Herbert “Bertie” Stangroom (b. 1890)

Bertie Stangroom was a Royal North-West Mounted Police officer who attempted to desert his Yukon post to enlist in the First World War. He was allowed to enlist in July 1916 and joined Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. Stangroom participated in a trench raid near Vimy in January 1917. A bomb landed the trench they were raiding and Stangroom threw a German on top of the bomb and held him down. The German soldier was killed and Stangroom sustained shrapnel wounds to his leg.1) Bertie Strangroom was awarded with the Military Medal.2)

1)
Michael Gates, “Yukon soldiers experienced the horrors of trench warfare first hand.” Yukon News (Whitehorse), 24 March 2017. 2020 website: https://www.yukon-news.com/letters-opinions/yukon-soldiers-experienced-the-horrors-of-trench-warfare-first-hand/
2)
Michael Gates, “Remembering the wounded, the brave and the dead in World War I.” Yukon News (Whitehorse), 6 November 2015. 2020 website: https://www.yukon-news.com/letters-opinions/remembering-the-wounded-the-brave-and-the-dead-of-world-war-i/