On The War Memorial Trail….. The WWI Letters of Lawrence Ivy Marshall – Part 4: Back At The Front

March 21, 2024April 7, 2024 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments

March 21, 2024. In Part 1 of the WWI letters of Lawrence Ivy MARSHALL, of Covehead, Prince Edward Island, which had been shared by his granddaughter, Connie Birt Paynter, Lawrence was among the first Canadians to volunteer for WWI in 1914. After his initial training in Valcartier, Quebec, he informed his family that he was about to go overseas. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/03/02/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwi-letters-of-lawrence-ivy-marshall-part-1-valcartier-camp/)

In Part 2, Lawrence described his experiences aboard one of the first troop ships to England. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/03/08/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwi-letters-of-lawrence-ivy-marshall-part-2-the-voyage-to-england/)

In Part 3, Lawrence was on the front lines in trenches in Belgium and France, when he dislocated his elbow and was sent back to England for treatment. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/03/15/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwi-letters-of-lawrence-ivy-marshall-part-3-in-the-trenches/)

Now, in Part 4, Lawrence spent weeks in England recuperating before returning to active service at the front.

….Lawrence was operated on to straighten his elbow….

f11d6ed5bab613c66a4153246aab798d--leicester-hospitals

Postcard of the operating theatre at North Evington War Hospital. Masks were not mandatory.

Lawrence remained at North Evington War Hospital in Leicester for 7 weeks. On September 26, 1915, he gave an update to his father. “…I am still in the hospital … and will be for a while, I think. My arm is not any straighter yet. I have to go to the operating room this morning. They are going to try and straighten it. I have been under ether three times now. I am getting tired of it too. If they can’t straighten it this time I will not go back to the front any more. It doesn’t bother me. I can use it as good as ever before and I can bend it….”

The Canadian Convalescent Hospital in Bear Wood. (Photo source: http://www.arborfieldhistory.org.uk)

On October 23, 1915, Lawrence was transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital in Monks Horton, then 3 days later to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital in Bear Wood, Wokingham, Berkshire, England. The hospital, which housed 900 Canadian soldiers, had been a private home with 90 bedrooms, belonging to Mrs. Walter, the widow of the Times newspaper owner.

From Bear Wood, Lawrence wrote his mother on October 30, 1915. “…I am in a convalescent hospital in Berkshire. It is a very good place but awful lonesome. We are away in the country here on a large estate…..About my arm. It is doing fine now. It is almost as straight as ever but I cannot do any work with it yet. There is no strength in it...”

….Lawrence returned to duty….

On November 15, 1915, Lawrence was released from hospital and given a short furlough before being assigned to the 48^th Highlanders Canada, 43^rd Reserve Battalion.

On November 27, 1915, in a letter to his father, written from East Sandling Kent, he noted that he was “…back with my battalion again… I guess I have to go back to France after Xmas, if not before, but I hope not. There are a lot of our boys going back there Monday. I very near got sent too only my arm is not quite right yet. It still gets sore and stiff… in cold weather...”

On January 16, 1916, Lawrence left for France, and assigned to the 15^th Battalion before rejoining his unit on February 4, 1916. On February 8, 1916, in a letter to his mother, Lawrence explained that he had taken a photo of himself in a kilt. “…So you got the photo I had taken in kilts down in Salisbury, some Scotchman, eh….” This is the photo of him that has survived for the past century.

20230530_100207 Laurie Marshall from Connie taken in 1916

Lawrence Ivy Marshall. (Photo courtesy of Connie Birt Paynter)

Lawrence kept in contact, explaining in a March 6, 1916 letter to his father, written from ‘somewhere in France’ that “… This is my second trip to the trenches since I came across this time, but am getting used of it again…” According to the War Diary for the 15^th Battalion, ‘somewhere in France’ was on the road between Messines and Wytschaete, along the border with Belgium.

Map showing the location of the road Messines to Wytschaete. (Map source: http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/flanders/messines/)

In an April 2, 1916 letter from Lawrence to his father, written from ‘somewhere in Belgium’ Lawrence described a near miss. “…I have been more lonesome this last week than I ever have been since I left home…Perhaps it is because I have had two close shaves lately. I got a bullet right through my hat and stung by a shell bursting over me but am alright again now….”

‘Somewhere in Belgium’ was near Poperinge, 12.5 km (8 miles) from Ypres, right in the line of fire, as Lawrence briefly mentions. “…And where we are now is awful, the last place was bad enough but this is real hell here…. The Germans tried an attack here the other night but we stopped them. They were lying on the ground and in the barbed wire as thick as peas… I certainly made my old gun shoot for a while …”

….Lawrence was injured in action….

In a June 2, 1916 letter from Lawrence to his father, written from Belgium: “…We are out of the trenches for twelve days rest, have been out for seven now, so expect to go back in again in five days. Am glad that we are out just now as the Germans are pulling off something up the line this evening. There are a big bombardment on just where we came out of. We are all standing to here waiting orders to go up if needed. But none of us are very anxious to go up if we can get out of it. We are having it pretty hot this summer. We have a scrap with Fritz every time we are in. We are only eighteen yards apart where we go in so you can guess what a time we have with each other…”

The rest ended the same day that Lawrence wrote his letter, as the June 2, 1916 war diary noted that following an afternoon baseball game, the Battalion had left after 7:30 pm, arriving at “…a position at Zillebeke … at 2 am on June 3…”

By 2:30 am they were attacked and among the casualties was Lawrence. He was admitted to a Casualty Clearing Station, where his medical record noted that he had a gunshot wound in his right arm. He was sent to No. 4 General Hospital in Camiers, France.

….Lawrence was sent to England for treatment….

On June 12, 1916, Lawrence was transferred to the 3^rd Northern Hospital in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, from where he wrote to his father 4 days later. “…I have got across to England again. I think I am pretty lucky in this war, don’t you? I went through some pretty tight places this trip in the trenches and came back safe only for the wound I got. It is doing fine now…. It was an explosive bullet that I got hit with. They make a nasty hole where they come out of…”

Lawrence explained why he felt lucky. “…We lost all our battalion but two hundred men. We had nine hundred and seventy men so you can see we had a few casualties. Most of all my pals are gone under in the battle….”

He then described how he was injured. “…When I got wounded I had to lay for over two hours before I could get a bandage on my arm… It was awful laying on the field right in front of the Germans in daylight and not able to help yourself at all and if you moved the least bit they opened a machine gun on you. There were dead everywhere that you could see and mostly our boys with the kilts on…”

Next he briefly mentioned the battle. “… We made two charges at the Germans between nine and eleven o’clock in the morning but they drove us back both times. Then I got hit halfway back the second time … My rifle flew out of my hand…”

In the letter’s conclusion, Lawrence wrote that he was “…marked for a convalescent hospital so expect to leave here. It will be a month or more before I will be fit to go back to my base again …” He was correct as not long afterwards he was sent to Arnold Hospital, Doncaster, Yorkshire, England.

….Lawrence did not return to the front….

Lawrence did not go back to the front. Instead, he spent the remainder of his service working at the Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Wood Cote Park, Epsom, Surrey, England.

On November 6, 1916, in a letter to his mother, Lawrence explained that he was “…taking the Corporal’s place in the office while he is away on his sick furlough. …I suppose you have heard about poor Parker Crockett being killed.… Poor Parker, him and I came to the dressing station together, he shook hands with me and said that he hoped that I would get to England. He was not wounded enough to make England, so he had to go back and get killed…..”

Parker Hooper CROCKETT died September 7, 1916 during the Battle of the Somme and is buried in Regina Trench Cemetery, Somme, France. Lawrence knew that had he not been sent to England for treatment, this could have been his fate.

While Lawrence recuperated, the war went on. In Part 5, Lawrence’s story concludes as he meets with both happiness and tragedy before being one of the lucky Canadian soldiers who returned home after the war ended.

Thank you to Connie Paynter for providing photos and sharing letters written by her grandfather. Do you have photos or information to share? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.

© Daria Valkenburg

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4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats. Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

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On The War Memorial Trail….. The WWI Letters of Lawrence Ivy Marshall – Part 3: In The Trenches

March 15, 2024March 16, 2024 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

Lawrence Ivy Marshall. (Photo courtesy of Connie Birt Paynter)

March 15, 2024. In Part 1 of the WWI letters of Lawrence Ivy MARSHALL, of Covehead, Prince Edward Island, which had been shared by his granddaughter, Connie Birt Paynter, Lawrence was among the first Canadians to volunteer for WWI in 1914. After his initial training in Valcartier, Quebec, he informed his family that he was about to go overseas. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/03/02/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwi-letters-of-lawrence-ivy-marshall-part-1-valcartier-camp/)

Now, in Part 3, Lawrence spent a cold and wet winter on the Salisbury Plain before being sent into battle in France and Belgium in the spring of 1915.

….A cold and wet winter on the Salisbury Plain….

After arriving in England in late October 1914, the first contingent of Canadian troops received basic training on the Salisbury Plain for the next months – during a cold and wet winter. Much of the time the soldiers were mired in mud as England experienced one of its wettest winters in decades.

In the article ‘Evolution of Canada’s Shock Troops’, Tim Cook wrote that they “…marched, fired their Canadian-manufactured Ross rifles at targets, and practiced bayonet fighting against straw-filled dummies. And they did it during one of the most miserable winters in British history, when it rained 89 out of 120 days. The parade grounds were reduced to a muddy bog, but the Canadians kept up their spirits with beer, song, and camaraderie…” (See www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/evolution-of-canadas-shock-troops)

…. “The Germans call us the ‘Women From Hell’…”….

