781530 Private Gerhard Pederson MM & Bar

Gerhard Pederson joined the 49th Battalion (E.R.) in France in December 1916. Serving as a stretcher bearer, he was responsible for saving countless lives during his service. On one case during the Battle of Passchendaele, a call for stretchers bearers was made from the front line after a heavy German bombardment that left a Lewis Gunner severely wounded. Pederson, already wounded with shrapnel through the chest, answered the call and single handedly dressed and evacuated the casualty. Despite his wound, he remained on the battlefield until relief. A highly respected and devoted line soldier, he struggled with discipline and drank heavily. Pederson survived the war and passed away in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, in 1950.