1914-12-14aaa

“The first Hamilton man with the Canadian contingent to lose his life was Pte. Charles Matthews, of the second field ambulance.”

          Hamilton Spectator. December 14, 1914

          Fred Matthews had a been a sergeant-major of the No. 13, field ambulance, and was in charge of the first aid department at the International Harvester plant. His son, Charles followed in his father’s footsteps as regards the type of military service he wished to pursue.

          Fred Matthews became the first man in Hamilton to receive the dreaded cablegram announcing the death of a loved one while in service with the Canadian armed forces during the period of conflict since the previous August.

          A later dispatch from London gave further particulars of the manner in which Pte. Charles Matthews lost his life:

          “An inquest will be held today upon Pte. Charles Matthews, of the Second Field Ambulance, Canadian contingent, whose body was taken out of a disused well on Salisbury Plain Saturday in a mutilated condition.

          “Matthews who was about thirty years of age, was engaged with other members of his corps about five o’clock on Friday evening in carrying out some military movements on the downs. He and another man came across an old door on the ground at the top of Lavington Hill, and proceeded to move it.

          “The door had been used to cover the well, which the men did not notice in the darkness, and at almost the first step, Pte. Matthews dropped to the bottom of the well, which is thirty feet deep.

          “It was impossible for his comrades to render assistance, and the body was not recovered until Saturday, when a firm of engineers were engaged to bring the body to the surface.”¹

               ¹ “Hamilton Boy Lost His Life ; Fell Into Uncovered Well at Salisbury Plain : Pte. Charles Matthews, of the 2^nd F. A. the Victim.”

          Hamilton Spectator.  December 14, 1914.

          Charles Matthews had enlisted at Hamilton was among the first contingent of Canadian volunteers. Charles had a brother who enlisted at the same time, and was in the same corps as Charles.

          As noted in the Spectator, the father of the dead soldier, Charles Matthews, “was well known in military circles and will have the sympathy of many friends in his sad bereavement.”¹

               The death of Pte. Charles would be the first, but hardly the last Hamiltonian to lose his life in a war which many had felt would be over by Christmas. With Christmas just 11 days away, that feeling had disappeared and many, many sad cablegrams would be delivered to Hamilton households.