Soldier Spotlight: Private Philip Brierly

Image: A poem from Philip in the January 16, 1917 Grande Prairie Herald

Regimental Number: 63132
Rank: Private
Branch: 13th Canadian Battalion, Quebec Regiment; 14th Battalion

Philip was born in London, England on July 10, 1892. He came to Grande Prairie in 1912 and homesteaded at Five Mile Creek. Philip was among the first to enlist from Grande Prairie – he joined up in November of 1914. He was wounded in action and died at the No. 11 General Hospital at Camiers on May 20, 1917. He was buried in the Etaples Military Cemetery in Pas-de-Calais, France. Philip’s grave marker is inscribed with “Loved by all.”

Sources: Pioneers of the Peace, p. 138

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.

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