World War I Fallen: C-D

He was born in Fintona, Cty. Tyrone, Ireland, on July 22, 1892, the son of Samuel and Margaret Carson, of Garvallagh, Siskinore, County Tyrone, Ireland. Samuel and Margaret Carson were blessed with five sons and one daughter: Edward (born 1885); Margaret (born 1889); Thomas (born 1890); Joseph (born 1892); Samuel (born 1895); and Isaac (born 1899). In 1901, the Carson family was residing in Garvallagh: Samuel, age 60, a farmer; Margaret, age 45; and children Margaret (12), Thomas (10), Joseph (8), Samuel (6) and Issac (2). In 1911, 19-year-old Joseph was residing in Derrybard, Tyrone County, Ireland, with his parents and his younger brothers, Samuel and Isaac.

In 1913, Joseph and his brother Thomas immigrated to Canada. They departed from Glasgow, Scotland, aboard S.S. Pretorian, and arrived in Quebec on June 24, 1913. Their original intent was to work as farm labourers in Watford. Upon arriving, however, they moved to Sarnia, and resided with their relative, Mrs. William Shedden, at

322 Campbell Street. Joseph Carson was employed with Imperial Oil Company for over four years prior to joining the service.

Joseph’s brother, Thomas, also served in the Great War, enlisting in the 58th Battalion (2^nd Central Ontario Regiment) on July 6, 1915, at Niagara Camp. The twenty-four-year-old stood five feet eight inches tall, had blue eyes and brown hair, and was single. He recorded his occupation as labourer and his next of kin as his father Sam Carson in Garallagh, Seskanore, Armagh, Ireland.

Thomas embarked overseas for the United Kingdom aboard SS Saxonia on November 22, 1915. He arrived in England on December 2, 1915, initially stationed at Bramshott. Two-and-a-half months later, on February 4, 1916, he was admitted to a military hospital at Aldershot, and was put in isolation due to Rubella. After recovering in ten days, he was discharged on February 14. Six days later, on February 20, Private Thomas Carson embarked for France with the 58th Battalion.

By the summer, he found himself engulfed in the horrendous mass butchery that was the Battle of the Somme. Waged from July 1-November 18, 1916, it was one of the most futile and bloody battles in history. The Somme, a battle of attrition, lasted for more than four brutal months and saw the Allies advance around 10 kilometers. A more telling statistic is the number of injuries and deaths: of the 85,000 Canadian Corps, there were more than 24,000 Canadian casualties.

The second major offensive of the Somme battle was the week-long Battle of Flers-Courcelette (September 15-22). It was here where tanks made their first appearance in the war. The Battle was a stunning success for the Canadians, but it came at a cost of over 7,200 casualties. It was during this second major offensive, on September 20, while part of the 5^th Canadian Field Artillery, that Thomas Carson was wounded in action. He was recorded as a “shell wound in the back”.

Thomas Carson survived his wounding at Flers-Courcelette, but the Battle of the Somme was not over. Less than three weeks after being wounded, on October 8, 1916, he was killed in action. He was initially listed as “missing in action”. His Circumstances of Death Register records the following: “Previously reported Missing, now reported Killed in Action. Vicinity of Courcellete. No record of burial”.

 Twenty-five-year-old Thomas Carson’s name is inscribed on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France.

As the war dragged on in Europe, with the Canadian troops thinning at an alarming rate, and no end to the war in sight, the government instituted the Military Service Act (MSA) in July 1917. Joseph Carson was drafted under the Military Service Act of 1917, Class One, when he was 25 years old. He underwent his medical examination in Sarnia on October 18, 1917, and was called to service on January 9, 1918. It had been 15 months since his older brother Thomas had been killed in action. Joseph reported to the 1st Depot Battalion, Western Ontario Regiment in London, Ontario. He stood five feet seven inches tall, had blue eyes and brown hair, was single, and was residing at 322 Campbell Street, Sarnia at the time. He recorded his trade or calling as a farmer, and his next-of-kin as his father Samuel Carson in Garvallagh, Tyrone, Ireland.

Joseph Carson embarked overseas from Halifax for the United Kingdom on February 4, 1918 aboard S.S. Grampian. He disembarked in England on February 16, 1918, and was transferred originally to the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion, stationed at Bramshott. Three-and-a-half months later, in early June, he was transferred to the Canadian Infantry, 47th Battalion, British Columbia Regiment stationed at Camp Witley. Joseph arrived in France with the 47th Battalion on June 2, and by mid-July, was attached to the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp (CCRC). In mid-August 1918, he was deployed to the front lines with the 47th Battalion. Private Joseph Carson was soon embroiled in the intense fighting of what became known as The Hundred Days Campaign.

Approximately 125,000 men were conscripted into the CEF, and only 48,000 were sent overseas. The first conscripts went to France in April 1918. That summer, thousands more of them, mostly infantry, were funnelled across the English Channel to Canadian Corps reinforcement camps in France. Only about 24,000 Canadian MSA conscripts reached the Western Front lines. They helped keep the ranks of the ragged infantry battalions at or near full strength during the crucial final months of the war, thus allowing the Canadian Corps to continue fighting in a series of battles.

The Hundred Days Campaign (August 8 – November 11, 1918, in France and Belgium) was the “beginning of the end” of the Great War. Canadians were called on again and again over the three-month period to lead the offensives against the toughest German defences. The series of victories repeatedly drove the Germans back, culminating in Germany’s unconditional surrender on November 11, but it came at a high price: approximately 46,000 Canadians were killed, wounded, or missing.

The first offensive in the Campaign was the Battle of Amiens in France (August 8-14, 1918), a truly all-arms battle, one in which all four Canadian divisions were involved. Over the course of one week, in a battle that British Field Marshal Douglas Haig called “the finest operation of the war”, the Canadians would advance nearly 14 kms.

The second offensive in the Campaign was the Battle of Arras and Breaking the DQ Line in France (August 26-September 3, 1918), where Canadians were part of a spearhead force tasked with crashing one of the most heavily fortified positions, the Hindenburg Line—a series of strong defensive trenches and fortified villages. General Sir Julian Byng called the Canadian victory at the 2nd Battle of Arras and breaking of the DQ Line “the turning point of the campaign”, but it came at a cost of 11,400 Canadian casualties. 

The third offensive in Canada’s Hundred Days Campaign was the Battle of Canal-du-Nord and Cambrai in France(September 27-October 11, 1918). Against seemingly impossible odds and a desperate, fully prepared enemy, the Canadians fought for two weeks in a series of brutal engagements. They successfully channelled through a narrow gap in the canal, punched through a series of fortified villages and deep interlocking trenches, and captured Bourlon Wood and the city of Cambrai. General Arthur Currie would call it “some of the bitterest fighting we have experienced” and it came at a cost of 14,000 Canadian casualties.

One of those 14,000 Canadian casualties was Private Joseph Carson. Mercifully, he died quickly. On September 29, 1918, during fighting in the Battle of Canal-du-Nord, Joseph died after being hit by enemy machine gun fire. In late October 1918, his relative, Mrs. William Shedden in Sarnia, received the news that Joseph had made the supreme sacrifice for his country on the battlefield. His Circumstances of Death Register records the following: Date of Casualty: 29-9-18. “Killed in Action”. During operations outside of the village of Sailly, he was hit in the stomach by enemy machine gun bullets and instantly killed. Raillencourt Communal Cemetery Extension. Commune: Raillencourt. 57c.F.5.a.25.85. Joseph’s death came almost two years after his older brother Thomas had been killed near Coucelette, France.  

Twenty-six-year-old Joseph Carson is buried in Raillencourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France. Grave I.A.19. On the Sarnia cenotaph, his name is inscribed as R.J. Carson.

Source: The Sarnia War Remembrance Project by Tom Slater

Editors: Tom St. Amand and Lou Giancarlo

The letter from her brother overseas arrived at Margaret Causley’s home in Sarnia in October 1918, one month before the Great War ended. It contained devastating news: her son, Edward, had been killed in action. Her grief-stricken brother mentions that I nearly fainted. I could not believe it until I saw his grave. He was to communion a few days before, when I last saw him. I thought the world of him, our dear, darling boy that is gone….

Edward Causley was born in Sarnia, on November 24, 1897, the eldest child of Levi Francis and Margaret (nee Ward) Causley. The Ward family—parents Edward and Bridget, and their children Andrew, Margaret (born April 4, 1877 in Selby, England), Mary, and James—had immigrated to Canada in 1883. They had departed from Belfast, Ireland, to Liverpool, England, and arrived aboard S.S. Montreal in Quebec on July 23, 1883. Eight years later, in 1891, the Ward parents along with their four English-born children, and Sarnia-born Michael and Bridget were residing in Sarnia.

Levi Francis Causley (born May 18, 1868 in Sarnia) married Margaret Ward on October 12, 1896 in a Catholic Church in Sarnia. Levi and Margaret resided at RR#3 Sarnia Township, and later 124 Bright Street, Sarnia. In 1901, Levi worked as a porter at a local hotel and later was employed as a labourer. Levi needed to work to support Margaret and his growing family of six children: Edward (baptized November 28, 1897 at Our Lady of Mercy Church with his parents and sponsors Andrew and Mary Ward present); Marie Teresa (born July 22, 1899); Leo (born June 22, 1901); Andrew (born January 3, 1904); Arthur Aloysius (born December 31, 1906); and Margaret Eileen (born May 13, 1909). Tragically, Arthur, the youngest boy in the family, passed away from cholera infantum at nine months of age on October 2, 1907.

At age 18, Edward Causley enlisted in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force on January 26, 1916 in Sarnia with the 149th Battalion. He stood five feet two-and-a-half inches tall, had blue eyes and black hair, was single, and was residing at home with his family at the time. He recorded his trade or calling as a labourer and his next-of-kin as his father Levi Causley of Sarnia Twp. R.R. #3.

            Edward Causley embarked overseas from Halifax for the United Kingdom on March 25, 1917 aboard S.S. Lapland. He arrived in Liverpool, England, on April 7, 1917, becoming a member of the 25th Reserve Battalion, stationed at Bramshott. This was the first of many moves. On June 1, 1917, he was posted to 161st Battalion, stationed at Camp Witley, and it was here that Edward received a Good Conduct Badge on January 26, 1918 with the 161st. On February 23, 1918, he was absorbed into the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion, stationed at Bramshott. Six weeks later, on April 5, 1918, Edward arrived in France with the Canadian Infantry, 1st Battalion, Western Ontario Regiment.

Private Edward Causley was attached initially to the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp (CCRC), and by June 1918 was with the 1st Battalion at the front lines. Edward was soon embroiled in The Hundred Days Campaign, one that featured intense fighting as the end of the war neared. It was during this period that Edward was killed in action.

The Hundred Days Campaign (August 8 – November 11, 1918, in France and Belgium) was the “beginning of the end” of the Great War. Canadians were called on again and again over the three-month period to lead the offensives against the toughest German defences. The series of victories repeatedly drove the Germans back, culminating in Germany’s unconditional surrender on November 11, but it came at a high price: approximately 46,000 Canadians were killed, wounded, or missing.

The first offensive in the Campaign was the Battle of Amiens in France (August 8-14, 1918), a truly all-arms battle, one in which all four Canadian divisions were involved. Over the course of one week, in a battle that British Field Marshal Douglas Haig called “the finest operation of the war”, the Canadians would advance nearly 14 kms.

The second offensive in the Campaign was the Battle of Arras and Breaking the DQ Line in France (August 26-September 3, 1918), where Canadians were part of a spearhead force tasked with crashing one of the most heavily fortified positions, the Hindenburg Line—a series of strong defensive trenches and fortified villages. General Sir Julian Byng called the Canadian victory at the 2nd Battle of Arras and breaking of the DQ Line “the turning point of the campaign”, but it came at a cost of 11,400 Canadian casualties. 

On August 30, 1918, less than five months after arriving in France, Edward Causley was killed after being hit by enemy shellfire while fighting in the 2nd Battle of Arras. On that day, he was initially reported as “missing”, and was later recorded as “previously reported as missing, now killed in action.” In September 1918, Levi Causley in Sarnia received a telegram from Ottawa informing him that his son, Private Edward F. Causley, previously reported missing, was now listed as killed in action, August 30th.

Edward Causley’s Circumstances of Death register records the following: Date of Casualty: 30-8-18. “Previously reported Missing, now Killed in Action”. He was hit in the head by shrapnel and died a few minutes later. Location of unit at time of casualty: Vicinity of Upton Wood. Cemetery: Upton Wood British Cemetery 8 ½ miles S.E. of Arras, France. Commune: Hendicourt Les Cagnicourt.2-5/c.5Ib.U.5.b.5.5.

In October 1918, Margaret Causley in Sarnia received a letter from her brother, Jim Ward, informing her of her son’s death. The following is a portion of that letter:

France, Sept. 22, 1918

My Dear Sister,

I really don’t know how to start this letter. May God give you strength to bear this terrible news of our brave hero, Eddie, who was killed, charging Upton Woods in France. I was inquiring for Eddie, thinking I would see his smiling face, but when they told me the news and how brave he was, I nearly fainted. I could not believe it until I saw his grave. He was to communion a few days before, when I last saw him. How pleased I was to see him. I thought the world of him, our dear, darling boy that is gone….

