Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthNovember 19, 1896
Place of BirthRat Portage (Kenora), Ontario
CountryCanada
Marital StatusSingle
Next of KinDuncan McDonald, father, Beausejour, Manitoba
Trade / CallingFarmer
ReligionRoman Catholic
Service Details
Regimental Number1084222/2115646
Service RecordLink to Service Record
Battalion251st Battalion
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Infantry
Enlisted / ConscriptedEnlisted
Place of EnlistmentWinnipeg, Manitoba
Address at EnlistmentBeausejour, Manitoba
Date of EnlistmentNovember 16, 1916
Age at Enlistment19
Theatre of ServiceCanada
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Death Details

McDonald, Walter John

According to his baptism record, Walter John (Jack) McDonald was born on 19 November 1896 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), Ontario. His father Duncan Alexander McDonald was from Ontario while his mother Mary Elizabeth Kerr was from Scotland, the couple marrying on 21 October 1886 in East Selkirk, Manitoba. By the time of the 1891 census the family was living in Rat Portage where Duncan was working as a carpenter. Shortly after the 1901 census the family moved near Beausejour, Manitoba to farm. Walter’s known siblings born in Rat Portage were James Patrick (1889-1926), Ellen (1890), Duncan Alexander (Alex) (1892), George Angus (1893), Archibald Joseph (Archie) (1898), and  Thomas Hugh (1900), with siblings William (1903), Duncan Donald (1905), and Archibald (abt 1907) born in Manitoba.

Using the forename of John, John signed his attestation papers with the 251st Battalion on 15 November 1916 in Winnipeg. His date and place of birth was given as 15 October 1896 in Kenora, his occupation as farmer and his father Duncan in Beausejour as next of kin. Being illegally absent, he was struck of strength in August of 1917. With the forename of Walter, he next attested on 4 October 1917 in Winnipeg. His date and place of birth was given as 13 November 1898 in Beausejour, his occupation as farmer, and his mother Mary in Beausejour as next of kin. Assigned to the Canadian Army Service Corps, Walter served in Canada. Walter was hospitalized in Ottawa on two occasions in early 1918 for a total of 38 days (vdg), then for close to a month during the summer at Valcartier (vdg), and then latterly again in Ottawa that October suffering from influenza. John/Walter was discharged from service as medically unfit on 25 November 1918 at Ottawa. His intended residence on discharge was given as Beausejour.

Walter was not living with his family at the time of the 1921 census. Further details of his life are unknown.

By Judy Thorburn


« Back To Soldier Biographies