The first Canadians went to France in February 1915, but Lawrence was still in England, waiting to be sent over. In an April 27, 1915 letter to his father, he writes that “…things have taken a quick change around here in a few days. They are sending us boys all off to the front in drafts now. There were two lots went last night. We are all on the next one. That is all of the Island boys, but four or five. We expect to leave any minute now. We have all our ammunition ready, one hundred and fifty rounds per man. Jim is going on the same draft as I am and Parker Crockett too….” Jim referred to James Lawrence MARSHALL. Neither he nor Parker Hooper CROCKETT would return home.

“… We are all in great cheer at going away. You would think we are all going on a picnic to hear us when we got word of it. We are good and tired of hanging around here now…”

Screenshot 2024-02-28 at 16-21-40 Bailleul at DuckDuckGo

Lawrence joined the 15th Battery in Bailleul, France, just over the border with Belgium. (Map source: Wikipedia)

A few days later, Lawrence arrived in France, assigned to No. 3 Canadian 15 Battery 3^rd Brigade, First Canadian Expeditionary Force. The Battery had just been moved near Bailleul, France after fighting in the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium. (See https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/battle-of-ypres)

The War Diary for May 4, 1915 noted that at 6:30 pm the Battalion “…paraded in full marching order and went into billets near Bailleul….” They experienced heavy rain over the next several days.

On May 15, 1915 the Battalion moved further south to Robecq, France. Two days later, they moved even further south, this time into trenches near Richebourg, France, in preparation for battle.

Lawrence missed this as he succumbed to dysentery and ended up in a field hospital, as he explained in a May 23, 1915 letter to his father.

“…I have been in the hospital for over a week now. It was from the effects of drinking bad water. The water is awful here….. I expect to go back out of here any day now. I have had a great rest while I have been in here and have been fed well. The sisters are awful good to us here too…. The Germans did not get me yet. I am going back to have another crack at the beggars soon…”

After being discharged, Lawrence gave an update in a May 28, 1915 letter to his father. “…Our Battery has been in action again since I left them, so I missed that.…” Lawrence missed a trench battle in Festubert, France. “…They will be about coming out of the trenches when I get back to them so I will be in with them the next time alright. The Germans call us ‘The Women From Hell’ – some name ain’t it? …”

…. Lawrence was on the front line in the trenches….

By July 1915, Lawrence was in Belgium, with the Battalion settled in a temporary camp called Camp Aldershot. On July 13, 1915 Lawrence wrote to his mother that he was on guard duty. “…Here I am in the second line of trenches and having a good time too. Nothing to do but four hours guard out of twelve. We were in the firing line four days and in here four days more so I think we are going out today for a while. Everything is pretty quiet, only for a few shells and bullets that the Germans send over once in a while, but they don’t land very handy to us, and I am glad that they don’t either….”

Lawrence gave a lighthearted account of what was happening for his mother’s peace of mind. “… We had a very good time in the front line of trenches. We could not see the German trenches because there was a field of rye and clover between us but they were only two hundred yards away. We used to send an odd rifle shot over at them for fun to let them know we were there. They used to send a few over at us too but did not hit any of us. …”

July 22, 1915 letter from Lawrence to his mother, written from France: “…We just came out of the trenches last night. We were in sixteen days. This time we had quite a spell of it too. We did not lose many men this time. We were pretty lucky. We had it pretty wet and muddy for awhile. …. I was out one night putting up barbed wire in front of the firing line. It rained all of the time we were out. I had my overcoat on. You could not tell what it was in the morning, an overcoat or mud …”

…. Lawrence was injured playing football….

While with his unit in Messines, France, Lawrence was admitted to a field hospital in Etaples, France on August 24, 1915, with a dislocated elbow received while playing football. On August 31, 1915, he was admitted to No. 3 General Hospital in Camiers, France, where it was decided to send him to England for further treatment. On September 6, 1915, he was admitted to North Evington War Hospital in Leicester.

North Evington War Hospital in Leicester, England. (Photo source: leicestermercury.co.uk)

Lawrence believed he was sent to England thanks to a nurse from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, as he explained in a September 7, 1915 letter to his father. “…I am in the hospital in England and am doing well. I can’t straighten my arm yet, but I hope to soon now. It is pretty painful at times. I dislocated and fractured the bone of my left elbow. I never expected to get over to England with it, but I guess it was Miss McLeod the nurse who was in the hospital I was in, in France. She must have put a good word in for me…. She belongs to Charlottetown…”

…. Lawrence had a ‘close shave’ at the front….

In his letter, Lawrence briefly wrote about his experiences at the front, since his letters were not censored while in England. “…The letters don’t have to be censored over here so I suppose you would like to hear a little of what I have seen of this war….Them Germans are sure good shots and about them having no ammunition, that is all lies. They certainly have lots of it…You should see them send over their big shells when they start. You should see some of the holes that they make when they explode. Some of the holes are forty feet across and ten feet deep….”

He acknowledged his luck up to this point. “… I have lived a charmed life through it so far but I have had some close shaves…. I remember one day …. some of us got out of the trenches to get some platforms for the trenches. We were no sooner out than … they sent their shells over. I was just in the act of putting one of the platforms on my back when six shells burst right over my head. The knocked me and the old platform down …. I was just in the act of crawling away when I heard one of the boys shout God’s sake lay flat and keep still. He had no sooner said it when the bugger opened their machine guns on us … We laid there for half an hour with them going about six inches over our heads, some of them hitting the ground alongside of us.… The six of us that went out all managed to get back again.…”

…. Lawrence was grateful to be out of the trenches….

In a September 10, 1915 letter to his mother, written while still in hospital, Lawrence shared more observations. “…It is a treat to get away from the trenches and France. I have seen all I want to of France. The trenches are getting pretty bad now. The last time we went in the water was above my knees. When you get wet you have to stay wet until you dry and that is a good while….”

Lawrence’s letter continued. “… We don’t get all we want to eat either of course, when we are there we can’t write anything but that we get plenty to eat or they would not let the letters go home…..The officers don’t care how you do as long as they have plenty for themselves to eat…”

Like many soldiers, Lawrence felt that officers were not concerned about the safety of the men they were responsible for. “…We are like a lot of prisoners more than soldiers. It ain’t like a real war, it is more like murder. Our officers will put us right into danger instead of keeping out of it. I remember one night our officers lined up fifty of us to take an orchard with about five hundred Germans in it. We started across on the run with bayonets fixed but never got there. The Germans turned their machine guns on us. There was only twenty got back alive. I thought my time had come but I got back alive. The air was full of bullets…”

Lawrence was safe in England, but faced a long recovery period before returning back to the front line. In Part 4, Lawrence’s story continues as he found himself again on the front line and is wounded.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so. Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

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On The War Memorial Trail….. The WWI Letters of Lawrence Ivy Marshall – Part 2: The Voyage To England

March 8, 2024March 15, 2024 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

Pieter with Connie Paynter. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

March 8, 2024. In Part 1 of the WWI letters of Lawrence Ivy MARSHALL, of Covehead, Prince Edward Island, which had been shared by his granddaughter, Connie Birt Paynter, Lawrence was among the first Canadians to volunteer for WWI in 1914. After his initial training in Valcartier, Quebec, he informed his family that he was about to go overseas. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/03/02/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwi-letters-of-lawrence-ivy-marshall-part-1-valcartier-camp/)

Now, in Part 2, Lawrence described his experiences aboard one of the first troop ships that went to England.

Lawrence Ivy Marshall. (Photo courtesy of Connie Birt Paynter)

….Troops marched from Valcartier to Quebec City….

On September 26, 1914, Lawrence and the first contingent of around 30,000 Canadian troops began their journey to the United Kingdom. The trip began by marching to Quebec City from Valcartier, where they then waited to board one of 30 ships – former luxury liners that had been painted grey.

On September 29, 1914, while still in Quebec City, Quebec, Lawrence wrote to his father. “…We are having not too bad a time at all, but we are not allowed to go into Quebec. We have to stay here in this building. They put us here until we go on board the steamer this afternoon. I will be glad when we do. There are good accommodations on board… nice bed to sleep in, quite a difference from sleeping on the ground for 6 weeks….” In Valcartier, Lawrence had slept in a tent.

….Lawrence sailed to England aboard HMT Scotian….

Lawrence travelled to the UK aboard the HMT Scotian. (Photo source: https://birtwistlewiki.com.au/wiki/HMT_Scotian#Remarks)

Lawrence travelled aboard the HMT Scotian, which had begun as the Holland American Line‘s Statendam, and used for its Rotterdam – New York route. When the Allen Line in 1911 bought the ship in 1911, it was renamed Scotian. In 1914, it became a troop ship.

It wasn’t until October 3, 1914 that the ships left the port in Quebec City for England. They added a ship of 537 Newfoundlanders to their convoy, and then crossed the Atlantic with a Royal Navy escort that watched for German U-boats.

By the time the Atlantic had been crossed, troops just wanted to get back on land, as Lawrence wrote to his father, while still aboard HMT Scotian: “…Well, we are still on board of this old ship….I am getting pretty tired of it by this time. This is 18 days on her…We are anchored in an awful pretty place. The grass and trees are as green as summer yet. They stay that way all winter, so they say. When we land we are going to camp outside of London…” The place ‘outside of London’ was the Salisbury Plain, where training would continue.

….Lawrence counted himself lucky not to get seasick….

