I need help determining John A. Thompson's military service

Click on the photo to enlarge.
The above is an excerpt from the attestation paper for John A. Thompson. He is one of the men in my research project. I am having difficulty determining all of his military service. What did he do for two years? I first thought it was KCK but that doesn't make sense and I have not found anything that would match. It is likely R for Royal and C and then ?. What is this an acronym for?

The book is almost ready to go to print and it would be wonderful to have the needed information.
© 2011 Janet Iles

In Grateful Remembrance - Cemeteries in France and Belgium (map)

For the book, "In Grateful Remembrance," I will draw a map to roughly show the location of the cemeteries where those from Knox are buried or remembered in a memorial. This Google Map shows the areas. Not all are exactly at the location of the cemetery. It will help me place them on a map.


View Cemeteries World War I for our Knox soldiers in a larger map

Go to the larger map and zoom out a little to see the places that I have marked for the cemeteries in France. I hope it will help the readers put these places into context.

© 2011 Janet Iles

Wanted Photos

In my previous post, I described the progress I am making on my soldiers' project. What I need now is some more photographs. I went through the manuscript to see what I had and what I needed.

I have great photos of Seth Enos Rawn (contact from Ancestry.ca), William Ira Fulford (contact found through Find-a-Grave) and John A. Thompson (contact to the Regimental Museum of the 48th Highlanders found through the Canadian Virtual War Memorial website).

I have received permission from each of these contacts to use these photos.

For some, I have photos that I found in the newspapers of the time. The quality varies. I have found photos for the following World War I soldiers in the newspapers: William Oswald Fraser, John Gershin Galbraith, Alexander McKay Gunn, Allen Beatty Malcom, Charles Edgar Orford and James Dawson Sheffield. It would be great to have better copies.

Then there are those for whom I don't have any photos. These include the following soldiers: Norman Birge, William Fawcett Campbell, Albert Edward Gaskell, Joseph McDonald, Robert Edward McDonald, Roy Brown McKenzie, Clarence Russell Porter, Cyril Slade, Arthur Frederick Thompson, James Watt and Louis Zeiggel.

"In Grateful Remembrance: Honouring the Men From Knox United, Owen Sound Who Paid the Supreme Sacrifice" will include photographs showing the church buildings through the year and photographs of the church organ, church plaques and local monuments.

Not mentioned in the previous posting is that Knox United Church, Owen Sound will cease to exist at the end of this year. It will be amalgamating with Division Street United Church, Owen Sound to create a new congregation with a new name. This has added to the urgency to have this story documented.
© 2011 Janet Iles

Goal set during the 101 Carnival of Genealogy - Revisted mid-year

At the beginning of the year during the Carnival of Genealogy, we were asked what were our goals for the year. I only set two. One was for the first nine months and the other for the last three months. Here is the first goal.

Goal 1: Complete the book on the Soldiers from Knox United (then Presbyterian) in the First World War. Most of the research is done, I think. I may find out differently when I go to work on writing about each one. I have started the writing on about four or five. There are 23 men involved with two being siblings.


Plan: To focus on one a week, finishing research and writing. That will take me to the end of June.

To decide how I am going to publish it and distribute it. It is not meant to be for a large distribution but I wanted the information about them in writing so that it is preserved for future generations.

Publish by September 14, 2011 (92 years after the organ was dedicated in memory of these men).

So, how am I doing. I am doing really well. I am almost finished all the writing. I have finished all but one man. I have included some church history. My sister has done copy editing of what I have given her. I do keep looking at it to make sure I am happy with everything.

At the end of last week, I downloaded a software (free version) that reads back what you have written. It is good to hear what you have read out loud. It is called to Natural Reader. I had done a search on the Internet to see what is available that I could try. [Warning that when you go to the site it will have a voice explaining that software.] Have you tried any? How are you using them?

I found it good to hear someone read it as I did another run through of what I had written. I went through about one half of the introductions to the soldiers. I will likely go through the last half today or tomorrow.

What I have left to do this week:
1. Finish writing about the one soldier - Alexander McKay Gunn - I wrote about him when I discussed Elizabeth Shown Mills - FAN club methodology. In it I talked about information that I learned about other people in the documents. In Alexander's obituary, it says that his parents died when he was young. Now, I had found the death of his mother when Alexander was only two weeks old. What happened to his father and why did he end up with his aunts? Where was his older sister, Bessie?

