WW1 CEF Soldier Charles H. Welsh

My husband has an outstanding collection of Canadian WW1 artifacts - photographs of soldiers who were in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), Pay Books, Medals, and more.

This is the Pay Book of Gunner Charles H. Welsh #335325 who attested on February 4, 1918. His pay book gives his next of kin as his father David H. Welsh, and his mother Mary Ann Welsh, both of Palmerston Ontario.

Charles signed up in Guelph Ontario and a note in his pay book refers to him having deposited a will in Ottawa Ontario in September of that year. At some point he went to England as a page in the book is stamped "1918. Milford Camp, Witley, Surrey"

 

There are a few loose cards tucked into the pay book.

1. Canadian National Railways showing he is in Lower section of Car E. (no date)

2. Card showing his quarters are on E Deck, Compartment Q and he has one hammock. His mess is in Compartment A2, second sitting

3. A non-personalized standard "goodbye" from Buckingham Palace wishing him a safe return to his home and loved ones, also thanking him for his service. Signed by King George (a rubber stamp)

Thanks to the digitization project by Library and Archives Canada (LAC) we can view Charles' full personnel file online.There we learn that his full name is Charles Henry Welsh and he was born July 1, 1897.

If you are interested, you can download his entire WW1 file.

Honouring WW1 Nursing Sister Jean Cameron-Smith

Jean Cameron-Smith was born in Perth Ontario on September 22, 1871. A search of the online Birth Registrations for Ontario provides a late registration dated 1933.  Her father's name is given as Robert Ralph Cameron-Smith. Her mother is  Helen Mason.

Like Gertrude Billyard, Jean enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) in London England on February 24, 1915. She was almost 39 years old. 

During her service overseas, Jean was promoted to Matron in September 1917. This photo was almost certainly taken in 1917 when she was in Oprington as a matron.

She served as a Nursing Sister in England and France and at War's end returned to Canada on the SS Carmania on 5 July 1919.

1921 finds 50 year old Jean in Edam, North Battleford Saskatchewan working as a Matron in a hospital. You can read more about Jean at http://www.pastforward.ca/perspectives/September_152006.htm


Jean's full service file is online as a PDF document.

Honouring WW1 Nursing Sister Edith Mary Harston

Edith Mary Harston was born in Warwickshire England June 5, 1886. On her CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) Attestation Paper she provides her mother's name as Mrs. Emily E. Harston of Stafford England.

Edith enlisted on March 9, 1915 in London England at the age of 29. She was a tall woman, 5'10" with blue eyes and brown hair. It is obvious how much taller she was than the other Nursing Sisters in this photo at left. Edith is in the middle.

There is no PDF file available yet for Edith but Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is digitizing and publishing these so eventually her file will be available to view. Below is the front of her 2-page Attestation Paper.

 

xxx

 

Hampstead Hall

Bafford House

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/William_Bagnall

Honouring WW1 Nursing Sister Gertrude Billyard

Nursing Sister Connie Phillips had one photo in her WW1 album of pictures that featured eight Nursing Sisters in front of a small cottage. Each had their last name written underneath so I began research to try to find out about each of these amazing women.

The first place I looked was the online CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) database. 

Gertrude Billyard was born in Windsor Ontario on March 1, 1881. When Gertrude enlisted at the age of 34 on February 24, 1915 her mother Annie was living in Young Saskatchewan. This address was later changed to Winnipeg Manitoba as Gertrude's pay was sent to her mother. Surprisingly, Gertrude enlisted in London England not in Canada.

According to her Certificate of Service (below) Gertrude served in England, France and Salonika Greece during the War.

On June 14, 1919 she was on board the ship Aquitania sailing for home. 

She was discharged in December 1919

Gertrude died on 10 March 1953 (as per her CEF service file)

Gertrude's full service file is online as a PDF document.

Remembering WW1 Soldier W. J. P. Bullock

One of the framed photos of CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) soldiers on our wall is labelled "Pte. W. J. P. Bullock" of Toronto Ontario. This young man enlisted on September 2, 1915, one year  after WW1 began in August 1914.

Research on Ancestry.com found more details including his full name - William James Percival Bullock. William was born July 12, 1894 making him just 21 years old when he joined the CEF. His father was listed as Arthur Bullock. 

Young William was just 5'6" tall but that was a fairly normal height for the times. He is listed as having a fair complexion with brown hair and eyes. 

