William Merrifield VC MM

b. 09/10/1890 Brentwood, Essex. d. 08/08/1943 Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

William Merrifield (1890-1943) was born on 9th October 1880 in Brentwood, Essex, England. This is according to his service record, but no record of his birth has been traced. Little is known about his family. His father, also William Merrifield, emigrated to Canada in c. 1902 and lived in Ottawa, Ontario. His mother was Elizabeth O’Leary. Nothing is known about William’s siblings, if any, or his grandparents.

At the time of the 1901 Census, William was at St Charles School for Roman Catholic Boys in Brentwood run by the Christian Brothers. This was an institution for pauper boys between the ages of 9 and 16, who would otherwise be in the workhouse. William’s place of birth in this Census document is recorded as Kensington. William is understood to have emigrated to Canada in c. 1902 with either his father or his uncle. He may have returned to England for a period of time, but it is known he returned to Sudbury, Ontario, where he worked as a fireman on the Canadian Pacific Railway.

William had been serving for a year in the 97th Regiment (Algonquin Rifles) when he enlisted in the 51st Regiment (Soo Rifles) at Valcartier, Quebec, on 23rd September 1914. He sailed with the 2nd Battalion aboard SS Cassandra from Quebec City on 3rd October 1914 and disembarked in England on 25th October. In early January 1915 he was hospitalised with gonorrhea and transferred to the 12th Battalion, and later the 4th Battalion. He sailed for France in April 1915.

On 6th February 1916 he was shell shocked near Messines and also suffered from a bout of appendicitis. He was admitted to 2nd Canadian Field Ambulance and No 8 Casualty Clearing Station that day and transferred by 5 Ambulance Train on 10th February to 2nd Canadian Stationary Hospital, Le Touquet, arriving next day. He was then sent to convalesce in Boulogne, before being discharged back to his unit on 2nd March. Two more hospitalisations followed later that year, before he joined 1st Canadian Entrenching Battalion on 8th December 1916. He was appointed acting sergeant on 15th March 1917 but reverted to private on rejoining 4th Battalion on 4th April. He then contracted a severe case of influenza which put him out of action until 10th July. He was then attached to 1st Field Company between 23rd July and 13th October 1917.

William was then awarded the Military Medal for his actions on 6th November 1917 at Passchendaele, Belgium. He was a stretcher bearer accompanying his platoon in support of 1st Battalion. Passing through a heavy barrage he was wounded, along with several others of the platoon. Disregarding his own wounds, he bandaged five men and had them sent back to the aid post, then carried on and overtook his platoon. He remained until the next day, when he was forced to have his injuries attended to. He was admitted to No 37 Casualty Clearing Station with a gunshot wound to the arm, and was transferred to 1st South African General Hospital at Abbeville on 7th November. He joined the Canadian Reinforcement Camp on 4th December and returned to 4th Battalion on 16th February 1918.

On 6th March he was promoted to lance corporal. He was admitted to 25th General Hospital, Hardelot on 3rd August with influenza. He was discharged on 13th August and promoted to corporal. He rejoined the Battalion on 16th August and was promoted to sergeant on 31st August. After a period of leave, he rejoined the Battalion on 20th September.

William Merrifield VC MM

On 1st October 1918, the advance of Sergeant Merrifield and his men near Abancourt in France was being blocked by intense fire from two German machine gun emplacements. Merrifield resolved to attack both positions alone. Running from shell-hole to shell-hole, he killed the crew of the first machine gun and, although wounded, continued to the second emplacement, where he used a hand grenade to kill all of the enemy defenders. Merrifield refused to be evacuated, and went on leading his platoon until he was wounded again, this time severely. For showing the highest qualities of valour and leadership in this action, Sergeant Merrifield was awarded the Victoria Cross.

He was admitted to No 1 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station later that day and transferred by 6 Ambulance Train to 18th General Hospital at Dannes Camiers on 2nd October, with gunshot wounds to his left arm and back. He was evacuated to Britain aboard HMHS Princess Elizabeth on 9th October and was admitted to 3nd Western General Hospital, Manchester. He was eventually moved to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital in Woodcote Park, Epsom, Surrey on 11th December. William Merrifield was invested with his Victoria Cross by King George V at Sandringham House, Norfolk on 26th January 1919. After further treatment he was struck off strength to 4th Battalion at the Canadian Concentration Camp, Bramshott, Hampshire on 4th April 1919.

After the war, Merrifield left Southampton, England, to travel back to Canada on board the S.S. Olympicon on 15th April, 1919, and was discharged from the service on 24th April. He took a job with the Algoma Central Railway in Sault Ste. Marie. William married Maude Alexandra Bovington on 28th June 1921 at St John’s Church in Sault Ste. Marie. They had met in 1920 when she worked in a jewellery store. They would have four children – William, Patricia, Rose and Curtis.

William was presented to the Prince of Wales on his visit to Canada in September 1919. The Prince was travelling on the Algoma Central Railroad and learned that a VC recipient was firing the train. He had a member of his entourage take over William’s job so he could meet him. William attended the VC Dinner at the House of Lords on 9th November 1929. He travelled back to Canada with two fellow VCs – Thomas Holmes VC and Walter Rayfield VC. On 22nd May 1939 he was one of seven VCs presented to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth during their tour of Canada in Toronto.

William Merrifield suffered a stroke in 1939 from which he never recovered, and he died in Christie Street Military Hospital, Toronto on 8th August 1943. He is buried in the West Korah Cemetery in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He is commemorated with William Merrifield VC Armoury in Brantford, Ontario, a plaque by the Cenotaph in Sault Ste. Marie, on the VC obelisk in Barrie, Ontario, on Plaque No 84 at York Cemetery, Toronto, on the Canadian Pacific Railways VC Memorial in Toronto, and with a VC commemorative stone placed at Brentwood War Memorial in Essex on 9th November 2018.

In addition to his VC and MM, he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19 and George VI Coronation Medal 1937. His medals were presented to the Canadian War Museum by his granddaughter Katy Merrifield and members of the family on 21st November 2005.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM, OTTAWA, CANADA.

BURIAL PLACE: WEST KORAH CEMETERY, SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO, CANADA.

RANGE C, LOT 10E, GRAVE 6.