Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthSeptember 16, 1892
Place of BirthGirvan, Ayrshire
CountryScotland
Marital StatusMarried
Next of Kinwife, Katherine Ilwraith
Trade / CallingFlour Packer
ReligionPresbyterian
Service Details
Regimental Number439547
Service Record Link to Service Record
Battalion52nd Battalion
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Infantry
Enlisted / ConscriptedEnlisted
Address at EnlistmentKeewatin, Ontario
Date of EnlistmentAugust 5, 1915
Age at Enlistment22
Theatre of ServiceEurope
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Death Details
Date of DeathOctober 4, 1940
Age at Death48
Buried AtLake of the Woods Cemetery, Kenora, Ontario
Plot34E-18-1

McIlwraith, Hastings Shankland

Hastings Shankland McIlwraith was born September 16, 1892 at 25 High Street, Girvan, Ayrshire, Scotland to David & Agnes (Shankland) McIlwraith. (from the official birth register of the Parish of Girvan, County of Ayr, page 57).

Setting sail from Glasgow Scotland on the ‘Grampian’, Hastings arrived at Quebec City, Canada   on May 6, 1913.   He made his way to Keewatin, Ontario where some of his relations had settled,   and obtained work with the Lake of the Woods Milling Company as a flour packer.

Enlisting on May 5, 1915 in the 52nd Battalion, he married Katherine Falconer Gordon May 21, 1915.   The service was performed by the Rev. Edward Diamond of St. James’ Anglican Church,   Keewatin,   ON.

The 52nd Battalion  sailed for England on November 23, 1915, arriving in France on February 20, 1916.   He was promoted to Corporal on March 24, 1917, had a ten day leave in the United Kingdom in September 1917.   He served in France until February 1919 when he returned to Canada In March, 1919.   His official discharge date was March 31, 1919 at Port Arthur, Ontario

He returned to the family farm at Laclu, just west of Keewatin, and worked again for the Lake of the Woods Milling Company.   He and Katherine had two children – Katherine Agnes (January 29, 1920) and David James (November 9, 1922.)   The McIlwraiths adopted their nephew, Hugh Hastings White McIlwraith (August 12, 1922) whose mother died in childbirth.   Both Dave and Hugh served in World War 2.

Katherine died tragically by drowning October 17, 1937.   Hastings passed away in October 1940 and both are buried in the Lake of the Woods Cemetery,   Kenora,   Ontario.

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