52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 21 Military

What did I learn from my grandfather's, William George Iles, military personnel record?

For many years, we in Canada have had only access to the Attestation papers for World War I soldiers. Last year, Library & Archives Canada completed the digitization of the personnel files and had posted to its website, links to the files as a grouping was completed.

My grandfather's military record confirmed for me that he left for overseas when my father was very young. Two months after my dad's birth, he arrived in Liverpool, England.

His record showed me what I expected to find in his record: when he was taken on strength; any transfers, when he had leave, etc.

What surprised me, is that the records included where his family lived. I was also surprised to find out the family moved more than once. The military needed this information to send any money to my grandmother or grandfather.

1916

1066 3rd Avenue East, Owen Sound

Attestation papers

10 August 1918	721 10th Street East, Owen Sound	Military record
1919	721, 10th Street East, Owen Sound	Demobilization
1919	1255 2nd Avenue East, Owen Sound	Last military pay? 1919?

16 January 1928

295, 7th Avenue East, Owen Sound

Active militia

This has led me to add to this inventory of addresses. I checked information census records, city directories, and the birth registrations of the children that are now public. I can also check any old city telephone directories that are available at the local public library.

Now this is also has me thinking, should I not also check the military records for his siblings to find out where they lived? -- Harold Edward was killed in action on 8 August 1918 and his brother, Emmanuel who also served. Harold was still single and his address was the same as his father, George Iles when he signed up. Emmanuel was not married when he signed up, but he was not living at home. He was living in Berlin, Ontario (renamed Kitchener) but gave his father's address as his next of kin at 1529 9th Avenue East.

Clearly, you can learn more about the family through these personnel records.
2019 Janet Iles

Harold Edward Iles - Remembering

Ninety-seven years ago today, my grand uncle, Harold Edward Iles was killed in France. I have written about him before in this article. 

Harold Edward Iles was the brother of my paternal grandfather. Harold was the seventh child of George Iles and Emily Pugh.He was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England on the 28 October 1897.  He came to Canada with his mother and siblings in 1905. His father had come likely the year before.

Harold signed up to serve in the Army and became a soldier in the 34th Battalion. He sailed aboard the SS California, leaving Canada on the 23 October 1915. He served his country for almost three years. On 26 August, 1918, George Iles received the tragic news that his son, Harold had been killed in action.

What military records can be found online about Harold? 

At the Library and Archives Canada website, his attestation papers are online. His full record is not there yet but I ordered his file years ago. Ancestry.ca, has both pages of these papers. It is important when looking at records to check to see if there is a second page. Look in both directions.

Ancestry has the following that can be found when searching for Military Records for Harold.

War Graves Register Circumstances of Death

 

Library and Archives Canada; War Graves Registers: Circumstances of Death; Box: 196

On the Verso of the card was the location of the Grave in the Toronto British Cemetery.

War Graves Registry: Commonwealth War Graves

Library and Archives Canada (LAC); War Graves Registry: Commonwealth War Graves. RG150, 1992-1993/314, Box 39-244; Box: 82

War Graves Index

Commonwealth War Graves Commission; London, United Kingdom; The War Graves Of The British Empire, The Domart-Sur-La-Luce Group Of Cemeteries France

Find A Grave
The following item was listed in a search on Ancestry. It linked to Find A Grave -
Ancestry.com. Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
Original data: Find A Grave. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.

That links to the second monument erected for him. It is the standard monument for Canadian military.

Where else could I look to find information related to his military experience? Library and Archives Canada page about the First World War is a good resource to check. Not all records are available online. Some would require you or someone going on your behalf to Ottawa.

War Diaries - He went over with the 34th Regiment according to his attestation papers but on the records at the time of his death, he is listed with the 14th Battalion (Quebec). Searching for the War Diaries is done by an Image Search. - 14th Battalion - MIKAN 2005904 on web page 25 of that series. Mouse hover over images will show the month and page with in it.

Other Site
He is remembered on the Canada at War site. An interesting item on this page are the names of men in his Regiment who also were fallen on 8 August 1918. = October 5, 2018 -- this link no longer works.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

 © 2015 Janet Iles

 I received this photo from Brad Buckle of Collingwood who found my blog when he was researching the Black cemetery in Priceville, he found my article on the Priceville Cenotaph.

