Image: Notes from George’s military service file (Library & Archives Canada)
Regimental Number: 455120
Rank: Sapper
Branch: 1st Canadian Divisional Signal Company, Canadian Engineers
George was born in Sunderland, England on September 23, 1892. It is unknown when George came to Canada, but he enlisted in the Canadian Army in Belleville, Ontario in August of 1915. At the time he was working as a telegraphist. During the war, George served in the Signal Corps, stringing communication wire and sending and receiving messages to and from the trenches. A note in George’s service file dated February of 1918 states that he suffered from nervousness and had tremors in his fingers, but he was not given a specific diagnosis. In 1925, George filed on the southern half of 9-72-8-W6. He cancelled and moved into town to work as a government telegrapher, a position he held until 1956.
Sources: news clippings
Soldier Spotlight highlights veterans from the Archives’ online Soldiers’ Memorial. Each week, our volunteers select a remarkable individual to showcase in this blog series. The Soldiers’ Memorial commemorates more than 1,100 WWI veterans and 2,300 WWII veterans from our region. Three dedicated volunteers have contributed over 1,200 hours to this project by researching and writing biographies. Our goal is to have all South Peace soldiers acknowledged for their service. If you know of someone who lived in the South Peace and should be listed on the Memorial, or would like to get involved by researching a local veteran, please contact the Archives.