He had no pain; he did not know what hit him. It was a machine gun bullet. He fought all day and went about thirteen miles on, then had the misfortune to get killed, just as they had driven the Germans out. There are three hundred in the cemetery. I will go over to his grave every day and say the beads. I have the Rosary beads he gave me in England. I am heart-broken and sorry over your terrible loss. Well, my dear sister, this is terrible and you don’t know how I feel. I really loved the ground he walked on. I will write to you again soon and tell you more. With love to you and your dear family, I remain

Your loving brother, Jim

Twenty-year-old Edward Causley is buried in Upton Wood Cemetery, France, Grave B.30.

Source: The Sarnia War Remembrance Project by Tom Slater

Editors: Tom St. Amand and Lou Giancarlo

William Chapman was born in Uxbridge, Ontario, on October 29, 1876, the son of Charles Dillon (born April 1846, a factory labourer, later a farmer) and Mary Ann (nee Harmon, born January 1851) Chapman. William had four siblings: Charlotte Frances (born August 1873); Frederick Ira (born April 12, 1874); Florence Alexena (born March 1880); and Della Minnie Ellen (born June 1883). Frederick, William’s older brother, died before he was one, so William never knew him. In 1891, when William was 15 years old, the Chapmans were residing in York West, Toronto. In 1900, they had moved to Bingham Township, Huron County, Michigan.

On February 7, 1906, William Chapman, an established contractor, married Bessie Violet Boyd (of Newfoundland, born 1885) in Etobicoke, York. Soon after, the young couple moved to Blair, Pennsylvania, where

William was employed as a contracting carpenter and house builder. In Pennsylvania, the family grew with the

addition of three daughters: Della Mary (born October 12, 1906); Florence Albertha (born December 23, 1907); and Charlotte Evelyn (born December 22, 1909).

In 1911, the Chapman family moved to Lambton County where William and Bessie were blessed with four more children, all born in Sarnia: Dorothy May (born November 18, 1911); Ruth Marguerite (born July 17, 1913); Charles Harmon (born October 3, 1914); and James Douglas (born December 7, 1915). The Chapman family resided at Concession 9, and later at 107 South Christina Street, and then 206 Maria Street, Sarnia. Many years later, their son James Chapman, served five years with the Royal Canadian Air Force as an instrument mechanic, attaining the rank of Sergeant. He passed away at the age of 30, on May 8, 1946 in Toronto, the result of Cachexia and Hodgkins disease. His death was recorded as a result of his military service.

Perhaps James’ desire to serve was because his father had done so years before. William Chapman could certainly have chosen not to fight in the Great War, to never enlist with the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force. And people would have understood. He was a married father of seven whose youngest son was born in the year he decided to enlist. And at age 38, he was at least 10 years older than the typical Canadian soldier. The need to do one’s duty, however, impelled William to action.

Thirty-eight-year-old William Chapman enlisted in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force on August 27, 1915 in Sarnia, becoming a member of the 70th Battalion. He stood five feet eight-and-a-half inches tall, had blue eyes and light brown hair, and was residing at 107 South Christina Street at the time with his family. He recorded his trade or calling as a gardener, and his next-of-kin as his wife Bessie. On April 26, 1916, William embarked overseas for the United Kingdom aboard S.S. Lapland and arrived in Liverpool, England on May 5, 1916.

Like many soldiers, William experienced an indirect route to the front lines, full of training, delays and transfers. Chapman was initially stationed at Shorncliffe, and on July 6, 1916, was transferred to the 39th Battalion and promoted to the rank of Sergeant, stationed at West Sandling. Three months later, on October 6, 1916, he was transferred to Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre (CCAC), at West Sandling. The following month, on November 4, 1916, William returned to Canada aboard S.S. Northland on a granted furlough scheduled to December 16, 1916. His furlough was then extended another month to January 16, 1917. While in Canada, the 39th Battalion was absorbed by the 6th Reserve Battalion, which transferred William to the 257th Battalion in Canada.

On February 13, 1917, Chapman, now 40, enlisted again, this time in Ottawa. It was not necessary for him to re-enlist, as he had not been discharged and was still a member of the 257th Battalion (it was an error on the part of the 257th Battalion to have him re-attested). On this Attestation Paper, he recorded his present address as 206 Maria Street, and his occupation as a building contractor. He also recorded that he had previous military experience as he had served with the 70th and 39th Battalions overseas for 17 months. On February 16, 1917, he embarked overseas again from St. John, New Brunswick, for the United Kingdom aboard S.S. Missanabie. He was never to see Bessie or his children again. After arriving in England on February 27, 1917, he joined the 257th Battalion, then known as the 7th Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops. Chapman was stationed at East Sandling, and later Hastings, with the rank of sergeant.

What makes William Chapman’s experience memorable today is the written correspondence he shared with his friend, Thomas Peacock, a Sarnian who resided at 294 Wellington Street and worked as a G.T.R. conductor. Following is the excerpt of a letter Thomas received in March 1917, one that William penned before he was deployed to France.

Dear Friends

Just a few lines to let you know how and when we arrived and how I am standing it. Well, we were not long in getting away from Canada after I joined the battalion. I reported at Renfrew on Saturday night, February 9 and we left Ottawa for overseas Tuesday, evening, Feb. 12th at 10:30. Had a rather slow trip to St. John’s, New Brunswick. Did not arrive there until noon on the following Friday. Immediately went aboard ship. We sailed about 6:30 p.m. on the same Friday on which we boarded the ship. Arrived at Halifax about 2 a.m. Sunday and got our escort on another troop ship and we never knew what troops were on board of it until we arrived at our camp in England when we saw them march in and take quarters alongside of our battalion. We had a very pleasant and uneventful passage most of the way over, no rough seas at all but quite a few of the men got seasick just the same but I stood it like a veteran never missed a single meal or felt the least bit sick at any time and also never felt the least alarm about our safety at any time, not even when passing the danger zone. The last night out we were right in the midst of the submarines…

We arrived in Liverpool harbor in the evening and got off the boat or rather disembarked at nine o’clock on Tuesday morning and took the train for our destination which proved to be Penfleet Camp, Essex, only 17 miles from London at five o’clock in the evening… We were in being on the first ship to disembark as we got quartered in tin huts and the battalions off the other vessel had to go into tents. We had fine weather here until Saturday evening. It was bright and fine spring weather, birds singing and little lambs running around the fields and the farmers sowing grain; but when we got up Monday morning the ground was covered with a two inch fall of snow, which made it sloppy, but we are lucky enough to be camped on sandy soil. Next day was colder with heavy cold raw winds and we feel the cold worse than the zero weather in Canada, the climate is so damp over here. Today the sun came out bright and looked like a fine day but the wind came up again and clouded up and have just had a squall of snow. The surface of the ground is slightly frozen but saw a farmer planting potatoes yesterday with a plow.

In his letter, William discussed a weekend pass he had in London, describing the many sights that he had seen including Petticoat Lane, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, the Canadian jubilee gates, Hyde Park, the Queen Victoria monument, the residences of the Queen-mother and of the Duke of Connaught. He also gave details about having dinner at the King George and Queen Mary Soldiers’ Club on Charing Cross Road and seeing the House of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and Westminster Cathedral. His letter then continues…

Expect to be soon going over as we had our medical inspection last Monday… We are expecting to get 100 mules tomorrow for our transport. A battalion alongside of us just got their 100 mules today and, believe me, it is lots of fun watching them tying them and hobbling them to the picket rope. We are looking forward to some better weather soon and I am anxiously looking for letters…. Please excuse the writing as one has to write under difficulties.

I remain as ever, your friend

Sergt. W.H. Chapman

257th Railway Con. Batt., C.E.F.

On March 29, 1917, William Chapman arrived in France, a member of the 7th Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops. These railway units played a major role in the construction and maintenance of railways of all gauges, including light railways, necessary to transport troops and materiel to the Front Lines of the five British Army areas in France and Belgium. Their work was made more difficult by an undulating terrain full of obstacles; an almost impassable sea of mud; and the constant threat of enemy gun and shell fire. On more than one occasion, it also became necessary for the railway troops to transfer themselves into fighting men.

William advanced in rank from corporal, and by mid-June 1917, was a sergeant. In August 1917, Thomas Peacock received another letter from William. His friend’s letters, always honest and occasionally visceral, described the horrors of the front and his unwavering belief in the Allied cause. The following is an excerpt from that letter:

Somewhere at the Front,

Thurs., July 5, 1917

Dear Friend and Bro.

Just a few lines to let you know that I am still well at present, but working hard. We have had some very

strenuous times at this part of the front as you have no doubt seen by the papers of the past month. It took lots of hard work and preparation to make the move successfully, but it was accomplished day and night under constant observation of the enemy, and he tried to put every obstacle in the way by sending over all kinds of shrapnel and high explosives. But still we outwitted him and when the time came our artillery simply smothered him with one of the greatest bombardments the world has ever known. Part of his works was blown up by one of the largest blasts ever set off. You could bury a large farm in the crater or hole of the same. Hundreds of Hun were buried in it and will never come out till judgement day. I saw the craters of no less than three of those mines. I had the opportunity of being on the battlefield directly after the big advance and saw some terrible sights. Fritz’s trenches for a mile in depth were literally wiped out… Dead Germans lying all over, some partly buried by shells, some caught in the ruins of their trenches as they had been trying to climb out to come over to us to give up, others lying dead in their concrete dugouts where they had crawled to die, or by being bombed by our advancing Tommies…

We are all looking forward to the time we push the cruel Hun to final defeat which we hope will come soon. But it looks like as though those still at home will have to send a few more over to make good our losses. Victories are never won without paying the price, which in this case is human lives and must draw heavily upon the young manhood of the country as it is indeed a young man’s war, for it is no place for an old man.

I was lucky enough to see the explosion of the mines mentioned, and believe me, it was a sight the like of which few will ever have the pleasure of seeing again. It literally filled the air with flame and the tremble of the ground was felt for miles around. It was a grand spectacle if one could forget that part of the setting was human lives. Talk about rivers being red with blood, here it was shell holes filled with water that was red with blood. There is nothing to compare to the work of our guns. If you see their results you would think as one German sergeant, a prisoner, said to me, that a fly could not go through the fire, and come out alive, let alone a human being. The prisoners I saw looked pretty tough, being from young boys to old men, and looked pretty shaky from the dreadful mauling they went through. Have had quite a number of miraculous escapes myself from high explosive shells and shrapnel. One sharp piece of shrapnel split the end of my thumb and cut down my puttee, ripping it or rather cutting it all down the outside of my left leg about a week ago, and three pieces put three dents in my steel helmet or “Easter bonnet” as I got it issued to me Easter Sunday, but did no further harm. The steel helmets are a God send as they ward off many a serious blow on the head which might cause a fatal wound. I had a dozen or more high explosive shells burst within fifteen and twenty feet of me and still escaped unhurt.

While I was in charge of a detachment of men on advance patrol I was on the same detachment duty for 10 weeks, and never lost a man of my patrol, but all have had some wonderful narrow escapes. It was a night patrol and sometimes had to prowl around with gas helmets on. You can imagine how interesting it was to us with gas masks on a dark night – worse than being out on the railroad on a dark night. I came off patrol two weeks ago, and believe me

it is a big relief to get at something else, although we still see plenty of shells. They go whizzing over our camp at night and the nervous lads go running around chattering like magpies. I think you might just as well stay in your bed as try to run around dodging them in the dark. You are just as liable to run into one as not. I don’t like them, but I feel just as safe in bed as out although a tent don’t offer much protection from splinters of shell.

Had His Gracious Majesty King George around our part of the front yesterday along with the Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces here, Sir Douglas Haig. We are glad to see the advance guard of the American forces have arrived in France to help us along, and believe me, every little bit is welcome. Has the conscription bill finally

passed at home yet? It seems to me to be the only fair way to get men as so many stand back and wait under the

voluntary system, and let the other fellow do all the fighting, while they stay at home and enjoy all the comforts, while the other has to suffer the hardships incidental to war. They have had some terrible air raids in England. It seems horrible to think they slaughter the innocent women and children, but if they think that will stop our boys they are mistaken, as it makes them all the more determined to crush the cruel Hun. Things begin to look better on the Russian side again now.

I guess I will have to close for this time, but wish to thank the kind friends who have sent me papers and magazines, as papers are a luxury here. When I read them they are passed on to someone else. I met Sergt. Bill Walker a Sarnia man of the old 70th Batt. about a month ago, but he is a Sergt-Major now.

I remain as ever your friend,

Sergt. W.H. Chapman, 123017, A Company, 7th C.R.T., B.E.F., France.

PS. How is your garden coming on? You said you had turned gardener. My wife says she has a lovely one this summer. Wish I was there to eat some of it.

Peacock received a third letter from William in August 1917. A portion of the letter, dated 10 days after the previous letter, reads as follows:

Somewhere at the Front,

Sunday, July 15, 1917

Dear Friend,

Just a few lines to let you know that I am still here and still on top, although my previous injury to my back bothers considerable at times, but I am still hanging on. I received a letter a few days ago from Col. R.I. Towers, colonel of the old 70th, and wish he was in command of us now. He is at home at present for a short time.

