Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthSeptember 7, 1877
Place of BirthMarieville, Quebec
CountryCanada
Marital StatusSingle
Next of KinRaoul Belisle, brother-in-law, St Armand, Quebec
Trade / CallingTailor
ReligionRoman Catholic
Service Details
Regimental Number504088
Service Record Link to Service Record
Battalion10th Battalion, CE
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Engineers
Enlisted / ConscriptedEnlisted
Address at EnlistmentKenora, Ontario
Date of EnlistmentMarch 6, 1916
Age at Enlistment38
Theatre of ServiceEurope
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Death Details
Date of DeathMarch 14, 1942
Age at Death64
Buried AtField of Honour Cemetery, Pointe Claire, Quebec
PlotK-34

Guillet, Oscar

Joseph Oscar Guillet was born on 7 September 1877 in Marieville, Rouville, Quebec. His parents Jacques Guillet and Celina Desroches had married on 8 February 1864 in Marieville, Jacques having previously been married to Marie Sophie Lussier who died in 1862. Jacques and Celina had five known children, all born in Marieville: Denise (1866), Felix (1868), Joseph Avila (1870), Celina (1874), and Oscar. Sadly Celina Sr died in 1888, interred in Marieville on 5 July. Over the years Jacques’ occupation was given as journalier, day labourer. By the time of the 1901 census the family members had scattered, with just Jacques and Celina Jr found living together in Marieville.

Oscar had been living in Kenora and working as a tailor when he signed his attestation paper in Winnipeg on 6 March 1916. He gave his sister Celina’s husband Raoul Belisle in St Armand, Quebec as next of kin. With the 14th Field Company, Canadian Engineers, Oscar embarked from Halifax aboard the Baltic on 16 May. Upon arrival in England he was taken on strength with the 4th Canadian Divisional Engineers and posted to the 10th Field Company and then on to the 12th.

Oscar arrived in France in mid August, serving at the Headquarters of the 4th Canadian Divisional Engineers until posted to the 12th Field Company in late May of 1917. These troops were responsible for construction of defences, sanitation systems, water supplies, bridging, and assisting with trench raids. In July of 1917 Oscar was granted a ten day leave and in March of 1918 he was awarded one Good Conduct Badge. That September he was transferred to the 10th Battalion, Canadian Engineers and granted a fourteen day leave later that month. With the end of the war Oscar returned to England in May of 1919 and embarked from Southampton for Canada aboard the Olympic on 6 June. Oscar was discharged from service on 17 June in Toronto.

Very little is known about Oscar’s life after the war. Upon discharge his intended place of residence was given as Winnipeg but by 1922 he was living in Montreal. Predeceased by his father Jacques in 1921 in St Sebastien, Quebec, Oscar died on 14 March 1942. Although a Veteran’s Death card was issued, no information about family or next of kin was available. Oscar is interred in the Field of Honour Cemetery in Pointe Claire, Quebec.

By Judy Stockham

Gravemarker photo: courtesy of Graceti on findagrave.com

Veteran Death card


« Back To Soldier Biographies