Private Edward Harry Tucker
Edward Tucker was born in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England on July 10, 1874. He immigrated to Canada and at the start of the First World War, he was working in Paris as a carpenter. He was married and he and his wife Elizabeth attended St James Anglican Church. He was 41 years old when he enlisted with the 125th Battalion in Paris.
Edward was a member of the 9th Platoon that embarked aboard the S.S Scandinavia on February 12, 1916. The 9th and 10th Platoons were the first contingent of soldiers from Paris, nearly 100 men, to go overseas. He was transferred to the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles shortly after arriving in England, but he moved on four months later to the 4th Pioneers Battalion. The 4th Canadian Pioneer Battalion (CEF) was a World War I unit formed in 1916 for the 4th Canadian Division, initially reorganized from the 67th Battalion (Western Scots) before being disbanded in April 1917, with personnel absorbed into the 54th and 102nd Battalions. It was later replaced by the 124th Canadian Pioneer Battalion. The Pioneers acted as specialized construction troops, responsible for building trenches, roads, bridge construction, and setting foundations. Being a carpenter by trade, Edward’s knowledge would have been valuable in this work.
The Pioneers were involved in several major, high casualty operations, including the Battle of the Somme in late 1916 and the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April, 1917. This was the unit's final and most significant engagement. They spent the harsh winter of 1916–1917 preparing the physical battlefield for the historic April 9 assault. They dug the deep assembly trenches and communication saps that allowed thousands of Canadian troops to advance safely under the ridge.
The unit was disbanded in April 1917, just after Vimy, and its personnel were distributed to other infantry units. Edward was discharged from the army on February 25, 1919.