PRIVATE EMANUEL FULTON
CANADIAN INFANTRY
6TH NOVEMBER 1917 AGE 21
BURIED: PASSCHENDAELE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY, BELGIUM
Private Fulton's mother chose his inscription. It would be interesting to know whether the words were actually her son's or her own. Emanuel Fulton did not die for honour or freedom, God, king or country but to promote peace between all nations.
This was very much the idea behind the establishment in 1920 of the League of Nations, an international organisation whose aim was to both promote and maintain peace throughout the world without the necessity of nations having to resort to war. The aim was laudable but the execution was flawed and the League could not prevent war breaking out in Europe nineteen years later, nor any of the wars in the years preceding 1939.
Emanuel Fulton served with the 31st Battalion Canadian Infantry, part of the Sixth Canadian Infantry Brigade, which took part in the successful capture of the village of Passchendaele on 6 November 1917, the day Fulton was killed. The battalion war diary for the 6 November gives a summary of the day:
"Weather - fine and clear.
At 12 midnight, all were in correct position in assembly area, and communication by lamp established. After a quiet night the attack on the village of Passchendaele was launched at 6.00 am and by 8.00 am the entire town was in the hands of the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade (see special report on operations, copy attached).
The evening found all well established on the eastern outskirts of the town with a well consolidated trench along the whole Brigade front. The loss of Major GD Powis O.C. C. Coy. early in the day is greatly felt by all ranks."
Fulton was also in C. Company and from the map reference where his body was found in May 1920 it looks as if he too was killed 'early in the day'.
The special report on the operations mentioned in the war diary can be found between pages 29 and 76 in this digitised version of the November 1917 war dairy.