The photo taken 5 October 1916 shows the Flesherton Greys WW1, 36 of them leaving for overseas with all their family members in the background.

Thanks Brad for sharing this.

© 2012 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

You learn something new everyday -- It pays to read the description of the database

One thing I like about doing genealogical research, is that I'm always learning something new or that I am reminded about something that I already knew but had forgotten. Today, while I was working on my soldiers' project, I was reminded that it is important to read the description of the database that you are using.

After the death of Clarence Russell Porter's father, his mother had married a widower with children. Her stepson, William Edward Dunn was also killed in the First World War. Today I was looking at the burial records for William Edward Dunn on Ancestry.ca.   I read the descriptions of the two different databases concerning burial records of Canadians. Now, I understood the difference between the two.

Using William Edward Dunn, here are his two records.

War Graves Registry: Cause of Death

Source Citation: Library and Archives Canada (LAC). War Graves Registry: Circumstances of Death. RG150, 1992-1993/314, Box 145-238. Box: 174, entry for William Edward Dunn; digital image viewed at Ancestry.ca

Source Citation: Library and Archives Canada (LAC). War Graves Registry: Circumstances of Death. RG150, 1992-1993/314, Box 145-238. Box: 174, verso of entry for William Edward Dunn; digital image viewed at Ancestry.ca 

This database contains records from the Burial Registers for service personnel of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) who died during the First World War in Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom. The registers, also known as the 'Brown Binders', were created by the Ministry of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada, the department of the Canadian government set up in London to oversee the war effort. . . .



The registers contain the initial burial location for Canadian war dead. After the war, many graves were consolidated in the cemeteries of the Imperial War Graves Commission, later renamed as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. To determine the final burial location, you may consult the Canada, Commonwealth War Graves Registers, 1914-1919 database, which contains records for many of the same soldiers.

The following explains why I have not found some of the soldiers that I have been working on during the last few weeks as I started working from the end of the alphabet.

Additionally, soldiers with surnames Sims through Z are missing from the original Burial Registers collection, and hence are not available in this database. Records for those soldiers may be found in the Canada, Commonwealth War Graves Registers, 1914-1919 database.

War Graves Registry: Commonwealth War Graves

Source Citation: Library and Archives Canada (LAC). War Graves Registry: Commonwealth War Graves. RG150, 1992-1993/314, Box 39-244. Box: 65, entry for William Edward Dunn; digital image viewed at Ancestry.ca

Source Citation: Library and Archives Canada (LAC). War Graves Registry: Commonwealth War Graves. RG150, 1992-1993/314, Box 39-244. Box: 65, verso of entry for William Edward Dunn; digital image viewed at Ancestry.ca


Here is a part of the description.
 

This database contains records from the War Grave Registers for service personnel of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) who died during the First World War in Belgium, France and the United Kingdom. The registers, also known as the ‘Black Binders’, were created at the end of the war by the Department of Militia and Defence, the forerunner of the Canadian Department of National Defense. These registers were used to record the final resting place of the soldier, nurse or other individual, and to record the notification of the next of kin. If the body was never recovered, these records contain the official memorial on which the individual’s name would be found.

As I continue to work on this project, I will look at both databases and save copies of both sides of the document.
 
Knowing the details concerning the cause of death and not just "killed in action" makes each soldier's story more interesting.

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

Productivity - Did our ancestors worry about it?

I have been reading a series of posts over at Carole's Canvas about productivity and how she is planning to think about what she has accomplished during the day and to decide on three things she wants to do the next day. She is planning on blogging on them, not necessarily every day but regularly to help with productivity.

She mentions thinking about this before you go to sleep. Wise plan! As I was waking up this morning, I was thinking about productivity. (Yes I should have thought about it before I went to bed.) I have a number of projects on the go right now. I have several historical society projects and some client work that I must focus on.

