Cenotaph Stories

Victor Roswell Gifford

Victor Roswell Gifford was born 3 March 1893 in Minneapolis MN, the only son of 4 children by Thomas Albert and Mary Ann (Fisher) Gifford. Thomas disappears from the census record after 1901, and the family is shown to be living with Mary Ann’s parents in Lindsay on the 1901 Ontario Census.

On 26 September 1914, Victor enlisted in Valcartier with the 1st Field Company, Canadian Engineers. His civilian occupation was listed as a surveyor, so this role in the war seemed to be a good fit. Although not much is known about his father, it was noted in Mary Ann’s obituary that Thomas was a veteran of the Second Boer War, serving with the Royal Canadian Dragoons.

On the night of 6 September 1916, Victor was in charge of a party excavating saps in front of the front line, in the vicinity of Courcelette. He was hit in the abdomen by an enemy bullet. His wound was given immediate attention and he was removed to South Midland Casualty Clearing Station where he died of his wounds on 7 Sept 1916.

Victor Gifford is buried in Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension, Warloy-Baillon France. He was 23 years old.