Lance Bombardier Frederick Stanley Arnold
PERSONAL INFORMATION
MILITARY INFORMATION
Lance Bombardier (Army).
RESEARCH INFORMATION
Son of Catherine Arnold of Cleveland, USA. Husband of May Arnold of England.
Prior military service with 4th US Cavalry, US Navy and US Marine Corps.
When on active service, deserting his majesty's service, in that he, at Boulogne, on 5 June 1916, absented himself from Marlborough Details Camp, until apprehended by the Intelligency Corps, at Boulogne, on 27 June 1916 in plain clothes. Tried on 5 July 1916. Executed 25 July 1916. This case did not come before the Canadian overseas authorities.
"Those who go to war at the request of their nation do not know the fate that lies in store for them. This was a war of such overwhelming sound, fury and unrelenting horror that few combatants could remain unaffected," said Minister Duhamel. "While we cannot relive those awful years of a nation at peril in total war, and although the culture of that time is subsequently too distant for us to comprehend fully, we can give these 23 soldiers a dignity that is their due, and provide closure to their families." (The Honourable Ron J. Duhamel, Minister of Veterans Affairs 11 December 2001)
The Government of Canada has offered an apology and formally announced its regret for this situation. On December 11, 2001, Veteran Affairs Minister, Dr. Ron Duhamel rose in the House of Commons and with sincerity and passion, read the names of those 23 Canadians into the Parliamentary record and announced their names will be written into Parliament Hill's Book of Remembrance. He was whole-heartedly supported by all of Canada's opposition Parties.