Had a heavy rain last night filling up ditches and shell holes and holes in cross-country transport tracks with water and believe me, the continual stream of ammunition column teams soon turn wet clay into mud. Six horses are hitched to each ammunition wagon and when it comes wet and muddy, the reason for so much horse power is easily ascertained, for they have to drag the wagons through some awful holes, and it is simply astonishing the number of horses and mules it requires to handle things over and above the hundreds of thousand motor transports. We see some fine horses here and it is a common sight to see nice horses and mules lying dead along the road, killed by shell fire, as the poor horses get it just the same as men.

I used to think the war would end this summer, but the summer is going fast and still the end is not in sight. Hope it don’t go into the winter, as winter here is just harsh, you know. Canadian winters are much more comfortable….

I guess you will have conscription by the time this reaches you. I have been informed that myself and 5 or 6 other men have been mentioned by the commanding officer for coolness and bravery under shell fire. I had charge of an advance patrol continuously without relief for ten weeks and one night when the three N.C.O.’s in charge of an emergency repair crew brought their men in, took them and myself and repaired three large shell breaks in the line under continuous shrapnel and high explosive shell fire. Kept the men at work and finished the repairs and got the men back without a casualty. I did not like the job but ammunition had to be got up to the guns, and we could not let a battery be lost through lack of ammunition, so we have to do our duty.

I sent you a German steel shrapnel helmet. You can give the German water bottle that is inside to my wife. I thought you would like something from the front as a souvenir and hope it reaches you safely. I remain as ever your friend.

Sgt. W.H. Chapman, 123017

As part of the 7th Battalion, Chapman took part in the Attack on Hill 70 and Lens in France between August 15-25 in 1917. It was the second largest Canadian military undertaking up to that point in the war, second only to Vimy. It was also the first major battle orchestrated by Canadian commander Lieutenant-General Arthur Currie and the first time German forces used flame-throwers and mustard gas against the Canadians. Known as “Canada’s forgotten battle of the First World War”, the Canadians were able to capture Hill 70 but not the city of Lens, at a cost of approximately 9,100 Canadians listed as killed, wounded or missing

 Two months after writing the above letter, on September 27, 1917, Corporal William Chapman lost his life as a result of gun-shot wounds in the abdomen received while fighting in Belgium. He had been admitted to

No. 61 Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) on September 21, 1917, and would pass away there six days later as a result

of his wounds (two days before his 41st birthday).

His death, outside a formal, designated battle, was a common occurrence. In the daily exchange of hostilities—incessant artillery, snipers, mines, gas shells, trench raids, and random harassing fire—the carnage was routine and inescapable. High Command’s term for these losses was “wastage.”

In October 1917, Bessie received the following letter from the chaplain of the Battalion:

Mrs. W.H. Chapman, Sarnia, Ontario                                                                            France, Oct. 6, 1917

Dear Madam,

You have no doubt already learned of the death of your husband, W.H. Chapman, of this battalion, and of the cause. On behalf of the commanding officer and all ranks of the battalion, I beg to offer you our most sincere sympathy. Your husband died at the post of duty. He came here knowing the danger, and he bravely made the noble sacrifice, the greatest any man can, for a good cause. Assuredly he will receive a splendid reward hereafter. Let this be your consolation in your bereavement. He was buried in a military cemetery attached to the hospital where he died, alongside so many others who have also laid down their lives at the call of duty. Assuring you once more of our sincerest sympathy.

Sincerely yours, J.R.O. Gorman, Chaplain

William’s Circumstances of Death Register records the following: Date of Casualty: 27-9-17. “Died of Wounds” (Gunshot Wound Abdomen) at No. 61 Casualty Clearing Station. Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium. Commune: Westvleteren 2 ½ miles N. of Poperinghe. 2.44c.27.F.11.a.5.7. William Chapman left behind his wife Bessie and their seven children.

Forty-year-old William Chapman is buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium, Grave V.F.7.

Source: The Sarnia War Remembrance Project by Tom Slater

Editors: Tom St. Amand and Lou Giancarlo

Frederick Chester was born in Sarnia, on November 23, 1894, the son of John and Isabella Chester, of 315 North Brock Street. At the age of 21, Frederick Chester enlisted in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force on April 14, 1916 in Windsor, Ontario with the 99th Overseas Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. He stood five feet nine inches tall, had blue eyes and grey hair, was single, and was residing at 176 Bagg Street in Detroit, Michigan at the time (his parents were still in Sarnia). Frederick recorded his trade or calling as Chief Clerk, and his next-of-kin as his father John Chester of 315 North Brock Street, Sarnia. On May 31, 1916, Frederick Chester embarked overseas from Halifax bound for the United Kingdom aboard S.S. Olympic (Titanic’s sister ship).

He disembarked in Liverpool, England on June 8, 1916, and a month later, was transferred to the 35th Canadian Reserve Battalion at West Sandling. On August 6, 1916, he was transferred to the Canadian Infantry, 19th Battalion, Central Ontario Regiment and the next day, Private Chester arrived in France with the 19th Battalion. One week later, his unit was at the front lines, immersed in a gruesome battle.

Private Chester ended up fighting in France during the Battle of the Somme (July 1-November 18, 1916), one of the bloodiest and most futile battles in history. The Somme, a battle of attrition, lasted for more than four brutal months and saw the Allies advance around 10 kilometers. A more telling statistic is the number of injuries and deaths: of the 85,000 Canadian Corps, there were more than 24,000 Canadian casualties.

The second major offensive of the Somme battle was the week-long Battle of Flers-Courcelette(September 15-22). It was here where tanks made their first appearance in the war. Frederick Chester lost his life in the days leading up to this offensive.

On September 13, 1916, Frederick Chester was killed by enemy shellfire during the Battle of the Somme. His Circumstances of Death Register records the following: Date of Casualty: 13-9-16. “Killed in Action”. While on sentry duty, in the front line trenches about 10 P.M. on September 13th 1916, he was instantly killed by shrapnel from an enemy shell. Location of Unit at the time of Casualty: COURCELETTE. Cemetery: Missing Memorial Card only. Reported locations of grave: Sheet 57d.S.E.R.35.d.

Twenty-one-year-old Frederick Chester has no known grave. He is memorialized on the Vimy Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. On the Sarnia cenotaph, his name is inscribed as F.J. Chester.

Source: The Sarnia War Remembrance Project by Tom Slater

Editors: Tom St. Amand and Lou Giancarlo

Alfred Corrick was born in Sarnia, on July 12, 1884, the youngest son Robert Charles and Mary (nee McNally) Corrick. Robert (born April 2, 1843 in England) and Mary (born April 10, 1842 in Middlesex, England) Corrick immigrated from Kent, England to Canada in 1872. They ended up in Sarnia by accident. From their port of arrival, Robert, Mary and their three young children at the time, left by train for their intended final destination of Toronto. On arrival, they didn’t get off the train, not realizing they were in Toronto. So, they remained on the train until it reached the end of the line—Sarnia.

Robert, a labourer/bricklayer by trade, became a stonemason and started a successful contractor business in Sarnia. One of the first homes he built was the Corrick family home at 404 George Street. To keep the cold out, he constructed the home with two layers of yellow-coloured bricks—bricks unique to Lambton County. His business also got the contract to build the first Sarnia General Hospital at Mitton and George Streets.

Altogether, Robert and Mary were blessed with 10 children: Charles Robert (born June 28, 1864); Louise Emily (born December 11, 1867, though she passed away shortly after); Emma Louise (born November 27, 1869); Annie Josephine (born April 21, 1871); Frederick (born November 20, 1873); John Augustus (born June 21, 1876); Andrew (born November 21, 1878); Alice Helen (born May 17, 1881); Alfred James; and Beatrice Mary (born September 1, 1886). Years later, brothers Charles and John moved to Detroit where they started their own contracting business that became quite successful. Alfred would join his brothers in Detroit on occasion to help construct homes.

By all accounts, Alfred was a pretty quiet individual, a skilled athlete and popular among a large circle of

friends in Sarnia. He went by “Alf” to his friends and family members. He took an active part in sports and was a baseball player of considerable ability. He was known as “Home Run Haggerty” for his batting prowess. He was a member of the local Maple Leafs indoor baseball team that won the Canadian championship, along with two of his brothers and a brother-in-law (B. Luscombe). Following is a portion of a June 1972 Sarnia Observer story written by O.N. (Red) Wilson:

Rube McCart, probably the greatest softball pitcher in Sarnia’s history, bloomed during the closing days of the last century and the beginning of the 1900’s. He pitched the Maple Leafs indoor baseball team to the Canadian championship twice between 1898, when it was organized, and 1905 when it disbanded. Names of that great team are familiar to Sarnians today even if the faces are not. Andy Corrick caught; Earl Drake and W.A. (Bill) Watson played first base; Jack Corrick, second; J.B. Williams and Wm. Tennant, third; Wm. Pierce and Jimmy Thomson, shortstop; Billy Luscombe, Eddie Mills, Bob Nelson and Alf Corrick, outfielders. Charlie (Mike) Fleming was the manager; Fred Stanley and George B. Dawson, presidents, and Billy McDonald the club’s official referee.

Alfred became a member of Sarnia Lodge, No. 126, I.O.O.F. and by trade was a mason, following in the footsteps of his father and brothers. When Alfred was 27 years old, his father Robert, a local contractor, passed away in Sarnia on December 12, 1911 at the age of 65.

As the war dragged on in Europe, with the Canadian troops thinning at an alarming rate, and no end to the war in sight, the government instituted the Military Service Act (MSA) in July 1917. Shortly after, 33-year-old Alfred Corrick was drafted under the Military Service Act of 1917, Class One. He underwent his medical examination in Sarnia on October 4, 1917. He was called to service on January 9, 1918, in London, Ontario, reporting to the 1st Depot Battalion, Western Ontario Regiment. He stood five feet six inches tall, had blue eyes and brown hair, was single, and was residing with his widowed-mother on George Street at the time. He recorded his trade or calling as a bricklayer and his next-of-kin as his mother, Mrs. Mary Corrick of 404 George Street.

Approximately 125,000 men were conscripted into the CEF, and only 48,000 were sent overseas. The first conscripts went to France in April 1918. That summer, thousands more of them, mostly infantry, were funnelled across the English Channel to Canadian Corps reinforcement camps in France. Only about 24,000 Canadian MSA conscripts reached the Western Front lines. They helped keep the ranks of the ragged infantry battalions at or near full strength during the crucial final months of the war, thus allowing the Canadian Corps to continue fighting in a series of battles.

On January 8, 1918, prior to his leaving for service, members of the Bricklayers Union No. 23 held a send-off for Alfred in the Board of Trade room. The following is a portion of the address given by the Union chairmen and signed by the Union president, as they presented Alfred with a gift of a wristwatch:

We, your brother members of local No. 23 Ontario, meet here tonight with mingled feelings of pride and regret. Tomorrow we all know you leave the old home town and all your old associations, for a grand purpose, that of serving your king and country and doing your little bit, with lots of boys who have gone before. Bro. Corrick, we have all known you for a number of years now and we have always found you to be a good upright and honest union man; and when you leave tomorrow for London to don the khaki you will take with you the good wishes of the union for a safe journey to France and then a happy reunion when the boys come marching home…. May this little token of our regard, ever remind you of your friends across the sea.

Alfred then spoke about how much he appreciated what they were doing. A few members delivered short speeches which expressed their regret at losing Brother Corrick. At the end of the social, all the boys joined together in wishing him the best of luck for a pleasant journey and a safe return. Within six months, Alfred was fighting in the front lines in France.

On February 4, 1918, Alfred embarked overseas from Halifax for the United Kingdom aboard S.S. Grampian. Arriving in England on February 16, 1918, he was initially posted with the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion in Bramshott. Three-and-a-half months later, on June 1, 1918, Private Corrick was transferred to the Canadian Infantry, 47th Battalion, Western Ontario Regiment. He arrived in France the next day and, two weeks later, was with the 47th Battalion at the front lines.

During his time overseas, Alf Corrick often wrote many letters home to his mother and siblings. Below is a postcard that he wrote on June 10, 1918 to his sister Beatrice. On the back he wrote: Dear Sister, Just a souveneir of France I got tonight having an easy time just now. Yours lovingly, Alf

In October 1918, Alf sent a letter home to his widowed mother in Sarnia from France. In it, he expressed that he was doing his bit and he was well. He also stated that he had several narrow escapes; and that two of his comrades on a gun had been put out of action, one being killed and the other wounded.

The Hundred Days Campaign (August 8 – November 11, 1918, in France and Belgium) was the “beginning of the end” of the Great War. Canadians were called on again and again over the three-month period to lead the offensives against the toughest German defences. The series of victories repeatedly drove the Germans back, culminating in Germany’s unconditional surrender on November 11, but it came at a high price: approximately 46,000 Canadians were killed, wounded, or missing.

Alfred Corrick took part in all of the major offensives during this campaign. The first offensive in the Campaign was the Battle of Amiens in France (August 8-14, 1918), a truly all-arms battle, one in which all four Canadian divisions were involved. Over the course of one week, in a battle that British Field Marshal Douglas Haig called “the finest operation of the war”, the Canadians would advance nearly 14 kms.

