Herbert Alfred Spencer MM

Rank:

Lieutenant

Regimental number:

7839

Unit at enlistment:

7th Canadian Mounted Rifles

Force:

C.E.F.

Volunteered or conscripted:

Volunteered

Survived the war:

Yes

Cemetery:

Aylmer, Malahide Township, Ontario

Awards or decorations:

Military Medal

Commemorated at:

First Baptist Church

Birth country:

England

Birth county:

Greater London

Birth city:

London

Address at enlistment:

58 Mintern Avenue, Brantford, Ontario

Next of kin address:

58 Mintern Avenue, Brantford, Ontario

Trade or calling:

Clerk

Religious denominations:

Baptist

Marital status:

Single

Age at enlistment:

Gallantry medals:

Yes

Letters and documents

London Gazette: 30259
Date: August 29, 1917
Name: Herbert Alfred Spencer (7839)
Unit: Canadian Calvary Brigade, Machine Gun Corps

BX October 11, 1917

Military Medal for Pte. Herbert Alfred Spencer

For coolness under fire, Private Herbert Alfred Spencer, whose parents reside in Eagle Place, has been awarded the Military Medal. He was a member of the First Baptist Church. The official announcement of his bravery was as follows:

During the operation on the night of the 8th-9th July, against four lines of enemy defences, E. of Ascension Farm, 2,000 yards in front of the Outpost Line, he was one of the gun detachments of an advanced machine gun which formed part of the barrage. Although the gun position was heavily shelled, with great determination and coolness, he continued to fire his gun, which assisted materially to the success of the operation. He has done similar good work in previous raids on this front.

BX May 4, 1915

Brantford Boys With Cavalry Getting Down to Hard Work – Little Playtime For The Men Who Are to Maintain the Reputation of Canada’s Cavalry in the Great War – Work, Then More Work, is the Motto For Them to Follow

Hard work, day in and day out, hurry calls on a general alarm, tedious night pickets, and heavy loads to carry – these are the chief characteristics of active cavalry service camp life in Canterbury Camp, where the Canadian cavalry is getting into shape to enter the fighting line. Trooper H.A. Spencer has written to a friend in this city a lengthy, chatty letter, telling of his life in the camp there, which is well worth reading. The letter is:

April 17, 1915

Trooper H.A. Spencer
D. Squadron, Ft. Garry Horse,
Canadian Cav. Depot,
Canterbury, Kent

Dear Friend,

I received your letter and was certainly glad to get it, as I had not received any Canadian mail up to then. There was a German aeroplane raid here today. We saw the British aeroplane chasing the German Taube. It was up in the clouds mostly above them. It dropped several bombs only 20 miles from us. The British had 400 aeroplanes over London looking for more of them. I am in the first class riders now – that is the picked men of the squadron. As soon as I have learned the sword drill I will not be far behind the English regulars. We go over the jumps every day. I have picked up in my riding good since I have been here. We fold our arms and go over them. It sure gets your nerve for a while, but I just put spurs to my mare and we go galloping over.

On Easter Monday we got the general alarm call at 5.30. They expected a raid on the coast, and we had to get saddled up and ready to move any place we were sent. We had rifles, bandoliers, 100 rounds of ammunition apiece, water bottles, haversacks, great coats, rolled nose bags for horses and bayonets – some load. The ammunition is slung across the chest. All we have to do is to take out five in a clamp affair, push them in the magazine and pull the rifle.
J. Stratford is using my rifle now demonstrating the new sight. We had one cheese sandwich from 5.20 a.m. to 4 p.m. That’s active service rations eh? We sure looked fine when we marched, or rode. I mean, over the plains about 6 miles all ready for the “human hogs.” It is hard to get a pass for a few days – I mean leave of absence – as they want to get us in shape as soon as they can. I get one soon.

I am a busy boy. We get lots of all night pickets quite often and you have to be on parade in the morning just the same. We don’t get through the afternoon ride until 4 p.m., then feed, water and clean your horse, and then clean up around and the time is 5 o’clock. By the time you change after supper it is 6.30 p.m. and if you have a date, well you know what happens to my letters which ought to be written. There are some nice chickens here too.

I am glad I was not at Salisbury Plain. It rained 53 out of 62 days there. It was worse than they ever announced in Canada. I don’t wonder at the sickness they had – sleeping in wet blankets and their clothes having to dry on them. I could sleep on the main drag on Colborne Street and think it was a feather bed. On picket night you got used to it. Adieu and write soon.

Bert

BX June 21, 1915

Names of Brant County Boys Who Left England For Firing Line

A number of Brantford boys are now serving with the Royal Canadian Dragoons, having been sent from the Canterbury depot as draft reserves to fill up vacancies. They expected to leave on June 7, and did leave, as word received from another source and published recently in The Expositor, verifies. A letter has been received from Trooper Herbert Alfred Spencer, of this city, now with the Dragoons in that draft, telling of the departure of the men, and also telling that German spies are still there in the old land.

June 6, 1915
Canterbury

The Expositor,

The first draft of the Governor-General’s Body Guards and 25th Brant Dragoons will leave for France tomorrow to be attached to the Royal Canadian Dragoons, now at the front. We go under our old sergeant, Wm. T. Rigglesford, late of the American army, but an old British soldier, who has been serving the colors since 1888. He leaves his wife and five children in Mt. Dennis, Ont. His wife and himself are both English, and we are not afraid to follow him, as he has had great experience, being in the Boer war for three years, and winning the Efficiency cup and three crack-shot badges in 1906-7, 8, for the Body Guards and Royal Engineers. Our officers are not going with us, so I think we are very lucky to have such an able and experienced leader with us. He is also a medical man, and all the boys are glad to go with him. Ninety men volunteered to go, but only 30 were accepted, six of whom are Brantford boys, they being – Corp. A. Chambers, W. Simons, E. Houser, J. Hutcheon, A. Nelles (from Paris) and H.A. Spencer. Several Brantford boys were not present when the draft was called for, and so they could not be accepted, but expect to leave in about a week to fill vacancies in other Canadian Regiments.

