Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthOctober 27, 1887
Place of BirthMelrose, New Brunswick
CountryCanada
Marital StatusSingle
Next of KinMrs Florence Duggan,s ister, PO Redditt, Ontario
Trade / CallingLocomotive Fireman
ReligionRoman Catholic
Service Details
Regimental Number2383637
Service Record Link to Service Record
Battalion78th Battalion
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Infantry
Enlisted / ConscriptedConscripted
Address at EnlistmentRedditt, Ontario
Date of EnlistmentJanuary 25, 1918
Age at Enlistment30
Theatre of ServiceEurope
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Death Details
Date of DeathSeptember 26, 1963
Age at Death76
Buried AtLake of the Woods Cemetery, Kenora, Ontario
PlotRC D - 23 - 4

Mahoney, James Robert

According to his attestation papers, James Robert Mahoney was born on 27 July 1887 in Melrose, New Brunswick. Originally known as Emigrant Road, in the 1820’s and 1830’s free land grants for farming were available in the area in the hope of attracting pioneer immigrants. As a result, the village of Ballynamuck, parish of Moragh in West County Cork was in many ways transported across the sea to southeastern New Brunswick. The immigrants did not all come at once, but over the years as their means permitted, small groups of family, friends, and neighbours began arriving.* Such was the case with the Mahoneys. James’ paternal grandparents, Daniel and Johanna (Donovan) Mahoney were among the early immigrants.

James’ father Jeremiah, born in New Brunswick, married Margaret Noiles and the couple went on to have seven known children, Elizabeth (abt 1878), John (abt 1882), Florence (1884), Edward (1885), James (1887), Patrick (1889), and Mary (1890). The family had a homestead and made their living by farming. In 1892, Elizabeth (Lizzie) died of tuberculosis, followed by mother Margaret (Maggie) in June of 1894. When Jeremiah was killed in an accident in October of 1900, the family unit disintegrated, with the children found in various households within the  settlement for the 1901 Canada census.

By 1911 James and his brother Edward had moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba where they were working as steamfitters. Sister Florence had also found her way to the city, marrying William Patrick Duggan, born in Rogerville but latterly from Melrose,  on 28 February 1911. By 1915 James was living in Redditt, Ontario, a small community north of Kenora in northwestern Ontario. Also making Reddit their home were Florence and her husband.

Having had his medical examination in Winnipeg in November of 1917, James signed his recruitment papers in Port Arthur, Ontario  on 25 January 1918 assigned to the 99th Regimental Draft, 1st Depot Battalion, Manitoba Regiment. Thirty years old, he had been working as a locomotive fireman. James embarked from Halifax aboard the  Cretic on 19 February 1918, taken on strength with the 11th Reserve Battalion once in England. In June he was transferred to the 78th Battalion, joining the unit in the field in France on the 9th of July. The 78th Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers) had arrived in France on 13 August 1916 where it fought as part of the 12th Brigade, 4th Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war.

Just a short month later at the Amiens front, James sustained shrapnel wounds to both thighs as well as a gunshot wound to his shoulder on the 9th of August. He was admitted to the No 10 General Hospital in Rouen on the 10th and invalided to the Chester War Hospital in England on the 22nd. In January of 1919 James was transferred to the Granville Canadian Specialty Hospital at Buxton and then on to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital at Epsom in February. On 3 May 1919, James embarked from Liverpool aboard the Royal George on his way back to Canada.

After the war James returned to Redditt, working as a stationary engineer for the Canadian National Railway. His brother Edward was also living with him in Redditt according to the 1921 census. James was active in community affairs and involved in sports. He retired in 1952.

James Robert Mahoney died in St Joseph’s Hospital, Kenora, Ontario on 26 September 1963. His Veteran Death Card listed his sister Florence Duggan of Redditt as his next of kin.  James is interred in the Roman Catholic Section of Lake of the Woods Cemetery, Kenora. At the time of his death, in addition to Florence,  he was also survived by his sister Mary McClaren of Sherbrooke, Quebec.

At least two of James’ brothers also served. Patrick, working as a carpenter and living in Fairville, New Brunswick  signed his attestation papers on 28 January 1916 in St John, giving his brother John in Moncton as next of kin. He served with the 115th Battalion, returning to Canada aboard the Grampian on 17 March 1918.  Edward, living in Mather, Manitoba,  signed recruitment papers on 17 May 1918 in Winnipeg, giving his sister Mrs William Duggan of Redditt as next of kin. Details of his service are not known.

by Judy Stockham

Mahoney-James-Robert-1 Mahoney-Robert-James-3

* Early Settlement No 7 – Melrose

 

 


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