On October 13, 1914, Lawrence wrote to his mother. “…We are still on board the boat but expect to land tomorrow night some time. I tell you we had some trip alright. We are going to land at Southampton, England….. I am good and tired of it by this time…We had a very good trip. Not so awful rough at all for the time of year. It is very rough tonight though, the sea is going right over the deck tonight and the wind is blowing a hurricane. You go out on deck and you would get blown overboard for sure. Some of the boys were pretty sea sick some times when the old boat began to roll. I was lucky. I was never a bit sick, only had a headache one day. All of the boys are writing home tonight. We just got word that we can mail them in the morning, that there is going to be a mail steamer come up to us and get the mail for us…”

On October 17, 1914, while still aboard HMT Scotian, Lawrence wrote to his brother Merrill. “…We are still on board of this old ship yet. I can tell you that I am getting good and tired of it. ….It is no fun, I tell you, to stay on this old ship, day after day, with land only a few yards away, and can’t get to it. We expect to be on board of her until the last of next week. That is nearly a week yet…”

….Troops marched from the train station to the Salisbury Plain….

Lawrence wrote from Pond Farm Camp on Salisbury Plain. (Map source: https://www.parl.ns.ca)

After finally docking, Lawrence and his fellow soldiers disembarked and boarded trains for Salisbury Plain. Shortly after arrival, Lawrence wrote to his mother, giving his address as 12 Battery, 82 Regiment, E Company 3^rd Brigade, Pond Farm Camp, Salisbury Plain, England: “…. Just three weeks on board of that old ship. I tell you it was great to get on land once more. We arrived at camp last night or this morning rather. It was twelve o’clock when we got off the train. Then we had to walk about six miles. It seemed more like sixty to me and it was as dark as pitch…”

Salisbury was quite different from Covehead, Prince Edward Island “… Well, this is some old fashioned place alright. The houses are all made of brick and stone. Little narrow streets with a Public Inn every here and there…”

Lawrence noted that lice had been an unwelcome infestation aboard ship. “…We had a great time every night on board of the ship, picking lice out of our clothes. We got good and lousy on board that old ship. She was great and buggy…” Lice would turn out to be a challenge faced by troops throughout the war.

Lawrence was on land, and no longer aboard a ship, but he soon would find himself living in cold and wet conditions on the Salisbury Plain as winter set in.

In Part 3, Lawrence’s story continues as training in England is cut short and he finds himself on the front line in France and Belgium.

Thank you to Connie Paynter for providing photos and sharing letters written by her great-uncle and grandfather. Do you have photos or information to share? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so. Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

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On The War Memorial Trail….. The WWI Letters of Lawrence Ivy Marshall – Part 1: Valcartier Camp

March 2, 2024 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

Pieter with Connie Paynter. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

March 2, 2024. One of the joys of meeting family members of soldiers who have served is that often we come away with more information than we first expected. Sometimes it’s more personal information about the soldier, other times we learn that more than one family member in the family served at the same time.

In one family from Covehead, Prince Edward Island, two brothers served in WWI, and the family not only had photos, but also letters that the brothers had written.

…Two brothers from Covehead enlisted …

But it wasn’t until after Connie Paynter of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, contacted us about her 20 year old great-uncle, who was killed in action at Vimy, that we learned that her grandfather also served in WWI. “…My grandfather and my great-uncle, who lived in Covehead, both served in WWI. Only my grandfather, Lawrence Ivy Marshall, returned home…” she said.

Connie’s great-uncle, Merrill Augustus MARSHALL, lost his life on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917, during the Battle of Vimy Ridge, killed during the advance on the Ridge. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/06/14/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwi-signaller-from-covehead-killed-during-the-battle-of-vimy-ridge/)

Merrill’s older brother, Lawrence Ivy MARSHALL, was born December 22, 1892 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, the son of James Lawrence and Hattie Lillian (nee Carr) Marshall.

…Lawrence was among the first recruits at Valcartier in 1914 …

Map shows location of Valcartier, Quebec. (Map source: http://www.weather-forecast.com)

After completing his initial training, Lawrence officially enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on September 23, 1914 at Valcartier Camp, Quebec. He had arrived in Valcartier as part of the 82^nd Regiment Abegweit Light Infantry, and had been a carpenter in his civilian life. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Edward_Island_Highlanders)

… Valcartier was the only training camp in 1914 …

A military training camp in Valcartier, not far from Quebec City, began in August 1914 to prepare recruits for the mobilization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, shortly after World War I was declared. As men, including Lawrence, enlisted across the country, they arrived at the camp in Valcartier for equipment, training, and preparation for war. In 1914, Valcartier was the ONLY training camp for Canada’s Overseas Expeditionary Force.

Postcard shows tents at Valcartier for recruits in training. (Photo source: Wikipedia)

Men had to live in tents and conditions were basic. In a September 16, 1914 letter that Lawrence wrote to his mother, he confirmed he was in 12 Battalion E Company, 82 Regiment, Valcartier, Quebec: “…We are having very good weather up here now. Nice and warm in the day, but awful cold in the evening and mornings. I don’t know when we will leave here….We cannot stay here much longer or we will freeze to death in bed some night….”

… A short video on Valcartier camp in 1914 …

A short video, ‘Valcartier – First World War Soldier Factory’, gives an overview of this period. The video is in French, with English subtitles, and runs 6:35 minutes…..

… Lawrence was soon to go overseas …

Lawrence Ivy Marshall. (Photo courtesy of Connie Birt Paynter)

Lawrence knew that he would be leaving soon to travel overseas as his September 16, 1914 letter went on to explain that “…We got our new suits last night and boots. We are some soldiers now. I am glad that we are clear of red coats anyway. I got my hair all clipped off short all over. I look pretty funny now…”

Lawrence’s reference to ‘red coats’ refers to the scarlet tunics worn by infantry prior to 1903, when a Canadian uniform of khaki serge tunics and trousers, and peaked caps with maple-leaf badges, replaced the brightly coloured full dress uniforms previously worn.

On September 23, 1914, Lawrence officially enlisted, and then wrote to his brother Merrill on September 25, 1914. “…This will be my last letter to you for a good while because we leave in the morning. Have to be up at 3 o’clock in the morning to leave for England…”

Lawrence and the first Canadian troops were on their way to the United Kingdom on a three week voyage aboard the HMT Scotian. In Part 2, Lawrence’s story continues with his observations about the voyage.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

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Happy Holidays From The Valkenburgs – And Our Year In Review!

December 23, 2023December 3, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 5 Comments

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December 23, 2023. 2023 has simply raced by, and Pieter is currently preparing his research plan for 2024.

It was another busy year and yes, Pieter remains committed to this research project. While several long-standing searches for photos were successful, allowing Pieter to complete his files for those soldiers, many files still remain open. In most cases, family members were found, but no photo was available for one reason or another.

A number of these files have been carried over from year to year, with no luck in finding photos, and so we now have a Cold Case Files page on the On The War Memorial Trail website. Hopefully, by featuring a list of the cold cases, someone will see a name and realize that they have a photo. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/)

A research project that began in the fall of 2022 to find photos and family of several soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment that died on March 25, 1945 during the Battle of Bienen in Germany, and who are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands was completed, with the stories told in a 12 part series that ran between March and May.

New research files were added, and Pieter was able to finish his research for many of the unfinished files from 2022. As always, there is a lag between him completing his work and me getting a chance to document his research, but that is on my ‘to do’ list for this winter.

He began a new project this fall, to upload photos to the Canadian Virtual War Memorial website, and has earmarked this as his winter project.

This year, we were able to meet several more families, which we very much appreciated. We were grateful that so many families came forward to share photos and information, and were thankful for continued media interest in helping to find photos. What follows in the rest of this posting is a summary of what happened in 2023 with this research project.

…Book ‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’….

Book cover front and back

Daria and Pieter were the translators for ‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’ by Jan Braakman, translated from the original Dutch book ‘Holtense Canadezen’. For more information, see the press package prepared by the author: https://janbraakman.nl/press-package-holten-heroes/ or the Amazon Canada entry: https://www.amazon.ca/Holten-Heroes-Stories-Canadian-Honour/dp/B0CM25LRD3/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QEQCI0LBFLPK&keywords=holten+heroes&qid=1698840141&sprefix=holten+heroes%2Caps%2C207&sr=8-1

…We received a 2023 Heritage Recognition Award from the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation….

A February 9, 2023 letter offered Congratulations and notified us that “… the Board of Governors of the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation has selected you for a Heritage Recognition Award for your powerful research project, ‘On The War Memorial Trail’….” (See https://www.peimuseum.ca/pieter-and-daria-valkenburg-heritage-recognition-award)

The Heritage Awards ceremony, which celebrates the Island’s heritage and recognition of those who preserve and share it, was held on Sunday, March 12, 2023 at Beaconsfield Carriage House in Charlottetown. Unfortunately we were unable to attend as we were not on the Island at the time. Jack Sorensen, Chair of the Tryon and Area Historical Society, accepted the award on our behalf. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/05/15/we-receive-a-2023-pei-heritage-recognition-award/)

…We received a Legionnaire of the Year Award ….

On June 10, 2023, we received a Legionnaire of the Year award from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 10 in Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island.

CIMG6369 Jun 10 2023 Cropped - Daria and Pieter receive Legionnaire of the Year Award

Pieter and Daria receive a Legionnaire of the Year Award. (Photo credit: Kathy Henry)

…Presentation ‘Up Close With A Halifax Bomber’….