The second offensive in the Campaign was the Battle of Arras and Breaking the DQ Line in France (August 26-September 3, 1918), where Canadians were part of a spearhead force tasked with crashing one of the most heavily fortified positions, the Hindenburg Line—a series of strong defensive trenches and fortified villages. General Sir Julian Byng called the Canadian victory at the 2nd Battle of Arras and breaking of the DQ Line “the turning point of the campaign”, but it came at a cost of 11,400 Canadian casualties. 

The third offensive in Canada’s Hundred Days Campaign was the Battle of Canal-du-Nord and Cambrai in France(September 27-October 11, 1918). Against seemingly impossible odds and a desperate, fully prepared enemy, the Canadians fought for two weeks in a series of brutal engagements. They successfully channelled through a narrow gap in the canal, punched through a series of fortified villages and deep interlocking trenches, and captured Bourlon Wood and the city of Cambrai. General Arthur Currie would call it “some of the bitterest fighting we have experienced” and it came at a cost of 14,000 Canadian casualties.

After taking Cambrai in the second week of October 1918, Canadian forces advanced tentatively toward Valenciennes, the last major French city in German hands. Through the third and fourth weeks of October 1918, using artillery and battle patrols, they pushed east against the retreating German forces, occasionally running into significant opposition, and Canadians continued to die by the score every day.

At Valenciennes, the Germans stopped running—they held every advantage in this heavily-fortified city protected by a canal. In the Battle of Valenciennes, France (November 1-2, 1918), through two days of desperate fighting that included urban warfare, the Canadians were able to capture the city. This last set-piece battle, the last major prearranged assault staged by the Canadian Corps, cost the Canadians 501 casualties. Alfred Corrick was one of those casualties.

On November 1, 1918, Private Alfred Corrick was wounded by enemy gunfire at Valenciennes. That same day, he was admitted to No. 6 Casualty Clearing Station with shrapnel wounds in the left hip/buttock. Six days later, on November 7, 1918, the Canadians would cross into Belgium toward their final goal, the German-occupied city of Mons. On November 8, 1918, Alfred was admitted to the Kitchener Military Hospital in Brighton, England with “severe shell wounds”. Three days later, on November 11, 1918, the Canadians liberated the city of Mons and World War I ended.

While recovering in hospital, Alf sent letters home to his friends in Sarnia, in which he reported that he was progressing well (he demonstrated satisfactory improvement for one month in recovery); however, complications arose, as he had symptoms of blood poisoning (streptococcus pyaemia) from the shrapnel wounds that required two more operations. They were to no avail.

On January 9, 1919, he was in hospital reported as “seriously ill”, and four days later, he was “dangerously ill”. It was unexpected news in Sarnia when on January 13, 1919, one year after his send-off in Sarnia, and two months after the war’s end, Alfred Corrick died in Kitchener Military Hospital, Brighton, as a result of the wounds that he had received two months earlier.

Alfred Corrick was the last man with his name on the Sarnia cenotaph to lose his life in the Great War. His death was officially recorded as Died of wounds, (previously reported wounded), dangerously ill. Gun shot wound: Buttock Septicemia. Kitchener Military Hospital, Brighton.

Alfred’s mother, Mary, passed away in her 80s on December 4, 1926. She is buried along with her husband Robert, at Lakeview Cemetery in Sarnia. In the early 1950s, a family member discovered a box of letters in the family home on George Street. The letters were those written by Alf from England and France to his mother and his younger sister Beatrice, with whom he had always been close. Unfortunately, the letters were destroyed after a family member, upon reading them, felt they were too sad a reminder of his tragic death in the Great War.

Thirty-four-year-old Alfred Corrick is buried in Seaford Cemetery, Sussex, United Kingdom, Grave A.549. On his grave marker are inscribed the words, IN LOVING MEMORY OF ALFRED J. CORRICK BORN 12^TH JULY 1884 DIED AT BRIGHTON 13^TH JAN: 1918. FRANCE: NOW HERE – AT REST.

NOTE: The Commonwealth War Graves Register records his death date as January 13, 1919, which is correct; however, his grave marker incorrectly records his death as January 13, 1918.

Source: The Sarnia War Remembrance Project by Tom Slater

Editors: Tom St. Amand and Lou Giancarlo

William Coulter was born in Woodstock, Oxford County, Ontario, on January 21, 1897, the only son of William John Coulter Sr. (of Stratford, Perth, Ontario) and Belinda Jane (nee Clark, of Oxford, Ontario) Coulter. William Sr. (born February 2, 1866) and Belinda Jane (born August 22, 1871) were married on March 16, 1892 in Oxford County. To support his wife and four children, William Sr. worked as a carpenter, then as a machinist, and later as a county constable policeman. William and Belinda’s first three children, all born in Woodstock, were daughters Isabelle Louise (born October 26, 1892); Annie Gertrude (born December 12, 1894); and William Jr. Their fourth child, Mildred Jane, was born in Lambton County on July 31, 1907. At some point, William Jr. moved to Petrolia and later resided in Sarnia. Prior to enlisting, he was employed as an express driver by the Canadian Express Company and also at the Northern Navigation Company in Sarnia.

Nineteen-year-old William Coulter enlisted in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force on April 24,

1916 in Guelph, Ontario with the 64th Depot Battery, Canadian Field Artillery. He stood five feet nine-and-one-quarter inches tall, had greyish-blue eyes and brown hair, was single, and was residing at home with his parents in Sarnia at the time. He recorded his trade or calling as an express driver, and his next-of-kin as his father William John Coulter of 345 South Vidal Street, Sarnia.

On November 23, 1916, Coulter embarked overseas from Halifax for the United Kingdom aboard S.S. Mauretania. Upon disembarking in Liverpool, England, on November 30, 1916, he became a member of the Composite Reserve Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery based at Shorncliffe. Just over three months later, in mid-March 1917, he was appointed Acting Bombardier with the Reserve Brigade in Shorncliffe.

On March 21, 1917, William arrived in France with the Shorncliffe Composite Battery and was attached as a re-enforcement to the 1st Canadian Divisional Ammunition Column (CDAC). He then reverted to the rank of gunner. Not long after arriving, he was with the four divisions of Canadian Corps that took part in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917. It was the first time (and last time in the war) that all four divisions of the Canadian Corps, with soldiers from every region in the country, would surge forward simultaneously. The four-day victory at Vimy Ridge was a seminal battle, a turning point in the war for the Canadian Corps, and a significant victory for Canada, later referred to as “the birth of a nation”. Of the 97,000 Canadians who fought at Vimy Ridge, approximately 10,600 became casualties.

William Coulter was born in Woodstock, Oxford County, Ontario, on January 21, 1897, the only son of William John Coulter Sr. (of Stratford, Perth, Ontario) and Belinda Jane (nee Clark, of Oxford, Ontario) Coulter. William Sr. (born February 2, 1866) and Belinda Jane (born August 22, 1871) were married on March 16, 1892 in Oxford County. To support his wife and four children, William Sr. worked as a carpenter, then as a machinist, and later as a county constable policeman. William and Belinda’s first three children, all born in Woodstock, were daughters Isabelle Louise (born October 26, 1892); Annie Gertrude (born December 12, 1894); and William Jr. Their fourth child, Mildred Jane, was born in Lambton County on July 31, 1907. At some point, William Jr. moved to Petrolia and later resided in Sarnia. Prior to enlisting, he was employed as an express driver by the Canadian Express Company and also at the Northern Navigation Company in Sarnia.

Nineteen-year-old William Coulter enlisted in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force on April 24,

1916 in Guelph, Ontario with the 64th Depot Battery, Canadian Field Artillery. He stood five feet nine-and-one-quarter inches tall, had greyish-blue eyes and brown hair, was single, and was residing at home with his parents in Sarnia at the time. He recorded his trade or calling as an express driver, and his next-of-kin as his father William John Coulter of 345 South Vidal Street, Sarnia.

On November 23, 1916, Coulter embarked overseas from Halifax for the United Kingdom aboard S.S. Mauretania. Upon disembarking in Liverpool, England, on November 30, 1916, he became a member of the Composite Reserve Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery based at Shorncliffe. Just over three months later, in mid-March 1917, he was appointed Acting Bombardier with the Reserve Brigade in Shorncliffe.

On March 21, 1917, William arrived in France with the Shorncliffe Composite Battery and was attached as a re-enforcement to the 1st Canadian Divisional Ammunition Column (CDAC). He then reverted to the rank of gunner. Not long after arriving, he was with the four divisions of Canadian Corps that took part in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917. It was the first time (and last time in the war) that all four divisions of the Canadian Corps, with soldiers from every region in the country, would surge forward simultaneously. The four-day victory at Vimy Ridge was a seminal battle, a turning point in the war for the Canadian Corps, and a significant victory for Canada, later referred to as “the birth of a nation”. Of the 97,000 Canadians who fought at Vimy Ridge, approximately 10,600 became casualties.

Stewart Cowan was born in Sarnia on April 30, 1890, the son of John and Eliza Ann (nee McIntire) Cowan. His paternal grandparents’—John Cowan Sr. (the eldest of nine children, born 1815 in Roxburghshire, Scotland) and Catherine Katie (nee Sinton, the eldest of six children, born 1819 in Roxburghshire, Scotland) Cowan—had left Scotland and sailed for Canada in 1849 in what became a memorable voyage for the Cowans for two reasons. John Cowan Sr. had married Catherine Sinton on April 1, 1842, in Roxburghshire, Scotland, and they had three children there: Annie (born July 1843), Mary (born May 1845) and Agnes (born October 1847). John Sr. and Catherine Cowan and their three children immigrated to Canada in July 1849. It was what happened during their cross-ocean voyage that made it memorable.

First, their youngest child Agnes, just over a year-and-a-half in age, passed away during the Atlantic crossing. Her parents hid their young daughter’s body in a lifeboat to avoid her being buried at sea. After arriving in America, they buried Agnes properly in New York. Secondly, Stewart’s father, John Jr., was born on July 8, 1849 during this trans-Atlantic voyage—or “on the high seas” as it became known in Cowan family lore.

It was the reports of excellent agricultural opportunities open to one in America that induced John Cowan Sr. to leave Scotland and to come with his family to Ontario. After a short residence in Galt, the family settled in 1850 upon a farm in Huron County, and engaged in agriculture. As much of the land was new, he had the undesirable task of clearing and breaking it, but in time he had as good a farm as any in the vicinity. Settling in Ontario, John Sr. and Catherine Cowan (Stewart’s grandparents) were blessed with another six children to their family: Agnes (born 1852); Hector (born May 1854); James (born October 1856); Jean (born October 1858); Catherine (Kate, born April 1861); and Maggie (born 1863). John Cowan Sr., a successful farmer and father of 10 children, passed away in March 1894 at age 79. Catherine Katie Cowan (nee Sinton) passed away the following year in July 1895 at age 76. John Cowan Sr. and Catherine Katie Cowan are buried in Maitlandbank Cemetery in Seaforth, Huron County.

John Cowan Jr., son of John Sr., started life as an ordinary farm boy growing up in Huron County. He had an inquisitive mind and a thirst for knowledge that made him a promising student. In his early 20s he was hired out as schoolmaster in the township of Hibbert, Perth, and he spent his spare moments in the study of law. He went on to graduate from Osgoode Hall, Toronto, in 1879, was admitted to the Bar the same year, and began practicing law in Dresdan, Kent County.

Six months later he moved to Watford and practiced law there until 1883. In February 1883, he formed a partnership with Mr. Lister, of Sarnia, and the Cowan family moved to Sarnia. In 1898, the firm of Cowan and McCarthy was formed, and the following year it was changed to Cowan, McCarthy and Towers. In September 1901, the firm became Cowan and Towers. A successful solicitor, he acted in that capacity for the townships of Sarnia, Moore, Warwick, Brooke, Dawn, the town of Sarnia and other municipalities, also for the Traders Bank, the Industrial, Mortgage & Savings Co., and several other institutions.

On August 31, 1881, 32-year-old John Cowan Jr. married 27-year-old Eliza Ann McIntire (born April 28, 1854 in Huron County) in Stratford, Perth County, Ontario. John was residing and practicing law in Watford when he married Eliza. Eliza Ann was the daughter of John (a farmer) and Caroline Mary (nee Phelps) McIntire, and was residing in Stratford when she married John. John Jr. and Eliza Ann eventually settled in Sarnia and resided at 322 North Christina Street. John Jr. had a successful practice and with Eliza, had a sprawling family of eight children: Caroline Mary (born December 17, 1883); Kate Sinton (born October 27, 1885); John Jr. #2 (born January 6, 1888); Stewart; Annie (born December 15, 1892); Susan McIntire (born February 11, 1896); Hector (born April 4, 1897); and Frank Phelps (born March 1, 1900).

In 1891, the Cowan household included parents John Jr. and Eliza, and their children: Carrie (age 7); Kate (age 5); John Jr. #2 (age 3); and Stewart (age 1); along with lodger Eliza Phelps (age 61); and domestic (general servant) Mary Heslip (age 28). Twenty years later, in 1911, the Cowan family residing at 322 Christina Street included parents John Jr. and Eliza, their children: Carrie (a stenographer, father’s office); Kate (a nurse); John Jr. #2 (a law student); Stewart (a law student); Annie, Susie, Hector, and Frank; and their fifteen-year-old Scottish-born servant Elizabeth Cuchan (born May 1896, who had immigrated to Canada in 1901).

