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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Pte. Claude Joseph Patrick Nunney VC, DCM, MM.
Canadian Expeditionary Forces 38th Btn. Eastern Ontario Regiment
(d.18th Sep 1918)
Claude Nunney died of wounds on the 18th of September 1918 and is buried in the Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension in France.An extract from the London Gazette Supplement (No. 31067, of 13th Dec., 1918) records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery during the operations against the Drocourt-Queant line on Sept. 1st and 2nd, 1918. On Sept. 1st, when his battalion was in the vicinity of Vis-en-Artois, preparatory to the advance, the enemy laid down a heavy barrage and counter-attacked. Pte. Nunney, who was at this time at company headquarters, immediately on his own initiative proceeded through the barrage to the company outpost lines, going from post to post and encouraging the men by his own fearless example. The enemy were repulsed and a critical situation was saved. During the attack on Sept. 2nd, his dash continually placed him in advance of his companions, and his fearless example undoubtedly helped greatly to carry the company forward to its objectives."
There has been some debate as to Nunney's origins. Whilst Nunney himself stated he was born in Dublin, Ireland, it is claimed he was actually born in Hastings, England as Stephen Sargent Claude Nunney. Also it is claimed that Nunney did not become a Canadian citizen by naturalization process, but by becoming part of a child emigration scheme known as British Home Children.
Dave Lorente, (Homechildren Canada,) wrote the following article on Claude: "It is interesting to speculate how Claude Nunney would answer, were he alive today and asked to give his first names, DOB and birthplace, because for some unknown reason or reasons he knowingly or unwittingly gave false information when he joined up in World War I. Perhaps it was because, like so many other Home Children, he had lost his baptismal record and/or birth certificate. His birth certificate shows he was actually born in Hastings, England - not in Dublin as his military Attestation papers show. Nor was he Irish and his name was not Claude Joseph Patrick Nunney as he stated but Stephen Sargent Claude Nunney' - 'Sargent' being his mother's maiden name. His birth date was also wrong and he came to Canada as Stephen - not Claude. All that said, none of it detracts in any way from the brave things he did during World War I when he became one of 'Canada's Magnificent Seven' and won the former Empire and Commonwealth's highest award for bravery in the ranks."
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