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.

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.

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: 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.