During the Great War in Europe (1914 -1918) one of the most gruesome battles took place along the Somme River in Northern France.
The Battle of the Somme started on July 1, 1916 and lasted until the end of November with the onset of winter. During that Battle the allied forces suffered over 600,000 casualties, of which 25,000 were Canadians. One of the young Canadian soldiers involved in that battle was Lieut. Claude Wellington Pike.
Claude Wellington Pike was born at Windsor Ontario in 1892 and attended local Public Schools. He was a graduate of the Windsor Collegiate later known as Patterson High School.
On May 9, 1913 at the age of 21 Claude Pike was initiated into Freemasonry in Windsor Lodge No. 403. While in high school Brother Pike had developed a talent for sleight of hand tricks. As a member of Windsor Lodge Claude joined the Windsor Lodge Minstrels performing magic tricks. The following year Claude Pike was initiated into Ark Chapter No. 80, Royal Arch Masons. In the members register Claude's occupation was listed as Branch Manager.
With the outbreak of the Great War in Europe Brother Pike enlisted with the 99th battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces and was sent overseas. While overseas Brother Pike was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.
In early October 1916 Lieut. Pike's family received a report that Claude had narrowly escaped death. The report stated that Lieut. Pike had been buried for two days following a shell explosion. He and another member of a party of five were the only ones who survived.
On October 8, 1916, within days of escaping death Lieutenant Brother Pike was killed in action during the Battle along the Somme River.
Also serving at the front in Northern France was Lieutenant Pike's brother, Gunner Garnet Pike. On October 12, 1916, Garnet Pike wrote the following letter to his mother informing her of the death of Claude. It reads as follows:
October 12, 1916
Somme, France
My Dearest Mother:
God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform, but why he called Claude I do not know. My heart is broken and I can hardly write but I must try and be brave, and live a better life like the dear boy that has sacrificed his all for a great duty and for the love of his suffering fellow beings.
I must now try and tell you all. Last Friday afternoon Claude and Brooke Baxter came to see me and we had quite a long chat together. He told me that they expected to go in Sunday night, to the front line trenches, and when we shook hands on parting I cautioned him about being very careful and that was the last time I saw him. Saturday went by and Sunday came, the 8, of October and at noon I went into Albert where he had been billeted to try and see him but found out that they had gone up the afternoon before Saturday afternoon. I then went back to our lines. On Monday I tried to find out if his battalion had come out yet but couldn't get any information except that his battalion had been badly cut up. Tuesday afternoon I heard that what was left of them had come out and gone into billets in a town a short way from Albert and on Wednesday morning I came across three men from his battalion and they told me he had been killed. I then got leave to go to his battalion headquarters to get full details. I had a long talk with Lieut. R. E. Picard, a chap that was in the same company. Their company went over the top in the third wave, by that they mean the third lot that goes over.
Picard said, that it was really hell on earth, big shells were bursting all around them the men were being mowed down right and left. When their company got to the German trench he was the only officer left (Picard), with very few men then they had to come back and as they did they found Claude along side a big shell hole, partly buried: they got him out but he was dead, so they carried him back with them and when they got to where they could examine him they couldn't find a wound on him and the doctor said he died from shell concussion. Picard said that there was no sigh of pain on his face and that he must have died instantly. I also had a talk with one of the men that was in his platoon and with him when they went over, this chap said that Lieut. Pike stood with his watch and when their time came to go over he blew his whistle, pulled out his revolver and in all the noise called out to his men, Come on boys over we go, and that was the last thing he ever said.
I looked over his effects, his watch and ring all amongst them but thought it best for all his belongings to be sent home in the regular way as they would be sure to get there, while if I sent them there would be a possibility of them being lost or stolen. I took his leather case with your dear picture, Kate's and the little babies in it, and I also have what letters were in his pockets.
I then went up to the cemetery where they buried him. It is in a valley between Pozieres and Contalmaison. Right near where they have buried him lie Ambery, Morton and numbers of other young fellows taken in the prime of life fighting for a just cause and if he was only here himself I can just imagine hearing him say in his dear deep voice "Carry On".
Now, mother dear, I know that your heart must be broken but try and bear up as you know there are thousands and thousands of our best young men, sacrificed through the heinous actions of a monster called the Kaiser and as long as there are any of us left we must do all we can to put such a monster out of the way so that there shall be no opportunity for him to be able to perpetuate such awful things as have happened.
As for myself I never knew how much I really loved Claude until I saw him over here and knew what he had to go through and then to realize that it was he who had to be taken and not me but such is the will of God, in whom we must all trust. When I come home to you I intend to try and fulfill the different things that Claude and I had planned we were going to do for you, so mother dear try and bear up as we are not alone in our deepbereavement. With lots and lots of love.
From your broken hearted son.
Garnet
Lieutenant Brother Companion Claude Wellington Pike is buried in the Sunken Road Cemetery near the Village of Contalmaison, grave no. 1. D. 1.
On behalf of a grateful nation Lieut. Pike was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal posthumously. These medals were awarded to his mother along with the Memorial Cross after the war.
