Ireland, W J

During the war W. J. Ireland served as a Lieutenant in the 98th Regiment, a militia unit based in Kenora, Ontario. The Regiment was made up of four companies: A (Fort Frances), B (Kenora), C (Emo) and D (Rainy River). The Militia and Defence Forces Lists for Canada tell us he joined B Company of the Regiment on 8 March 1916. He was still with them when the lists were compiled again in 1918 and July 1919. During the war the Regiment was involved in recruiting for local units: the 52nd (New Ontario) Battalion, the 94th Battalion and the 141st (Bull Moose) Battalion.

So far, our research hasn’t turned up anything more about W. J. Ireland. There was a William James Ireland living in Winnipeg around the same time and he might be the same man. He was a civil engineer who worked for the Manitoba Hydometric Survey. His job took him to northwestern Ontario because the Winnipeg River flows from Lake of the Woods into Manitoba. Little else is known about William James Ireland.

By Becky Johnson