William Bullock War Graves Record

Sadly my research revealed that young William was killed almost one year to the day he enlisted. The War Graves Circumstances of Casualty shows him as being buried in Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery near Albert, France having died on 4 September 1916.

 According to the records, William was wounded at Pozieres, taken to South Midland Casualty Clearing Station but died of his wounds the following day. 

You can see his tombstone here. 

William is found in the 1911 Census for Toronto Ontario with his parents, Arthur and Elizabeth Bullock. He is one of 8 children.His father was born in England, his mother in Ireland.

William's older brother, Albert Latimer Bullock, also joined the CEF but he survived the war, returned home and married in 1923. His death occurred many years later in June 1965 in Toronto Ontario.  

William will be remembered in our home. 

Remembering WW1 Soldier Douglas McNabb

Private Douglas McNabb's framed WW1 photograph hangs on our wall. We don't know Douglas and we are not related. But he is one of several CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) soldiers who we honour. 

His framed photo was probably taken before he left to go overseas. This was a common thing for young soldiers to do before departing. Eaton's Department Store and other places offered a lovely military background for these soldiers' photos. Sometimes framed photos were not ordered until a soldier had been killed. A mother would take her boy's photo and order the backdrop and frame to memorialize him.

Douglas' framed inscription reads

Pte. Douglas McNabb

177th Battalion CEF

Enlisted at Victoria Harbour Ontario Feb. 13, 1916

Simcoe Foresters

Research on Ancestry.com found more details about Douglas and his service. His Attestation Papers reveal that he was born 14 Apr 1896 in Victoria Harbour (which co-incidentally is about 5 minutes from my home), his mother was Agnes and his full name was Douglas Burns McNabb. One of the witnesses to his papers was a Wallace Burns - possibly a relative.





20 year Douglas was listed as having a ruddy complexion, brown hair and brown eyes and tall - 5' 10" in height. He was assigned to the 177th Battalion. 



Birth records on Ancestry.com reveal  his father as Alexander McNabb and his mother was Agnes Burns.  I was happy to see that young Douglas survived the war and is found on the 1921 census for Victoria Harbour with his parents and a younger brother John. Douglas' occupation is given as fireman. I also found him in the 1945 Voter's Lists for Victoria Harbour, still working as a fireman. There is no wife listed with him so perhaps he was a life-long bachelor. In any case he will be remembered in our home for his service.

In Memory of Joan Miller of Luxegen Genealogy

On Saturday I learned about the death on Friday of fellow Canadian genealogist and blogger Joan Miller  I met Joan in Salt Lake City Utah in 2011 and spent many hours with her and her husband Reg. She was an absolutely lovely and generous lady. I will always remember her huge smile which enveloped all of us with its warmth. Joan's energy, enthusiasm and shining spirit will be greatly missed. My thoughts are with Joan's family at this time.

Joan's family has requested donations in Joan's memory be done through Kiva. Kiva provides loans to help others in impoverished parts of the world. Joan was passionate about Kiva and was a founding member of the Kiva Team Genealogists for Families.

In Joan's memory I just made a loan to a woman named Delia, a pig farmer in the Philippines.
Delia is 33 years old and lives in the Philippines. She is married with 2 children. Delia has a pigpen that sells grown & matured pigs. She has had this business for 5 years. She requested a loan of PHP 15,000 ($375.00) to buy animal feed for her pigs.

I chose to make my loan a commemorative loan which I dedicated to Joan. This means that instead of being repaid my loan, the repayment will go towards another loan. Every time the loan is repaid, it will be turned back to Kiva to lend to another needy individual.

The Kiva website explains "We are a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world."

If you wish to honour Joan's memory by making a small loan, you may do so at this page

Remembrance Day (Veteran's Day) Heroes

These are a few of my family military heroes I remember today:

Grandfather Fuller in The Kent Buffs

Uncle Clare WW2

My great-uncle's son Russel in WW2

My father  (Lieutenant in WW2) and mother

 Grandma McGinnis' brother Edgar Peer, killed in WW1

 Grandma Bates' brother Ern Simpson (middle) in WW1

 Ern Simpson WW1

 My father WW2

Tribute to WW1 Soldier Walter Culbertson

This WW1 Medal is stamped with the name of the soldier on the side. It reads 3056604 (Regimental Number) and GNR (Gunner) R. Culbertson  C.F.A. We believe that CFA stands for Canadian Forces Artillery.