Crapaud Hall Nov 7 2023 Presentation title page

On November 7, 2023, we gave a presentation at Crapaud Hall in Crapaud, Prince Edward Island, ‘Up Close With A Halifax Bomber’ about our tour of a Halifax bomber and a summary of two Island airmen who lost their lives in one. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/09/on-the-war-memorial-trail-presentation-up-close-with-a-halifax-bomber/)

…. Soldiers Listed On The Cenotaph Outside Borden-Carleton Legion …….

This year we added more information on soldiers whose stories had previously been told:

We updated the story of the battle in which WW1 soldier Arthur Clinton ROBINSON lost his life on March 27, 1916 and how the burials in La Laiterie Military Cemetery, where he was buried, included a message in a bottle.
We shared a September 23, 1942 letter that WWII airman Joseph ‘Joe’ Charles MCIVER wrote while posted in northern Russia near the Arctic Circle, while serving in RAF Coastal Command.
After an 8 year search we received a photo for WWI soldier Joseph ‘Arthur’ DESROCHES of Miscouche, Prince Edward Island, who died after receiving a gunshot wound to the head and is buried in France.

… WWI Related Stories….

We updated the story of what happened when we repatriated to Nova Scotia the portrait of WW1 soldier Lloyd Clifton SHORTLIFF of Barton, Nova Scotia, whose name is inscribed on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France.

… WWII Related Stories….

We shared a story about the 2022 candle lighting at graves of Canadian soldiers in The Netherlands.
We did a multi-part series about The Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition – 36 photo tributes by the graves of soldiers at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. The Exhibition ran from April 30 to May 21, 2023. Part 1 featured 5 soldiers from Prince Edward Island. Part 2 featured 4 Indigenous soldiers. Part 3 featured 8 soldiers from Nova Scotia whose stories were told in 2021’s Atlantic Canada Remembers series. Part 4 featured 6 soldiers from New Brunswick whose stories were told in 2021’s Atlantic Canada Remembers series. Part 5 featured 7 soldiers from the Battle of Bienen series. Part 6 featured 6 soldiers from photo wish lists. We also shared some of the feedback received from families whose relatives were featured in the photo tributes.
We updated the 2022 story about the search for WWII soldier Wilfred GIROUX who was in Gilze Rijen, The Netherlands in December 1944 and befriended a Dutch couple whose daughter wished to repatriate a photo and two Christmas cards to the Giroux family. This story had a successful conclusion with the photo and cards going to Wilfred’s niece.
We did an update to the Battle of Bienen series with a brief feature on the Bienen Memorial and shared the short video we made to honour those North Novies whose stories we told this spring (S4E1 Battle of Bienen on our YouTube Channel).
We shared an account of our visit to the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton, Ontario, to tour a Halifax Mark VII Bomber.
We shared the story of how a letter written from the POW camp Stalag Luft III by WWII pilot John ‘Hubert’ HALL impacted not only his family, but the family of WWII pilot Elmer Bagnall MUTTART. Both men were from Prince Edward Island.
We shared the story about the successful search for a photo of WWII soldier Norman Victor Holgate BUCHANAN, from Manitoba, who lost his life in Germany on February 16, 1945, during the Battle of Moyland Wood, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
In a two-part series, we shared excerpts from the WWII letters of Edison Reynolds SMITH, who lost his life in The Netherlands on October 16, 1944 during the Battle of the Scheldt.

…Indigenous Soldiers….

We were able to tell the stories of the service by these WWII Indigenous soldiers:

WWII Indigenous soldier John CULBERTSON from Ontario, who was killed in Germany on April 30, 1944 during the Battle of Edewecht.
WWII Indigenous soldier Harry Henry DAVIS from Yukon Territory, who died in The Netherlands on January 15, 1945 from wounds received the day before after being shot while on patrol.
WWII Indigenous soldier Sanford Steven SAULIS from New Brunswick, who died of a brain hemorrhage in The Netherlands on August 10, 1945.
WWII Indigenous soldier George TAYLOR from Ontario, who died accidentally in his sleep in The Netherlands on June 17, 1945.

…. Stories About Servicemen From The Maritimes…

We also featured stories about servicemen from The Maritimes:

WWII soldier Ralph Schurman BOULTER from Prince Edward Island, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
WWII soldier Charles ‘Marshall’ CARSON from New Brunswick, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
WWII airman John ‘Hubert’ HALL from Prince Edward Island, who was aboard the last flight of Wellington Z1203 when it crashed over The Netherlands on March 29, 1942. All crew members survived, and Hubert spent the remainder of the war years as a POW in Stalag Luft III.
WWII airman William Andrew HOOD from Nova Scotia, who was aboard the last flight of Halifax JD215 when it was shot down over The Netherlands on June 29, 1943, with no survivors.
WWII soldier Kitchener ‘Kitty’ LANGILLE from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
WWII soldier Lawrence Edward LUCAS from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action in Germany on April 23, 1945.
WWI soldier Angus Clayton MACDONALD from Prince Edward Island, who served with the 85^th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders), and was injured in Belgium during the Passage of the Grande Honnelle Battle.
WWII soldier Daniel ‘Dan’ Peter MACKENZIE from Prince Edward Island, who died from wounds received on April 13, 1945 during the liberation of Posterenk in The Netherlands, part of Operation Cannonshot.
WWII soldier James ‘Jim’ Andrew MACLEOD from New Brunswick, who was killed in action in Belgium on October 23, 1944.
WWII soldier Archibald Phillip ‘Archie’ MCLEAN from New Brunswick, who died from wounds received on April 13, 1945 during Operation Cannonshot in The Netherlands.
WWI soldier Merrill Augustus MARSHALL from Prince Edward Island, who was killed in action during the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France on April 9, 1917.
WWII soldier Austin Havelock MUNROE from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
WWII soldier Leonard William PORTER from New Brunswick, who was killed in action during the Battle of Walcheren Causeway in The Netherlands on November 1, 1944.
WWII soldier Joseph ‘Edmond’ ROBICHEAU from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Five Woods in The Netherlands on April 14, 1945.
WWII soldier Edison Alexander SMITH from Prince Edward Island, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
WWII soldier John Lewis ‘Ducky’ WALLACE from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.

…. Stories About Servicemen From Outside The Maritimes…

WWII soldier Clifford BATEMAN from Newfoundland, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
WWII soldier John Joseph BOHON, from Ontario, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
WWII soldier Clive Elbert Steele GEROW, from Ontario, who was killed in action during the liberation of Deventer in The Netherlands on April 10, 1945.
WWII soldier Theodor ‘Ted’ HENSCHEL, born in Manitoba, but from British Columbia, who was killed in action during the Battle for Wagenborgen in The Netherlands on April 22, 1945.
WWII soldier Adam KLEIN, from Saskatchewan, who died in The Netherlands while crossing the Maas River in January 1945.
WWII pilot Jack ‘Douglas’ MACKENZIE, from Manitoba, who died at the controls of his plane, Halifax DT630, after being attacked on February 3, 1943 over The Netherlands.
WWII soldier Harold Edward Roy MARTIN, from Ontario, who was killed in The Netherlands during the Battle of the Scheldt on October 14, 1944.
WWII pilot George Glenn ‘Dusty’ MILLAR, from Manitoba, who died on September 28, 1944 in The Netherlands.
WWII soldier Joseph Hudson PALLISTER, from Alberta, who was killed in action during the Battle of the Leopold Canal on October 6, 1944.
WWII soldier Wilfred ‘Willy’ Joseph POWER, from British Columbia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
WWII soldier Louis Allan SEXTON, from Quebec, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
WWII soldier Harry Elwood WRIGHT, from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action in The Netherlands on April 17, 1945.

…In Conversation And More….

We shared our condolences on the passing of Helen Coutts, sister of WWII pilot Elmer Bagnall MUTTART, in July 2023 at the age of 101.
We shared our condolences on the passing of Delbert Carr, nephew of WWI soldier Vincent CARR, in July 2023, and on the passing in April 2023 of Pam Alexander, whose father Reg Alexander was part of the Halifax L9561 crew in which WWII pilot Elmer Bagnall MUTTART lost his life.
We shared our condolences on the passing of John Robinson, nephew of WWI soldier Arthur Clinton ROBINSON in November 2023, and on the passing, also in November 2023 of Donald Moore, nephew of WWII soldier Archibald Phillip ‘Archie’ MCLEAN.
As part of our Remembrance Week 2023 feature, we shared updates on previous stories and about our visit to the Springhill Cenotaph in Springhill, Nova Scotia.
We wrote about the Remembrance Day ceremonies we attended in Borden-Carleton and Kinkora, two Prince Edward Island communities.

…. Interviews To Highlight Search For Photos….

Pieter did the following interviews:

Kevin Rollason of the Winnipeg Free Press wrote about Pieter’s search for photos and featured the story of WWII Medic John Lewis HUGHES, of Eriksdale, Manitoba, who died during the Battle of the Scheldt on November 2, 1944, and is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands. The article, ‘A Picture Of Compassion’, ran online and in the print edition on Friday, November 10, 2023. See https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/11/10/a-picture-of-compassion
Pieter was interviewed by Fraser Needham of APTN’s Nation To Nation program, about the search for photos of WWII Indigenous soldiers, Benjamin Roy ASHKEWE, from Cape Croker, Ontario, and Charles NANIBUSH, from Shawanaga, Ontario. Both are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. The interview ran on Thursday, November 9, 2023 and was subsequently posted on APTN’s YouTube Channel as ‘Their sacrifice should never ever be forgotten’: Extended interview with Pieter Valkenburg | N2N‘ To watch the 8:24 minute interview:

A subsequent 45 second clip was posted on APTN’s YouTube Channel as ‘Pieter Valkenburg explains the complications in locating the photos of veterans‘ https://youtu.be/b-kXWjL9R6w?si=cZYp8teF1sF8-nUV
On Thursday, April 27, 2023, Pieter was interviewed by Bob Murphy on CBC Radio’s program Maritime Noon. You can listen to ‘A Dutch-born man on PEI tells us about a project to help find photos of WW II veterans who are buried in the Netherlands. The photos are displayed at gravesites. | Maritime Noon with Bob Murphy | Live Radio | CBC Listen’ at https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-38-maritime-noon/clip/15981254-a-dutch-born-man-pei-tells-project-help-find

…. Letters To The Editor For Photo Searches….

