Pvt. Richard Norman Watt #235173 was born to James and Eliza Kinch Watt in Drummond Township, ON on Jan. 9, 1890 beside the William and Robert McLaren families. He was the eighth of twelve children including Margaret, Elizabeth, Frances, John, Mary, James, Stewart, William, Alice, Clarence, and Ena. By 1901, his family moved to Wolford Township beside the Francis Kyle and George Phillips families.
Pvt Watt enlisted as one of four brothers on June 3, 1916 in Moose Jaw, SK at the age of 26 and was assigned to the 203rd battalion. He was 5’4, 37” chest, 140 lbs, single, blue eyes and fair hair. He listed his father, James Watt of Merrickville, ON as his next of kin, his occupation as farmer and his religion as Methodist. He was living in Pinto Creek, SK at the time. His father James of Merrickville, received his medals, decorations, plaque and scroll and his mother Eliza received the Memorial Cross. His mother also received his monthly pay of $20.
Pvt. Watt sailed from Halifax on the SS Grampian on Oct 26, 1916 with the 203rd and arrived in Liverpool, England. He then went to Seaford where he joined the 18th Reserve Battalion. On Dec. 21, 1916, he wrote his will leaving everything to his father, James. On March 5, 1917, he was assigned to the 52nd battalion and headed to France. He had been with his brother, William, the entire time until now.
On August 26, the 52nd battalion was ordered to relieve the 56th in the Cinnabar Trench. However, they had to go through Hun’s Alley to achieve that objective. It was reported at 7:15pm that all four companies were under heavy artillery and machine gun fire and were having difficulty advancing. All four companies joined up and reinforcements were sent. However, they fell back to their original position and a new attack was called off because a working party arrived to dig a new trench. The next day, the 56th came back and relieved the 52nd under heavy and intense rain at 11:30am.
Pvt. Watt died August 27, 1917 at Lens, France while with the 52nd Manitoba Regiment. He was buried at the Aix Noulette Communal Cemetery Extension grave reference I.L.20 four miles west of Lens, France. He is also memorialized on his parent’s gravesite at Merrickville Union Cemetery with his brother William Lloyd. The Cemetery Extension was begun by French troops early in 1915, and the two French plots are next to the Communal Cemetery. It was taken over by the 1st and 2nd Divisions in February, 1916, and used by fighting units and Field Ambulances until October, 1918. It was increased after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields to the East. There are now 749 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-1918 war commemorated here, 61 being unidentified. There are also 502 French burials here. The cemetery covers an area of 5,198 square metres and is enclosed by a red brick wall on three sides, and on the South by the wall of the Communal Cemetery. He is commemorated on page 346 of the Book of Remembrance.
Pvt Watt enlisted as one of four brothers on June 3, 1916 in Moose Jaw, SK at the age of 26 and was assigned to the 203rd battalion. He was 5’4, 37” chest, 140 lbs, single, blue eyes and fair hair. He listed his father, James Watt of Merrickville, ON as his next of kin, his occupation as farmer and his religion as Methodist. He was living in Pinto Creek, SK at the time. His father James of Merrickville, received his medals, decorations, plaque and scroll and his mother Eliza received the Memorial Cross. His mother also received his monthly pay of $20.
Pvt. Watt sailed from Halifax on the SS Grampian on Oct 26, 1916 with the 203rd and arrived in Liverpool, England. He then went to Seaford where he joined the 18th Reserve Battalion. On Dec. 21, 1916, he wrote his will leaving everything to his father, James. On March 5, 1917, he was assigned to the 52nd battalion and headed to France. He had been with his brother, William, the entire time until now.
On August 26, the 52nd battalion was ordered to relieve the 56th in the Cinnabar Trench. However, they had to go through Hun’s Alley to achieve that objective. It was reported at 7:15pm that all four companies were under heavy artillery and machine gun fire and were having difficulty advancing. All four companies joined up and reinforcements were sent. However, they fell back to their original position and a new attack was called off because a working party arrived to dig a new trench. The next day, the 56th came back and relieved the 52nd under heavy and intense rain at 11:30am.
Pvt. Watt died August 27, 1917 at Lens, France while with the 52nd Manitoba Regiment. He was buried at the Aix Noulette Communal Cemetery Extension grave reference I.L.20 four miles west of Lens, France. He is also memorialized on his parent’s gravesite at Merrickville Union Cemetery with his brother William Lloyd. The Cemetery Extension was begun by French troops early in 1915, and the two French plots are next to the Communal Cemetery. It was taken over by the 1st and 2nd Divisions in February, 1916, and used by fighting units and Field Ambulances until October, 1918. It was increased after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields to the East. There are now 749 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-1918 war commemorated here, 61 being unidentified. There are also 502 French burials here. The cemetery covers an area of 5,198 square metres and is enclosed by a red brick wall on three sides, and on the South by the wall of the Communal Cemetery. He is commemorated on page 346 of the Book of Remembrance.