Personal Details | |
Date of Birth | October 4, 1895 |
Place of Birth | Manitoulin Island, Ontario |
Country | Canada |
Marital Status | Single |
Next of Kin | D.G. Sinclair, (Father), Kenora, Ontario |
Trade / Calling | Farmer |
Religion | Presbyterian |
Service Details | |
Regimental Number | 439633 |
Service Record | Link to Service Record |
Battalion | 52nd Battalion |
Force | Canadian Expeditionary Force |
Branch | Canadian Infantry |
Enlisted / Conscripted | Enlisted |
Address at Enlistment | Kenora, Ontario |
Date of Enlistment | August 15, 1915 |
Age at Enlistment | 19 |
Theatre of Service | Europe |
Prisoner of War | No |
Survived War | Yes |
Death Details | |
Date of Death | March 18, 1968 |
Age at Death | 72 |
Buried At | Lake of the Woods Cemetery, Kenora, Ontario |
Plot | 37E-14-1 |
Kenora’s David George Sinclair and his wife Eliza Ann Bock had four sons that served in WW1 – Leslie Foster John (born 1887), Levi Wilmot (born 1893), Roy Frederick (born 1895) and Benjamin Elton (born 1899). The family arrived in Rat Portage (Kenora) in 1903 and settled north of town in the rural area of Jaffray Melick. Three daughters – Cyrella (born 1885), May (born 1889) and Maude (born 1891) completed the make-up of the family. They had come from the Manitoulin area of Ontario where they were listed as Mennonites in the 1901 Canadian Census.
Roy Frederick Sinclair was born on 4 October 1895 on Manitoulin Island. When he enlisted with the 52nd Battalion in Kenora on 15 August 1915 he gave his occupation as ‘farmer’. His unit sailed for England in November 1915 arriving there on 3 December. It was February of 1916 when Roy landed in France. That September he was wounded and suffered shell shock. It was three weeks before he rejoined his unit. He served with the 52nd battalion until February of 1919 without further incidence. During that time Roy had two leaves to the UK. In March of 1919 he returned to Canada and was discharged due to demobilization.
Roy made his way back to Kenora and the 1921 census shows him once again living with his parents and siblings with the occupation of ‘driver’. On 29 September 1924 when Roy married Edith Howard in Kenora he was working as a livery man. Daughter Doreen was born in 1925 but passed away in 1928. A son, Edward was also born.
Roy was a member of the Kenora fire department for a number of years and the 1940 voters list shows that he was captain of the fire department. Roy enlisted again for World War 2 serving from 1941 to 1943 with the number #H62637. By 1949 he was a claims officer with the Unemployment Insurance Commission and became superintendent of Veteran’s Affairs.
Roy died on 18 March 1968 in Kenora and is buried in Lake of the Woods Cemetery.