Letters to the Editor in various newspapers were written in the quest for a photo for:

WWII soldier Austin Havelock MUNROE, who is buried in The Netherlands. A letter to the editor was published in the Guysborough Journal on November 2, 2022. This search was successful.
WWII soldier Thomas Alfred BROWN, who is buried in The Netherlands. A letter to the editor was published in The Consort Enterprise on April 26, 2023 and on ECA Review on April 27, 2023. This search was successful. (See https://ecareview.com/looking-for-photo-of-ww2-soldier/)

… Successful Search For Photos …..

Many WWII soldiers are buried in cemeteries in Europe. Pieter continues to work with photo wish lists from Canadian War Cemeteries for WWII soldiers buried in The Netherlands. This year we also received photos and information on soldiers buried in Belgium.

Photos of soldiers buried in Dutch cemeteries were forwarded to researchers there for their digital archive. Whenever possible, stories are featured on the blog but there is a backlog due to the success of Pieter’s research. I can’t keep up! This year, photos were found for:

Buried in Holten Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

Percy Joseph BARRY
Archibald BUNGAY
Harry Henry DAVIS
Theophile DUPERE
Gerald Edward FERGUSON
Arthur G. FLIEGER
Clive Elbert Steele GEROW
Frank GUIMOND
Merle Vincent HAMILTON
Lawrence Edward LUCAS
Neil Roderick MACLEAN
Joseph Taylor MACLEOD
Joseph ‘Felicien’ MALLEY
Stanley Leigh MCBEATH
Archibald ‘Archie’ Phillip MCLEAN
Ralph Foster MCLENAHAN
Sydney Guy MOSHER
Frank Eugene MUNROE
James ‘Gordon’ MURPHY
Seth Everett MURRAY
Herbert ‘Murray’ RAFUSE
Roslyn Ernest SANDS
Sanford Steven SAULIS
George Edward SHERWOOD
Ronald Eugene SMITH
James Edward SULLIVAN
James Oliver THOMAS
Gustav Evald ‘Ernie’ WINSA

Buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

Walter Conrad BENJAMIN
Thomas Alfred BROWN
Norman Victor BUCHANAN
Alexander Parke CALDWELL
Cyrille CAISSIE
Tom CHASKE
Henri CORMIER
Raymond Stavely ELLIOTT
John ‘Jack’ Charles FORWARD
Jean FRIGAULT
Edgar M. GUITARD
Lester L. HANLEY
Raymond Arthur HOSSACK
Maxwell KING
Albert Noel LAMONTAGNE
Gordon Archibald MACCALLUM
Leo Alexander MACDOUGALL
Neale Warren MERRITT
Reginald Vincent MOOERS
Austin Havelock MUNROE
Delphis ROY
Lawrence Arthur RUDOLPH
Oxaird J. SAVOIE
Thomas ‘Tom’ Hector SUTHERLAND
George TAYLOR
John Lewis WALLACE
Harry WRIGHT

Buried in Bergen Op Zoom Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

Earl AGNEW
Robert Oswald BLAKE
Gerald Joseph BOUCHER
James Burnes CARRUTHERS
Donald Whitman COOK
Adam KLEIN
Denis Joseph LANDRY
Harold Edward Roy MARTIN
James A. ‘Jim’ MACLEOD
Joseph Edmond NOELAN (NOWLAN)
Ernest Patrick OWENS
John Colin (Jack) POND
Peter William PORTER
Orville ‘Skip’ REEVES
Elmer Daniel SCHOFIELD
Leopold THERIAULT

Buried in Rotterdam (Crooswijk) General Cemetery in The Netherlands:

John PALMER

Buried in Sleen General Cemetery in The Netherlands:

Jack ‘Douglas’ MACKENZIE
Raymond Hepton ‘Ray’ HILL

Buried in Uden War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

George Glenn ‘Dusty’ MILLAR

Buried in Adegem Canadian War Cemetery in Belgium:

Joseph Hudson PALLISTER

Buried in Ligny St. Flochel British Cemetery in France:

Joseph ‘Arthur’ DESROCHES

Listed On The Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France:

Merrill Augustus MARSHALL

Buried in Coriano Ridge War Cemetery in Italy:

Millard Emery ALLEN

Photo Search For Airmen For Air Research Drenthe Foundation in The Netherlands:

One of the projects of the Air Research Drenthe Foundation in The Netherlands is to install information panels near WWII air crash sites. While many of the airmen lost their lives and are buried in The Netherlands or just across the border in Germany, other airmen survived the crash and were in prisoner of war camps until the war ended. It can be difficult to find photos and families of airmen that survived, but Pieter took up the challenge. Photos were found for:

Barry Matthews GODDEN, of Harbour Breton, Newfoundland, Flight Sergeant on Lancaster ED916, which crashed June 13, 1943. He died December 1, 2002 in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Raymond ‘Ray’ Hepton HILL, of Montreal, Quebec, Air Gunner on Halifax DT630, which crashed February 3, 1943. He died in the crash and is buried at Sleen General Cemetery in Sleen, The Netherlands.
André Jean Jules HISETTE, of Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, Air Bomber on Halifax LW461, which crashed January 16, 1945. He died in the crash and is buried at Becklingen War Cemetery in Wietzendorf, Germany.
Eric ‘Raymond’ MARQUAND, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Bomb Aimer on Halifax DT630, which crashed February 3, 1943. He died April 25, 2006 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Henry ‘Hank’ PANKRATZ, of Ottawa, Ontario, Wireless Operator on Halifax NP945, which crashed December 6, 1944.

… Unsuccessful Search For Photos …..

Not all searches have been successful, for one reason or another. Below is a listing of some of the outstanding files for which research has been done, but no photo has been found. If you can help with a photo, please let us know.

John Frederick BARTLETT of Moreton’s Harbour, Newfoundland, son of Alfred and Jessie Bartlett, died February 27, 1945, aged 47, while serving with the South Alberta Regiment.
Douglas Gordon BLACK of Amherst, Nova Scotia, son of Sherman and Alice Black, died March 3, 1945, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
Clifford Alexander BLAKE of Toronto, Ontario, son of William C. and Sarah L. Blake, husband of Ferne E. Blake, died February 16, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
James Lyman CAMERON, born in Victoria-By-The-Sea, Prince Edward Island, son of Edward H. and Susan (Harrington) Cameron, died July 24, 1916, aged 23, while serving with the 7^th Canadian Infantry Battalion (1^st British Columbia). (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
Leigh Hunt CAMERON, born in Albany, Prince Edward Island, son of Anna Cameron, died May 5, 1916, aged 17, shortly after enlisting with the 105^th Battalion, C Company. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
William Galen CAMPBELL, born in Wellington, Prince Edward Island, son of John G. and Grace Emma Campbell, died April 24, 1953, aged 55, many years after being discharged from the ^8th Siege Battery of the 3^rd Brigade Canadian Garrison Artillery. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
Karl CHRISTENSEN, from Alberta, but born in Starheim, Nordfjord, Norway, son of Kristian Kristiansen Hafsas and Marie K. Hafsas, died April 10, 1945, aged 41, while serving with the 8^th Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Engineers.
John Edward COLEMAN of Moncton, New Brunswick, son of Edward J. and Florence Coleman, husband of Della Coleman, died June 17, 1945, aged 32, while serving with the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
Lorne Mart COLFORD of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, but born in Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia, son of Howard and Jeanette Colford, died April 14, 1945, aged 22, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.
Bazil CORMIER, born in Tignish, Prince Edward Island, son of Joseph Cormier and Mary Arsenault, died August 12, 1918, aged 20, while serving with the 2^6th (New Brunswick) Battalion. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
Eric John CRUE of Moncton, New Brunswick, son of John and Margaret Crue, died April 6, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
James Frank DOLMAN of Flatlands, New Brunswick, son of Frank Dolman and Lydia Thompson, husband of Henriette Gertrude Lyons, died April 14, 1945, aged 32, while serving with the New Brunswick Rangers -10th Ind. Machine Gun Company.
Samuel George ENGEN of The Pas, Manitoba, died April 23, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment.
Douglas Bernard FARROW of Amherst, Nova Scotia, died April 26, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
Clifford Glen FORSYTH born in Brandon, Manitoba, son of Alexander ‘Sandy’ Forsyth and Margaret McDougall, died April 11, 1945, aged 20, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment.
Ernest Ramey GALLANT, born in Borden (now Borden-Carleton), Prince Edward Island, son of John P. and Mary Blanche Gallant, died May 20, 1943, aged 27, while with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
William James ‘Jimmy’ Sutherland HOLE born in Carman, Manitoba, son of William and Eva Alise Hole, died April 22, 1945, aged 20, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
Claude Pearley HUBLEY of Chipman, New Brunswick, son of Joshua and Adelia Hubley, husband of Agnes Myrtle Hubley, died April 25, 1945, aged 29, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.
John Lewis HUGHES born in Eriksdale, Manitoba, son of Ebenezer George and Ellen (nee Rogan) Hughes, husband of Irene (nee Goodwin) Hughes of Winnipeg, Manitoba, died November 2, 1944, aged 28, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corp – 10th Field Dressing Station.
George Mcdonald JOHNSTON of Toronto, Ontario, son of William and Annie Johnston, died April 2, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment.
Lloyd Edward KITCHING of Winnipeg, Manitoba, son of Robert Burns Lloyd Kitching, and stepson of Eva L. Kitching, died May 1, 1945, aged 25, while serving with the Royal Canadian Artillery – 6^th Field Regiment.
Wallace Herbert LARLEE of Perth, New Brunswick, died April 24, 1945, aged 19, while serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.
Logan Elwood LESLIE, born in Oxford, Nova Scotia, died April 9, 1945, son of John J. and Georgie Mary Leslie of Moncton, New Brunswick, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.
Charles W. LOWTHER, born in North Carleton, Prince Edward Island, son of Bessie Lowther, died September 25, 1918, aged 21, while serving with the 25^th Battalion, Canadian Infantry. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
John Redmond MAHONEY, born in Port Elgin, New Brunswick, son of John J. and Gertrude C. Mahoney, died April 12, 1945, aged 30, while serving with the New Brunswick Rangers-10th Independent Machine Gun Company.
Francis Leslie MULCAHY of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Daniel and Mary Mulcahy, died April 24, 1945, aged 21, while serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.
Archibald Henry NELSON born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, son of William Henry and Winnifred Frances Nelson, died April 18, 1945, aged 34, while serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment.
Arthur Clinton ROBINSON, born in Tryon, Prince Edward Island, son of Albert J. and Flora P. Scruton Robinson, died March 27, 1916, aged 19, while serving with the 26th (New Brunswick) Battalion. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
Harry ROBINSON, born in Augustine Cove, Prince Edward Island, son of Thomas and Sarah Robinson, husband of Clara J. Robinson, died June 27, 1916, aged 34, while serving with the 105^th Battalion, C Company. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
Charles Patrick SHEFFIED of Sundridge, Ontario, son of Charles and Mrs Sheffield, husband of Bessie Alice Butler from Botwood, Newfoundland, and father of Patrick William Wallace Sheffield, died May 4, 1945, aged 24, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
Charles Bernard STAFFORD of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Charles Bernard and Blanche Stafford, husband of Winifred Leitha Stafford of Intake, Sheffield, England, died April 18, 1945, aged 28, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps – 9th Field Ambulance.
Harry WHITE of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Wilfred and Mary White, died May 19, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the West Nova Scotia Regiment.

