Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of Birth1883
Place of BirthIken, Suffolk
CountryEngland
Marital StatusSingle
Next of KinA.W. Wainewright, (father), Iken Rectory, Tunstall, Suffolk, England
Trade / CallingMachine Man
ReligionChurch of England
Service Details
Regimental Number151995
Service Record Link to Service Record
Battalion79th Battalion
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Infantry
Enlisted / ConscriptedEnlisted
Address at EnlistmentElgin, Manitoba
Date of EnlistmentNovember 13, 1915
Age at Enlistment32
Theatre of ServiceGreat Britain
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Death Details
Date of DeathAugust 9, 1933
Age at Death50
Buried AtLake of the Woods Cemetery, Kenora, Ontario
Plot36E-33-4

Wainewright, Aubrey

When Aubrey Wainewright signed his attestation papers in Brandon, Manitoba on 13 November 1915, he gave his  date of birth as 5 April 1883, his place  of birth as Athlone, Ireland, and his middle name as Patrick. He also gave his father AW Wainewright of Iken Rectory, Tunstall, Suffolk as next of kin. As confirmed by his obituary, he was Aubrey Nevill Wainewright, birth registered during the second quarter of 1883  in the district of Pomesgate in Suffolk (Iken). His father Arnold William Wainewright, born in Sidmouth in Devonshire, had attended Cambridge University, graduating with a BA in 1859 and a MA in 1862. He was ordained as deacon in 1860, priest in 1861, and by 1863 he was rector of the St Botolph Anglican Church in Iken. Arnold married Caroline Louisa Festing, daughter of Captain Festing of the Royal Navy, in 1859. Children born to the family were Cecil Wogan (1863), Percy Errington (1865), Agnes Carrie (1866), Hilda Louise (1867), Wilfred Benjamin (1873), Claud Festing (1875), Irene Madeline (1876), Beatrice Muriel (1878), and Aubrey.
Aubrey Wainwright, farm hand, age 24, was found on the passenger list of the Dominion that left Liverpool for Canada in early August of 1907. In the 1911 Canada census for Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, an Aubrey Wainwright, born in 1889 in Ireland, was found working as a farm labourer. With ties to Saskatoon found in his service record, the listing was likely for this Aubrey.

When Aubrey signed his attestation papers he was living in the farming community of Elgin in southwestern Manitoba. His occupation was given as ‘machine man’ but also as having served with the Royal North West Mounted Police for 9 months. He was tall for the day, standing at almost 6 feet 2 inches. His marital status was given as single. While in training in Canada, Aubrey was sick for six weeks with double pneumonia and confined to the barracks.

With the 79th Battalion Private Aubrey Wainewright embarked from Halifax on 24 April 1916 aboard the Lapland. Organized in July of 1915 with recruitment throughout Manitoba, the 79th was mobilized at Brandon. Once in England the battalion was absorbed by the 17th Reserve Battalion.

After taken on strength with the 17th Reserve Battalion in July of 1916, Aubrey left the service, later apprehended in mid October. However he was plagued with lung illnesses, the pneumonia reoccurring as well as chronic bronchitis. By the end of October he was admitted to the Moore Barracks Hospital in Shorncliffe, and by December was listed as ill-serious; a cable was sent to his father in Iken. Discharged in mid April of 1917 he was transferred to the Canadian Army Medical Corps Depot where he did light duty until October when he was sent  to Bramshott to work as a nursing orderly. He was admitted to the No 12 Canadian General Hospital at Bramshott in early January of 1918 with bronchitis. By May it was decided Aubrey should be invalided to Canada, embarking on the 25th on the Araguaya.

Once in Canada Aubrey spent time at the Manitoba Military Hospital Tuxedo in Winnipeg and was discharged from service on 20 August 1918 as being medically unfit. At the time of his discharge his intended place of residence was given as c/o J Gagan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Having resided in Kenora, Ontario  for only a couple of weeks, Aubrey died on 9 August 1933 in Kenora of pulmonary tuberculosis. His death was deemed due to his service during the war. Aubrey’s  Veteran Death Card listed his wife Agnes Wainewright of Kenora as his next of kin and his service record noted that she was to be sent the medal and cross, the medal despatched that November.

Aubrey is interred in the Lake of the Woods Cemetery in Kenora, gravemarker replaced in 2015. Agnes was found on voters lists for Selkirk, Manitoba in the 1960s where she was residing at the Selkirk Nursing Home. She died in January of 1973 and is interred in the St Clement Church Cemetery, Selkirk.

Despite their advanced ages, three of Aubrey’s brothers  signed up  during the war. Living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Cecil Wogan Wainewright, overage at 55, enlisted under special authority in Victoria, British Columbia in June of 1918. His occupation was given as labourer and next of kin his wife Grace Lillian. Wilfred Benjamin Wainewright, with his permanent address given as London, England, signed  a US draft registration card  in July of 1918 in Los Angeles, California. His occupation was  listed as Ford Supplier and next of kin as Florence Wainewright back in England.  Claud Festing Wainewright, occupation given as freight checker at Pier 14, signed his US draft registration card in Seattle, Washington. His next of kin was Mrs Mary Wainewright of Seattle. Details of the brothers’ service are unknown.

By Judy Stockham

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