Stewart’s younger brother Hector Cowan also served in the Great War. On January 22, 1916, 18-year-old

Hector Cowan, standing five feet eight-and-one-quarter inches tall, with blue eyes and fair hair, enlisted in

Sarnia with the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force (about seven weeks after his brother Stewart had enlisted). Hector was a student at the time, residing with his family on Christina Street.

Private Hector Cowan was initially a Gunner (Cadet) in the 43rd Overseas Battery, Canadian Field Artillery (CFA), 11th Howitzer Brigade. From training camp in Guelph, Hector embarked overseas on February 26, 1916 aboard S.S. Missanabie, arriving in England on March 12, 1916. He initially trained at Bramshott Camp, and one month later, arrived at Witley Camp. On May 25, 1916, he was transferred to the 10th Brigade, CFA., and three weeks later embarked from Portsmouth arriving in Havre, France, with the rank of Acting Sergeant. Hector would take part in the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest battles in history, one that his brother Stewart would lose his life in.

On October 22, 1916, two weeks after his brother Stewart had been killed in action, Hector wrote the following letter from somewhere in France to his father John in Sarnia:

Dear Dad,

Just a little note to tell you that things are going fine and that I’m well. I suppose things have been rather blue at home lately and I can assure you that my sympathy has been with all the family. To you who are so far away from actual war the news must have come as a shock but to me Dad it was different I knew from Stew would fall sooner or later, the sooner the better for him, its the same with all infantry men they might get wounded but its just a prolongation of the worst, its simply impossible to live through what they have to endure. Ewart Towers came through for a year but now he’s gone it will be the same with all of them. I haven’t heard yet how Lyle and Geof came out of it but am hoping for the best. The casualties amongst our Canadian battalions were pretty large and in a few cases there is just enough men left in a brigade to make up one battalion, that is one out of every four have gone. I’ve been trying to locate Stewart’s grave through his regiment’s chaplain and as I expect word any day from him I’ll see that the grave is tended to and fixed up to the best of my ability. I’ll also mark and locate it well.

Now Dad since one of us has made the sacrifice I suppose you will be worrying more about my safety. I wouldn’t if I were you, there’s a huge difference between artillery and infantry and I’ll be just as careful as I can be, the chances we run in this branch are nothing like the ones the infantry runs.

I’ve seen some pretty barren spots in my life but I don’t think any of them can compare to this country. Around here in peace time it must be bad enough but after seeing this war its something beyond description from here up to our line I can honestly say that there isn’t one tree left standing, everything is either knocked off by shells or blown up by mines, up the road from our horse liveries there used to be a town but I passed through it four times before I ever knew there was a town there at all its the same all the way up just mud and wreckage, there is a road up the line a little way where the Germans first tried to make a stand I wish you could see it now there isn’t ten square yards of it that hasn’t been hit by a shell do you wonder that infantry can’t live through it, the way we shoot ammunitions around here is something terrible if a German battery fires anyways near any of our guns we open up and throw back a hundred for his one, consequently not many German shells come over. I think they are beginning to believe that we really have the upper hand over them if you could have seen the surprising look on some of the German’s faces that came down yesterday you would believe that they thought they were nearly done for, they say that the war will be over in two months in that I can’t believe it is true if next summer sees the end of this war I’ll be satisfied. I was telling Mother to-night we had quite a scrap here yesterday, it came off at noon and by three o’clock in the afternoon German prisoners started to come down it sure looked good to see them too they all had that war-worn look about them and underneath that look of disgust and hatred you could see that they were quite satisfied to be alive and safe at last. There is a Canadian hospital just across the road from us and we watched the wounded arrive and leave. They get out of the ambulance at one end of the hospital, go through have their wounds dressed get ticketed either to England or to France then get into the ambulance again & by next morning they are in England its simply wonderful how fast they can put them through.

Ed and I and a boy from Pembroke a friend of Mr. Homes are living together in a sand-bag hut, we have a

real good grate fire and the shack keeps out cold and the rain so we are fine, lots to eat, lots of cards and lots of time

to sleep. To-day is Sunday I hate to think of it, over here its just the same as any other day I think that’s what I’ll enjoy most when I get home, church and decent Sundays again. I believe the British army is making quite a mistake by ignoring religion, if it doesn’t show up here it will when all the men are turned loose again.

I must close Dad, the candles getting low and six o’clock comes pretty early. Hoping you and the family are in the best of health. I am

Your loving sonHector Cowan

Almost one year later, on May 5, 1917, Hector Cowan was transferred to the 8th Army Brigade, CFA. On July 29, 1917, he was granted 10 days leave to Paris, before he rejoined his unit. On October 4, 1917, he was attached to the 1st Army Rest Camp for 12 days. On November 23, 1917, he was admitted to No. 99 Field Ambulance, diagnosed with “synovitis right knee”, and was then transferred to No. 18 General Hospital, Camiers. Two months later, on January 29, 1918, he was discharged from hospital.

By February 6, 1918, Hector Cowan had rejoined the 8th Army Brigade in the field. In mid-March 1918, he was granted 14 days leave in the U.K., and then rejoined his unit in the field on April 8. In early October 1918, Hector was transferred to England posted to the Canadian Artillery Reinforcement Depot (CARD) at Camp Witley, with a view to being granted a commission in the CFA. The Great War ended in November 1918. In early January 1919, Hector Cowan returned to Canada, arriving in Halifax on January 17. He was discharged on demobilization from the Canadian Field Artillery, with the rank of Cadet, in London, Ontario on February 6, 1919, and returned to Sarnia.

Hector Cowan, after graduating from the University of Toronto, like his father and his late brother Stewart, became a successful lawyer in Sarnia with Cowan, Cowan and Gray Barristers. On March 22, 1924, 26-year-old Hector Cowan married 24-year-old Lillian “Onnie” Henrietta Hayes at St. Andrew’s Church in Sarnia. Hector and Onnie were blessed with three children together: Alexander Hayes (born August 20, 1925 but sadly passed away one week later); Joan (born July 11, 1927) and Anne.

In March 1936, Hector skipped his team from the Sarnia Curling Club (along with William McCart, Alex Hayes and Murray Chilton) to a championship winning the Ontario Silver Tankard (Southern Ontario provincial championship). The original banner commemorating the feat, along with a black and white photo of the foursome, has been hanging at the Sarnia Golf and Curling Club since November 1936.

Tragically, just seven months after winning the curling championship, Hector Cowan was involved in a fatal car accident in Detroit on October 17, 1936. He and Maurice Chilton were on their way home from a Saturday football game when their car was in a collision with another vehicle at an intersection. Maurice Chilton was slightly injured and Hector Cowan was killed in the accident. Hector Cowan, 39, is buried in Lakeview Cemetery, Sarnia.

Stewart Cowan grew up in the family home on Christina Street in Sarnia and was an active young man. He attended Sarnia public elementary schools and Sarnia Collegiate where he played high school football and was a member of the Sarnia Collegiate Cadet Corps in 1907. He also enjoyed pick-up hockey games on Sarnia Bay in the

winter. After high school, Stewart attended University College 1907-08; Delta Kappa Epsilon; Law School. After

graduating he became a barrister (lawyer) in Sarnia, practicing law with his father with the firm of Cowan, Towers and Cowan. He became well known outside the law firm by being a member of the newly formed Sarnia Golf Club Limited, and becoming a member of the Masons in Victoria Lodge No. 56 in 1915.

Stewart was also dating a young lady, Pauline Louise Pardee, who came from a prominent family. Pauline (born January 3, 1893) was the daughter of Senator Frederick Forsyth Pardee (born December 29, 1867, Sarnia) and Mary Eleanor Johnston (born November 1, 1867, Goderich). Frederick and Mary had married on December 31, 1891. Stewart and Pauline’s relationship was serious enough that they were “an item” and there was talk of marriage.

Twenty-five-year-old Stewart Cowan enlisted (and underwent his medical exam) in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force on November 26, 1915 in London, Ontario. He completed his Officers’ Declaration Paper, Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force, on December 14, 1915, in London, Ontario, becoming a member of the 70th Battalion, with the rank of lieutenant. He stood five feet nine inches tall, was single, and was residing at home with his parents at the time. He recorded his trade or calling as lawyer, his prior military experience as a member of the 27th Militia Regiment, and his next-of-kin as his mother Eliza Cowan of 322 Christina Street.

On April 24, 1916, Lieutenant Stewart Cowan embarked overseas from Halifax for the United Kingdom with the 70th Battalion. In July 1916, Mrs. W.B. Elsworth of Sarnia received the following letter from Stewart while in England:

Dear Mrs. Elsworth,

Two dozen pairs of socks arrived today. I distributed them amongst Sarnia men who are with us. They were certainly more than glad to receive them and being from home they were doubly welcome. I wish you could have seen the men double out of their tents when they heard, “socks from Sarnia” called out. They asked me to thank the members of the Pro Patria Chapter, I.O.D.E. and to say that the socks were needed, as Kitchener boots are to say the least, a bit rough on socks.

I notice that you sent three dozen pairs. As I expect to leave for France any day now I have arranged for the distribution of the third dozen when they arrive. Our battalion is pretty well broken up. We have only about five

hundred men left, and by the end of this week all the officers except five will be in France. About sixteen are there are now. Everybody would have liked to have gone across as a unit. But the Battalions in France have to be reinforced, so we are being sent to several different battalions.

Again many thanks for the socks and best regards from everybody here to all the members of the chapter.

Yours sincerely, Stewart Cowan

Shorncliffe, England July 5th, 1916

Two days after writing the above letter, on July 7, 1916, Lieutenant Cowan joined the Canadian Infantry, 24th Battalion, Quebec Regiment, CEF. On that same day, he disembarked in Boulogne, France. The next day, he joined the 24th Battalion “in the field” at the front. Lieutenant Stewart Cowan took part in the fighting during the

Battle of the Somme (July 1-November 18, 1916), one of the bloodiest and most futile battles in history. The

Somme, a battle of attrition, lasted for more than four brutal months, and saw the Allies advance around 10 kilometers. A more telling statistic is the number of injuries and deaths: of the 85,000 Canadian Corps, there were more than 24,000 Canadian casualties.

Seven weeks after arriving, on September 1, 1916, he injured his rib, but was only out of action for one day. The second major offensive of the Somme battle was the week-long Battle of Flers-Courcelette(September 15-22). It was here where tanks made their first appearance in the war. The Battle was a stunning success for the Canadians, but it came at a cost of over 7,200 casualties. One month after injuring his rib, on October 1, 1916, Stewart Cowan lost his life “in the field” while fighting during the Battle of the Somme. He was initially recorded as, “Reported from base – killed in action 1-10-16”. His Circumstances of Death register records the following: Date of Casualty: 1-10-16. “Killed in Action”. Killed while leading his Platoon over the parapet in an attack on enemy trenches. Location of Unit at the time of Casualty: COURCELETTE.

The Cowan family later learned that on the night Stewart was killed, brother Hector Cowan had arranged for a friend to take his shift so that he could go look for his brother. Hector along with Richard Lesueur, another Sarnian and Cowan family friend, were not able to find Stewart’s body or his grave. Stewart Cowan’s body was never recovered and he has no known grave.

            Following is the report on Stewart Cowan’s death from the October 13, 1916 Sarnia Observer, under the heading “LIEUT. STEWART COWAN MAKES SUPREME SACRIFICE”:

Another Sarnia young man has laid down his life for King and Country in the person of Lieut. Stewart

Cowan, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Cowan of this city, and a promising young law student, who was killed in action somewhere in France. Sunday morning a cablegram was received by Mr. Cowan from Col. R.I. Towers in England, stating, “All Sarnia boys well on the 5th.” In the evening another cablegram was received from Col. Towers stating, “Death of Stewart Cowan reported. First information was incorrect. Trying to verify later report.” The receipt of the latter cable brought sorrow to the parents, relatives and many friends of the young soldier who was one of the most popular young men of this city. He took an active interest in all athletic sports and was especially active in the great winter game of hockey. He qualified for a Lieutenant and went overseas with the 70th Battalion leaving London last Good Friday, April 21st.

Days later, a memorial service for Lieutenant Stewart Cowan was held at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. Before a church filled to capacity, Reverend Mr. Patterson quoted from scripture the words, “Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, certainly this was a righteous man.” Following is a portion of the words spoken by Reverend Mr. Patterson:

The note of respectful admiration inherent in the Roman Centurion’s tribute to the dead Christ is being re-echoed these days. We are conscious of it as we scan the weary casualty lists that appear with such monotonous

regularity, day by day. We should be conscious of it in all memorial services—the least the Church can do for men

who have fallen in a righteous cause. In the midst of deep sorrow for losses sustained, our admiration for the heroic fortitude of our dead soldiers should bind us closer to the cause for which they died, and fill us with an ever-increasing resolve that their sacrifice will not be in vain.