I found a marriage for a John Gunn to a Margaret Ireland 7 December 1887. [1] I thought it was likely Alexander's father but I wasn't a 100% sure.  I also found a John Gunn with wife Margaret in the 1891 census. In the household, there are the following people: John, 45; Margaret, 34; Betsy, 9; Christena, 2; John 7/12 and Betsy, 84. [2]

It is Bessie's obituary that made me realize that the above must be the correct family. I found her obituary in volume 1 of the "Surname Collection" prepared by the Bruce Grey Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society and put on microfiche. The date written on it is 20 April 56. It mentions her brother, Alexander McKay Gunn, being killed in action in 1917. It mentions a brother Wesley Gunn of Sault Ste. Marie, a sister, Christina, Mrs. George Harbottle of Sault Ste. Marie and another brother who predeceased her, John Gunn of Richard's Landing.[3]

Having found Bessie's obituary, I feel that I can add the information about her father's second family. [I have now finished Alexander Gunn's section with information that I have presented here.]

2. Write about the church organ's history and its connection to this project.
3. Find more photographs if I can.
4. Finish putting it together.
5. Indexing
6. Have it proofread
7. Finish getting it ready for printing.
Although, there is still work to be done, I am on track with my planned schedule.

[1] John Gunn – Margaret Ireland Ontario marriage registration 004137 (7 December 1887); digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 12 April 2011), citing microfilm MS 932 reel 56, Archives of Ontario, Toronto.

[2] 1891 Census of Canada, Ontario, North Grey (district 68), Keppel (sub-district A), division 2, p. 25, family 2, John Gunn household; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 10 June 2011), citing microfilm, T-6338, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa.

[3] “Mrs. Leslie Penner Dies in Hospital,” [Owen Sound Sun-Times, 20 April 1956] in Bruce Grey Branch Ontario Genealogical Society, “Surname Collection” [microfiche]

Note: I have no connection to the software company that created Natural Reader.

© 2011 Janet Iles

Elizabeth Shown Mills - Fan Club concept

Those who have heard Elizabeth Shown Mills speak or read anything she has written knows that she stresses studying not only the family but also the associates and neighbours of those we are researching. She refers to those individuals as the fan club. She reminds us to really look at the documents.

As I work on my soldiers' project, I am only doing a brief introduction to the family of the soldier. Currently, I am looking at the life of Alexander McKay Gunn. Although not digging deeply into all the relations, I did come across where the fan club concept would be helpful to a researcher of his family.

Alexander McKay Gunn, son of John Gunn and Johanna McKay was born in Keppel Township on 13 January 1884.


Alexander’s mother died two weeks after his birth. She died 27 January 1884 of puerperal fever. He went to live with his mother’s sisters. In 1891, at the age of 7, Alexander is shown in the census in the household of William and Isabella Cullen. Alexander is listed as the nephew of the head of the household. Mary McKay and Betsey McKay, also in the same household, are listed as sisters-in-law to William. Ten years later, according to the 1901 census, Alexander is living with his aunts, Mary and Betsy McKay, in Sydenham Township.

Alexander's mother was Johanna McKay, daughter of Alexander McKay and Betsy Gunn. Alexander's father was John Gunn, son of Donald Gunn and Elizabeth McDonald. John Gunn married Johanna McKay 25 January 1882 in Keppel Township by Rev. Scott. The witnessses at the wedding were Angus McDonald and Isabela McKay, both of Sydenham Township.

Who was the informant of the birth of Alexander and the death of his mother Johanna?  == Donald McGregor of Keppel Township. Both events were registered on the same day.

So who was Donald McGregor? Was he a neighbour or was there a family connection? A search on Ancestry.ca, found a Donald McGregor getting married in 1864 in Sydenham Township  to  Elizabeth McKay. Donald was the son of William McGregor and Jane Gunn. Elizabeth was a daughter of William McKay and Catharine Gunn. It certainly looks there is some family connection. If either the Gunns, McKays or McGregors of this area, were my family, I would do some more investigating of these connections through a variety of different sources.

© 2011 Janet Iles

In Grateful Remembrance - Do you read the preface and introduction of a book?

As the soldiers carried the flag-draped coffin and the lone bag piper played a lament, tears streamed down my face. I was watching the brief repatriation ceremony on television. Although I did not know the solider, my heart went out to the family, friends and comrades for the tragic loss of the young soldier.


My mind wandered back to about ninety years ago to the First World War. During my research about this war, I have been reading the newspapers of the time. My focus was Owen Sound and area with a particular interest of how the war affected Knox Presbyterian Church, Owen Sound. Day after day the local newspapers reported the death or wounding of young men. Loved ones and friends learned of the casualties through letters, telegrams and newspaper announcements. Days, weeks and sometimes months went by before the deaths were confirmed. Now, in contrast, with modern communication, sometimes only hours have passed before the world knows.

