155 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca O’KELLY, Christopher Patrick John (continued) Christopher Patrick John O’Kelly was born in Winnipeg in 1896 and was an undergraduate at St. John’s College in that city, when he signed up for service in 1916 with the 144th Battalion. When that unit was placed on reserves, Lieutenant O’Kelly was transferred to the 52nd in early 1917, reaching the front in France in March of that year. The allied objective in the autumn 1917 offensive was to capture Passchendaele Ridge, but it was not an easy campaign. The weather was against them - it rained almost incessantly turning the battlefields into mire. Trenches were washed out and shell holes became deep pools ready to drown a sodden soldier. The battle lines were formed early in the morning of October 26 in preparation for the main attack, but unfortunately it was raining both water and shells from German artillery; enemy planes had spotted them some fifteen minutes before the advance commenced. The Canadians were expected to take Bellevue Spur. In the cellars of the town of Bellevue, whose inhabitants had long since gone, German machine gun emplacements guarded the town, and nearby roads were littered with enemy pillboxes. The 52nd were not in the forefront of the initial siege but when the attack bogged down, the battalion was called into action. A small group of Canadians from the 58th Battalion were entrenched on the crest of the spur where they had been holding out for four hours. Lt. O’Kelly, commanding ‘A’ Company of the 52nd, went to their assistance. Covered by the nearby 43rd Battalion, O’Kelly’s men advanced over a kilometer through enemy fire before outflanking and scattering the German forces. He then turned his attention to the pillboxes rushing box after box with remarkable success. His precision and battle skills were unerring. His success allowed the Canadian line to advance forcing the enemy into retreat. Considerable ground was gained before the Germans reformed and counterattacked the now thin Canadian line. O’Kelly defended that line, repelled the attack, and then led his troops in a series of raids against German strong points, paving the way for the next stage of the battle. O’Kelly, promoted to captain, continued with the 52nd until 1919 when he rejoined the Winnipeg Rifles. O’Kelly died young. In November 1922, five days short of his 26th birthday, while prospecting south of Red Lake, he and a friend were drowned in a storm on Lac Seul. His friend’s body was discovered on the shore – he had died of exposure – O’Kelly’s body was never discovered. On nearby Goose Bay Island, a cross in his memory was erected by his fellow officers of the Winnipeg Rifles. On it, a plaque read, in part, “Ye who pass this way are asked to care for this monument.” A Cairn erected by the Ear Falls branch of the Legion now stands near the spot. Christopher Patrick John O’Kelly’s Victoria Cross and his Military Cross were later donated to the National Museum in Ottawa where they reside today. A new book about Thunder Bay and the First World War, recounting the experiences of those from the Lakehead who served either in uniform or on the home front was recently launched and is now available at the Thunder Bay Museum. Looking Back is written weekly by one of various writers for the Thunder Bay Museum. For further information visit the museum at 425 Donald St. E., or view its website at www.thunderbaymuseum.com.
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