The main road in Calgary, Memorial Drive, serves not only as a critical part of the city’s infrastructure but also as a poignant reminder of the many local soldiers who perished during World War I. The city is home to other memorials and museums dedicated to the events of the two world wars. Below are the stories of four heroes connected to Calgary, whose bravery brought them lasting fame. More on calgaryes.com.
Lieutenant Colonel Russell Lambert Boyle
Russell Lambert Boyle was a rancher and soldier born on October 29, 1880, in Port Colborne, Ontario. In 1894, he joined the Canadian Field Artillery and served continuously in the militia until 1914, apart from his service in South Africa as an artilleryman.
He returned to Canada with a combat injury and established a cattle ranch near Crossfield, Alberta. Boyle became a member of the town’s school board and municipal council while serving in Calgary’s 15th Light Horse militia. In May 1910, he completed militia staff courses and obtained a signaling school certificate.
At the outbreak of World War I, Boyle was promoted to major and later commanded the 10th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during a German attack on Kitchener’s Wood, part of the Battle of Ypres in Belgium.
After familiarizing himself with the trenches in France in early 1915, Boyle’s division took up forward positions at Ypres in April. On April 22, the Germans launched their first poison gas attack, breaching the French lines. The 10th Battalion was held in reserve but, alongside the 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish), was sent to counterattack Kitchener’s Wood.
Boyle led his soldiers across 400 yards of open ground under intense German machine-gun fire. He was critically wounded by five bullets in his left groin. Despite being evacuated to a field hospital, Boyle died on April 25, 1915, and was buried in Belgium, about 10.5 kilometers west of Ypres. The 10th Battalion’s successful attack earned them enduring glory.
A mounted statue of Boyle stands in Calgary’s Central Memorial Park on the Boer War Memorial. His name is also inscribed on a plaque at Calgary’s City Hall entrance. In 2015, a delegation from the Calgary Highlanders infantry regiment visited his grave to mark the 100th anniversary of the Kitchener’s Wood attack.
Boyle’s brother, Mahlon, also received recognition for bravery while serving with the 49th Battalion (Edmonton) but was killed in August 1915 when a shell struck his headquarters.
Captain Ernest Pinkham
Ernest Pinkham, a Calgary lawyer, was 25 when he enlisted in the 31st Alberta Battalion in 1915. Among the 66,000 Canadian men and women who died in World War I, he is one of 19,665 whose graves remain unknown. Pinkham perished on September 15, 1916, during the Battle of Mont Sorrel, east of Ypres, Belgium, which claimed 180 of his battalion’s soldiers that same day.
The Pinkhams were a prominent Calgary family; Ernest’s father, William Cyprian Pinkham, was the Anglican Bishop of Calgary from the 1880s to the 1930s.
Though his burial site is unknown, Pinkham’s name is one of 11,265 inscribed on the Vimy Memorial in France. The surrounding parkland, spanning 91.18 hectares, was a gift from France to Canada. Landscaped to resemble Canadian forests, the park preserves trenches and tunnels, allowing visitors to grasp the scale of the Canadian Corps’ challenge during the pivotal battle.
Sergeant Richard Musgrave
Born on September 22, 1884, in Blackridge, Scotland, Richard Musgrave considered Calgary his home after moving there following the outbreak of World War I. He worked as a driver in the city before enlisting in the 56th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force on April 30, 1915. Musgrave departed for training at Shorncliffe Camp in England on July 5, 1915, aboard the S.S. Elele.
On February 17, 1916, Musgrave was deployed to France as part of the 7th Infantry Battalion (British Columbia). Promoted to sergeant on March 19, 1917, he participated in the assault on Hill 70 near Lens, France, from August 15 to 25, 1917, aimed at diverting German forces from the Third Battle of Ypres.
Musgrave went missing on August 15, the battle’s first day. His battalion lost over 140 men, while the ten-day campaign resulted in over 10,000 Canadian casualties.
On July 11, 2017, skeletal remains were discovered near Lens during ordnance clearance. Artifacts, including a medal ribbon and a whistle, aided identification. After four years of forensic and historical analysis, Musgrave’s identity was confirmed. His name is inscribed on the Vimy Memorial in France.
Captain Theodoor Insinger
Theodoor Insinger, a Dutch fencing champion, served in the Dutch army during World War I, rising to the rank of captain. The eldest of three brothers, his father, Ernst, was the commander-in-chief of the Dutch army.
In the 1930s, Insinger moved to Calgary with his wife, working at a radio station. On September 22, 1939, he joined the Calgary Highlanders infantry regiment. Initially a transport officer, he later became an intelligence officer for the 2nd Canadian Division, tasked with decoding German documents due to his fluency in German, French, and Dutch.
Captain Insinger was killed on August 19, 1942, during the ill-fated Dieppe Raid. His ship was struck by enemy fire, making him one of the 904 Canadian casualties of the disastrous operation. His body was never recovered, but his name is commemorated on the Brookwood Memorial near London.
Symbolically, the Calgary Highlanders played a key role in liberating the Netherlands during World War II, with the first Calgary resident to die in the campaign being a Dutchman. Insinger is likely the oldest individual honored at Calgary’s Field of Crosses on Memorial Drive.
Honoring Heroes Through Memory
Calgary’s history is deeply intertwined with the sacrifices of these individuals. From their battlefield heroics to their lasting legacies, these stories remind us of the profound cost of war and the enduring gratitude owed to those who fought for freedom.