We are anxiously waiting for the word to leave, which we expect to receive at 2 a.m. as all troops leave here in the night. A few nights ago we awoke to hear the band playing and we looked out of the window and saw a body of dragoon guards leaving us for the front.
There was a Zeppelin raid here about 15 miles away. They evidently tried to locate the powder factory here.

The authorities have just arrested the pilot of the “Silver Queen” an airship which often sails over our barracks. In the course of a week he has made frequent trips to the enemy’s lines and returned without pursuit, and this aroused suspicion and it was discovered that he was a spy, so it shows what an adept spy system the Germans have.

We are all fitted out in the web equipment and we were inspected on Saturday. The equipment is 60 lbs., packed and is quite a new thing to us fellows, who have been riding up to now, and do not notice our equipment, as part of it is on our horses, but we will show that we are as capable of carrying our packs as the infantry boys. We leave as dismounted cavalry.

Yours sincerely,
H.A. Spencer

Aylmer Express, March 20, 1991

First Great War Hero Dies at 97

Herbert Alfred Spencer, 97, of Terrace Lodge, a decorated veteran of the First Great War, died at Elgin Manor, St. Thomas, on Sunday, March 17, 1991. Mr. Spencer was a lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Fifth Cavalry Brigade, First Machine Gun Squadron during the war, and was awarded the Military Medal for Bravery in Action. The certificate he was presented read:

“During the operation on the night of the 8/9th of July against four lines of enemy defenses east of Ascension Farm, 2,000 yards in front of the Outpost Line, was one of the gun detachment of an advanced machine gun which formed part of the barrage. Although the gun position was heavily shelled, with great determination and coolness he continued to fire his gun, which assisted materially to the success of the operation. He has done similar good work in previous raids on this front.”

Mr. Spencer’s son Stephen Spencer recalled stories he was told about his father’s participation in the war. One night, Mr. Spencer had to sleep in a mausoleum in a graveyard because with German shelling, it was the only safe place to catch a nap. He kept diaries while he fought in Europe. One still has a poppy pressed in it. The flower was picked from Flanders Field. Although Mr. Spencer told some anecdotes about the war, much of it was difficult for him to talk about. Like many First Great War veterans, his memories were too horrible. After being discharged from the army in 1919, he lived in England for a couple of years before moving to Panama. There he was connected with the British Legation, but his son wasn’t exactly sure what that entailed. He also managed a brewery there.

Stephen recalled a story about his father’s connection with England’s Royal Family. Once, while Edward, Prince of Wales was in Panama, he and Mr. Spencer drank champagne “in the bowels of a battleship.” Both apparently had a good time. The family still has photographs of Mr. Spencer with King George V and Prince Edward, who later abdicated the throne. The Spencer family moved to Chicago in 1940 when Herbert was appointed Trade Commissioner for the Canadian Government. He continued in that post until it was taken over by External Affairs Canada.

Mr. Spencer eventually retired in the 1950s. He travelled with his wife Lillian, eventually settling in Aylmer in 1960 because he had relatives in the area. Stephen describes his father as a reserved man. “He was adventuresome but not garrulous. He was classy”. All his life he had a love of adventure, and was ready and willing to try anything that interested him. “Dad would be willing to do just about anything. He was quite an amazing character”. Once, while Stephen was working in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, his father visited. He ended up working as a cook for tree planting crews. It wasn’t easy cooking in a tent, producing meals for 30 or 40 men, but he enjoyed it. Stephen adds that his father loved to travel. In fact, he never really settled down. After his wife Lillian died in 1973, Mr. Spencer would travel to visit his children, stopping at his apartment in Aylmer in between trips.

Because of his experiences in the war, Mr. Spencer never missed a Remembrance Day service until 1990 at the age of 96. About 20 years ago, he shook hands with Queen Elizabeth at the service in Ottawa. Stephen says his father was very proud of that moment. He was also proud of his friendship with former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. When he was campaigning once in this area, Mr. Pearson got off a train, ignoring all the “bigwigs” to chat with Mr. Spencer. Stephen describes his father as being a very colourful gentleman who remained active until quite recently. Mr. Spencer was a member of Masonic Lodge in Chicago and Panama, of Scottish Rite in Chicago, and Royal Arch Masons and Shriners in Panama.

He was born in London, England, on January 16, 1894, son of Edward George and Alice Amilia (Shellum) Spencer, and emigrated with them to Canada at the age of six months. Mr. Spencer is survived by sons and daughters-in-law Humphrey O. and Barbara Spencer of Chicago; Stephen H. and Yvette of Ottawa; daughter Joan Stone of Memphis; sister Dorothy Randall and her husband Ellison of Aylmer; a number of grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Lillian (Fearon) Spencer in 1973. Mr. Spencer was an adherent of Trinity Anglican Church.

Canon Robert A. C. Mills of Trinity Anglican Church will conduct the funeral service from H.A. Kebbel Funeral Home on Thursday, March 21 at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in Aylmer cemetery. Members of Aylmer Legion will hold a memorial service at the funeral home at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening. Members of Malahide Masonic Lodge No. 140 A.F. and A.M. will hold a memorial service at 8 p.m. Visitation at the funeral home will also be on Wednesday evening, from 7 to 9 p.m.