Before the United States had even entered the war UW Forestry student Hugh Arthur Rees enlisted in the 16th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Division). Born in England in 1892, Hugh and his parents immigrated to Canada in 1912. Critically wounded in battle, Rees died in Reading, England, on 12 August 1916. (bit.ly/uw_harees)
In Mark Zuehlke’s book, Brave Battalion, Remarkable Saga of the 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish), Rees’ heroic action in battle is described: “Groups of Germans could be seen near the trenches attempting to rally a counterattack. Seeing this and also spotting a German machine gun nearby, Cpl Hugh Arthur Rees, a machine gunner with No. 2 team, brought the weapon into action. For the next four hours, as Vancouver was increasingly pounded by German artillery, Rees kept the gun in operation and broke up one attempted counterattack after another, even when it became clear the enemy artillery were attempting to zero in on him. Finally a shell found the mark and the crewmen with him were all killed while Rees was badly wounded. It was an act of heroism that would see the British born twenty-three-year-old awarded a Military Medal for valour.”
Corporal Hugh Arthur Rees was awarded the United Kingdom’s Military Medal for action at the battle of Mont Sorrel, Ypres Salient between June 2-14, 1916.