Lance-Corporal Frederick Fisher
Born August 3 1895 in St. Catharines, Ontario
Died April 23 1915, Ypres, Belgium
First Canadian-born soldier to be awarded the prestigious Victoria Cross.
Lance Corporal Fisher, VC, was buried in his trench and the exact location of his grave is not known. He is memorialised on the Menin Gate war memorial at Ypres, Belgium [panel 24 - 26 - 28 - 30]. In 1970 a memorial plaque was dedicated in Montreal in memory of Fred Fisher and an Ontario Historic plaque was erected in his hometown of St. Catherines. Plaque Text Born in St. Catharines, Fred Fisher abandoned his studies at McGill University when World War I broke out and served with the 13th Battalion, First Division, Canadian Expeditionary Force. Fisher was awarded the Victoria Cross for his exceptional courage in action near St. Julien, Belgium, on April 23rd, 1915, during the second battle of Ypres. Under very heavy fire he lead a machine-gun detachment covering the withdrawal of an artillery battery. Though his crew fell to enemy attack, Fisher held their position. He then returned to the garrison for more men and advanced again to the firing line. Killed in action the next day, Fisher has no known grave.