Private William Geoffrey McCosh
William “Billy” McCosh was born in Paris on March 29, 1884, the son of Thomas and Rebecca McCosh. His father was the town clerk and treasurer, and the family were members of the Paris Presbyterian Church. Billy attended Paris High School. At some point, Billy went west to Alberta and enlisted in early 1916 with the 202nd Battalion in Edmonton. He was living at the Camden rooming house in Edmonton at the time. He went overseas with the battalion and was drafted to the 50th Battalion, the Canadian Machine Gun Corps.
In August 1917, the 50th Canadian Battalion (part of the 4th Canadian Division) played a crucial role in capturing the hamlet of La Coulotte and the nearby power station, facing heavy fighting and sustaining significant casualties from intense German artillery, gas, and counterattacks in the Battle of overlooking Lens, France. By holding Hill 70, the Canadians gained a commanding view and artillery advantage over the city of Lens, a key industrial center, even though Lens itself was not fully taken.
The battle cemented the Canadian Corps' reputation as an elite "shock army," proving their ability to outfight and outlast German forces through innovative tactics, including large-scale gas attacks and artillery barrages. However, the success came at a terrible price, with nearly 9,200 Canadian casualties (killed, wounded, missing) during the operation,
Private William McCosh was killed in action on August 21, 1917 in the trenches around Lens. His name is on the Vimy Memorial in Pas de Calais, one name among over 11,000 Canadian soldiers who were posted as missing, presumed dead in France.