Monday 20 November 2006

Private John Charles Alexander

Born on 26 September 1897 in St. Thomas, Ontario - son of William Gordan and Janet Hartes Alexander, St. Thomas, Ontario - attestation form states trade as callboy, single, not now or previously a member of the military, height of 5 feet 2 inches, chest of 34.5 inches, medium complexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair, Presbyterian.

Joined the 91st Canadian Infantry Battalion on 6 March 1916 (number 190044) - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion in France on 20 or 21 August 1916 - invalided sick on 18 November 1916 - died of sickness on 6 February 1917 - buried in Ste. Marie Cemetery, France.

Private William Aldrich

Born on 28 April 1884 in New Dublin, Ontario - son of Simeon Aldrich, Tincap, Ontario - recruitment form states trade as farmer, single, Methodist, not now or previously a member of the military.

Conscripted into the 1st Depot Battalion, Eastern Ontario Regiment, on 25 May 1918 (number 4021678) - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion in France on 10 or 11 October 1918 - invalided sick to England on 24 November 1918.

Sunday 19 November 2006

Private Ernest Floyd Alcock

Born on 4 January 1894 in Toronto, Ontario - son of Mary Alcock - attestation form notes present address in Toronto, Ontario, mechanic by trade, single, not presently a member of the military, formerly one year as a private with the Canadian Army Service Corps and five months as a sapper with the Canadian Engineers, height of 5 feet 6.75 inches, chest of 37 inches, fair complexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair, Church of England.

Joined the Canadian Army Service Corps on 18 January 1917 (number 513699) - taken on the strength of 38th Battalion in France on 5 July 1917 - wounded on 30 October 1917 - rejoined the 38th Battalion on 21 December 1917 - invalided sick on 4 April 1918.

Wednesday 15 November 2006

Private John Aitken

Born on 6 January 1883 in Dumbarton, Scotland - son of James and Elizabeth Aitken, Dumbarton, Scotland - attestation paper states trade as laborer, single (Miss Irene Galvin listed as fiancee), never before served in the military, height of 5 feet 3.5 inches, chest of 37 inches, fair complexion, blue eyes, fair hair, Baptist.

Joined the 38th Battalion on 10 March 1915 (number 410004) - served with the battalion during its period of garrison duty in Bermuda - landed in France with the battalion on 13 August 1916 - wounded on 18 or 19 November 1916 - rejoined the battalion on 17 February 1917 - wounded on 6 April 1917 - rejoined the battalion on 17 April 1917 - invalided sick to England on 10 May 1917 - transferred to the 13th Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops, on 11 June 1918.

Private Hugh Aitken

Born on 1 September 1875 in Glasgow, Scotland - next of kin, Jennie Aitken, wife, Ottawa, Ontario - attestation form states trade as bricklayer, married, never before a member of the military, height of 5 feet 4 inches, chest of 36 inches, ruddy complexion, hazel eyes, black hair, Presbyterian.

Joined the 38th Battalion on 5 March 1915 (number 410325) - transferred to the 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion in France on 25 August 1915 - wounded on 8 May 1916.

Private Joseph Wallace Aitchison

Born on 27 March 1897 - son of William and Elizabeth Aitchison, Wingham, Ontario - attestation papers noted trade as butcher, single, never been a member of the military, height of 5 feet 7.5 inches, chest of 36 inches, fair complexion, blue eyes, light hair, Presbyterian.

Joined the 161st Canadian Infantry Battalion on 2 December 1915 (number 654001) - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion in France on 29 December 1916 - wounded on 9 April 1917 - died of those wounds on 11 April 1917 - buried in Bruay Cemetery, France.

Private Norman Aikin

Born on 20 April 1898 in Hamilton, Ontario - next of kin, Charles Aikin, father - attestation form gives trade as wiper, single, never been a member of the military, height of 5 feet 7 inches, chest of 32 inches, fair complexion, grey eyes, red hair, Roman Catholic.

Joined the 96th Canadian Infantry Battalion on 20 January 1916 (number 207185) - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion in France on 5 or 6 March 1917 - wounded on 29 October 1917 - later served with Reserve Units - promoted to Acting Sergeant.

Saturday 11 November 2006

Private David Stephen Adamson

Born on 3 December 1892 in Scotland - next of kin, Mrs Mary Adamson, mother - attestation form gives trade as laborer, single, not a present member of the militia, previously served with 5th Black Watch Territorials, height of 5 feet 7 inches, chest of 39 inches, florid complexion, blue eyes, dark hair, Presbyterian.

