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These are the stories of Kenora participants in the First World War.
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Private Byron Morrison enlisted in July 1916 and served in France and Belgium with the 49th Battalion. He was seriously wounded in October 1917 at the Battle of Passchendaele and invalided back to Canada a year later. Byron was the youngest son of William John Robert Morrison and Sarah Stinson of Edmonton, Alberta. Byron’s father,… Read More »
Frederick Samuel Stokes joined the British army at age 18 and had eight years of regular service followed by four years in the reserves. He was discharged in January 1914 and seven months later the First World War started. He enlisted again, this time with the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and he served for another 3-1/2… Read More »
John (Jack) Patrick Garvey was born on 18 August 1897 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), Ontario. His father Joseph Garvey, the son of Irish immigrants, was born in the United States, while his mother Laura Lieske was born in Germany. The couple married in Rat Portage on 26 November 1896. Joseph first worked as… Read More »
Private Laughlin Alexander Farris was the youngest son of Edward John Farris and Isabella Sinclair. John and Isabella were both from the Maritimes and they were married in 1888 in Amherst, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. Their first two sons, Angus Sinclair and John Edward, were born in Nova Scotia. When the 1891 census was taken… Read More »
The final period of the war, known now as the Hundred Days Offensive, lasted from 8 August to 11 November 1918. The Canadians were heavily engaged in the operations during those three months and they suffered casualties up to the last day. One of the fallen was Lieutenant George Harvey Rochester of Toronto, a young… Read More »
George Degagne was born on 08 June 1893 in Rat Portage (later known as Kenora), Ontario. He was the oldest son of Pierre Degagne and Florida Charron. Siblings included: Emile (1894-1953), Joseph (1896-1966), Leo (b. 1897), Maria (1899-1899), Albert (1901-1901), Ida (1902-1903), Flora (b. 1904) and Clovis (1906-1915). The 1911 census shows the family living… Read More »
Private Willis Samuel Merkley was called up for service in January 1918 and sent to France seven months later. He was killed in action in September 1918 near Cambrai. Willis was born on 7 June 1892 in Chesterville village, Dundas County, Ontario. His parents, Salathiel Merkley and Laura Kittle, were both of German ancestry and… Read More »
During the First World War more than 11,000 employees of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company enlisted for service and 1,116 of them gave their lives. Private Robert Bruce Lusk was working as a locomotive fireman for the CPR in Kenora, Ontario when he signed up in December 1914. He arrived in Belgium in March 1916… Read More »
Walter Baker was born on 08 December 1887 in Beaford, Torrington, Devon, England. His father Thomas Baker was an agricultural labourer who had married his mother Hannah Cudmore during the last quarter of 1883 in Torrington. According to the 1891 census Walter had an older sister Ellen and younger brother Thomas. His mother died during… Read More »
Henry Fester Foster (known as Harry) was born on 12 July 1894 in Rat Portage (Kenora), Ontario. His parents were Edward John Foster and Annie Hayward. One of ten children, Harry’s siblings included: Walter (b. 1884), Edward (b. 1886), William (b. 1888), Herbert (b. 1890), Maud (b. 1893), Percy (b. 1896), Charles (b. 1897), Gordon… Read More »
