Private Wilfred Rice
Killed in Action in WW1
Date of Death:
Service Biography
Wilfred Rice was born at St. Zotique, Quebec, on 13 October 1897. A single Roman Catholic cotton filler living at Valleyfield, Quebec, he enlisted at Montreal on 19 November 1915 as Private 121393 with the 69th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. He went overseas in April 1916 and transferred to the 22nd Battalion in August, serving in France. He was reported missing on 4 October 1916 and was subsequently officially reported killed in action on that date.
General Information
Conflict:
WW1
Regimental No.:
121393
Cause of Death (in war):
Killed in Action
Branch:
Canadian Expeditionary Force
Regiment:
Canadian Infantry
Battalion:
22nd Battalion
Company:
Date of Birth :
Place of Birth:
Saint-Zotique, Quebec
Date of Enlistment:
Age at Enlistment:
18 years 1 month
Date of Discharge:
Age at Discharge:
18 years 11 months
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
18 years 11 months
Country Born:
Canada
Trade or Calling:
Cotton filler
Next of Kin:
George Latour, uncle, 90 Post Office, Valleyfield, Quebec
Address at Enlistment:
Valleyfield, Quebec
Religion:
Roman Catholic
Place of Enlistment:
Montreal, Quebec
Was a Prisoner of War:
No
Height:
5 ft 3.5 in / 161 cm
Weight:
110 lbs / 50 kg
Chest:
34.0 in / 86 cm
Expansion:
2.0 in / 5 cm
Marital Status:
Single
Prior Military Experience:
No
Saw Service in:
Europe
Place of Discharge:
Discharge Type:
Died in Service
Discharge Notes:
Battle Died/Wounded:
Length of Service:
320 days in service
Buried at:
Links
Ranks
| Conflict |
Rank |
Regiment |
Branch |
Unit |
Company |
Date From |
Date To |
| WW1 |
Private |
Canadian Infantry |
Canadian Expeditionary Force |
22nd Battalion |
|
|
|
| WW1 |
Private |
Canadian Infantry |
Canadian Expeditionary Force |
69th Battalion |
|
|
|
Service Chronology
1897-10-13 — Born
1915-11-19 — Attested/enlisted as Private 121393 with 69th Battalion, C.E.F.
1916-04-17 — Embarked from Canada
1916-04-27 — Arrived in England
1916-04-28 — Separate personnel sheet records arrival in England
1916-05-06 — Awarded 7 days C.B. for absence from roll call
1916-05-08 — Awarded 14 days C.B. for refusing to obey an order
1916-05-26 — Further C.B./punishment entry recorded
1916-06-04 — Forfeiture/pay punishment entry recorded
1916-07-15 — Pay detained under disciplinary order
1916-07-24 — Punished with forfeiture and 14 days No. 2 Field Punishment for conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline
1916-08-27 — Transferred to 22nd Battalion overseas
1916-08-28 — Taken on strength of 22nd Battalion from Canadian Base Depot; left C.B.D.
1916-09 — Joined 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion
1916-09 — Left 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion
1916-09 — Rejoined 22nd Battalion
1916-10-04 — Reported missing; subsequently officially reported killed in action
1916-11-14 — Report records missing status
1917-04-10 — Later notification records him now reported killed in action
Notes
At enlistment he was 5 ft 3½ in tall and weighed 110 lb. His Medical History Sheet records chest measurements of 32–34 in, good physical development, dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair, with a scar on the back of the neck. A separate hospital card under his service number records Station Hospital, Halifax, on 25 November 1914 for scarlet fever and transfer to an Infectious Hospital on 21 January 1915. Those dates predate his documented 19 November 1915 enlistment and are therefore retained as an unresolved source anomaly rather than treated as ordinary wartime admissions.
Additional Service Notes
Enlisted at Montreal on 19 November 1915 as Private 121393 with the 69th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. He embarked from Canada on 17 April 1916 and arrived in England in late April. The service records document several disciplinary punishments in May-July 1916. He transferred overseas to the 22nd Battalion on 27-28 August 1916, temporarily joined the 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion in September, and then rejoined the 22nd Battalion in the field. He was reported missing on 4 October 1916 and was subsequently officially reported killed in action on that date.
Additional Next of Kin Notes
George Latour is explicitly recorded as Wilfred Rice's uncle and next of kin at 90 Post Office, Valleyfield, Quebec. Joseph Rice is separately identified as his father and a notification contact in Montreal. Giuseppe Rizziero appears in later notification/assigned-pay annotations but no relationship or alias status is established in the surviving file.
Version: 3 Last modified: 2026-09-18 20:59:16
by: marc
