Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthAugust 10, 1884
Place of BirthNewton-Stewart, Ayrshire
CountryScotland
Marital StatusMarried
Next of KinMrs. Sara Dinnell, wife, Moosehorn, Manitoba
Trade / CallingFarmer
ReligionPresbyterian
Service Details
Regimental Number860059
Service Record Link to Service Record
Battalion43rd Battalion
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Infantry
Enlisted / ConscriptedEnlisted
Address at EnlistmentMoosehorn, Manitoba
Date of EnlistmentMay 23, 1916
Age at Enlistment31
Theatre of ServiceEurope
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Decorations and MedalsMilitary Medal
Death Details
Date of Death19510904
Age at Death67
Buried AtLake of the Woods Cemetery, Kenora, Ontario
Plot41E-29-3

Dinnel, William

According to his attestation papers William John Dinnel was born 10 August 1884 in Newton Stewart, Ayrshire, Scotland.   His obituary lists his birthdate as 05 August 1883.   His parents were William Dinnel (gardener) and Agnes Campbell.   At age 25, on 26 December 1908, William married Sarah Jane Young in Glasgow, Scotland.   They made their way to Canada and settled in Moosehorn, Manitoba where William worked as a farmer.   A daughter, Helen Shaw Dinnel was born in 1912.

On 23 May 1916 William enlisted with the 179th Battalion in Winnipeg, Manitoba and trained  at Camp Hughes, Manitoba. His unit was sent overseas in October of 1916. Upon his arrival in England William was transferred to the 17th Reserve Battalion.   In November of 1916 he was sent to France and transferred to the 43rd Battalion Cameron Highlanders.   Shortly after his arrival in France he spent two weeks in hospital in Havre due to a burn on his neck. William was attached as a loader to the 3rd Canadian Division Train for the month of July 1917.   In November 1917 he had a two week leave back to the UK.   William was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry during the battle of Passchendaele in May 1918. The citation states:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and example when he rushed a Pill Box on right flank of his Coy which was inflicting heavy casualties amongst his comrades, and fearlessly bombed the Pill Box in face of its fire.   He displayed a reckless disregard of personal safety.’

He had a second leave to the UK in November of 1918.   In February of 1919 William returned to England and proceeded to Canada aboard the ‘Baltic’ in March of 1918.   He received his official discharge due to demobilization on 24 March 1919 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

After the war, William returned to Moosehorn, but in 1924 moved his family to Keewatin, Ontario.   He and Sarah had two more daughters – Agnes and Sally.   William worked for the Lake of the Woods Milling Company and was a member of the Keewatin Legion.

William died in the Kenora General Hospital on 04 September 1951.   His Veteran Death Card lists his wife, Sarah Dinnel of Keewatin, Ontario as his next of kin.   He is buried in the Legion Plot of Lake of the Woods Cemetery, Kenora.

William's Veteran Death Card from Library Archives Canada

William’s Veteran Death Card from Library Archives Canada

William's obituary from Kenora Miner & News

William’s obituary from Kenora Miner & News


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