Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthFebruary 20, 1881
Place of BirthSt Tite, Quebec
CountryCanada
Marital StatusMarried
Next of KinMrs Ellen Beaudoin, wife, Kenora, Ontario
Trade / CallingBlacksmith
ReligionRoman Catholic
Service Details
Regimental Number199170
Service Record Link to Service Record
BattalionNo. 1 Tramways Company
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Railway Troops
Enlisted / ConscriptedEnlisted
Address at EnlistmentKenora, Ontario
Date of EnlistmentFebruary 20, 1916
Age at Enlistment35
Theatre of ServiceEurope
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Death Details
Date of DeathAugust 11, 1969
Age at Death88
Buried AtSt. Patrick's Cemetery, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Beaudoin, George

George Beaudoin was born 20 February 1881 in St. Tite, Quebec (a village north of Trois Rivieres). His parents were Prosper Beaudoin and Rosa Ann Thiffault. Siblings included Napoleon (b. 1870), Noemie (b. 1874), Emma (b. 1875), Josephat (b. 1886), Marie Louise (b. 1888), Bernadette (b. 1889) and Jean Baptiste ((b. 1895).

George spent his first 20 years in Quebec but moved to Rat Portage (Kenora), Ontario by 1904 when he married Helen (Ellen) Harrison. She was the daughter of Damase Harrison and Helene Jerome who were living at North West Angle on Lake of the Woods. In the 1911 census George and Helen were found living in Kenora and George was working as a labourer at the Maple Leaf Flour Mill.

George enlisted with the 94th Battalion in Kenora on 20 March 1916 listing his occupation as ‘blacksmith’. After a short period of training in Port Arthur his battalion embarked for England on 28 June 1916. When he arrived in Liverpool George was transferred to the 32nd Reserve Battalion until September. At this point he joined the 5th Battalion and was sent to France, arriving at his unit in the field on 08 October 1916. He served with them for a year during which time he spent two weeks in a rest camp and 10 days on leave to Paris.

In October of 1917 George was transferred to the Canadian Light Railway Company which became known as the 1st Tramways Company of the Canadian Engineers in January of 1918. These companies built, maintained and operated light railways in forward areas. The gauge used was 60- centimetre and the cars were interchangeable with the Army Light Railway System. The trains were powered with petrol because they operated beyond the point where it was considered safe to use steam power. Tramways carried ammunition to artillery batteries, engineering supplies, troops, rations, gas and other comparatively light loads. They also ran hospital trains to carry the wounded to field ambulance stations. In October of 1918 George was promoted to the rank of Corporal. He returned to England on 20 February 1919 and then sailed back to Canada. George’s official discharge due to demobilization came on 08 April 1919.

George and Helen settled in Fort William after the war where George worked as a blacksmith. They had no children. Ellen (Helen) died on 08 January 1953 and was buried in St. Patrick’s Cemetery. In 1955 George married the former Helen Hewitt, with Helen passing away in 1957. George Beaudoin passed away on 11 August 1969 in Fort William and is interred with his wife in St. Patrick’s Cemetery.

Headstone photo courtesy of Linda Piilo
Obituaries courtesy of the Thunder Bay Public Library

Beaudoin-George-2 Beaudoin-George-3 Beaudoin-George-4 Beaudoin-George-6 Beaudoin-George-7


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