Plug Street WW1 Memorial Road

Plug Street was declared a memorial on July 31, 2009, to Islanders that served in the Ypres Salient or the area of Ploegsteert, Belgium commonly referred to by soldiers as “Plug Street,” during the First World War. It is believed that Plug Street was named circa 1919/1920.

Prince Edward Islanders at the Front

– 1st Contingent

Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians)

Lieutenant L. H., Beer,
Private John E., Clarkin

1st Divisional Signal Company

Corporal Ernest G. Weeks
Corporal Glen Norton
Private John F. Norton
Private George W. Gardner
Private Herbert Ross Large
Private Vernon H. McLeod
Private Hugh Ronald Stewart
Private Harry H. Whitlock

Divisional Engineers

Major Alexander MacPhail
Sapper Stephen F. Robinson
Sapper John M. McPherson
Sapper Jeffery B. McPhail

2nd Infantry Brigade, 7th Battalion

Lance Corporal Joseph Cook
Private Charles S. Beaton
Private John Alex Beaton
Private John Eldon Aldous
Private Donald F. Campbell
Private William H. Turner
Corporal Ambrose Cosgrove
Private High McDonald
Private Walter Ronahan
Private Daniel R. McQueen
Private William Alec McQueen
Private Peter A. Hughes
Private Norman McKenzie

11th Battalion

Private Harry Riley
Private Spencer Stuart
Private Chas. Leland Coffin
Private Gamaliel Gillis
Private Leroy Bell Kielly

12th Battalion

Lieutenant Frederick B. MacRae
Capt A. R. B. Duck
Private F. Alexander
Private Harold Beairsto
Private Thomas Burns
Private Arthur Collett
Private Arthur Corney
Private Parker H. Crockett
Private William C. Crosby
Private C. Delaney
Private Joseph DesRoche
Private Robert H. Duvar
Private Charles Duffy
Private Francis Gaudet
Private Harold Gillis
Private Louis L. Jenkins
Corporal James L. Marshall
Private Warren Myers
Private Chas Henry McKenzie
Private John McLaren
Private Bruce McLellan
Private E. Chester Robertson
Private David M. Robinson
Private Joseph J. Simons
Private Wylie Sudsbury
Private James Sudsbury

The following poem was originally written in the trenches of Flanders in 1917:

SUNSET OVER MALPEQUE BAY by J. Harold Burns

Oh, `tis long since I have wandered from the place of many boats,
Oh, `tis many years since I have been away,
And my heart is hot with longing,
And my eyes with tears are dim,
Just to see the sun go down o’er Malpeque Bay.
Oh, the redness!
Oh, the calmness!
Oh, the beauty of the hour!
Curtain Island dressed in golden-bright array.
Still I see the old Sir Louis fast upon the middle-ground,
When the sun sank gently down on Malpeque Bay.
I remember Captain Willie, Captain Levi, Captain Roach,
Tidy’s houses perched crazily upon the quay,
I remember the old “Corporal” with the smell of tar and ropes,
And the evening sun upon a glassy bay.
Oh, there was a wildness in the white caps,
There was madness in the foam,
There was temper in the tempest all the day,
When the oyster boats beat gamely in against a gathering storm.
Oh, I’ve had my share of happiness,
of worldly goods – a wealth,
Success has crowned my efforts all the way,
But I’d give it all, and welcome,
Just to be back home tonight,
To watch the sun set over Malpeque Bay.

