Personal Details | |
Date of Birth | December 1, 1898 |
Place of Birth | Swidon, Wiltshire |
Country | England |
Marital Status | Single |
Next of Kin | father, Fred Simpson of Kenora, Ontario |
Trade / Calling | Fireman |
Religion | Church of England |
Service Details | |
Regimental Number | VR-6522 |
Service Record | see images below |
Battalion | HMCS Niobe |
Force | Navy |
Branch | Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve |
Enlisted / Conscripted | Enlisted |
Date of Enlistment | June 8, 1918 |
Age at Enlistment | 19 |
Theatre of Service | At sea |
Prisoner of War | No |
Survived War | Yes |
Death Details | |
Date of Death | March 26, 1992 |
Age at Death | 93 |
Frederick George Simpson was born on 01 December 1898 in Swidon, Wiltshire, England. His parents were Fred Simpson and Eliza Henams. In 1904 the family immigrated to Canada and settled in Rat Portage (Kenora), Ontario. Another son, Harry, was born in 1905. By the 1911 Canadian census the family was living just outside Kenora in the Jaffray Township and Fred Sr. was working as a farm labourer. A short time later he began working as a miller with the Maple Leaf Flour Mill in Keewatin – a job he had until he retired around 1927.
In 1918 Fred Jr. enlisted with the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve. He was single, working as a fireman at the time, and had dark brown hair and brown eyes. He made his way to Halifax and began his engagement on 08 June 1918. Fred served as a stoker on the Niobe until he was demobilized on 20 May 1919.
After his service Fred returned to Kenora. When the 1921 census was taken he was living with his family in Kenora’s north ward and working as a general labourer. Another son, James, age 12, was included with the family although he was not listed in the 1911 census. Fred went to Buffalo, New York in 1923 with the occupation of ‘hoist engineer’. At the time of the 1930 U.S. census he was living in Lancaster, New York and employed as a stationary engineer for a coupler company. He was still in Lancaster when his father died in 1947.
Fred passed away in Lancaster on 26 March 1992. His mother had died in 1931 and both of his parents as well as his brother Harry (1905-1989) are buried in Lake of the Woods Cemetery in Kenora.