Profile image
Military service
Service number:
13749
Age:
30
Rank:
Private
Force:
Army
Unit/Regiment:
Canadian Infantry (Saskatchewan Regiment)
Division:
5th Bn.
Death:
May 24, 1915
Burial/memorial information
Additional information
Son of the late John Hamman, and of Sophia Hamman, of Campbellville, Ontario.
Digital gallery of Private Edward Charles Hamman
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Death Registry
The War Graves Register for Private Hamman says that he was killed in action in the assault on K5 and was buried on the spot. It was further stated that "no cross could be erected". In May 1915 the CEF was involved in the Battle of Festubert, only a few short weeks after near devastation at the 2nd Battle of Ypres. The war diary for May 24, 1915 shows that 4 Officers, 11 NCOs and 30 Other Ranks were killed that day (Bethune, Festubert) - south of Ypres, north of the Artois Plateau (Arras). A further 8 Officers, 30 NCOs and 174 men were wounded. Appendix A to the September war diary details the horrors of that attack. The reference to the attack at K5 by the 5th Battalion is detailed on page 102 of Nicholson, Chapter IV. -
Map
The spot noted as K5 is depicted on Map 6 from Nicholson's "Official History of the Canadian Army in the First World War". The approximate location where Private Hamman was buried during the battle is marked by the star. The green arrow shows the general movement of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, which included the 5th Infantry Battalion, towards K5. -
Map
A 1915 trench map showing the details of the area and specifically where Pte. Hamman's body was reported to have been buried. This is Map 36c and the remains were in the large sector marked "A" and then in the sub-sector of "A" known as "2". Each sub-sector is divided further into "a, b, c, and d" (see example for sub-sector A4). In the square 36c.A2.d the remains are then at the crossing the grid lines 4 across the bottom and 8 up (= 36c.A2.d.4.8). The remains of Private Hamman may have been recovered after the Armistice and buried as an UNKNOWN Canadian Soldier in a nearby cemetery. There were thirty eight (38) Privates of the 5th Battalion killed at that location, on that day, that have no known grave. -
Inscription
His name as it is inscribed on the Vimy Memorial. Over 11,000 fallen Canadians having no known place of burial in France, are honoured on this Memorial. May they never be forgotten. (J. Stephens) -
Vimy Memorial
Canada's Vimy Memorial, located approximately 8 kilometres to the north-east of Arras, France. May the sacrifice of so many never be forgotten. (J. Stephens)
Digital gallery of
Private Edward Charles Hamman
Digital gallery of
Private Edward Charles Hamman
Digital gallery of
Private Edward Charles Hamman
Digital gallery of
Private Edward Charles Hamman
Digital gallery of
Private Edward Charles Hamman
In the Books of Remembrance
Commemorated on:
Page 17 of the First World War Book of Remembrance.
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