His Attestation Papers indexed provide more detail. Full name Walter Roy Culbertson, born November 26, 1888. The front of his form has been scanned and it shows that he was born in Cornwall Ontario and is single. He's a salesman and gives his father's name as James J. Culbertson, also residing in Cornwall.

Walter enlisted on 8 October 1917 in Kingston Ontario.

See http://www.smeaton.org/Eamer_Detailed_Genealogy.pdf p. 113 for more details on the Culbertson family. Walter Roy's parents were James Culbertson and Laura Gallinger.

In November 1922 Walter married Catherine Graveley in Cornwall [Source: 019259-22 Walter Roy CULBERTSON, 33, Clerk, Cornwall, Cornwall, s/o James G. CULBERTSON & Laurie GALLINGER; married Catherine Grace GRAVELEY, 34, Cornwall, Cornwall, d/o Walter GRAVELEY & Catherine MACGILLIS; witn Walter GRAVELEY & John GRAVELEY, both Cornwall & Isabella McGILLIS, Harrison, 6 Nov 1922, Cornwall on http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~maryc/sdg1922.htm]

What happened to Walter? 

Lost & Found: Arthur Fitzgerald's WW1 ID Tag

WW1 ID Tag Canadian Soldier

This is another Tribute  for a Canadian soldier.  His name and service number are given on the front of his WW1 ID Tag - A. Fitzgerald, Service Number 55422.

This tag is made of aluminum and we know it was issued early in the War. Aluminum was expensive and at some point tags were made out of a pressed material which was between paper and cardboard in feel.

We do not know the meaning of the two letters at the bottom - E. C./G.

Back of WW1 ID Tag

The reverse of this tag shows the soldier's unit (19 Batt. Inf. which stands for 19th Infantry Battalion) and at the bottom the word Canadian is stamped. This designated which country a soldier's unit was in.

Who was A. Fitzgerald? Did he survive the War? Our curiousity was piqued and research begun.

First stop was the online CEF database. Using the service or regimental number provided on the tag, we found the Attestation papers for Arthur Fitzgerald born in Eastbourne, Sussex England on 12 November 1891.

His mother is listed as Lady A. Fitzgerald of Kilkea Castle, Mageney, Co. Kildare Ireland. He works in the Telegraph Office of the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway)

Interestingly Arthur enlisted in 1914 on his 23rd birthday. I next went to Ancestry.com to search census records and ships passenger lists. I was curious when Arthur came to Canada. Unfortunately nothing conclusive turned up in either set of records.

I did find one marriage record which might be Arthur's. The marriage took place in Toronto in September 1919 between Arthur Maurice Fitzgerald born England, age 28 and Berna Wilhelmina Guest.  Arthur is named as the son of Charles John Oswald Fitzgerald and Alice Fitzgerald. 


There are several online family trees which indicate this is indeed the correct Arthur whose WW1 ID Tag we have. One tree shows Arthur as dying in Toronto in 1968.  

Arthur's father is listed as Col Sir Charles John FitzGerald Birth 8 JUN 1840 in East Indies Death 28 Feb 1912 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England. Sir Charles married Lady Alice Fitzgerald in 1882. Lady Alice's information is given as Birth 12 DEC 1853 in Kilkea Castle, Kildare Death 16 DEC 1941

Lady Alice was the daughter of a Marquis, Charles Fitzgerald. I have no other information on Arthur.

Tribute to Ira Harry Huehn WW1 Soldier in PPCLI

Ira Harry Huehn was born 10 June 1895 in Toronto. He enlisted in the CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) on August 15, 1915 when he was just 20 years old.

He gave his mother, Mrs. H. E. Huehn as his next-of-kin. He was a bank clerk and had served 3 months with the Queen's Own Rifles before enlisting.

Ira was sent to the PPCLI (Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) which co-incidentally is the unit my youngest son served in as an infantry soldier from 2000-2005.

Sadly Ira was killed in action at Sanctuary Wood less than a year after he went to war. His death is recorded as 4 June 1916

A search of Ancestry revealed that Ira's parents were Henry and Minnie and that he had older sisters Ethel and Lydia

photo found by Annette F.

We have Ira's Death Medal, Silver Cross (see photo on left) and WW1 Medal.
Ira's father died in October 1914 and his poor mother lost her husband and only son in a two year span. 

This blog post is meant as a tribute to Ira and all those who fight and have fought for our country.

