Cyril Potts was my father's first cousin - my second cousin. He was born on 15th March 1882, the son of John Arthur and Elizabeth Potts. The family came from Stockport in Cheshire, England. Cyril had emigrated to Canada just prior to the outbreak of WW1.

As reported in 'The 49', the Battalion magazine:

"June 1916 rolled around and while the 49th left the line for Brigade reserve at Ouderdum on May 31st, we happened to be in the line with the 'Pats' , [Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry], so we were able to gather from them later what had happened to Sgt Potts. 

The show startled at about 08.40 [2nd June 1916], the Machine gun company had guns placed along the Brigade front with Sgt Potts placed at 'Yeomanry Post' as a central point. When it became apparent that, after about an hour or so of that terrific bombardment, the enemy meant business - knowing his job as only such men do, regardless of the almost certainty of being hit, he determined to visit all the guns. 

In carrying out this task he fell. No man could have survived a tour of the left salient that day. His instinct for the weak spot led him to Hooge and just beyond the culvert, he was last seen in what was left of an alleged trench. L/Cpl Jerry Lynch of the Royal Canadian Regiment, coming out of a forward post, saw him there. He had been killed instantly.

Our regrets over his loss, then as now is as nothing to our pride in having known such a man..."

Sergeant Cyril Potts is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, Ypres, Panel 28.