… we hold this memorial service—over one young in years but who has fought a good fight and finished his course, having held fast the Faith. Stewart Cowan left us in all the flush of young manhood, buoyant, eager, enthusiastic, anxious to do his share in the world-war, as he was ever willing and anxious to do his share in anything that came to his hand. His cheeriness and kindliness of spirit endeared him to us all. He was preeminently manly in word, deed, character—just the type who would have been a credit to his profession—to the community in which he lived, and the Church in which he worshipped. When the call to arms came, he could do nothing else—he had to go. When the last great call came we believe he met it fearlessly, and without regret.

Our farewell to men of this type while sad, is not all sadness. It is both proud and sad. Sad indeed for the loss sustained, but proud that the dead left behind an unblemished character, that they hastened home early to their God, without reproach. Surely in some other sphere God has a great place and work for the hosts of young men who are appearing before him with the dew of their youth upon them.

The service concluded with Reverend Patterson appealing for donations on behalf of the British Red Cross Fund, the organist playing the Dead March, and the congregation singing the National Anthem, “bringing this most impressive service to a close.”

Pauline Louise Pardee, who had been dating Stewart before he went to war, ended up marrying Stewart’s older brother John, on March 19, 1919, in Sarnia. Pauline and John resided on Vidal Street and had two children together: Jane (born 1920) and John (born 1924). Years later, John served with the RCN in World War II.

In the mid-1930’s, Pauline and her friend, Mrs. Rooney, travelled to France to pay her respects at the grave of Stewart. In the area of Vimy, she purchased from street vendors, a green and white ceramic wreath and a white ceramic rose. Her intention was to leave these on Stewart’s grave. It was not until she was in France that she learned that Stewart had no grave. Stewart Cowan’s name, however, is inscribed on the Vimy Memorial, which was unveiled on July 26, 1936.

According to family members, Stewart’s parents, John and Eliza, rarely mentioned the son whom they had lost in the Great War. Pauline, however, strove to keep Stewart’s memory alive. When she returned to Sarnia with the ceramic wreath and rose carvings, she displayed them on a table in their family home. Today, they are the possession of her son, John.

When Pauline passed away in March 1986, she had outlived her husband, John (died January 1965), by over three decades. Both John and Pauline Cowan are buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Sarnia.

Lakeview Cemetery is also the final resting place of Stewart Cowan’s parents; John Jr. (passed away June 10, 1926) and Eliza Ann Cowan (passed away July 16, 1938).

Twenty-six-year-old Stewart Cowan has no known grave. He is memorialized on the Vimy Memorial, Pas de Calais, France, and has a memorial stone in Lakeview Cemetery in Sarnia.

Source: The Sarnia War Remembrance Project by Tom Slater

Editors: Tom St. Amand and Lou Giancarlo

More information on this soldier is available in

Valour Remembered: Sarnia-Lambton War Stories by Tom Slater and Tom St. Amand

Royal Crawford was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, on December 28, 1896. Royal was the youngest son of George Johnson Adair and Lomila Katharine (nee Stafford) Crawford, of Lambton East (Enniskillen). The family later moved to Sarnia and lived at several addresses: 323 Christina Street, then 279 Russell Street, and 110 Victoria Street. George (born 1859 in Perth County), an engineer, and Lomila (born 1859 in Dawn Mills) were married on March 19, 1877, at the bride’s father’s house in Marthaville, just outside Petrolia. George and Lomila had eight children together: sons Clifford (born 1885); Robert Palmer (born 1886, see above) and Royal Bruce; and daughters Bessie (born 1879); Cora (born 1881); Celia Grace (born April 1892); Murtle (born August 1893); and Vera Agnes (born June 20, 1900).

Prior to enlisting, Royal was employed as a clerk in the office of the Imperial Oil Company. At age 18, he enlisted on May 10, 1915 in London, Ontario with the 33rd Overseas Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. His older brother Robert, age 28, enlisted 17 days later. Royal stood five feet eleven inches tall, had brown eyes and black hair, and was single at the time. Royal recorded his trade or calling as Clerk, and his next-of-kin as his mother Mrs. George Crawford of 279 Russell Street. It must have been a difficult time for his mother. Not only did she see two of her sons going off to war, but tragedy struck when her husband, 56-year-old George Crawford (an engineer), drowned in the St. Clair River on July 20, 1915.

Royal received training in London, Ontario, and by December 1915, had been promoted to the rank of corporal. He embarked overseas on March 13, 1916 aboard S.S. Lapland and arrived in England on March 26, 1916, with the 33rd Infantry Battalion, with the rank of acting corporal. Royal trained at Shorncliffe and then West Sandling. He revealed his strength of character when, on September 9, 1916, he reverted to the rank of private at his own request, so that he could get to the front sooner. He got his wish.

Royal Crawford arrived in France with the 1st Canadian Battalion on September 22, 1916. Upon his arrival, the first news he received was that Robert, his older brother, had been killed only 10 days prior in France. This was a severe blow to young Royal. By early October 1916, however, he was with his unit in the trenches of the front lines.

On February 17, 1917, Royal was admitted to No. 2 Canadian Field Ambulance, where he remained for

18 days while recovering from Inflammation of Connective Tissue (ICT) in his feet, a common condition of soldiers in the trenches. Royal went on to earn his commission in the field, first being promoted to lance corporal. In June 1917, Royal Crawford sent a letter home to his widowed mother, Lomila, in Sarnia. The following is a portion of that letter:

Dear Mother,

I am well and getting along alright. Hope the folks are all well over there. The weather still continues fine and that is a great thing here. The country looks very nice just now only they have a nasty habit of blowing the scenery into little bits every now and then. But I guess we can stand it if Fritz can…. Hope this is soon over, so we won’t have to do much writing. By the way, you can address my letters to Lance-Corporal Crawford now….                                                                                                                                                          Roy

His superiors were taking note of Royal’s actions in the field. On November 1, 1917, he was promoted to the rank of corporal, then to lance sergeant, and on December 1, 1917 to the rank of sergeant. In December 1917, he was awarded the Military Medal (MM) for his bravery on the field. The award reads, “At Passchendaele on Nov 6th 1917 this N.C.O. immediately took command of the platoon when his Platoon Commander was killed during the early stages of the attack. This N.C.O. succeeded in capturing and consolidating the portion of the objective allotted to his platoon. After the objective had been gained he acted as C.S.M. the Coy S.M. having become a casualty, and rendered invaluable services in consolidating position gained. By his courage and skill he assisted greatly in keeping up the spirit of the men. Although wounded he remained on duty until the Company was relieved.”

Recognizing his worth, his superiors recommended him for a commission, and on February 5th, 1918, he was returned to Bramshott, England, to begin a course to fit him for a commissioned officer’s post. Attached to the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion, he received training at Canadian Training Schools in Shorncliffe, Camp Witley and Bexhill. Royal Crawford received his commission as lieutenant on August 6th, 1918.

In early September 1918, Lomila received her son’s Military Medal that he had won for bravery on the field. It brought her great joy and pride and, perhaps, helped her forget Robert’s death. On September 17, 1918, Lieutenant Royal Crawford returned to France, arriving first at the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp (CCRC). Ten days later, he rejoined his old unit in France, the “Fighting First” Battalion, Western Ontario Regiment.

The Hundred Days Campaign (August 8 – November 11, 1918, in France and Belgium) was the “beginning of the end” of the Great War. Canadians were called on again and again over the three-month period to lead the offensives against the toughest German defences. The series of victories repeatedly drove the Germans back, culminating in Germany’s unconditional surrender on November 11, but it came at a high price: approximately 46,000 Canadians were killed, wounded, or missing.

The first offensive in the Campaign was the Battle of Amiens in France (August 8-14, 1918), a truly all-arms battle, one in which all four Canadian divisions were involved. Over the course of one week, in a battle that British Field Marshal Douglas Haig called “the finest operation of the war”, the Canadians would advance nearly 14 kms.

The second offensive in the Campaign was the Battle of Arras and Breaking the DQ Line in France (August 26-September 3, 1918), where Canadians were part of a spearhead force tasked with crashing one of the most heavily fortified positions, the Hindenburg Line—a series of strong defensive trenches and fortified villages. General Sir Julian Byng called the Canadian victory at the 2nd Battle of Arras and breaking of the DQ Line “the turning point of the campaign”, but it came at a cost of 11,400 Canadian casualties. 

The third offensive in Canada’s Hundred Days Campaign was the Battle of Canal-du-Nord and Cambrai in France(September 27-October 11, 1918). Against seemingly impossible odds and a desperate, fully prepared enemy, the Canadians fought for two weeks in a series of brutal engagements. They successfully channelled through a narrow gap in the canal, punched through a series of fortified villages and deep interlocking trenches, and captured Bourlon Wood and the city of Cambrai. General Arthur Currie would call it “some of the bitterest fighting we have experienced” and it came at a cost of 14,000 Canadian casualties.

On October 1st, 1918, Lieutenant Royal Crawford of the Canadian Infantry, 1st Battalion, Western Ontario Regiment, was killed while fighting in the Battle of Canal-du-Nord and Cambrai. He was initially reported as “wounded and missing”, and later recorded as “killed in action” on the same day.

Royal Crawford’s Circumstances of Death register records the following: Date of Casualty: 1-10-18. “Previously reported Wounded and Missing, now Killed in Action. Was killed by machine gun bullets through the abdomen and one lung. Location of Unit at time of Casualty: VICINITY OF BLECOURT. Sancourt British Cemetery. 10 ¾ miles South East of Douai, France.  

In mid-October 1918, word of Royal’s death had not reached home in Sarnia. The Sarnia Observer printed an article on the two Crawford boys, noting that Robert had already made the supreme sacrifice. For Royal, it reported on his rise in the ranks, on his wounding and recovery, and on the Military Medal that he was awarded. It also stated:

… Sarnia is proud of Lieut. Crawford, as it has every reason to be. Going to the front he has worked his way from the rank and file to the commissioned officers’ ranks, and if his past history is any criterion of what his future is to be, the young hero has not by any means reached the apex of his military career.

Previously to enlistment Roy was employed on the office staff on the Imperial Oil Company, where he has many friends, who are glad to hear of his successes in the war and hope for the return of his strength to enable him to carry on in the heroic way he has to date. His mother received his Military Medal a few days ago and is justly proud of the honor her son has brought on her home.

A few days after the above article appeared in the Observer, Lomila received a telegram informing her that her youngest son LIEUT. ROY BRUCE CRAWFORD WAS OFFICIALLY REPORTED WOUNDED AND MISSING OCTOBER 1ST. A few days later, she received another telegram, this one informing her that her son ROYAL BRUCE CRAWFORD, WHO HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING AND WOUNDED, IS NOW REPORTED KILLED IN ACTION, DATE OF CASUALTY, OCTOBER 1ST, 1918.

The news must have been devastating for widowed Lomila. Robert first, in September 1916, and now Royal two years later. In a three-year span, Lomila Crawford lost her husband and two sons. She never remarried and passed away in 1947 at age 89.

Royal Crawford, 21, is buried in Sancourt British Cemetery, Nord, France, Grave I.C.19. On his headstone are inscribed the words, HE DIED FOR KING AND COUNTRY.

Source: The Sarnia War Remembrance Project by Tom Slater

Editors: Tom St. Amand and Lou Giancarlo

More information on this soldier is available in

Valour Remembered: Sarnia-Lambton War Stories by Tom Slater and Tom St. Amand

Jesse Croucher was born in Herne Bay, Kent, England, on May 28, 1888, the son of English-born parents John Thomas and Annie Marie (nee Anderson) Croucher. John (born February 1848 in Sittingbourne, Kent, England), a labourer/brick maker at the time, married Annie (born April 1846 also in Sittingbourne, Kent, England) in England in 1865. John and Annie were blessed with 12 children together: three sons—James Thomas (born 1868); John Thomas Jr. (born 1870); and Jesse—and nine daughters that included Alice Matilda (born 1866); Harriett Ann (born 1872); Anne Susan (born 1875); Louisa Jane (born 1877); Elizabeth Jane “Rose” (born 1883); Isabelle (born 1885); Lizzie (born 1889); Florence Eleanor (born September 1890); and Violet May (born 1895).

Jesse originally enlisted with British Royal Engineers and Army Service Corps in Canterbury, England, on December 29, 1908, when he was 20 years old. Like his father, Jesse was a brick maker.

Things changed for John and Annie Croucher when they, along with at least two of their children, Jesse and Violet, immigrated to Canada in 1910. Jesse, 21, arrived at the Port of Quebec aboard the passenger ship Empress of Britain on July 21, 1910. He listed his destination as Watford and his intended occupation as farm labourer. A number of other Croucher family members also immigrated to Canada (and Sarnia), including Jesse’s siblings James Thomas, John Thomas Jr., Elizabeth “Rose”, Florence and Violet May. By 1911, John and Annie, along with Jesse and Violet, were residing in Warwick Township, where both John and Jesse were employed as brick makers. Brother John Thomas Jr. also served in the First World War, as a private with the British Army, Labour Corps, but his experience would differ from that of his younger brother.