Inscription

(one sign is bilingual while the other is not)

[plaque at corner of Baseline Road and Plug Street/plaque au coin du chemin Baseline et la rue Plug Street]

Plug St

[plaque at corner of Highway 20 and Plug Street/plaque au coin de l`autoroute 20 et rue Plug]

Rue Plug St

Le 31 juillet 2009, Plug Street est devenue une rue commémorative en hommage aux Prince Édouardiens qui ont combattu pendant la Première Guerre mondiale sur le saillant d’Ypres ou dans la région de Ploegsteert (Belgique), que les soldats avaient l’habitude d’appeler « Plug Street ». La rue aurait été nommée ainsi vers 1919 – 1920.Les Prince-Édouardiens au front

– 1er Contingent

Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians)

Lieutenant L. H. Beer,
Soldat John E. Clarkin

1re Compagnie divisionnaire des transmissions

Caporal Ernest G. Weeks
Caporal Glen Norton
Soldat John F. Norton
Soldat George W. Gardner
Soldat Herbert Ross Large
Soldat Vernon H. McLeod
Soldat Hugh Ronald Stewart
Soldat Harry H. Whitlock

Génie divisionnaire

Major Alexander MacPhail
Sapeur Stephen F. Robinson
Sapeur John M. McPherson
Sapeur Jeffery B. McPhail

2e Brigade d’infanterie, 7e Bataillon

Caporal suppléant Joseph Cook
Soldat Charles S. Beaton
Soldat John Alex Beaton
Soldat John Eldon Aldous
Soldat Donald F. Campbell
Soldat William H. Turner
Caporal Ambrose Cosgrove
Soldat High McDonald
Soldat Walter Ronahan
Soldat Daniel R. McQueen
Soldat William Alec McQueen
Soldat Peter A. Hughes
Soldat Norman McKenzie

11e Bataillon

Soldat Harry Riley
Soldat Spencer Stuart
Soldat Chas. Leland Coffin
Soldat Gamaliel Gillis
Soldat Leroy Bell Kielly

12e Bataillon

Lieutenant Frederick B. MacRae
Capt A. R. B. Duck
Soldat F. Alexander
Soldat Harold Beairsto
Soldat Thomas Burns
Soldat Arthur Collett
Soldat Arthur Corney
Soldat Parker H. Crockett
Soldat William C. Crosby
Soldat C. Delaney
Soldat Joseph DesRoche
Soldat Robert H. Duvar
Soldat Charles Duffy
Soldat Francis Gaudet
Soldat Harold Gillis
Soldat Louis L. Jenkins
Caporal James L. Marshall
Soldat Warren Myers
Soldat Chas Henry McKenzie
Soldat John McLaren
Soldat Bruce McLellan
Soldat E. Chester Robertson
Soldat David M. Robinson
Soldat Joseph J. Simons
Soldat Wylie Sudsbury
Soldat James Sudsbury

Le poème suivant a été écrit dans les tranchées des Flandres en 1917 :
COUCHER DE SOLEIL SUR LA BAIE DE MALPÈQUE (traduction libre) par J. Harold Burns

Il y a si longtemps que j’ai quitté le port,
Il y a si longtemps que je suis parti;
Mes yeux ont trop vu de morts,
Mon cœur s’embrase de mélancolie.
Ah! Voir encore le couchant sur la baie illuminée!
Tant de beauté,
tant de douceur
Lorsqu’il recouvre d’or l’île Curtain
Et me comble le cœur, adoucissant ma peine.
Je le vois encore, le vieux sir Louis,
Lorsque le soleil descendait lentement sur la baie
Et sur les maisons perchées au-dessus du quai.
Salut à vous, Capitaines Roach, Willie et Levi!
Je me rappelle le vieux « caporal » aux senteurs de cordages et de goudron
Et le soleil du crépuscule sur la baie soyeuse et vermillon.
Il y avait de la ferveur dans la tête des matelots;
Et la fureur des flots reflétait la folie des héros.
La tempête a fait rage de longues heures.
Hardies sous le vent, parées pour l’orage, les coques des bateaux se balancent.
Oh! J’ai eu ma part de bonheur
Et de faveurs terrestres en surabondance.
Toujours le succès a couronné mes efforts,
Mais je donnerais tout sans hésiter
Pour me retrouver ce soir au port
Et regarder le soleil descendre sur la baie.

Le texte de l’inscription figure dans la section anglaise.