Sapper Vernon Frank Postill
Vernon Postill was born in Northfield Centre, Ontario on April 18, 1896. He was the son of Mrs. Milton Postill. Her husband died in 1912 after being hit by lightning. Vernon had three sisters and two brothers. He moved to Paris in 1912 and for some time was employed by the Bell Telephone Company.
Vernon enlisted at 19 years of age with the 84th Battalion and went overseas. When he arrived in England, he was drafted to the 37th Battalion. Due to his experience with Bell Telephone, he worked as a sapper on Telephone Line Maintenance. Obviously, reliable communication was essential during the war, but shell fire required constant maintenance and repairs.
Vernon had been in the trenches at the Front for about five months, during the Somme offensive. At about 10 p.m. on the night of October 12, 1916, he was mortally wounded while working with other comrades when their dugout came under heavy shell fire. Vernon was wounded in the left chest, leg and arm and he was rendered unconscious. He was taken in and ambulance to No. 9 Clearing Station where he died the next morning, on October 13. Sapper Vernon Postill is buried at the Contay British Cemetery in Pas de Calais, France. He is commemorated at St. Paul’s Methodist (now United) Church. He was 20 years old.