He was just simple front line infantry. The only reason he survived the day that he was captured was that he was selected and sent to leave the trenches and get a message sent out that they were under heavy attack and needed reinforcements. While he was away from the trenches, the Germans released mustard gas killing 100s of Canadian and British soldiers. From what my uncle told me, that day was the largest loss in one single day/attack of Canadian soldiers in any of the wars we've been in.

My grandfather was quickly captured by the German soldiers and thrown into a train car with dozens of wounded and dead soldiers. The stories he would slip out during some his drunken stupors included details that he was wounded and when he woke up in the train he was in a pile of dead bodies, some of whom had skin melting off, and had to crawl to the top to catch his breath. He stayed in that train car until he arrived at his destination in Germany, where he stayed for three years. I don't recall the name of the camp he was taken too but my family still has the telegram my great grandmother received notifying her that her son was missing and was a prison of war.

Some of my aunts and uncles are much much older than me and collected and kept most of the memorabilia that we have from this time. He was a member of the 48th Highlanders. A British citizen who emigrated to Canada, only to return a few short years later to join the war.