Private Hazen Perry Gibbons’ inscription on the Vimy Memorial in France. Photo supplied
Private John Hazen Perry Gibbons enlisted at age 18 in the Canadian Expeditionary Force 151st Overseas Battalion on February 15, 1916 in Vermilion.
Born in Ingram Port, Nova Scotia on August 3, 1897 to Leslie Maranda (Rand) Gibbons and Maud Bella Gaetz, who lived in Innisfree at the time of their son’s enrollment.
According to the Canadian Great War Project, Gibbons was listed as a single, Methodist, Chauffer who measured 5’6” tall. Gibbons served in Europe was transferred to the 16th Battalion where he was killed in action on April 19, 1917 during the attack on Vimy Ridge.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission shows Gibbons’ name commemorated on page 243 of the First World War Book of Remembrance and on the Vimy Memorial in France. Fundrazr’s 'Help Recover Our Vimy Heroes' website page shares that his family has just learned that Gibbons was one of the 44 men missing from CA40 who they are trying desperately to recover and give proper burials.
Historian, Norm Christie is pleading for Canadians to write their local MPs urging the Prime Minister and Minister of Global Affairs to intervene and request permission from the Government of France for Christie to continue the search for the missing soldiers.
With two of the 44 missing soldiers (Private John Hazen Perry Gibbons and Private Thomas Alban Snelgrove) having ties to Vermilion, our constituency has been significantly affected.
You can send letters, without stamps, to your MP at either their Ottawa or their constituency office. To use Christie’s letter, you can visit fundrazr.com/campaigns/4zeCb.