… The YouTube Channel….

In 2023 the following videos were posted on the YouTube channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw

S4E1 Battle Of Bienen
S4E2 The Last Flight Of Halifax JD215

…Thank you for your support and encouragement of this research project!…

As 2023 comes to an end, we would like to thank all who helped with researching these stories and contributed photos. We also thank readers of this blog, and the On The War Memorial Trail column in The County Line Courier, who suggested some of stories you’ve read. A big thank you goes to Mike and Isabel Smith, owners of The County Line Courier.

Thank you to all the families that contributed photos and stories. Thank you to Judie Klassen and Shawn Rainville who volunteered their time to help find families of soldiers through newspaper and online searches. Thank you to Don Smith for answering any aircraft and military flight questions we’ve had. Thank you to Etienne Gaudet for visiting New Brunswick families on our behalf.

Thank you to the media who helped publicize the search for photos and information – APTN, CBC Radio’s Maritime Noon, ECA Review, Guysborough Journal, The Consort Enterprise, and the Winnipeg Free Press.

Last, but not least, the YouTube channel and videos would not be possible without the invaluable support of post-production editor Wendy Nattress. Wendy also designed and manages the book website: https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

….Happy Holidays…

Pieter and I wish you all the best for the holidays and in 2024. May we never forget those who gave their lives for our freedom.

Xmas greetings from Pieter and Daria

Pieter’s research work continues. If you have photos or information to share, please email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

…Want to follow our research?…

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so. Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

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On The War Memorial Trail…..‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten’ Is Still Available

December 19, 2023December 23, 2023 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten’ is available in print and e-book formats.

December 19, 2023. We appreciate hearing from readers of ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten’, and love seeing the photos that you send. In many cases, the only time we know someone has purchased a book is when they write to let us know.

IMG_2273 Dec 1 2022 Ray Coulsen by John Wales

Ray Coulsen with book. (Photo credit: John Wales)

Ray Coulsen, Curator at the Nova Scotia Highlanders Regimental Museum in Amherst, Nova Scotia, purchased a copy and was able to read about two North Novies featured in the book:

James Arthur AFFLECK, buried at Calais Canadian War Cemetery in France
George Ashley BARTLETT, buried at Bayeux War Cemetery in France

John Wales with book. (Photo courtesy of John Wales)

Until he moved from Amherst, John Wales had been the Assistant Curator at the Nova Scotia Highlanders Regimental Museum, and had also a great interest in the story of Elmer Bagnall MUTTART, of the Royal Canadian Air Force, who is buried in Harlingen General Cemetery in The Netherlands, and whose story is also featured in the book.

CIMG6561 Oct 20 2023 Paulette Ryan with book

Paulette Ryan with book. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Paulette Ryan contacted us after a trip in which she visited the Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands. We had a chance to meet for coffee as she had brought back a booklet for Pieter from Alice van Bekkum, Chair of the Faces To Graves Foundation Groesbeek. The Dutch-language booklet contains short stories about some of the soldiers buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.

CIMG6559 Oct 20 2023 Pieter with Paulette Ryan

Pieter with Paulette Ryan. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

20230918_124503 Sep 18 2023 Malcolm John Pres Richibuctu Legion with book

Malcolm John with book. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

This fall we visited the Richibucto Legion Branch No. 30 in Richibucto, New Brunswick, and met the Branch President, Malcolm John. The Legion had photos of WWII soldier Albert Noel LAMONTAGNE in a shadow box donated by the family of Albert Chevarie. Malcolm had sent us photos of every item in the shadow box, for an upcoming story in 2024 about this soldier, who is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.

After purchasing a book last fall, Simone Comeau took the time to write. “…I have just completed reading your interesting book. Your work and dedication is unbelievable. Thank you very much for all you have done and are still doing so that no one gave their lives in vain. Your efforts are a great relief to the families of the fallen soldiers as many were left just knowing their loved ones had died somewhere in Europe. This includes my family and my uncle’s siblings and their parents…”

Simone’s uncle, WWII soldier Joseph ‘Ambroise’ COMEAU, from Lower Saulnierville, Nova Scotia, was one of 5 soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment who drowned in a tragic accident on the Leda River during the Battle of Leer in Germany on April 28, 1945. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/05/17/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-tragic-drowning-on-the-leda-river-in-germany-part-3/ and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/11/10/on-the-war-memorial-trail-linking-the-past-with-the-present/)

If you’ve read ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten’ do let us know! In case you missed an earlier blog posting, ‘Holten Heroes’, by Jan Braakman, and translated from Dutch by us, was published a few months ago. For more information, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/01/new-book-about-soldiers-buried-in-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-holten-the-netherlands/

Thank you to Ray Coulsen, John Wales, Paulette Ryan, Malcom John, and Simone Comeau. Do you have photos or information to share? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.

© Daria Valkenburg

…Previous Postings About The Book…

To read previous postings about ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten’:

….Want to follow our research?….

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In Memoriam To John Robinson and Donald Moore

November 4, 2023 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

In_memoriam

November 4, 2023. Over the past years, the On The War Memorial Trail Research Project has been telling stories of those who have served our country. This isn’t done in isolation but with the help of many families who contributed photos and personal recollections.

..John Robinson was the nephew of WWI soldier Arthur Clinton Robinson…

This week, we received word that Arthur ‘John’ Robinson, nephew of Arthur Clinton ROBINSON, a WWI soldier with the 26^th (New Brunswick) Battalion, from Tryon, Prince Edward Island, who is buried in Belgium, passed away. (See https://www.saltwire.com/prince-edward-island/obituaries/arthur-john-cm-robinson-94002/)

Hazel and John Robinson. (Photo courtesy of the Robinson Family)

We visited Arthur’s grave in La Laiterie Military Cemetery in 2017. Up to now, however, neither we nor the family have been able to find a photo of this WWI soldier, who is listed on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion in Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island.

For more information on Arthur Clinton ROBINSON, see:

…Donald Moore was the nephew of WWII soldier Archie McLean…

Today we learned that Donald Allan Shadrach Moore, nephew of WWII soldier Archibald Phillip ‘Archie’ MCLEAN of Edmundston, New Brunswick, passed away. (See https://www.saltwire.com/prince-edward-island/obituaries/donald-allan-shadrach-moore-94043/)

CIMG6452 Aug 29 2023 Pieter Don Moore Tina Mundy

Pieter with Donald Moore and Tina Mundy. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Archie, who was serving with the Carleton & York Regiment at the time of his death on April 17, 1945, is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands. You can read his story here: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/09/13/on-the-war-memorial-trail-archie-was-a-good-guy/

Our deepest condolences go to the families of John Robinson and Donald Moore.

If you are able to help with a photo of Arthur Clinton Robinson, please let us know. You can email us at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.

© Daria Valkenburg

…Previous In Memoriams….

