Private Mino Pigot
- May 19
- 2 min read
Private Mino Pigot survived some of the First World War’s most brutal battles while serving with one of Calgary’s most distinguished battalions.
The First World War
The Canadian Expeditionary Force
The 82nd and 50th Battalion (Calgary)
Mino Pigot was born on 18 January 1885 in Deitzzano, Udine, Italy, the son of Giacinto. His occupation was listed as labourer and he had been living in Canada for 11 years when he enlisted with The Canadian Expeditionary Force, 82nd Battalion (Bn), on 6 January 1916 in Calgary, service number 161210.
At the time of his enlistment, Calgary was a hub of wartime activity, and the 82nd Battalion reflected the city’s diverse and eager spirit. His service began with months of rigorous training at Sarcee Camp, just outside Calgary. Established on Tsuut'ina First Nation land, Sarcee Camp functioned as a major training hub for the Canadian Expeditionary Force between 1915 and 1918, preparing more than 45,000 soldiers for the First World War.
Pte. Pigot sailed for England aboard the S.S. Empress of Britain in May 1916 and was posted to the trenches of France soon after. He was taken on strength with the 50th Battalion, perpetuated today by The King’s Own Calgary Regiment. The battalion’s battle honours include The Somme 1916, Ancre Heights, Vimy 1917, Hill 70, Passchendaele, Amiens, and the Hindenburg Line.
From the moment they arrived in France in August 1916, the 50th Battalion was forged in battle. At the Somme, they endured the frozen devastation of Regina Trench. By spring 1917, they captured Hill 145 at Vimy Ridge during a blinding snowstorm.
The battalion later endured poison gas attacks at Lens and the waist-deep mud of Passchendaele before helping spearhead the Hundred Days Offensive in 1918. From Amiens to the breaking of the Drocourt-Quéant Line, the battalion became recognized as one of the formidable fighting forces of the Great War — including Pte. Pigot among its ranks.
MINO PIGOT, PRIVATE,
50 BATTN C.E.F. 11 OCT 1951, AGE 65.
He was wounded several times during his service and was awarded the Good Conduct Badge. Surviving both multiple wounds and the Armistice of the First World War, Pte. Pigot was discharged in Calgary on 13 July 1919. He was also awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Mino Pigot passed away in 1951 and is interred at Burnsland Cemetery in Calgary.
Sources
Canadian Great War Project
Find a Grave
Image of 82nd Battalion cap badge, private collection
Researched and compiled by Allan Ross and Indra Teekasingh