Private
Spence, Charles Edward
Unit
25th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Nova Scotia Rifles)
Branch
Infantry
Service Component
Canadian Expeditionary Force
Service Number
902492
birth
1898/06/29
Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, United States of America
death
1917/11/06
Belgium
grave
Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium
Gender
Male
Charles Edward Spence was born in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, United States, on 29 June 1898.
Spence enlisted in the 193rd Canadian Infantry Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders) at Aldershot Camp, Nova Scotia, on 6 June 1916. He was later transferred to the 25th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Nova Scotia Rifles).
On 6 November 1917, Spence was reported missing during the Battle of Passchendaele. At the time, the 25th Battalion was serving in the support and front lines. Over the course of its three-day mission (6 to 8 November inclusive), it experienced intermittent bouts of heavy shelling with both conventional and chemical shells. By the time it was relieved, on the night of 8 November, 17 of its men had been killed, 67 were wounded, and 6 (including Spence) were missing.
On 7 August 1918, Canadian military authorities declared that, for all official purposes, Spence, who was still missing, was presumed to have died on or after 6 November 1917.
Charles Edward Spence is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, in Ypres, Belgium.
