Canadian History for Kids: Frances Peghmagabow

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One and Canadian History for Kids have assembled 31 remarkable stories about incredible people, places and events which helped shape our amazing nation.

There are many significant stories to be told about the ‘war to end all wars’.

A grateful nation never forgets a hero.

There were almost 4,000 aboriginals fighting in World War I. One of those men was Frances “Peggy” Peghmagabow, born near Parry Sound, Ontario. He was the mostly highly decorated Canadian aboriginal and highest-scoring sniper with 378 confirmed kills.

In August 1914, he enlisted with the 23rd Regiment, the Northern Pioneers, and became a member of the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion, part of the 1st Canadian Division. He was nicknamed Peggy by the other members of his battalion.

He was a skilled marksman whose reputation as a sniper began to build. He also acted as a runner, racing back and forth across the battlefield to deliver messages from the front to the command post, informing them about the location of the Canadian soldiers so artillery bombardments that were thrown at the German forces did not hit them.

In his first year at War, he earned the Military Medal and later received two bars. His commendation states “For continuous service as a messenger from February 14th 1915 to February 1916. He carried messages with great bravery and success during the whole of the actions at Ypres, Festubert and Givenchy. In all his work he has consistently shown a disregard for danger and his faithfulness to duty is highly commendable.”

In November 1917, the 1st Battalion joined the assault near the village of Passchendaele. With two British divisions, the Canadian Corps attacked and took the village, holding it for five days, until reinforcements arrived. The Allies suffered 16,000 casualties at Passchendaele, and Corporal Pegahmagabow earned his first bar to the Military Medal.

Then in August 1918, at the Battle of Scarpe, he received his second bar to his Military Medal, while fighting off a German attack at Orix Trench, near Upton Wood. His company was running out of ammunition, so he braved machine gun and rifle fire in no-man’s land to bring back enough ammunition for his company to carry on.

Although wounded he fought throughout the entire war and survived.

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