Name
Wilfred James Short
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
16/07/1916
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
430884
Canadian Pioneers
3rd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Searched but not found
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
GREAT BERKHAMSTED (ST. PETER) CHURCH CEMETERY
Row 3.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
SOON, SOON TO FAITHFUL WARRIORS COMES THEIR REST
UK & Other Memorials
Berkhamsted Town Memorial, St Peter's Church Memorial, Berkhamsted
Pre War
Wilfred James Short was born on 31 August 1894 in Kentish Town, Camden, London, the son of James and Florence Short and one of eight children.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Front Street, Ivinghoe, Bucks where his father was a general labourer. By 1911 they had moved to Canal House, Lock 53, Lower Kings Road, Berkhamsted, Herts and 15 year old Wilfred was then working as a labour in the chemical works.
Wilfred and his brother Ernest (Cecil) emigrated to Canada and Wilfred was working as an iron moulder when he enlisted.
Wartime Service
Wilfred was already a member of the 88th Voluntary Force when he enlisted with the Canadian Infantry on 31 March 1915 at Victoria, British Columbia. He was posted to the 48th Battalion ,which sailed for England on 1 July 1915, later being transferred to the 3rd Pioneer Battalion. They embarked for France on 9 March 1916.
He suffered gun shots to both legs (some reports state left leg only) on 14 June 1916 and was admitted to No. 11 General Hospital at Camiers, France. He was repatriated to the UK via Folkestone and admitted to the Edinburgh War Hospital at Bangour, Scotland on 9 July 1916 where he died of his wounds and general septicaemia on 16 July 1916. He is buried at Great Berkhamsted (St Peter) Churchyard, Berkhamsted.
Additional Information
Brother to Ernest Cecil Short who died in 1917 and who is also named on the Berkhamsted Memorials.
His father. Mr J Short, Canal House, Berkhamsted, Herts', ordered his headstone inscription which reads: "SOON, SOON TO FAITHFUL WARRIORS COMES THEIR REST2.
N.B. his birth date of 1894 is clearly given on his enlistment paper, however the birth was registered in Jul-Sept quarter 1895 and Census ages would suggest 1895.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, central.bac-lac.gc.ca
