PRIVATE ARTHUR CARRIERE
Regimental #2293697
Born: May 13, 1893, St. Adolphe MB
Occupation: Farmer
Enlisted: January 11, 1918, 1st Armoured Regiment, Royal Canadian Dragoons
Killed in Action: October 10, 1918 (aged 25 years) near Troisville, France - by artillery fire)
Awarded:
- British War Medal
- Victory Medal
- Memorial Cross (sent to mother) - also known as the Silver Cross
Arthur was born to Alfred Carriere Sr. and Angelique Nault in St. Adolphe, MB. His brothers, William Carriere, Regimental No. 3345121, and Alfred Carriere Jr., Regimental No. 2167902, also served for Canada.
A farmer by trade, he was a Roman Catholic, single man, with a fair complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He stood 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 167 lbs.
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| Lord Strathcona's Horse Cap Badge |
At age 24, with no previous military experience, Arthur was conscripted into the Lord Strathcona’s Horse Regimental Depot on January 11, 1918, reporting for duty at the Fort Osborne Barracks.
He went to England in April and was posted to the Canadian Reserve Cavalry Regiment. In mid-August he was posted to the Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) in France, joining his new regiment in mid-September. One thing to note here is that, except for one cavalry regiment, (the Canadian Light Horse), all Canadian cavalry fought as part of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade of the 3rd Cavalry Division, as part of the British Expeditionary Force. By late September, the Allies had finally broken out of trench warfare, and the fighting moved into the open. This gave the cavalry the opportunity it had waited for since 1914. In early October the war moved toward the French city of Cambrai. On October 09, 1918, the Canadian Cavalry Brigade was ordered to proceed from Serain along the road toward Le Cateau and Montay. Today, it's the D932 Highway. Several villages were liberated along the way. The cavalry was able to advance so quickly that the Germans, expert at rear-guard actions, could not prepare any sort of defense. At the time, the Canadian Cavalry was fighting alongside British and American troops. The Canadian Corps itself was further to the northwest, advancing toward Cambrai from the direction of Bourlon, Raillencourt-St Olle and Tilloy-lez-Cambrai. By late afternoon, the town of Le Cateau was liberated. This was a moral victory for the British as it was here, on August 26, 1914, that they made a "last stand" against German Forces before being force to retreat to the Marne River.
On the night of October 09/10, the RCD withdrew to the town of Troisville. The following day, Trooper Carriere was serving as a medical orderly when he was killed by artillery near the Canadian Brigade HQ.
On October 10, 1918, a few kilometres northwest of Troisville, near the town of Iwuy, two events that pretty well bookmarked the role of cavalry in World War One took place, just about on the same field. In the early afternoon of the 10th, the Canadian Light Horse made the very last "swords drawn" cavalry charge of the war. Shortly after, British and German tanks crossed paths in what would be the only tank on tank battle of the war.
Draft Document
Originally interred at Troisvill, near where he was killed, in March 1922, his remains were exhumed and moved to the Highland Cemetery, Le Cateus, XI C 08
He has been commemorated in the First World War Book of Remembrance, page 381
His name is inscribed on the St Norbert, MB War Memorial
Veterans Affairs Canada link
Library and Archives Canada File RG150, 1992-93/166, Box 1518-65
*with files from Jim Busby and Brian Cyr
Lest We Forget