Bender, Louis Cornelius
Private.
Private Louis Cornelius Bender, son of Rosina Seck (Heck, Hecke) and Adam Bender, was born on a farm just outside Bamberg, Ontario on November 11, 1887. Louis was the 7th of 10 children. He was baptised Ludwig Bender on November 20, 1887 in St. Agatha Roman Catholic Church, St. Agatha, Ontario by Rev. J. Schweitzer. Sponsors for his baptism were Louis Strauss and Maria Strauss.
Louis was working for Mr. J. Lister as a gas driller and lived in Byng, Ontario, when he enlisted in the Canadian Army on April 26, 1916. According to his Attestation Paper he was only 5' 31/2" tall, had a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. His father Adam Bender is listed as next of kin.
On October 31, 1916 Louis sailed from Halifax on the S.S.Caronia. He served with the 114th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Forces in Canada, Britain and France. Private Louis Bender fought in World War I in the Canadian Infantry Central Ontario Regiment in the 4th Battalion. He was recognized by his regimental number: 739340.
Louis was killed in action on Friday, August 9, 1918, on the 2nd day of the Battle of Amiens. He was one of a Lewis Gun crew and was temporarily engaged on patrol work, when he was hit in the head by a bullet from the rifle of an enemy sniper and almost instantly killed at the Hindenburg Line. Louis was buried in Bouchoir New British Cemetery in Somme, France, Plot 2, Row A, Grave 32. He was bestowed with the British War Medal and Victory Medal. His name is on the Wellesley Cenotaph located in Linwood, Ontario.
An extended version of this biography, prepared by the students of Megan Lowe's Grade 5 class of Forest Hill Elementary School (Kitchener), is available upon request in the Grace Schmidt Room of Local History.
Copyright Status
Public domain: Copyright has expired according to Canadian law. No restrictions on use.
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Source Organization
Kitchener Public Library
Collection
Soldier Information Cards - World War One
Transcription
Bender, Louis
Private.
Killed in action.
His home was in St. Clements.