When he was 27 years old, Jesse Croucher enlisted in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force on July 1, 1915, in Sarnia, and became a member of the 34th Battalion. He stood five feet four-and-a-half inches tall, had grey eyes and dark brown hair, was single, and was residing with his parents John and Annie at the time. Jesse recorded his trade or calling as car repairer, and his next-of-kin as his father John Thomas Croucher of Devine Street (they later resided at 353 Wellington Street, and then Ontario Street, Sarnia). Jesse had several tattoos on his arms including, on his right forearm—a heart and clasped hands with a lady’s face with the words “true love”.

Jesse embarked overseas on October 23, 1915, aboard S.S. California. He arrived in England on November 1, 1915, where he was initially stationed at Bramshott. Three months later, on February 3, 1916, he was transferred to the 23rd Battalion, stationed at West Sandling. Three-and-a-half months later, on May 25, 1916, he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion and departed with them the next day to France.

On May 26, 1916, Private Jesse Croucher became a member of the Canadian Infantry, 7th Battalion, British Columbia Regiment in France. Less than two weeks after arriving in France, on June 7, 1916, Private Jesse Croucher was with his unit, the 7th Battalion, at the front lines. He soon found himself immersed in fighting in the Battle of the Somme. Waged from July 1-November 18, 1916, it was one of the most futile and bloody battles in history. The Somme, a battle of attrition, lasted for more than four brutal months and saw the Allies advance around 10 kilometers. A more telling statistic is the number of injuries and deaths: of the 85,000 Canadian Corps, there were more than 24,000 Canadian casualties. 

The second major offensive of the Somme battle was the week-long Battle of Flers-Courcelette(September 15-22). It was here where tanks made their first appearance in the war. In the days leading up to this offensive, and only three months after arriving at the front lines, on September 9, 1916, Jesse Croucher was killed in action while fighting during the Battle of the Somme. He was later officially be recorded as Date of Casualty: 9-9-16. “Killed in Action”. Location of Unit at time of Casualty: COURCELETTE. Reported Locations of Grave: Buried outside Tom’s Cut Trench Somme.

In early November 1916, St. John’s Church in Sarnia held a memorial service for several of the local fallen. The following is the report on it from the Sarnia Observer:

MEMORIAL SERVICE AT ST. JOHN’S CHURCH

A memorial service was held at St. John’s Church Sunday evening for Thos. Littlefield, Jesse Croucher and George Giles, who were recently killed at the Front. There was a large attendance, and the service was of a very solemn character. A practical address was delivered by Rev. F.G. Newton, rector, who eulogized the men and their work in defence of the empire. He also spoke words of consolation to those mourning for their dead, and exhorted the congregation to do all they could by constant acts of kindliness to the bereaved, to show they appreciated the sacrifice made by the men who are now no more. The music and hymns which were appropriate to the occasion, were exceedingly rendered. Mr. Hargreaves played with effect the “Dead March in Saul.”

Note: George Giles’ story is included in this Project.

Twenty-eight-year-old Jesse Croucher has no known grave. He is memorialized on the Vimy Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.

Source: The Sarnia War Remembrance Project by Tom Slater

Editors: Tom St. Amand and Lou Giancarlo

Alexander Cunningham was born in Fauldhouse, Lanarkshire, Scotland, on March 28, 1894, the eldest son of James and Isabella (nee Wark) Cunningham. James and Bella had five children together over a period of 15 years: sons Alexander; John Wark (born 1896); James (born 1902); and Robert (born 1909); and daughter Agnes (born 1898). On November 25, 1913, the entire Cunningham family immigrated to Canada (the children’s ages at the time were Alexander 19, John 17, Agnes 14, James 11, and Robert 4). They departed from Glasgow, Scotland, aboard the Cassandra and arrived in St. John’s Newfoundland. Their final destination was Sarnia where James found work as an engineman to support his family.

Alexander and his brother John both enlisted and served in the Great War, although John’s stint in WWI had a much different ending. John Cunningham, born March 15, 1896 in Fauldhouse, Scotland, enlisted in Sarnia on October 7, 1915. He was 19 years old, stood five feet ten-and-a-half inches tall, had blue eyes and light hair and was single at the time. He was employed as a fireman at Imperial Oil, and recorded his next of kin as his father James Cunningham on George Street. John became a member of the 70th Overseas Battalion, CEF.

Four months after enlisting, on February 11, 1916, Private John Cunningham, 19, married Sarah Ann McClymont, 20, in Sarnia. Sarah was born in Scotland and had immigrated to Canada, also in 1913. John’s next-of-kin was then changed to his wife Sarah, living at 112 Maria Street, and later 347 Cameron Street (with John’s parents James and Bella).

Approximately six weeks after getting married, on April 24, 1916, John embarked from Halifax aboard S.S. Lapland and arrived in England on May 5. He underwent training at Shorncliffe and later West Sandling where he was transferred to the 39th Battalion in July. John arrived in France on August 27, 1916, as a member of the 18th Battalion. He continued his training, including two weeks with the 1st Army School of Mortars. In mid-January 1917 he was promoted to lance corporal.

John Cunningham fought in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France, April 9-12, 1917. It was the very first time and the only time that all four divisions of the Canadian Corps, with soldiers from every region in the country, would attack together as one formation.  Of the 97,000 Canadians who fought at Vimy Ridge, approximately 7,004 were wounded and 3,598 would lose their lives in four days of battle. The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a seminal battle and significant victory for Canada, later referred to as “the birth of a nation”.

On the first day of the Vimy Battle, on April 9, John was wounded in action by enemy shrapnel. His wounds were recorded as “gun shot wounds legs and left arm, severe”. He was treated at #10 Casualty Field Station; then at #24 General Hospital, Etaples, before being returned to England in early May. John continued his recovery at 3rd Western General Hospital, Cardiff, and in September at Canadian Convalescent Hospital Bearwood, Wokingham. In early December 1917, he was returned to Canada and continued his recovery at Guelph Convalescent Hospital. Corporal John Cunningham was discharged from the military in Guelph on February 28, 1918 as he was deemed “being medically unfit for further military service”. In November 1918, the Great War ended.

John Cunningham returned to Sarnia and in 1921, Sarah and he were residing at 561 George Street. John was employed as a pumpman at Imperial Oil. John and Sarah had a two-year-old son then, Alexander James—named to honour John’s brother Alexander, killed in action in October 1918.

As the war dragged on in Europe, with the Canadian troops thinning at an alarming rate, and no end to the war in sight, the government instituted the Military Service Act (MSA) in July 1917.

Twenty-three-year-old Alexander Cunningham was drafted under the Military Service Act of 1917, Class One. He underwent his medical examination in Sarnia on October 10, 1917. He was called to service on January 9, 1918, and then reported to the 1st Depot Battalion, Western Ontario Regiment in London, Ontario. Just as Alexander was starting his military service, his brother John’s service was over. John, wounded at Vimy, had just returned to Canada the previous month.

Alexander stood five feet ten-and-a-half inches tall, had blue eyes and brown hair, was single, and was residing with his parents at the time. He recorded his trade or calling as farmer, and his next-of-kin as his father James Cunningham of 347 Cameron Street, Sarnia. Two days later, he would complete his Military Will, bequeathing his estate to his mother Mrs. Bella Cunningham. On February 5, 1918, Alexander Cunningham embarked overseas from Halifax aboard S.S. Grampian. He arrived in England on February 16, 1918, becoming a member of the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion stationed at Bramshott.

Approximately 125,000 men were conscripted into the CEF, and only 48,000 were sent overseas. The first conscripts went to France in April 1918. That summer, thousands more of them, mostly infantry, were funnelled across the English Channel to Canadian Corps reinforcement camps in France. Only about 24,000 Canadian MSA conscripts reached the Western Front lines. They helped keep the ranks of the ragged infantry battalions at or near full strength during the crucial final months of the war, allowing the Canadian Corps to continue fighting in a series of battles. 

Six months after arriving in England, on August 18, 1918, Alexander Cunningham was attached to the 18th Battalion at Camp Witley, and one week later was transferred to the Canadian Infantry, 43rd Highlanders Battalion, Manitoba Regiment, with the rank of private. He arrived in France with the 43rd Battalion the next day, on August 26, 1918. He was soon embroiled in The Hundred Days Campaign, one that featured intense fighting as the end of the war neared.

The Hundred Days Campaign (August 8 – November 11, 1918, in France and Belgium) was the “beginning of the end” of the Great War. Canadians were called on again and again over the three-month period to lead the offensives against the toughest German defences. The series of victories repeatedly drove the Germans back, culminating in Germany’s unconditional surrender on November 11, but it came at a high price: approximately 46,000 Canadians were killed, wounded, or missing.

The first offensive in the Campaign was the Battle of Amiens in France (August 8-14, 1918), a truly all-arms battle, one in which all four Canadian divisions were involved. Over the course of one week, in a battle that British Field Marshal Douglas Haig called “the finest operation of the war”, the Canadians would advance nearly 14 kms.

The second offensive in the Campaign was the Battle of Arras and Breaking the DQ Line in France (August 26-September 3, 1918), where Canadians were part of a spearhead force tasked with crashing one of the most heavily fortified positions, the Hindenburg Line—a series of strong defensive trenches and fortified villages. General Sir Julian Byng called the Canadian victory at the 2nd Battle of Arras and breaking of the DQ Line “the turning point of the campaign”, but it came at a cost of 11,400 Canadian casualties. 

The third offensive in Canada’s Hundred Days Campaign was the Battle of Canal-du-Nord and Cambrai in France(September 27-October 11, 1918). Against seemingly impossible odds and a desperate, fully prepared enemy, the Canadians fought for two weeks in a series of brutal engagements. They successfully channelled through a narrow gap in the canal, punched through a series of fortified villages and deep interlocking trenches, and captured Bourlon Wood and the city of Cambrai. General Arthur Currie would call it “some of the bitterest fighting we have experienced” and it came at a cost of 14,000 Canadian casualties.

Five weeks after arriving in France, on October 1, 1918, while fighting in the Battle of Canal-du-Nord and Cambrai, Private Alexander Cunningham suffered gun-shot/shrapnel wounds to his right arm and to his head. He was taken to No. 30 Casualty Clearing Station and died two days later on October 3, 1918, the result of his wounds.

In mid-October 1918, James Cunningham in Sarnia received a telegram informing him of his son’s death and the cause of it. Alexander’s Circumstances of Death Register records the following: Date of Casualty: 3-10-18. “Died of Wounds”. On October 1st 1918, he was wounded by enemy shrapnel. After receiving attention, he was evacuated to No. 30 Casualty Clearing Station where he succumbed to his wounds two days later. Bucquoy Road British Cemetery, France.

After learning of their son’s death, Alexander’s mother Bella and father James wrote the following:

Dear son of mine, you sleep with the brave,

Where no tears of your mother can drop on your grave,

Unknown to the world, you stand by my side,

                                                       And whisper, dear mother, death cannot divide.                                               

The following was written by Alexander Cunningham’s sister, sister-in-law, and brothers:

Peaceful be thy rest, dear brother;

‘Tis sweet to breathe thy name;

In life we loved you dear;

In death we do the same.

Approximately one month after Alexander’s death, the Great War ended.

Alexander Cunningham, 24, is buried in Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, Grave IV.D.19. His name was not originally on the Sarnia cenotaph, unveiled in November 1921. In November 2019, his name along with 25 others was added to the Sarnia cenotaph, engraved in stone to be remembered always.

Source: The Sarnia War Remembrance Project by Tom Slater

Editors: Tom St. Amand and Lou Giancarlo

Sidney Davies was born in Strood, Kent County, England, on August 24, 1882, the son of Richard Vickers (born 1843) and Mary Ann (nee Gorman, born 1857) Davies, of Strood, Kent, England. Richard and Mary Ann were married on May 31, 1874 in All Saints Parish Church, Frindsbury, Kent, and were blessed with nine children together: sons John Thomas (born 1876); George Ernest (born 1881); Sidney; Ernest William (born 1889); Richard Stanley (born 1893); and Percy Oracio (born 1894); and daughters Eliza Jane “Sissie” (born 1878); Maud E. (born 1886); and Mabel Hilda (born 1899). To support his family, Richard had a number of jobs over the years. He was at various times a mariner; a china and glass merchant; a foreman for a coal contractor; and a stevedore dock labourer.  

On March 22, 1900, at the age of 17 and working as a plumber’s mate, Sidney Davies enlisted with the Royal Marine Light Infantry in Chatham, England. He served with them until February 1904. At some point afterwards, Sidney immigrated to Canada and eventually resided in Sarnia. Chances are Sidney never saw his parents again. His father Richard, passed away in Kent, England, on January 14, 1913, at the age of 70; and Mary Ann, his mother, passed away in Kent, England, on February 26, 1916 at the age of 60. Richard and Mary Ann Davies are buried together in All Saints Churchyard in Frindsbury, Kent, England, near the church where they were married. On the couple’s headstone is a pedestal inscribed with the words “Sidney Richard Davies 18th Batt. Canadians – Killed in Action in France 11th October 1918 Aged 36 Years.” 

Thirty-three-year-old Sidney Davies enlisted in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force on February 14, 1916 in Sarnia. He stood five feet ten-and-a-half inches tall, had grey eyes and black hair, was single, and was residing at 132 Forsythe Street at the time. He recorded his trade or calling as actor, and his next-of-kin as his sister Mrs. A. Wilson of 54 Longley Road, Rochester, England. Sidney initially became a member of the 149th Battalion, where he rose in rank to corporal and then sergeant. It would be over one year before he embarked overseas. On March 28, 1917, Sidney left for overseas from Halifax for the United Kingdom aboard S.S. Lapland.