-- Above is the beginning of the Preface to "In Grateful Remembrance" - a work in progress. (The title will be in italics once it is a published work.)

My question to readers -- Do you read the preface and the introduction to books? Both the preface and the introduction to the book are important parts of understanding why I have been working on this project for five years.

As I mentioned in my goals for 2011, this book will be published this year. I am committeed to getting it completed. I am working on one solider a week. Occaisionally, I will note some information that I want to add and I will put it on my library research list. So far, I have been able to keep up with this plan. At times, if I have a soldier that needs a lot of research, I may not have time to write many blog articles. I still try to visit some blogs each day. The research of others is inspiring.

In addition to this project, I am also working on client research, presentation preprations and other interests in my life.

I would appreciate your comments to my question.

© 2011 Janet Iles

Sgt. James Watt Killed in Action 28 August 1918

James Watt is one of the soldiers that I am researching as part of my 2011 goals to create a memorial book. I started last week at Z researching and writing about Louis Zeiggel.

This week, my focus is James Watt. I do not know as much about James Watt as I do about the other soldiers. There are discrepancies in information between the 1911 census and his attestation papers when he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force with the 147th Battalion.  The 1911 census gives a date of birth of December 1884 in Ontario; whereas his attestation paper gives 24 May 1886 at Belfast, Antrim, Ireland. The information that he gave when he joined was most likely correct. In 1911, James was living in the household of Robert and Ellen Cameron as a lodger. We do not know who supplied the information. The digital images of his attestation papers are not available on the Library and Archives Canada website in the First World War - Canadian Expeditionary Soldiers database. Ancestry.ca has only the first page, so we are missing his physical description, medical status and religion.

James signed up 29 November 1915 in Owen Sound. He had been part of the 31st Militia Regiment for five years. He was married. James had married Annie Dales of Alliston in Owen Sound on 25 November 1914. According to his marriage registration, James Watt's parents were James Watt and Elizabeth McCready. Both Annie and James are listed as Methodists. Methodist minister, Rev. J. Wallace Stewart conducted the marriage ceremony.

His obituary in the 15 September 1918 The Owen Sound Sun provides some more information. When he went overseas to England, his rank was Sgt. Major but reverted to Sergeant when he went to France. James had been a foreman with the North American Bent Chair Company factory in Owen Sound. He had also been a sailor for a short time. He had come from Alliston, so he likely met Annie there.

James and Annie had one child who was born after James went overseas so he never saw the baby. James' mother was widowed and lived in Belfast, Ireland. Four brothers and one sister, a nurse, were serving in France when James was killed 28 August 1918. According to the War Graves Commission website Vis-En-Artois and Haucourt were taken by the Canadian Corps on 27 August 1918.

The Commonwealth War Graves Registry shows that he was initially buried in Boiry Notre Dame British Cemetery, 7 1/4 miles South east of Arras. His body was later moved to the Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt, 8 miles south east of Arras, France to grave P5, RJ, grave 1 in 1920.

Why was James Watt named as part of Knox Presbyterian Church memorial as he gives his religion as Methodist at the time of marriage? I am wondering if attended the Presbyterian Church with his landlords as he is and his landlords are shown as Presbyterian on the 1911 census. It looks like the Robert and Ellen who were witnesses at his wedding had been his landlords.

The project is described here and also back in 2008 it was part of my goal to research the men from then Knox Presbyterian Church Owen Sound who died in the First World War. An organ was dedicated in their memory in 1919. None of these individuals are related to me. I did have a great uncle who died in the First World War but he was a member of the Salvation Army.

© 2010 Janet Iles

Knox Church organ - a Military memorial

As some of my readers know, I have been researching the men affiliated with Knox Owen Sound who died in the Great War. The research started when several of us were given the task of having the church organ and the two plaques designated in the  Ministry of National Defence - Directorate of History and Heritage - Inventory of Military Memorials.

We received our designation several years ago, but the information had not been posted to the Ministry's site. I decided today to look again, as I am preparing for the concert this Sunday evening at 7 p.m. at the church. I will be MC and I want to say a few words about the organ and the men, in whose memory, the organ is dedicated.

I am very pleased to say that the church organ is now included in the Inventory. You may be interested in looking at this site for other memorials found across Canada.
© 2009 Janet Iles

In Grateful Remembrance

In Grateful Remembrance is the title of the project that I have been working on for several years. I have worked on it on and off but realize now that I must get it finished. Like genealogy projects on your own family, the project could go on for a long while yet, but I have a target date in mind -- September 14.

