offensives in Artois, went in against strong German positions with the ” benefit” of a very weak artillery bombardment and the results predictably were heavy casualties, over 2,000 in total of which 400 were Canadian.

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