Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Circumstances of death – KIA While in command of his company in the front line trenches in the vicinity of St. Emile and during heavy bombardment a large trench mortar struck the parados instantly killing him. This occurred at 10:15 AM December 29 1917 http://data2.archives.ca/microform/data2/dm13/d13/006003/31829_B016739/pdf/31829_B016739-00000.pdf http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/mass-digitized-archives/circumstances-death-registers/Pages/item.aspx?PageID=51271 Mikan record: 46246 Volume Number: 31829_B016739 Page: 853

Newspaper clipping – From the Toronto Telegram June 1915. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Newspaper clipping – From the Toronto Telegram May 1916. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Newspaper clipping – From the Toronto Telegram March 1919. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Newspaper clipping – From the Toronto Telegram January 1918. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Newspaper clipping – From the Toronto Telegram May 1918. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Photo of William Durie – Submitted for the project, Operation: PIcture Me

Photo of William Arthur Peel Durie – From "The War Book of Upper Canada College", edited by Archibald Hope Young, Toronto, 1923. This book is a Roll of Honour including former students who served during the First World War.

Memorial Tablet – Captain William Arthur Peel Durie is remembered on this brass Memorial Tablet. It was unveiled on May 1st, 1921 in memory of Upper Canada College students who died on active service during the First World War. Upper Canada College is located in Toronto, Ontario.

Newspaper Clipping

Newspaper Clipping – Clipping from the Toronto Star for 2 January 1918.

Newspaper Clipping – From the Globe & Mail for 8 January 1918, page 7.

Document – "Concentration of Graves (Exhumation and Reburials) Burial Return" report from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission files showing that Captain Durie had initially been exhumed from Row "E" Grave 21 of the Corkscrew British Cemetery Lievin (Grid 44a.M11.a.3.3) and was being buried in the Loos British Cemetery (Grid 44a.M6.a.7.3). It was during this process that the family of Captain Durie removed his body from the "zinc lined coffin" and repatriated it to Canada.

Document – "Graves Registration Report Form" report from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission files showing that Captain Durie had was being buried in the Loos British Cemetery (Grid 44a.M6.a.7.3) in Plot 20 Row C Grave 19. It was during this process that the family of Captain Durie removed his body from the "zinc lined coffin" and repatriated it to Canada. The story says that the CWGC were not aware that the body had been removed from the coffin until the repatriation and reburial in Canada was reported in the newspaper. It would appear from this GRRF that the CWGC thereafter removed the empty coffin.

St Thomas (Anglican) Church – St. Thomas (Anglican) Church, Huron St., Toronto, Ontario. The octagonal Baptistry (1917) houses a central baptismal font, and also serves as a World War One memorial for the war dead of this parish. The room includes stained glass windows by the Bromsgrove Guild. These show images of medieval knights, St. Michael the Archangel and St. George, and a wounded soldier in a circa 1914-1918 military uniform standing among red poppies. Individually inscribed wooden war memorial panels line the walls. Each panel includes the name of a war casualty in gilt lettering with rank, unit and date of death.

War Memorial Window – One of the sets of War Memorial stained glass windows in the St. Thomas Church Baptistry.

Memorial – A detail of the memorial panel dedicated to Captain William Arthur Peel Durie. Located in the St. Thomas Church Baptistry, Toronto, Ontario.

Plaque – Memorial plaque dedicated to Captain William Arthur Peel Durie. St. Thomas Church, Toronto, Ontario.

Durie Family Memorial – Durie Family Memorial. Captain William Arthur Peel Durie was the son of Lt.-Col. William Smith Durie (1813-1885), the founder of the Queen's Own Rifles and Anna Peel Durie (1856-1933). There is a dedication to Capt. Durie on this memorial.

Durie Family Memorial - detail

Grave Marker – Stone indicating that Capt. Durie was originally buried in France, but re-interred in the St. James Cemetery (Parliament Street) Toronto in 1925. The story behind this reburial has been the subject of recent study. The Durie family plot is at the east end of the cemetery next to a laneway. This marker is on the ground next to the larger family memorial. Photo taken in the fall of 2002.