Enduring Acts of Remembrance: Honouring Private Clarence Denman in 2024

Westmount, Quebec – 23 November 2024: This is an update to the original story about ‘the kindness of strangers’ that highlights the importance and strength of inter-regimental bonds.

In October 2020, the Royal Montreal Regiment (RMR) Museum received an unexpected inquiry from Jill Scahill, a dedicated volunteer at St. John’s Parish in Upperthong, West Yorkshire, England. While tending to the churchyard, Jill discovered the grave of Private Clarence B. Denman, a young soldier from Montreal who had served with the RMR during the First World War. Moved by his story, she reached out to the museum to learn more about him.

Private Denman, born in London, England, in 1893, emigrated to Canada with his family as a child. By August 1914, he was a 21-year-old salesman living with his parents at 1836 Esplanade Avenue in Montreal. With the outbreak of war, he enlisted in the 14th Battalion (RMR) of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Tragically, he was wounded during the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915 and succumbed to his injuries on May 26, 1915, at the age of 22. He was laid to rest in the churchyard of St. John’s Parish in Upperthong.

Jill’s initial act of kindness—placing a plant on Private Denman’s grave and speaking to him during her visits—sparked a series of heartfelt gestures. In November 2020, retired Corporal Stuart Kilminster of the Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment laid a wreath on Denman’s grave and recited the Act of Remembrance. In subsequent years, Jill handcrafted wreaths for his grave, ensuring that his memory remained honored. In 2023, the RMR Museum sent Jill regimental accessories, which she used to further adorn Private Denman’s resting place.

Private Clarence Denman may have fallen over a century ago, but thanks to the compassion and dedication of strangers, his legacy lives on. The RMR extends its heartfelt gratitude to all who honor the memory of our fallen soldiers.

Lest We Forget.