David Pyper - Lest We Forget

David Pyper was born March 27, 1878 at Forfordshire, Scotland.  His father Robert Pyper lived in Arbroath, Scotland.  In 1914 David Pyper was working as a carpenter in the Revelstoke area and was a member of the 102nd Rocky Mountain Rangers, the local militia regiment for this area.

David Pyper signed his enlistment papers March 3, 1915 at Victoria. He was part of the Third Contingent of volunteers from Canada to go overseas. His regimental number was 430187. He was 37 years old, 5’ 11” tall with black hair and grey eyes. His religious affiliation was Presbyterian. Although he was listed as single on his attestation papers, after his death, there was mention of a widow, Mary Pyper, of Lena, Manitoba. The 1906 Manitoba census lists them as living at Souris, Manitoba in that year. It is possible that they were separated at the time that David Pyper enlisted.

David Pyper died November 17, 1915 of drowning. He had suffered severe wounds to his left hand, and was one of 390 injured soldiers travelling from Calais to Dover on the Hospital Ship Anglia. The ship hit a mine laid by a German U-boat, and 134 of the people onboard died, including David Pyper.  At the time of his death he was a Private with the 31st Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Alberta) Regiment. He is buried at Hollybrook Memorial, Hampshire, England.

The name of David Pyper is inscribed on the Courthouse and Cenotaph plaques.