We Remember

Arthur Daiken

Arthur Daiken
Rank: 
Private
Regimental number: 
772557
Unit at enlistment: 
125th Battalion
Force: 
C.E.F.
Volunteered or conscripted: 
Volunteered
Survived the war: 
Yes
Wounded: 
Yes
Cemetery: 
St. Joseph's Cemetery, Brantford, Ontario
Birth country: 
Canada
Birth county: 
Brant
Birth city: 
Brantford, Ontario
Address at enlistment: 
11 Drummond Street, Brantford, Ontario
Next of kin address: 
11 Drummond Street, Brantford, Ontario
Trade or calling: 
Press hand
Employer: 
Verity Plow Co.
Religious denominations: 
Church of England
Marital status: 
Single
Age at enlistment: 
18
Image gallery: 

Letters and documents

BX May 18, 1917

Private A. Daiken in Vimy Ridge Fight – Canadian Guns Were Most Effective – German Prisoner Fixed His Wound

An interesting letter was received by Mrs. Wm. Daiken from her son, Private Arthur Daiken, who was wounded in the fighting at Vimy Ridge. The letter was written on April 26, as follows:

Dear Mother,

Just a few lines to let you know I am well and hope this will find you the same. We are having fine weather here in England. The sun has been shining these last few days. I came over to “Blighty” on the 18th to the Colchester hospital, and left there on the 24th. I am now in the Epsom Convalescent hospital. I got wounded in the advance which started on the 9th. I was in the fighting for three hours, advancing at a walking pace. I had just got over the third sunken road when a shrapnel shell burst to the left of me over my head and a piece of it caught me in the left foot. George Rowe happened to be with me and helped me back to the sunken road, over which we had passed and then he cut off my boot, but did not have the heart to see me in pain, so he would not pull the shrapnel out. He made me as comfortable as possible and stayed beside me. Later on we started back to the dressing station. On the field we got about 15 yards when some Hun prisoners came along. We tried to find out if there was a Red Cross man with them, but could not make them understand us. I showed them my wound, and one of them came over to me. We got in a shell hole and he took the shrapnel out of my toe and put some iodine on the wound and bandaged my foot up. Meanwhile George Rowe had left me and went to join the rest of the boys, who had kept on advancing. After having my wound fixed up I got on the Fritzes’ back and he took me back to the next dressing station. All the time I was on his back I was laughing like everything. When we got past No Man’s Land there was nothing but shell holes up and down the other side. As soon as we got out of one hole we were down in another, but he never seemed to get tired. I saw dead and wounded Germans wherever I looked in one place, and you can bet some of them were glad to give in with no funny work, but there were others that turned machine guns on us until we got them at the point of the bayonet and then they fired no longer. It was a grand sight to see the guns behind us. We looked back and saw the spurts of guns for miles and heard the crack of the machine guns. Now in front we saw the dirt fly, it looked as if the earth was lifting. You get to the fellow next to you and shout as loud as you can and he can hardly hear you. I would give anything to see another sight like that. If the guns could have kept up that day I believe we could have run the Germans to Berlin.

Well mother, I will close for this time, with love, from your loving son, 

Arthur.

P.S. My wounds are pretty sore.

BX April 23, 1917

Brant Casualty List Mounts Up – 22 Today – Twenty-Two Names of Local or County Men Given Out Today – First Brant Battalion Draft Suffered Severely

Issued today is one of the lengthiest weekend casualties lists yet made public since the outbreak of war. In the list are given 19 Brantford men, all of whom with one exception were wounded. Three Simcoe men, two Paris men and one Burford man are also in the list. Many are official confirmations. The Expositor having previously mentioned them.

Pte. Arthur Daiken was on Saturday reported to be in No. 3 Hospital at Boulogne, suffering from a gunshot wound in his left foot. He was a former employee of the Verity Plow Co., and went overseas with the first Brant County Battalion, but was drafted to another Canadian Battalion. He was wounded on April 12.

BX June 8, 1917

Mrs. William Daiken, 538 Wentworth Street, Hamilton, a former resident of 11 Drummond Street Brantford, received a letter from her son, Pte. Arthur Daiken, saying he had under gone an operation May 14, having a piece of bone taken out of his foot. He also has a hole through his foot near the instep. His friends are glad to hear he is getting along nicely. Pte. Arthur Daiken went overseas in the first overseas battalion from this city, and was drafted to France. He received his wounds in the left foot in the fighting at Vimy Ridge on April 9, and was sent back to England the middle of April.

BX February 12, 1918

Discharged

Mr. and Mrs. William Daiken formerly of Brantford, now of 538 Wentworth Street north, Hamilton, have received word from their son, Private Arthur Daiken, to the effect that he was discharged from Woodcote Convalescent Hospital on December 1, 1917, and is now at Bramshott Camp. Pte. Arthur Daiken and his twin brother, Pte. Arden Daiken enlisted in the 125th Battalion on January 1, 1916, at the age of 17, and spent their 18th birthday in France.

Private Arden Daiken was killed in action at Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917. Pte. Arthur Daiken was wounded in the left foot at Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917. Later he had an inch of decayed bone taken out of his foot, also a hole put through his foot near the instep. He is still lame from it.

A son-in-law, Pte. George Noss was reported as presumed to have died on May 3, 1917. All of this family who were within the age limit has done their bit. Mr. and Mrs. Daiken moved to Hamilton after their boys went away.

BX January 3, 1981

Arthur Daiken

DAIKEN, Arthur – At the Brantford General Hospital on Saturday, January 3, 1981, Arthur Daiken; beloved husband of Mary Benson of 5 Darling Street; dear stepfather of Mrs. Bernard (Patricia) Penny and the late Walter O’Connell, William O’Connell and Evelyn Eagleton; surviving are several nieces and nephews.  Mr. Daiken was a veteran of the First World War, 125th Battalion, wounded at the Battle of Vimy Ridge.  Retired employee of White Farm Equipment; member of St. Basil’s Church and Branch 90 Royal Canadian Legion.  Friends will be received at the Thorpe Brothers’ Funeral Home, 96 West Street, from Sunday evening at 7 o’clock.  Mass of the Christian Burial at St. Basil’s Church on Tuesday morning at 11 o’clock.  Interment St. Joseph’s Cemetery.  Recitation of the rosary by the members of the C.W.L. on Monday afternoon at 3 o’clock and by the members of the parish on Monday evening at 8 o’clock.

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