One very important one is my soldiers' project. I thought I'd done more on it. Yikes! The deadline of September 14 is only a month away. I thought I'd done all the research as I have two binders of information. I only had written about three or four soldiers and these needed polishing and citation clean up. I had put it aside and had not done much work on it during the past year.

Last night, when I started to write about another one, I realized that I didn't have enough information about Alexander Gunn, son of John Gunn and Joanna McKay. His sister (Mrs. L. Penner) is listed as next of kin on his attestation papers. What happened to his parents? Did he have any other relatives that mourned his death when he was killed?

I do not have an obituary for him. All I have is a photograph from the newspaper, with a few details saying that he was missing in action and that he had worked for the local fire department before enlisting . It was too late by this time to head to the library to do further research in the newspapers.

I did find his parents marriage registration and his mother's death registration and possibly a second marriage for his father on Ancestry.ca. Alexander is living with his aunts Mary and Betsy McKay according to the 1901 census in Sydenham Township and in 1891 at the age of 7, he is listed in the household of William and Isabella Cullen. Alexander is listed as the nephew of William. Mary McKay and Betsey McKay, also in the same household, are listed as sisters-in-law to William.

For Canadian soldiers who died in the First World War, two websites are very helpful for this type of project. - CWGC (Canadian War Graves Commission) and Veterans Affairs site - Canada Remembers- Canadian Virtual War Memorial. It is wise to visit both sides to compare information. On the CWGC site, he is listed as Andrew McKay Gunn with the 44th Bn (Battalion). On the Canadian Virtual War Memorial, he is listed as being with the 25th Bn (Battalion).

Alexander McKay is remembered on the Vimy Ridge Memorial. He is also remembered on two plaques at Knox United Owen Sound.

To get things done, I will set a goal for each day. I will watch what new projects I take on during the next few weeks. I will still make time for myself to enjoy each day.

Did our ancestors worry about productivity? Did they set goals?

© 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.

Cenotaphs - Priceville, Ontario

Recently while reading Amy's Genealogy. etc. blog, I learned something I didn't know. She was writing about cenotaphs.

Question: When is a tombstone not a tombstone?
Answer: When it’s a cenotaph.
A cenotaph (literally “empty tomb”) is a memorial for someone who is not buried at that place, either because they are buried someplace else or the body could not be recovered. Sometimes the marker will give you a clue that it is a cenotaph rather than a tombstone.

I always thought a cenotaph was a military memorial to those who died in service of their country. So now when I visit a cemetery, I will now keep watch for other examples of cenotaphs.

Many municipalities in Ontario have cenotaphs to those who died in one or more military conflicts. They are not usually found within a cemetery but they are more likely found near the town centre.

Priceville, Ontario is a small village located on Grey Road 4 east of Durham, Ontario. According to the plaque that stands near the cenotaph in a beautiful park, the cenotaph was erected with donations from Priceville and area residents following the First World War. It was dedicated on October 4, 1921 to "honour those who served and in memory of those who died in that conflict." 127 men from the Priceville area served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force of the First World War and 15 were killed and 60 were wounded. In the Second World War, 82 from the area served and of those, five made the supreme sacrifice. Their names were added to the cenotaph following the war.

"To all who pause to read this plaque
Remember the sacrifice of those who served so that you could have your freedom."

Read a companion article on cenotaphs at Graveyard Rabbit of Grey County, Ontario where I talked about the cenotaph for Donald E. Stiver.

Genealogical Research Goals 2008 (not my family)

In 2008, I want to put into a readable narrative my research on the soldiers from Knox who were killed in the 1st and 2nd World Wars. My goal is to have the material in some type of "published format" before Remembrance Day - November 11 2008.

I have been working on this project for almost two years. I began the research in connection with the restoration work of the church organ. The organ was a memorial to the men who had died in the First World War that had been affiliated with Knox. The organ has now been recognized as a military memorial. I will include in the printed information a section on the church organ. A list of the men are on the Church web site. I would like to know more about these men so I welcome contact from anyone who is connected with these families. Most of the research has been completed, although I would love to have photographs of the men.

In addition, I would like to write an article on the Markham Berczy Settlers to talk about what we can learn about them through various land records. I started on this research a couple of years ago but it is one I like to complete in 2008.