Ira Huehn's Death Medal

Ira Huehn's WW1 Medal - front

Ira Huehn's WW1 Medal - back

Canada, CEF Burial Registers, First World War, 1914-1919

Canada, CEF Burial Registers, First World War, 1914-1919 

Sadly Ira's body was never recovered for burial. I often think of how his mother and sisters must have grieved, not only for the loss of Ira but thinking of how he was never laid to rest.

Lost & Found: William Bulger WW1 Medal

One Side of WW1 Medal

Pte. W. R. Bulger's name is stamped on the side of this Canadian WW1 Medal which my husband and I have in our WW1 collection. In tribute to Private Bulger and all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in defense of our countries, I will be posting images and research on the various soldiers whose identified items are in our collection.

Pte. Bulger's Regimental Number is difficult to read but it ends in 2369. He is noted as being assigned to 2-CMR which stands for 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles.

A search for his Attestation papers online reveals that his full name was William Robert  Bulger and his Reg. Number was 3032369. He was born Sept. 28, 1888 in Georgetown Ontario but was living in Toronto when he enlisted.

His next-of-kin was his mother, Mrs. Margaret Bulger in Toronto. He gave his occupation as Attic Trimmer. The year he enlisted is not given but it was probably either 1917 or 1918.

Sadly William never made it home from the war. He was killed August 11, 1918 and is buried 3/4 Mile South of Amiens, France in the Hospital Military Cemetery. 

Side View Medal with William Bulger's Name

The CEF Burial Register states that "while en route to his Battalion he was wounded by a bomb dropped from an enemy airplane. He was evacuated to #48 Casualty Clearing Station where he succumbed to his wounds" It was further noted that he had penetrating schrapnel wounds in his back.

Thanks to Lisa Haas we can also read a newspaper clipping about William's death. Lisa's great-grandfather's brother was married to William Bulger's sister and Lisa had this clipping in her research files.

I Hope Kak is Dancing With Charlie: Tribute to a Beloved Grandmother

Kak & Charlie on Wedding Day

Hubs' beloved grandmother passed away two weeks ago. She was 91 and an amazing woman - strong and courageous. She lived alone since her husband Charlie died 20 years ago.

She and Charlie moved into the old brick farmhouse over 50 years ago.  That is where she wanted to spend her last days and she displayed incredible determination and strength to achieve that goal.

Kak, as the family called her, got her wish, passing peacefully in her home with one of her sons and grandsons at her side.  My husband was on his way to be with her but was still 15 minutes from her house when the call came that she was gone.

Kak wasn't well for the past year,  but she managed alone in the house with the help of her son and his wife who lived nearby. During this time she also managed another amazing feat of strength and will power. She created a method for her sons to be sure her treasured antiques were passed on in the family.

Plate labelled with my name

Kak laboriously wrote names on tape and labelled all the beautiful antiques, furniture and family heirlooms in her two-storey farmhouse.

What she couldn't label, she wrote out by hand - a huge list of items (an inventory really) with a description of each, and who that specific item was to go to. Her list has notes such as "Painting of young girl in rose coloured dress, antique oak frame - for Susie" 


You'd have to have seen Kak's home to realize what a monumental task this was. She had a beautiful home filled with antiques - furniture, china, paintings, clocks, etc. I wish we'd taken pictures of the rooms while they were intact. 

In the last two weeks before her death, one of her grandsons came to stay with her to help with her care. Under her direction he wrote out dozens and dozens of labels to attach to small items she had not yet gotten to.

Together they went through drawers of postcards, cards and letters she'd been saving since the 1930s. He spent afternoons reading her old postcards to her, an activity that seemed to bring her great joy. Memories were triggered when he read these notes from friends and family long dead.

One of Kak's Ladies

Sadness overwhelmed us as hubs' unpacked one of the boxes with items Kak had labelled for him. Holding her beloved "Ladies" - from her collection of Royal Dalton Figurines - was hard to do.

The realization that these Ladies, so beloved by Kak who knew every  name of every figure, would never be displayed in her home again, or dusted lovingly by her hands, hit hard. But we will treasure those items forever.

And so time moves on. Items loved and treasured by Kak are being distributed to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Hopefully they will continue to be treasured and passed on in the family as Kak wanted.

It is the natural cycle of life but it's not easy accepting that Kak's time on earth has ended and that her treasures are now in our safe-keeping. Her torch has been extinguished but how lucky we all were to have had her in our lives. She'll always be in our minds and hearts.

I hope you're dancing with Charlie, Kak!