Ackerman also participated in the Battle of the Somme, one of the most bloody and fierce conflicts in World War One. On the first day of the battle, it would have the highest casualty rate in the British Army's history. With so many lives lost, many men considered it a sense of national pride to defend their position from the enemy. On August 19th, 1916, Ackerman and a small group of soldiers prepared a small-scale attack and raided a front-line trench. Ackerman’s bravery and actions did not go unnoticed and on July 12th, 1916 he was awarded the Military Cross, Canada’s third highest award for his bravery in battle.
On September 23rd, 1916, while fighting in the Battle of the Somme in Courcelette, Lieutenant Ackerman was fatally shot in the abdomen and was transferred to London General Hospital. He was held in critical condition but there was a slim chance of survival according to the records. It is quite possible, however, that they were attempting to lessen the blow to his family as a telegram was sent saying his condition was stable. Unfortunately, on October 10th, 1916, at the age of 23, Lieutenant Ackerman died of his wounds. He succumbed to his wounds with his brother-in-law, Major S.T. Medd, and former commanding officer, Major A.W MacPherson by his side. Soon after, B.F. and Charlotte Ackerman were notified of their son’s death via telegram. The announcement of his death and obituary appeared in the Peterborough Nightly Examiner on Thursday, October 19th, 1916. His death was devastating to the community. Fortunately for the Ackerman family, B.F was able to bring his son’s remains home. This was due to the family's wealth and this opportunity was incredibly uncommon as soldiers who perished overseas were often buried there. He was one of the half dozen soldiers whose bodies were returned home following their death, and the only one in Peterborough. He was brought home on November 8th, 1916 with Major S.T. Medd by his side. Lieutenant Ackerman had a large funeral procession and parade in the streets of downtown Peterborough, from the Armoury to Little Lake Cemetery, where he was laid to rest, shortly after his body was returned.
After World War One, one of Lieutenant Ackerman’s sisters, Mrs. R.M. Waddell, had a son, Hugh Waddell. He went on to become a prominent businessman and in 1952 he was elected the mayor of Peterborough. He returned to the public's eye on December 13th, 2014, when his tombstone was damaged to the point of disrepair. This sparked community interest in the fallen soldier. Hugh Waddell Jr, Ackerman’s great-nephew, was prepared to pay for the repairs. Additionally, city councillor Henry Clarke reached out to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, a global organization that cares for cemeteries and memorials from the two world wars. The Commission replaced the gravestone in June 2015, at no cost to the family and the new tombstone stands in place of where his original one stood. Lt. Ackerman’s name is commemorated in the First World War Book of Remembrance on page 45 and is listed on the Veterans Wall of Honour at Peterborough’s Confederation Square and War Memorial.
C.G.W.P. Lieutenant Arthur Ross Ackerman. https://cgwp.uvic.ca/detail.php?pid=827215
City of Peterborough Directories (1893, 1914)
https://ia601208.us.archive.org/18/items/peterboroughdire1893unio/peterboroughdire1893unio.pdf (1893) https://ia601207.us.archive.org/2/items/vernonscityofpet1914vern/vernonscityofpet1914vern.pdf
(1914) Accessed 25 October, 2017 (Peterborough Museum and Archives)
Hamilton Letters B-79-00613 File 5. Trent University Library and Archives, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
“Lieut. Arthur Ackerman” (Announcement of death/obituary). The Peterborough Nightly Examiner (3 October - 31 December 1916 microfilms). 18 October, 1916. Accessed 25 October, 2017. Peterborough Public Library, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
Library and Archives Canada. Ackerman, Arthur Ross (7589). http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=724
“Major S.T. Medd Has Returned to Peterborough”. The Peterborough Nightly Examiner (3 October - 31 December, 1916 microfilms). 8 November, 1916. Accessed 25 October, 2017, Peterborough Public Library, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Medd Family Letters, 81-001 Box 1. File 2. Trent University Library and Archives, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
Portrait of Lieutenant Arthur Ackerman, 1914, 2000-012-004810-1. Balsillie Collection of Roy Studio Images. Peterborough Museum and Archives. Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
Photograph of B.F. Ackerman Son & Co. Harness Factory, 1900s, 2000-012-000518-1. Balsillie Collection of Roy Studio Images. Peterborough Museum and Archives. Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
Roger Family Letter, 82-002 Box 10. File 4,Trent University Library and Archives, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
“ LT Arthur Ross Ackerman and the Canadian Experience of the First World War by Henry Clarke. Speech to the Peterborough Historical Society.” Peterborough Library, November 17th 1998, F98, Box 24, Trent Valley Fonds, Trent Valley Archives, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
Kovach, Joelle. “Vandalized Monument Replaced.” The Peterborough Examiner, 3 July, 2015. Accessed 26 October, 2017. http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/2015/07/03/vandalized-monument-replaced-lieut-ross-ackermans-gravestone-in-little-lake-cemetery-was-damaged-by-vandals-in-december
Anderson, Lance. “Vandals Damage 16 Monuments.” My Kawartha News, 18 December, 2014. Accessed 26 October, 2017. https://www.mykawartha.com/news-story/5212188-vandals-damage-16-monuments-including-one-marking-the-grave-of-a-fallen-peterborough-soldier/
Veterans Affair Canada. Canadian Virtual War Memorial: Arthur Ross Ackerman. http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2756856
Clarke, Henry.“Who is the Man Behind the Vandalized Grave?” My Kawartha News, 21 December, 2014. Accessed 26 October, 2017. https://www.mykawartha.com/community-story/5217146-who-is-the-man-behind-the-vandalized-wwi-grave-at-little-lake-cemetery-/