Personal Details | |
Date of Birth | May 24, 1891 |
Place of Birth | St. Blazey, Cornwall |
Country | England |
Marital Status | Single |
Next of Kin | father, Phillip Sampson of Cornwall, England |
Trade / Calling | Locomotive engineer |
Religion | Church of England |
Service Details | |
Regimental Number | VR-3858 |
Service Record | see images below |
Battalion | Niobe, Victory, Vivid III, Colleen |
Force | Navy |
Branch | Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve |
Enlisted / Conscripted | Enlisted |
Date of Enlistment | March 3, 1917 |
Age at Enlistment | 25 |
Theatre of Service | At sea |
Prisoner of War | No |
Survived War | Yes |
Death Details | |
Date of Death | January 9, 1979 |
Age at Death | 87 |
Buried At | Lake of the Woods Cemetery, Kenora, Ontario |
Plot | 37E-29-4 |
John Joseph Sampson was born on 24 May 1891 in St. Blazey, Cornwall, England. His parents were Phillip Sampson and Mary Grace Cundy. He had four brothers – James, Albert, Harry and Phillip; and six sisters – Beatrice, Bella, Ruth, Annetta, Lilian, and Mary Jane. John was educated in England and came to Canada in 1911. He spent a short time in Toronto and then St. Catherines where he worked for the Maple Leaf Mill.
In April of 1911 John made his way to Kenora, Ontario. He started employment with the CPR as a ‘hostler’ in February of 1912. A hostler is a type of railroad engineer who drives locomotives to designated stations in railroad roundhouses to be cleaned, serviced or repaired.
On 03 March 1917 John enlisted with the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve. He went to Halifax and began his service as an Ordinary Seaman aboard the Niobe. Over the next two years he worked his way up to an Able Seaman and then a Petty Officer while serving on the ships Victory, Vivid III, Colleen and Niobe. He was discharged in March of 1919 and came back to Kenora. John was awarded the War Badge class AA and the Victory and British War Medals.
Upon his return to Kenora, John resumed his employment with the CPR. He continued to work as a hostler until his retirement in May of 1956.
John married Lottie Gertrude Hudson on 06 September 1922 in Kenora. They had three sons – Gerald, Harold and Albert; and one daughter – Gwendoline.
When John retired from the CPR he began working at Mount Carmel School as a class 4 engineer. His second retirement came in 1967.
John died on 09 January 1979 and is buried in Lake of the Woods Cemetery, Kenora, Ontario. His wife Lottie had predeceased him in June 1978 and she is buried beside him.