Joined the 59th Canadian Infantry Battalion - transferred to the 38th Battalion on 22 June 1915 (number 410003) - served with the 38th Battalion during its period of garrison duty in Bermuda - landed in France with the battalion on 13 August 1916 - wounded on 26 June 1917 - rejoined the 38th Battalion on 3 July 1917 - struck off the strength of the 38th Battalion on 13 May 1918 - later served with the CMGRP[?], CCRC[?] and CGBD[?], and promoted to Acting-Sergeant.

Private Thomas Ray Adams

Born on 15 February 1898 [actually 1900] in Eau Claire, Ontario - next of kin, Thomas Adams, father - enlistment form gives trade as farmer, single, member of 97th Regiment, highet of 5 feet 5.5 inches, chest of 33.5 inches, medium complexion, brown eyes, brown hair, Presbyterian.

Joined the 159th Canadian Infantry Battalion on 6 June 1916 (number 649421) - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion in France on 26 or 27 June 1917 - declared sick on 25 January 1918 - transferred to the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade Depot on 4 April 1918 - invalided to England as a "minor" on 23 April 1918.

Lieutenant Joseph Dorney Adams

Born on 30 April 1895 in Ottawa, Ontario - son of WJH and Minnie Dorney Adams - enlistment form gives journalist by trade, Roman Catholic, had been a member of the 5th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards for the last three years.

Joined the 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion on 23 March 1916 - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion in France on 11 November 1917 - died on 2 September 1918 of wounds received that day, age 23 - buried in Aubigny Cemetery, France.

Friday 10 November 2006

Private Harold James Adams

Born on 5 December 1894 in Dover, England - next of kin listed as Mrs RD McDougall, Glen Roy, Ontario - at the time of his enlistment in 1915: trade as labourer; single; no current or previous military service; Roman Catholic; height of 5 feet 7.5 inches; chest of 39 inches fully expanded; ruddy complexion; brown eyes; black hair.

Joined the 38th Battalion, CEF, in Alexandria, Ontario, on 16 January 1915 (number 410547) - transferred to the 2nd Canadian Infantry Battlion in France on 25 August 1915 as part of a reinforcement draft - wounded on 4 September 1918.

Awarded the Military Medal.

(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; Canadian War Museum, 19740281-001, Manu 58F 2 3, 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Nominal Roll; The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regimental Museum, A400-0007, Master Personnel List for the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force; Commonwealth War Graves Commission, "Debt of Honour" register, www.cwgc.org)

Private George Aca Adams


Born on 27 November 1878 in the state of Kansas, USA - brother of Miss CH Deane, Halstead, Pennsylvania - at the time of his enlistment in 1916: present address as Mawer, SK; trade as farmer; single; was not currently a member of the Active Militia; served six months with North-West Mounted Police in South Africa; height as 5 feet 8 inches; chest as 38 inches fully expanded; ruddy complexion; grey eyes; dark brown hair; and a Presbyterian.

Joined the 128th Battalion, CEF, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, on 6 March 1916 (number 782196) - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion, CEF, on 5 July 1917 - struck off the strength of the 38th Battalion on 16 June 1919.

(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; Canadian War Museum, 19740281-001, Manu 58F 2 3, 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Nominal Roll; The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regimental Museum, A400-0007, Master Personnel List for the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force)

Thursday 9 November 2006

The idea behind this blog

For several years now I've been researching and writing a history of the 38th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, and its experience during the First World War. Throughout this time one of the things that's bothered / intrigued me is the amount of information I've been able to gather on individual members of the 38th but without any really feasible outlet for the information. In the back of my mind I've wanted to write a collective biography of these men, but I'm not sure that will ever happen. (I still have a lot of work left to do just writing the overall history). Putting the information slowly onto my website is also possible, but seems a lot of web-type work that I'm not really up for. So, what I have concluded is, why not use a blog to present this information? I'm already familiar with Blogger (from my other blog - The Cannon's Mouth) and it's a quick and easy means to get some information out onto the web and, hopefully, garner some feedback as I go along.

So, here's the plan. I will write individual posts on members of the 38th - hopefully one a day or so - using some of the basic information I've gathered. I will then consider each of these posts to be available for editing, in other words I will add more information as I find it - images, medal citations, newspaper blurbs, etc., etc. I will use labels (see the bottom of this message) specific to each unique family name (all the Smiths together, for example) and these will appear on the right sidebar as a type of index to the individuals. This will become unwieldy when I've written posts for hundreds of individuals, but I'll try to figure something out.

Feedback would be wonderful! Further information on one or more soldiers I've written about, fantastic!