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In Memoriam To Delbert Carr And Pam Alexander

July 29, 2023August 31, 2023 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

In_memoriam

July 29, 2023. Over the past years, the On The War Memorial Trail Research Project has been telling stories of those who have served our country. In the course of Pieter’s research, we’ve had the privilege of meeting many of the families who contributed photos and stories.

When Pieter first began researching the names on the Cenotaph outside the Legion in Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island in 2015, two of the first stories were that of WWI soldier Vincent Earl CARR and WWII pilot Elmer Bagnall MUTTART.

…Delbert and Helen Carr provided the first photo for the Cenotaph Research Project…

We were very sorry to hear of the passing of Delbert Carr, nephew of WWI soldier Vincent Earl Carr. (See https://www.saltwire.com/prince-edward-island/obituaries/delbert-louis-carr-90441/

CIMG3083 Aug 31 2019 Pieter with Helen & Delbert Carr

Pieter with Helen and Delbert (seated) Carr of Tryon. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

When Pieter began his research into the 48 names on the Cenotaph in Borden-Carleton, we carried a photo of the names with us in the hope that someone would recognize a name. We had no luck until one day Helen Carr mentioned that her husband’s uncle, Vincent CARR, was listed on the memorial. Did we want a photo of him? With that photo, Pieter delved into Vincent Carr’s military records and learned that he died on October 30, 1917 during the Battle of Passchendaele.

That was the first story we wrote about, which was published in the County Line Courier newspaper in October 2016. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2017/07/28/the-cenotaph-research-project-begins/)

In 2017, we visited the grave where Vincent Carr is buried in Belgium (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2017/11/03/on-the-war-memorial-trail-of-passchendaele-and-surrounding-area/) and that visit led to a mystery that wasn’t solved until two years later. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2019/09/01/the-three-ww1-soldiers-who-were-buried-together-at-passchendaele/)

…Pam Alexander was the daughter of Halifax L9561 navigator Reg Alexander…

The story of WWII pilot Elmer Bagnall MUTTART, who died after his plane was shot down over The Netherlands on October 12, 1941, has unfolded over several years, and began with this posting, one of the first stories on our blog: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2017/07/28/the-elmer-bagnall-muttart-story/.

Earlier this month, Don Coutts notified us that his mother Helen Coutts, Elmer’s sister, had passed away at the age of 101. (See https://www.humphreymiles.com/obituaries/Helen-Muttart-Coutts?obId=28481417) An In Memoriam article was posted last week. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/07/22/in-memorium-to-helen-nee-muttart-coutts/)

We were then saddened to learn that Pam Alexander, who was so much a part of this research file, had passed away in England on April 7, 2023. It wasn’t until Pam’s husband published her obituary earlier in July that we knew of her passing. (See https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jul/12/pam-alexander-obituary?CMP=share_btn_fb&fbclid=IwAR1twqhqrZC2cWxeDZShwYudyGpk1VcMnnG-HpYfzqJb-qiMFQB5L0rlDtw and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Alexander)

When Pieter began researching Elmer’s story, he soon learned about Reg Alexander, the navigator on Elmer’s last flight, Halifax L9561. This led him to the daughter of Reg, Pam Alexander, who he first got in contact with in October 2016.

Pam explained that “…My father did speak with Mr Muttart’s parents after the war but may not have given them all the details, which I only discovered when he was in his eighties. As children we had visited the Canadian War Memorial in Runnymede regularly in November in remembrance of my father’s pilot, who was known as ‘Happy’ Muttart….”

She had visited Harlingen General Cemetery, where Elmer is buried, with her father. “…The wreath my father placed said ‘From a grateful and admiring member of the crew and his family’…”

Oct 12 2019 Pam Alexander Harlingen General Cemetery from Sikko Drijver

Pam Alexander (identified by red arrow) at Harlingen General Cemetery in Harlingen, The Netherlands, on October 12, 2019. (Photo credit: Sikko Drijver)

Pam and her husband Roger Booker, and Pam’s sister Carolyn, attended the commemoration events and unveiling of the memorial panel in Won in October 2019, and so we had a chance to finally meet her in person. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2019/11/18/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-memorial-panel-in-wons-is-unveiled/)

Our deepest condolences go to the families of Delbert Carr and Pam Alexander.

Do you have a story to tell? Pieter encourages you to email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.

…Previous In Memoriams….

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Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEurope 4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats. Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

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On The War Memorial Trail….. The WWI Soldier From Tryon Who Was Raised By His Grandparents

July 24, 2023October 29, 2024 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

July 24, 2023. When Pieter was contacted by Ivan MacDonald about Ivan’s father, we initially thought we would be researching a WWII soldier from Prince Edward Island. We were wrong. Ivan’s father, Angus Clayton MACDONALD, served in WWI!

CIMG6416 Jul 4 2023 Pieter Ivan & Edna MacDonald

Pieter with Ivan MacDonald and Ivan’s wife Edna. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

“…He was brought up by his grandparents in Mount Tryon…” Ivan explained.

Ivan’s nephew, Philip MacDonald, sent us the Service Regimental Number for Angus, which meant Pieter could easily find the WWI Service File. “…Angus MacDonald was my grandfather. He was born on May 2, 1896 to a single mom, Alice MacDonald, who later married John Heatly (aka Hately) from Tryon. Grampy was raised by Donald and Christy MacDonald so this is how as a boy he learned to speak Gaelic….”

…Angus enlisted in Charlottetown…

Angus Clayton MacDonald. (Photo courtesy of the MacDonald Family. Photo colourization by Pieter Valkenburg)

On August 29, 1917, the Military Service Act came into effect, stating that all males between 20 and 45 were subject to conscription until the end of the war. (See https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/military-service-act)

The enlistment form for Angus noted that he had been drafted when he enlisted with H Company, 1^st Depot Battalion, Nova Scotia Regiment, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, on March 21, 1918. In the form, he stated that he was born on May 2, 1897 in Tryon, Prince Edward Island, and was a farmer. (This was a year later than other records stated.)

We asked Ivan if Angus had enlisted at the same time as any relatives or friends, and he said he didn’t know. We found that Bruce Sutherland MCKAY, who grew up not far from Angus, enlisted on the same day in the same Regiment. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2019/04/22/the-ww1-soldier-who-never-made-it-to-the-front/)

…Angus sailed to England aboard the SS Scotian…

Angus Clayton MacDonald and Bruce Sutherland McKay travelled to England on the same voyage aboard the troopship Scotian. (Photo source: https://birtwistlewiki.com.au/wiki/HMT_Scotian)

Within a few weeks of enlistment Angus was on his way to the United Kingdom, aboard the troopship SS Scotian, arriving in Liverpool, England on April 28, 1918.

Upon arrival, Angus was sent to Segregation Camp, Frensham Pond, in Bramshott. This was a prudent measure as the first wave of infectious diseases had already affected men held in crowded conditions. In April 1918, senior military officials had set up segregation camps to hold arrivals from Canada for 28 days before joining their units.

Bruce Sutherland McKay was on the same voyage, but once they docked in England, their paths diverged as McKay had developed scarlet fever during the journey.

On May 5, 1918, Angus was admitted to the 12^th General Hospital in Bramshott with mumps. It wasn’t until July 10, 1918 that he was discharged, assigned to the 2^nd Canadian Convalescent Depot (CCD) and sent to the Nova Scotia Regimental Depot (NSRD), which was at Bramshott. This was the facility behind the front used to assemble men and to store and administer equipment and materials.

On August 10, 1918, he was deemed fully recovered and transferred to the 17^th Canadian Reserve Battalion in Bramshott for training and preparation for the fighting at the front.

…Angus qualified as a marksman…

Philip had wondered if the crossed rifles on the sleeve of his grandfather’s uniform had any significance. It meant that he had successfully passed a marksman course, which entitled him to wear crossed rifles on his uniform. A marksman was not a sniper, which required further training. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marksman)

On October 26, 1918, Angus was transferred to the 85^th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders) and sent to France. (For more information, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/85th_Battalion_(Nova_Scotia_Highlanders),_CEF)

The war was nearing its end, with much of the German Army in retreat following the Battle of Valenciennes on November 1, 1918. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Valenciennes_(1918))

Allied troops kept up the pressure with a general advance, and on November 4, 1918, the 3^rd and 4^th Canadian Divisions arrived on both sides of the Valenciennes-Mons road. The Allied objective? Cross the French border into Belgium and forge a passage through the parallel rivers of the Grand Honnelle and Petite Honnelle, moving the battlefront towards the line between Mons on the left and Aulnois on the right.

…Angus was wounded in the last week of WWI…

On November 5, 1918, the Passage of the Grande Honnelle Battle began around Honnelles, and lasted until November 7, 1918. Located in Belgium, Honnelles is a small village near the French border, located near the Petite Honnelle river. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passage_of_the_Grande_Honnelle)

The 85th Battalion was part of the 4th Canadian Division, which initially stayed on the French side of the border before crossing the border into Belgium. On November 6, 1918 Angus received gunshot wounds to both arms and was sent to the 23^rd Casualty Clearing Station.

On November 10, 1918, Angus was transferred to the No. 22 General Hospital in Camiers, France before being transported back to England on November 27, 1918. He was hospitalized at Clandon Park House until January 30, 1919. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clandon_Park_House)

From Clandon Park, he was transferred to Woodcote Park Military Convalescent Hospital in Epsom, until he was discharged on February 19, 1919. (See https://wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/hospitals/hospital.php?pid=18196)

Upon discharge he returned to the 17^th Reserve Battalion camp, located in Ripon in North Yorkshire, before being sent on March 19, 1919 to Kinmel Park Camp in Wales, about 48 km from Liverpool, where he and other soldiers waited their turn to board a ship back to Canada.

