Robert Carew
Robert Carew was both 24 February 1896 in Burnt River ON. His parents Samuel and Jane Carew had 6 children, with Robert being the 3rd oldest boy of four boys. Robert came from a very prominent Lindsay area family, with his Uncle John Carew owning the John Carew Lumber Company and several other successful businesses. In addition to that, John Carew went on to become the Conservative MP for Victoria South from 1914-1919.
After serving 1 year with the 45th Victoria Regiment, Robert enlisted on 27 October 1916 in Lindsay with the 252nd Battalion and was transferred to the 15th Battalion upon arriving in England. Robert’s older brother Samuel also served, initially enlisting with the 59th Battalion and then transferred to the 2nd. He was wounded twice in service and was then discharged at the end of the war. Robert’s cousin, Frank, who was the eldest son of John Carew, served as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Canadian Forestry Corps during WW1.
The 15th Battalion war diary lists 6 Nov 1917 as a “support” day on Passchendaele Ridge, in which many were killed, including Robert Carew:
The companies were all used as stretcher parties all day for the attack by the First Canadian Infantry Brigade. These parties moved forward at 2am and followed the attack when it went over at dawn. Our men worked hard all day, and by the night had cleared all the wounded from the field. The shelling was very heavy, and the men had the greatest difficulty in carrying through the muddy shell holes. For the work done on this day, the Battalion afterwards received the thanks of Lieutenant Colonel Rogers, Commanding the 3rd Canadian Battalion, Toronto Regiment. Our casualties were 5 OR killed and 31 OR wounded.”
While doing his part of this work clearing the field of wounded men, Robert was killed instantly by shrapnel when a shell exploded close beside him.
Robert Carew’s name is on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, in Ypres, France, commemorating the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown. He was 21 years old.