Once overseas, it would be almost a full year before he saw action at the front. On his arrival in Liverpool, England, on April 7, 1917, he was initially attached to the Segregation Camp at Bramshott. He was later transferred to the 25th Reserve Battalion, remaining at Bramshott and reverting to the rank of private. On February 15, 1918, he was transferred to the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion. Over one month later, on March 29, 1918, Private Sidney Davies became a member of the Canadian Infantry, 18th Battalion, “C” Company, Western Ontario Regiment. He arrived in France on April 3, 1918, at the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp. On April 12, 1918, he arrived with the 18th Battalion at the front lines.

The Hundred Days Campaign (August 8 – November 11, 1918, in France and Belgium) was the “beginning of the end” of the Great War. Canadians were called on again and again over the three-month period to lead the offensives against the toughest German defences. The series of victories repeatedly drove the Germans back, culminating in Germany’s unconditional surrender on November 11, but it came at a high price: approximately 46,000 Canadians were killed, wounded, or missing.

The first offensive in the Campaign was the Battle of Amiens in France (August 8-14, 1918), a truly all-arms battle, one in which all four Canadian divisions were involved. Over the course of one week, in a battle that British Field Marshal Douglas Haig called “the finest operation of the war”, the Canadians would advance nearly 14 kms.

The second offensive in the Campaign was the Battle of Arras and Breaking the DQ Line in France (August 26-September 3, 1918), where Canadians were part of a spearhead force tasked with crashing one of the most heavily fortified positions, the Hindenburg Line—a series of strong defensive trenches and fortified villages. General Sir Julian Byng called the Canadian victory at the 2nd Battle of Arras and breaking of the DQ Line “the turning point of the campaign”, but it came at a cost of 11,400 Canadian casualties. 

The third offensive in Canada’s Hundred Days Campaign was the Battle of Canal-du-Nord and Cambrai in France(September 27-October 11, 1918). Against seemingly impossible odds and a desperate, fully prepared enemy, the Canadians fought for two weeks in a series of brutal engagements. They successfully channelled through a narrow gap in the canal, punched through a series of fortified villages and deep interlocking trenches, and captured Bourlon Wood and the city of Cambrai. General Arthur Currie would call it “some of the bitterest fighting we have experienced” and it came at a cost of 14,000 Canadian casualties.

Approximately six months after arriving in France, on October 11, 1918, Sidney Davies lost his life while fighting in the Battle of Canal-du-Nord and Cambrai. His Circumstances of Death Register records the following: Date of Casualty: 11-10-18. “Killed in Action”. Was instantly killed by concussion from an enemy shell, in front of Iwuy on the morning of October 11th 1918.

In mid-November 1918, Reverend F.G. Newton of St. John’s Church in Sarnia received official notice that Private Sidney Richard Davies had been reported killed in action on October 11th. Exactly one month after Sidney’s death, the Great War ended.

Sidney Davies, 36, is buried in Niagara Cemetery, Iwuy, Nord, France, Grave C.26.

Source: The Sarnia War Remembrance Project by Tom Slater

Editors: Tom St. Amand and Lou Giancarlo

George Dickinson was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, on November 18, 1879, the son of Robert and Hannah (nee Barmingham) Dickinson, of Hyde Park Road, Leeds, Yorkshire, England. [NOTE: On his Attestation Paper, George Dickinson recorded his birthdate as November 18, 1879, and that date continues through his military records. However, both the 1881 and 1901 English Census’ record his birth year as 1876].

Robert and Hanna Dickinson had five children together: daughters Alice (born 1873); Lucy (born 1874); and Maud (born 1883); and sons Harry (born 1878) and George. In 1881, Robert, Hannah, and four of their five children were living together in Leeds—only eight-year-old Maud was not registered as living with them. Two decades later, in 1901, the Dickinson family was still living in Leeds. Residing with parents Robert and Hannah (both age 52), were George, age 24, Harry, age 22, and Maud, age 28.

At some point, George married a young lady named Beatrice (born July 1880) in England. George immigrated to Canada, departing Liverpool aboard the Dominion, and arrived in Halifax on March 28, 1910. He arrived with $45 and a written declaration that he was a plumber who intended to move to Toronto. Beatrice soon followed him to Canada and the young couple first resided at 348 Brockar Street in Toronto, where George, true to his word, was employed as a plumber. Sometime after 1911, George and Beatrice moved to Sarnia, first residing at 142 Elgin Street, then 383 Russell Street, and later 553 Confederation Street.

At age 35, George Dickinson enlisted in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force on January 18, 1915, in Sarnia. He stood five feet five inches tall, had hazel eyes and dark hair, and was residing with his wife on Elgin Street at the time. He recorded his trade or calling as plumber, and his next-of-kin as his wife Beatrice Dickinson of 142 Elgin Street. He also recorded his prior military experience as “5 years in Territorials” and time spent with the 27th Militia Regiment in Sarnia. He became a member of the Canadian Infantry, 34th Reserve Battalion, Central Ontario Regiment. More than five months later, George embarked overseas.

On July 5, 1915, George was in Shorncliffe, England, as a member of the 11th Reserve Battalion. One month later, on August 3, 1915, he became a member of the Canadian Infantry, 1st Battalion. In December 1915, he had suffered severe pain in his legs that lasted for several weeks, but he was not hospitalized. After some treatment, the pain subsided. Shortly after, however, he began to experience shortness of breath and sweating a good deal on exertion, physical weakness, coughing and choking spells that affected his ability to sleep, all of which lasted for several months.

He served for a time in Flanders in Belgium in 1916. On July 7, 1916, Private George Dickinson had returned to England and was admitted to Moore Barracks Military Hospital in Shorncliffe—he was diagnosed with bronchitis. Five days later, on July 12, his condition was described as “seriously ill”.

On July 26, George was discharged from Moore Barracks Hospital, and reported to Shorncliffe Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre (CCAC), Folkestone. There he was assessed for either further treatment or return to duty. Described as “a well developed muscular man weighing 146 lbs. about his normal weight”, George experienced a variety of medical conditions that included diminished breathing sounds, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, rapid pulse increase on slight exertion, and an enlarged liver. He was diagnosed with chronic nephritis, high blood pressure, and cardiohypertrophy.

The Medical Board determined that his disability was the result of his active service against the enemy, and due to “strain and exposure”. The medical report also stated that though the conditions were “not caused by conditions at the front, they were intensified and hastened by active service at the front”. The Medical Board recommended that he be discharged to Canada. George Dickinson embarked from England on August 9, 1916, aboard S.S. Olympic.

On September 1st, 1916, Private George Dickinson of the 1st Battalion was admitted to the Military Hospitals Commission of Canada (MHCC) in London, Ontario. On September 9, 1916, he was diagnosed with nephritis. In late-April 1917, he was discharged from the army, “being no longer physically fit for war service”. One- and-a-half years after his return to Canada, on March 6, 1918, George Dickinson passed away at Sarnia General Hospital, the result of the effects of war. The War Graves Register (Circumstances of Casualty) records the following: Nephritis Chronic. Died from the effects of wounds and gas. Lake View Cemetery, Sarnia, Ontario. Grave C.223. Unmarked.

Private George Dickinson’s funeral in Sarnia was held with full military honours. The funeral was attended by the Sarnia Citizens Band, the Great War Veterans, the Sons of England, the Mayor and Council members, and representatives of the St. John’s Ambulance Society. His comrades acted as pallbearers and there was a firing party and the playing of the “Last Post.” The funeral parade route followed Plank Road to Mitton Street, onto Davis to Christina, then north, where they were met and saluted by the Collegiate Cadets at the corner of George and Christina Street.

George Dickinson, 38, is buried in Lakeview Cemetery, Sarnia.

Source: The Sarnia War Remembrance Project by Tom Slater

Editors: Tom St. Amand and Lou Giancarlo

Frederick Doxtator was born at the Sarnia Indian Reserve, on August 4, 1896, the eldest child of Edward (of Oneida Settlement, Middlesex County, Ontario) and Sarah (nee George) Doxtator. Edward and Sarah were blessed with 11 children together: Frederick; Eva Millicent (born 1898); Mattie Levina (born 1900); Norah Hazel (born 1902); Reuben Edward (born 1904); Beatrice Winnefred (born 1905); Lucinda Violet (born 1907); William Henry (born 1908); Julia (born 1909); George Leonard (born 1910); and Austin (born 1914). The Doxtator family resided at 304 Rose Street, and later 319 Confederation Street, Sarnia.

Prior to enlisting, Frederick was employed as a car inspector on the Pere Marquette railway. At age 19, Frederick Doxtator enlisted with the 149th Lambton Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force in Sarnia on December 16, 1915. He stood five feet four inches tall, had brown eyes and black hair, was single, and was residing on Rose Street with his parents at the time. He recorded his trade or calling as labourer, and his next-of-kin as his father Edward Doxtator of 304 Rose Street, Sarnia.

Frederick Doxtator embarked overseas from Halifax for the United Kingdom on March 28, 1917, aboard S.S. Lapland. He disembarked in England on April 7, 1917, and became a member of the 25th Reserve Battalion stationed at Bramshott. Seven months later, on November 30, 1917, Frederick arrived in France and was initially posted to the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp (CCRC).

During the winter of 1917/1918 in France, Frederick experienced chest symptoms that included coughing, shortness of breath, and being run down, but he was always able to carry out his duties. On June 21, 1918, he became a member of the 4th Battalion, Canadian Engineers, “B Company” with the rank of Sapper. Two days later, he arrived at the front lines with the 4th Battalion.

Frederick soon found himself taking part in the preparatory and early stages of the Hundred Days Campaign (August 8 – November 11, 1918, in France and Belgium). It was the “beginning of the end” of the Great War. Canadians were called on again and again over the three-month period to lead the offensives against the toughest German defences. The series of victories repeatedly drove the Germans back, culminating in Germany’s unconditional surrender on November 11, but it came at a high price: approximately 46,000 Canadians were killed, wounded, or missing.

Approximately two months after arriving at the front, in mid-August 1918, Frederick was admitted to a Casualty Clearing Station, and then moved to No. 47 General Hospital in Le Treport, France. On August 31, 1918, he was invalided back to England due to his ill health that had been brought on by the hardships at the Front. Diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis, he remained in Second Southern General Hospital in Bristol until late September 1918.

On September 28, 1918, he was admitted to Canadian Special Hospital in Lenham, Kent, where he remained until

October 30, 1918. The next day, Frederick was invalided to Canada. He was admitted to Cogswell Street Military Hospital in Halifax on November 10, 1918, with “general tuberculosis”. Frederick Doxtator would not make it home to Sarnia.

On November 11, 1918, the day that the Great War ended and the world was celebrating, Frederick’s father, Edward on Confederation Street, received a telegram informing him that his son SAPPER FREDERICK DOXTATOR OF THE CANADIAN ENGINEERS WAS DANGEROUSLY ILL AT THE COGSWELL STREET MILITARY HOSPITAL HALIFAX. No particulars as to his ailment were given in the official telegram.

On November 15, 1918, at approximately 6:55 p.m., Frederick lost his life after being in the Halifax hospital for only a few days. Shortly afterwards, Frederick’s mother, Sarah, received the following telegram; REGRET TO INFORM YOU 844252 SAPPER FRED DOXTATOR DIED AT 6:55 P.M. NOVEMBER 15. M.O. COGSWELL STREET MILITARY HOSPITAL.

The War Graves Register (Circumstances of Casualty) records the particulars of Frederick Doxtator’s passing as the following: Date of Death: 15-11-18. Military Hospital, Halifax. Tuberculosis. Date of Admission to Hospital unknown. Cemetery: St. Clair Indian Reserve, Sarnia. Grave No. C6126. Marking: Nil.

At Frederick Doxtator’s funeral in November 1918 in Sarnia, he was given full military honours, with members of the Great War Veterans and Sarnia Citizens’ band in attendance. The funeral procession began at the family residence on Confederation Street and ended at the Indian Reserve Cemetery. Services were conducted by Reverend Alford of the Sarnia Reserve, assisted by Reverend Hazen, pastor of the Devine Street Methodist church. A firing squad paid their last respect of the deceased soldier.

Frederick Doxtator, 22, is buried alongside his grandparents in Sarnia Chippewa’s First Nations Cemetery. His name is inscribed on the Sarnia cenotaph and also on the Aamjiwnaang First Nations cenotaph in Sarnia. The central column of the Aamjiwnaang cenotaph is inscribed, To our glorious veterans who have served our nation and its allies for peace and freedom – Lest We Forget. One of the side columns is inscribed, World War I – In memory of the young men from this nation who served King and country throughout the world 1914-1919 – Frederick Doxstater.

Note: On the Aamjiwnaang cenotaph, Frederick’s surname is spelled Doxstator. The spelling used in this Project (Doxtator) is based on the Sarnia cenotaph spelling, and how Frederick spelled and signed his name on his Attestation Papers.

Source: The Sarnia War Remembrance Project by Tom Slater

Editors: Tom St. Amand and Lou Giancarlo