Horatio Nelson Vipond (1897-1916)
Sunderland publican's son served with CEF in France
Horation Nelson Vipond, born on 16 November 1897, was the fourth of the five sons of local publican John Vipond and his wife, Jane, and was probably born in one of his father’s dozen pubs in Sunderland, the Villiers Hotel. Jane, his mother, died in 1905 and his father in 1908, and the five boys went to live with their widowed paternal aunt and her son in Zion Street. In April 1911 William, Thomas and Horatio arrived in Canada on board the SS Corsican, with their Aunt Elizabeth, her son, also called Thomas. Edwin and Redvers arrived a month later on the same ship’s next voyage to Canada.
The extended family settled in Guelph, Ontario and on 1 September 1915 Horatio joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), becoming Private 126050 in 71st Battalion. He embarked for England on the SS Olympic on 11 April 1916. Transferred to 54th Battalion on arrival at camp at Bramshott, Hampshire, he proceeded to France with the battalion, arriving in Havre on 14 August. The battlion was billeted at Chippewa Camp. By the end of the month they were in trenches at St. Eloi, before moving on to Albert.
It was in the front line trenches on 16 October 1916 (a month before his nineteenth birthday) that Private 126050 Horatio Nelson Vipond was killed when the enemy opened a heavy bombardment of whizz bangs and shells. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Vimy Memorial.
Civil Parish: Sunderland
Birth date: 16-Nov-1897
Death date: 16-Oct-1916
Armed force/civilian: Army
Residence: 4 Villiers Street, Sunderland (1901 census)
7 Zion Street, Sunderland (1911 census)
46 Surry Street East, Guelph, Ontario (1911 Canadian census)
37 Merian Street, Guelph, Ontario (enlistment papers)
Religion: Church of England
Employment: pitman driver (1911 Canadian census)
moulder (enlistment papers)
Family: Parents: John Vipond, Jane Jopling Vipond nee Brown
Siblings: Thomas Vipond, William Vipond, Edwin Vipond, Redvers Buller Vipond
Military service:
Private 126050
71st Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
54th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
Medal(s): British War Medal
Victory Medal
Gender: Male
Contributed by Jean Longstaff, Durham
