247006 Pte. Edward Roy Bean Canadian Army 2nd Battalion from:Stirling, Ontario (d.5th September 1916) Roy Bean, was born June 22nd, 1892, in Belleville, Ontario. He grew up in Stirling, Ontario with his father John Bean. After finishing school, he worked as a farmer, until the Great War began in 1914, and he decided to enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces. After signing the attestation papers on September 24th, 1914, Roy joined the 2nd Battalion, Regiment no. 8066.
The CEF 2nd Battalion loaded onto the S.S. Cassandra on September 22nd, 1914, in Quebec City, Quebec. They stopped to pick up more troops at the Gasp Basin, then departed with a fleet of approximately thirty ships as the first of the Canadian infantry that contributed to the Great War. Over 32,000 Canadian soldiers were aboard those ships. The fleet reached England on October 25th, 1914 and immediately began training for battle.
The 2nd Battalions first battle was the Second Battle of Ypres in April of 1915, which was the first time chlorine gas was utilized in combat. They then went on to fight in the Battles of St. Julien, and Festubert. Though these battles, particularly his first, took many casualties, Bean was not among them and did not even require a stay in the hospital for injuries. However, in January of 1916 Bean contracted tonsillitis, and was confined to the hospital for a stint of time. Fortunately, he recovered well and was no worse for wear after the fact.
Beans final battle was the Battle of Pozieres, which took place in the summer of 1916. The battle ended on the 3rd of September, and poor Roy Bean almost made it through another battle relatively unscathed.
Unfortunately, he was wounded during the last few days of the war, and died of wounds in the hospital on September 5th, 1916. He is buried at Puchevillers British Cemetery in Somme, France. His headstone reads, in loving memory of my beloved husband killed in action, a testament from his wife Mabel Bean, who resided in Toronto. It is unclear upon reading documents when the two met, as his initial attestation papers state that he is single, but after his death his money and personal effects were sent to his wife Mabel.
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