Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthDecember 12, 1892
Place of BirthBridgewater, Somerset
CountryEngland
Marital StatusSingle
Next of Kinmother, Mrs. Emma Cridge of Bridgewater, Somerset, England
Trade / CallingButcher
ReligionChurch of England
Service Details
Regimental Number439168
Service Record Link to Service Record
Battalion52nd Battalion
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Infantry
Enlisted / ConscriptedEnlisted
Date of EnlistmentMay 17, 1915
Age at Enlistment20
Theatre of ServiceEurope
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Decorations and MedalsMilitary Medal
Death Details
Date of DeathApril 3, 1965
Age at Death70
Buried AtMountain View Cemetery, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Cridge, Alfred John

Alfred John (aka ‘Jack’) Cridge was born on 12 December 1892 in Bridgewater, Somerset, England.   His parents were James Weston Cridge and Emma Rendells.   Jack was educated in Bridgewater and learned the butcher trade.   In June 1913 he immigrated to Kenora, Ontario, Canada.

On 17 April 1915 Jack enlisted with the 52nd Battalion in Kenora.   Upon attestation he gave his date of birth as 22 December 1894. After some local training this unit went to Port Arthur for further training.   It wasn’t until December 1915 that the unit arrived in England and February 1916 that Jack made it to France.   He was wounded at Ypres in June 1916 when a shell exploded near him.   He was buried, had bleeding from the nose and ears and suffered hearing impairment and recurring ear infections. Jack was appointed Lance Corporal in July 1916 and spent the month on command to the 4th Army timber cutting.   In November he was promoted to Corporal and received 12 days training from Hermanville.   Jack had a bout of ‘Trench Fever’ in January 1917. At Vimy in April 1917, Jack earned a Military Medal for:

‘conspicuous gallantry when moving forward with his men under very heavy shell fire and over most heavy ground, displayed exceptional ability in rallying disorganized sections and keeping touch with Units advancing.’

He was appointed Lance Sergeant and spent the month of May taking a course at the Canadian Corps School.   Jack was wounded in his right arm on 06 June 1917 and was sent to Military Hospital in Colchester, England and then to a Convalescent Hospital in Epsom.  In August he was granted permission to marry.   Jack returned to Canada on the S.S. Olympic in November 1917.   He was admitted to the Manitoba Military Hospital in Winnipeg in March of 1918 for treatment of an ear infection.   His official discharge came on 12 June 1918 due to being unfit for further service.

Jack settled in Fort William and on 05 November 1918 he married Beatrice Elizabeth Norman.   They had five daughters – Myrtle, Hazel, Doris, Betty and Jacqueline; and twin sons who died in infancy.   Jack was employed as an electrician with D. L. Bole Elevator for 25 years and Great Lakes Paper Company for 10 years.   He was an avid fisherman and sportsman taking an organizational interest in hockey.   He belonged to the Legion and was a member of the 52nd Battalion Old Boys Association.

Jack died on 03 April 1965 in Fort William.  His wife Beatrice died in 1979 and is interred with Jack in the Mountain View Cemetery in Thunder Bay.

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