Competition for shipping among the Allied powers, labour disruption due to strikes by dockworkers, seamen, miners and police, and shortages of food and coal made for miserable conditions.

Luckily, Angus didn’t have to wait long before he boarded the SS Megantic, returning to Canada and receiving his discharge certificate on April 16, 1919 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

…Civilian life with a wife and children…

Upon returning to civilian life, Angus worked in fishing for Harry Crossman in Cape Traverse, Prince Edward Island. He bought a motorcycle, and on a trip to visit his aunt in Lower Bedeque, he met Ruby Frances Rose of nearby Chelton. They married on October 27, 1921 and raised 3 sons and a daughter.

Angus Ruby and Eldon 1924 photo from Ivan cropped and restored

Ruby and Angus MacDonald with son Eldon in 1922. (Photo courtesy of the MacDonald family)

“…Eldon was the oldest, born in 1922. I was born in 1930. Herbert, who was Philip’s father, was born in 1933…” Ivan told us.

“…In the 1930s he sold Plymouth cars in Summerside, but times were very tough due to the Depression…” Ivan recalled. “…He was very smart, and could do mechanical work, carpentry, build a flue, just as a few examples. He had a small workshop and made axe handles….”

…Angus died in 1979 following a stroke…

After suffering a stroke, Angus died a few months later, on April 30, 1979 at Prince County Hospital in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. He was buried at the Lower Bedque Cemetery.

grave stone Angus C MacDonald Lower Bedeque

Grave of Angus Clayton MacDonald at Lower Bedeque Cemetery. (Photo source: http://www.findagrave.com)

Philip MacDonald wrote Pieter to say “… I very much enjoy the stories of all the veterans you and your wife have written for the County Line Courier. I feel it is important to recognize that these men had a life and family they left behind because their country asked them to do so. I’m not sure this is something many of us really consider when we hear the names being read once a year on Remembrance Day…”

Thank you to Ivan and Edna MacDonald for sharing information about Ivan’s father, and to Philip MacDonald for sharing information and finding his grandfather’s Service Regimental Number.

Do you have a story to tell? Pieter encourages you to email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.

…Want to follow our research?…

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On The War Memorial Trail…..A Canadian Nurse At The Women Veterans Memorial Park In Destin

July 8, 2023September 3, 2023 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 4 Comments

CIMG6129Feb 4 2023 Women Veterans Memorial Park

The entrance to the Women Veterans Memorial park by the Convention Center in Destin, Florida. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

July 8, 2023. When we were in Florida several months ago and heard about the Women Veterans Memorial Park, we just had to go and see it. Over the years, we’ve been to many cenotaphs and memorials, but never one dedicated to women who’ve served.

CIMG6125Feb 4 2023 Women Veterans Memorial Park

A dedication plaza is encircled by a number of flags, including the US flag, a POW-MIA flag, Florida, Okaloosa county flag, military, and Coast Guard flags. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

CIMG6100Feb 4 2023 Women Veterans Memorial Park

Standing at the entrance are, left to right, Mary Ann Greiner, Gwen Greiner, Rick Greiner, and Pieter. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

We weren’t sure what to expect, but found 8 bronze statues of women veterans, each one representing a conflict that the USA had been in, starting with the Revolutionary War, and ending with the war in Afghanistan. Each life-sized statue was accompanied by a marker with a brief biography of each woman.

We walked along a winding path on the Choctawhatchee Bay coastline, stopping at each statue along the way. It’s in a beautiful location and the path is accessible by wheelchair. (For more information, see https://myokaloosa.com/bcc/women-veterans-memorial)

…The WWI statue featured a nurse from New Brunswick!…

CIMG6105Feb 4 2023 Women Veterans Memorial Park

Pieter by the statue of WWI United States Navy Nurse Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

By the statue for the woman veteran honoured for WWI, Lenah Sutcliffe HIGBEE, we were astonished to read that she “…immigrated to the United States from Canada, completed her nursing training in 1899, and began working as a surgical nurse. She joined the United States Navy in 1908 as one of the original ‘Sacred Twenty’, the nurses who started the Navy Nurse Corps….”

… Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee was born in New Brunswick….

Wow! Who was this woman? we wondered. And where in Canada was she from? Lenah was born on May 18, 1873 (some records say 1874) in Chatham, New Brunswick, the daughter of the Reverend Ingham and Anne Amelia (nee Bent) Sutcliffe.

As stated on the plaque by her statue, Lenah finished her nurses training in 1899 – at New York Post-Graduate Hospital, and went into private practice. That same year she married Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel John H. Higbee.

Sadly, her husband died in April 1908 and Lenah took more advanced training at Fordham Hospital that same year. In October 1908 she was able to join the US Navy Corps as she was unmarried – as a widow under 44 years of age, she qualified!

The plaque by the statue noted that the nurses were the “…first females to serve in the United States Navy, but they were excluded from holding Navy rank….”

Lenah served 14 years with the US Navy. In 1911, she “…rose to become the second superintendent of the Navy Nurse Corps…She training and managed thousands of nurses during WWI and the influenza pandemic of 1918…”

Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee in 1918. (Photo credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Harris & Ewing, [reproduction number LC-DIG-hec-10981])

In addition, Lenah “….lobbied for expanded healthcare for military dependents, helped expand the role of nurses in military medicine, formalized the Navy nursing uniforms, created the Navy Nurse Corps insignia, and generally advanced the status of women in the military…”

In 1918, Lenah was the first woman to be awarded the Navy Cross. Her citation noted her “…distinguished service in the line of her profession and unusual and conspicuous devotion to duty as Superintendent of the Navy Nurse Corps…”

Lenah retired from the Navy on November 23, 1922. She passed away at the age of 66 in Winter Park, Florida on January 10, 1941 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, next to her husband.

…Two ships have been named after Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee….

Two destroyer ships have been named after Lenah:

USS Higbee (DD-806), commissioned in 1945, was the first US Navy warship to bear the name of one of its female members. The plaque by Lenah’s statue noted it was nicknamed ‘Leaping Lenah’ and served in WWII and the Korean War, before being used in fleet training exercises. (See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Higbee)
USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123), commissioned in Key West, Florida on May 13, 2023. (See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Lenah_Sutcliffe_Higbee)

…A short video on the Women Veterans Memorial Park….

For more information on the Women Veterans Memorial Park, and how such a unique memorial came to be, you can watch this short video:

…More on Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee….

For more information on Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee, see:

Thank you to Shawn Rainville for researching newspaper archives and other sources for information on Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee.

Thanks also go to Bob and Lynn Young for telling us about this wonderful memorial park, and to Mary Ann, Rick, and Gwen Greiner for going with us to see the Memorial. Rick had organized the JB-2 Rocket Tour that Pieter participated in last year. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/04/16/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-jb-2-rocket-tour-in-florida/)

While all 8 women featured had compelling stories, we couldn’t resist researching the story of Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee, a fellow Canadian from The Maritimes!

Do you have a story to tell? Pieter encourages you to email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.

…Want to follow our research?…

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….Lawrence was operated on to straighten his elbow….

….Lawrence returned to duty….

….Lawrence was injured in action….

….Lawrence was sent to England for treatment….

….Lawrence did not return to the front….

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….A cold and wet winter on the Salisbury Plain….

…. “The Germans call us the ‘Women From Hell’…”….

…. Lawrence was on the front line in the trenches….

…. Lawrence was injured playing football….

…. Lawrence had a ‘close shave’ at the front….

…. Lawrence was grateful to be out of the trenches….

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….Troops marched from Valcartier to Quebec City….

….Lawrence sailed to England aboard HMT Scotian….

….Lawrence counted himself lucky not to get seasick….

….Troops marched from the train station to the Salisbury Plain….

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…Two brothers from Covehead enlisted …

…Lawrence was among the first recruits at Valcartier in 1914 …

… Valcartier was the only training camp in 1914 …

… A short video on Valcartier camp in 1914 …

… Lawrence was soon to go overseas …

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…Book ‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’….

…We received a 2023 Heritage Recognition Award from the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation….

…We received a Legionnaire of the Year Award ….

…Presentation ‘Up Close With A Halifax Bomber’….

…. Soldiers Listed On The Cenotaph Outside Borden-Carleton Legion …….

… WWI Related Stories….

… WWII Related Stories….

…Indigenous Soldiers….

…. Stories About Servicemen From The Maritimes…

…. Stories About Servicemen From Outside The Maritimes…

…In Conversation And More….

…. Interviews To Highlight Search For Photos….

…. Letters To The Editor For Photo Searches….

… Successful Search For Photos …..

… Unsuccessful Search For Photos …..

… The YouTube Channel….

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..John Robinson was the nephew of WWI soldier Arthur Clinton Robinson…

…Donald Moore was the nephew of WWII soldier Archie McLean…

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…Delbert and Helen Carr provided the first photo for the Cenotaph Research Project…

…Pam Alexander was the daughter of Halifax L9561 navigator Reg Alexander…

…Previous In Memoriams….

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…Angus enlisted in Charlottetown…

…Angus sailed to England aboard the SS Scotian…

…Angus qualified as a marksman…

…Angus was wounded in the last week of WWI…

…Civilian life with a wife and children…

…Angus died in 1979 following a stroke…

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…The WWI statue featured a nurse from New Brunswick!…

… Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee was born in New Brunswick….

…Two ships have been named after Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee….

…A short video on the Women Veterans Memorial Park….

…More on Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee….

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*…Book ‘**Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’….*

… *Unsuccessful Search For Photos …..***