So what is the project? In 1919, Knox Presbyterian Owen Sound (since 1925 a United Church) dedicated an organ in remembrance of the men connected to the church who had paid the supreme sacrifice during or shortly after the First World War. I have been researching each man and his family. When we were working on the application to have the organ designated as a military memorial, I got very interested in the names on the plaque. The booklet or whatever it ends up being will include information on the church organ.

August marks the 90th anniversary of the installation with the dedication held in September. This year we will celebrate the 90th anniversary at Knox with a special musical concert. The committee has decided to have a variety concert.
Concert - In Grateful Remembrance
To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the installation and dedication of our Casavant organ that was dedicated to the memory of those who died in the First World War, an evening of music will be presented at Knox on September 27 at 7 p.m. Freewill offering.
The concert will feature:
Dwayne Hachman, organ
John Stuart-Vanderburg, organ
Jaime McCormick, French horn
On Q quartet,
Jane Siegel, piano
Barry Randall, percussion
I will write more about the concert later.

Now who have I been researching?

In Grateful Remembrance
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13)
1914-1918Norman Richard Birge (1893-1917) enlisted with the 58th Battalion. He served with the 2nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment) and died on 25 April 1917 in France.
William Fawcett Campbell (1891-1918) enlisted with the 147th Battalion. He was with the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles Central Ontario Regiment when he died on 28 August 1918 in France.
William Oswald Fraser (1895-1918) enlisted with the 147th Battalion and served with the 2nd Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps. He died on 6 November 1918 in France.
William Ira Fulford (1888-1915) was with the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles (2nd Central Ontario Regiment) when he died on 1 December 1915 in Belgium.
John Gershon Galbraith (1896-1918) enlisted with the 34th Battery of Kingston. When he died on 28 July 1918 in France, he was serving with the Royal Air Force 13th Squadron.
Albert Edward Gaskell (1891-1918) was with the 72nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry (British Columbia Regiment). He died on 2 September 1918 in France.
Thomas Seton Gordon (1890-1916) enlisted with the 2nd Universities Company University of Toronto. He received his commission in the Border Regiment, 11th Lonsdale Battalion. He died on 22 January 1916 in France.
Charles Haughton McKay Gordon (1880-1919) enlisted with the 68th Battalion. He died in Regina, Saskatchewan on 5 April 1919.
Alexander Mckay Gunn (? - 1917) was the 44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (New Brunswick Regiment). He died on 23 August 1917 in France.
Victor John Lennox (1891-1919) was with the Regiment Depot, Canadian Engineers. He died on 30 June 1919 in England. [Victor died after the plaque was made.]
Allen Beatty Malcom (1898-1917) enlisted with 147th Battalion. He served with the 58th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment). He died on 30 August 1917 in France.
Joseph McDonald (1884-1917) enlisted with the 147th Battalion and served with the 58th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment). He died on 27 October 1917 in France.
Robert Edward McDonald (1883-1916) enlisted with the 160th OS Battalion, Canadian Infantry. He died on 19 December 1916 in England.
Roy Brown McKenzie (1891-1917) enlisted with the 147th Battalion and served with the Canadian Railway Troops. He died on 4 April 1917.
Charles Edgar Orford (1892-1917) enlisted with the 147th Battalion. He served with the 58th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment). He died on 26 October 1917 in Belgium.
Clarence Porter (1898-1916) went overseas with the 2nd Contingent. He served with the Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment) 20th Battalion and he died on 15 September 1916 in France.
Seth Enos Rawn (1898-1918) enlisted with the 147th Battalion. He served with the 4th Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps. He died on 30 September 1918 in France.
James Dawson Sheffield (1895-1917) enlisted with the 147th Battalion. He served with the 58th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment). He died on 26 October 1917 in Belgium.
Cyril Slade (1892-1918) served with the 20th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment). He died on 11 November 1918 in France.
Arthur Frederick Thompson (1897-1917) enlisted with the 147th Battalion and served with 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles (Central Ontario Regiment). He died on 26 October 1917 in Belgium.
John A. Thompson (1876-1915) went overseas with the 1st Contingent. He served with the 15th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment). He died on 21 May 1915 in France.
James Watt (1884-1918) enlisted with the 147th Battalion. He served with the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles (2nd Central Ontario Regiment). He died 28 August 1918.
Louis Zeiggel (1894-1916) served with the 42nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Quebec Regiment). He died on 16 September 1916.
Do you recognize any of the names? Do you have information about them? I would love to include a photo of them in the finished project.