| Ours is not a military family. Neither of my grandfathers
was in the First World War - one was a minister and the other had weak lungs.
Growing up, I was aware of two great-uncles that had died in the War, and
several others who served. With the opening of the files of the Canadian
Expeditionary Force by the National Archives, it appears that over 30 relatives
(and several more in-laws) volunteered to serve overseas. Significantly,
all of these were native-born Canadians. For most of them, their parents
and grandparents were also born in Canada. Six were killed.
Use the name and/or regimental number to find the file reference in the National Archives' Soldiers of the First World War - Canadian Expeditionary Force. In most cases, as indicated below, the Attestation Papers have been scanned and posted on the CEF website. Those who enlisted in the RAF directly (even though they did so in Canada) do not have their personnel files at the National Archives. |
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| Name
(link to Family Tree) |
Regimental
Number |
Enlisted | Attestation
Papers |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Leo Dillon | 27609 |
20 Sept 1914 |
Scanned |
Spent over two years at the Front and was wounded twice |
| James Gordon Baker | 9159 |
22 Sept 1914 |
Scanned |
Captured after only two weeks at the Front ; spent most of the war as a POW |
| F.W.A. (Archie) Helmkay | 6809 |
23 Sept 1914 |
Scanned |
|
| Finnie George MacKinnon | 117088 |
6 Jan 1915 |
Scanned |
Severely wounded at the Somme and returned to England; later joined the RAF |
| John Alexander MacKinnon | 117089 |
6 Jan 1915 |
Scanned |
Wounded twice, then evacuated to England; married his English nurse |
| Walter Little Carruthers | 1583 |
20 Feb 1915 |
Scanned |
Enlisted while a medical student; served with the Medical Corps in England |
| Donald McGillivray | 406913 |
16 Apr 1915 |
Scanned |
Sergeant with the 86th Machine Gun Bn |
| Grant Helmkay | 108285 |
26 Apr 1915 |
Scanned |
|
| Arthur Hurbert Keith Russell | N/A (RNCVR) |
May 1915 |
N/A |
Joined Royal Naval Canadian Volunteers Reserve in May 1915; transferred to the Royal Naval Air Force and the Royal Flying Corps April 1918 |
| Arthur Shaver | 285255 |
16 May 1915 | Scanned |
|
| Alexander McGilvery | 141256 |
27 July 1915 |
Scanned |
Shrapnel wound at the Somme after 2 months in France |
| Roy Reynolds | 192319 |
13 Aug 1915 |
Scanned |
In the field a month at the Somme when invalided due to lungs weakened by a gas shell, trench fever and pleurisy |
| Ernest Adolphus Ellis | 405258 |
23 Aug 1915 |
Scanned |
Wounded at Courcellette, Vimy Ridge and Lens; spent nearly 20 months at the Front |
| Howard Sutton Shaver | 157683 |
15 Sept 1915 |
Scanned |
Killed at Courcellette one year to the day after he enlisted. |
| Harold Ross Cain | 225538 |
9 Oct 1915 |
Scanned |
Enlisted underage; 18 months at the Front; received a bullet wound |
| Robert Earle Drope | 220074 |
19 Oct 1915 |
Scanned |
Spent over 32 months at the Front; wounded once; promoted to Corporal, then Sergeant |
| Franklin Collin Baker | 739513 |
12 Nov 1915 |
Scanned |
Lieutenant with sixteen years prior experience in the militia; killed after 2.5 months at the Front |
| Colin Ray Baker | 814726 |
25 Nov 1915 |
Scanned |
Missing in action and presumed dead after nine months at the Front |
| Kenneth Nettleton | 642030 |
3 Jan 1916 |
Scanned |
|
| Albert Edward Sterling | 511119 |
12 Jan 1916 |
Scanned |
|
| Glen Burk | 189883 |
16 Jan 1916 |
Scanned |
|
| Malcolm MacKinnon | 651746 |
5 Feb 1916 |
Scanned |
Enlisted in the 160th Bruce Bn; received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for conspicuous bravery in the field |
| George Arthur McGilvery | 757901 |
28 Feb 1916 |
Scanned |
Discharged after a few months for medical reasons |
| F.W.A. (Archie) Helmkay | 657954 |
28 Feb 1916 |
Scanned |
|
| C.C.A. (Albert) Helmkay | 657956 |
29 Feb 1916 |
Scanned |
|
| William John McGilvery | 690763 |
9 Mar 1916 |
Scanned |
Over 18 months at the Front without being wounded |
| Herbert Russell Baston | 770272 |
13 Mar 1916 |
Scanned |
Wounded by gas shell; over 2 years in France |
| Walter Sydney Sterling | 730662 |
22 Mar 1916 | Scanned |
|
| Thomas Bruce Drope | 907333 |
13 Apr 1916 |
Scanned |
Killed in the assault on Vimy Ridge |
| William Walter Cain | 237732 |
3 May 1916 |
Scanned |
Did not get to the Front until Apr 1918 |
| Raymond Gourlay McPhie | 231525 |
6 May 1916 |
Scanned |
Remained in England; joined the RAF near the end of the war |
| Elizabeth Ann MacKinnon | Nursing Sister |
28 Jun 1916 |
Went overseas in 1915 with the Chicago Medical Unit and served at Etaples; joined the CEF in London, England to nurse her relatives | |
| Alexander Earle Baker | 513032 |
3 Oct 1916 |
Scanned |
Had prior militia experience; served in England in accounting roles |
| David Gordon MacDonald | 490889 |
4 Nov 1916 |
Scanned |
|
| George Melbourne Taylor | VR/3106 |
22 Dec 1916 |
N/A |
Underage; died in England while with the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve. |
| Albert Edward McGilvray | 2327446 |
1 Jun 1917 |
Scanned |
Got to the Front in Apr 1918 as a gunner; returned to England after 6 months with trench fever |
| Alexander George McGillivray | N/A (RAF) |
Sept 1917 |
N/A |
Joined the RAF after high school ; killed in England on a training flight |
| William Lorne Helmkay | 3037056 |
19 Oct 1917 |
Scanned |
Drafted |
| Freeman Helmkay | 3039155 |
24 Oct 1917 |
Scanned |
Drafted |
| Frederick Alfred Shaver | 3230760 |
18 Jan 1918 |
Scanned |
Drafted |
| Herbert Russell Roy | 2356612 |
11 Apr 1918 | Scanned |
Drafted |
| William Henery Shaver | 3035224 |
19 Apr 1918 |
Scanned |
Drafted |
| Blake Valleau | 3058784 |
9 May 1918 |
Scanned |
Drafted |
| Clarence Sterling | 3133800 |
9 May 1918 |
Scanned |
Drafted |
| Albert Reynolds | 3038261 |
16 May 1918 |
Scanned |
Drafted |
| Joseph Albert Helmkay | 268545 |
18 May 1918 |
Scanned |
Drafted |
| James Alex Jamieson | 3060164 |
22 May 1918 |
Scanned |
Drafted; served briefly with the Siberian Expeditionary Force |
| Oliver Deloss Graham | 3235441 |
24 May 1918 |
Scanned |
Drafted |
| Archibald Stuart Roy | 340712 |
30 May 1918 |
Scanned |
Drafted |
|
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| © 2000-2006 Russ McGillivray | Email me | |
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