Image: William J. Noll on horseback leaving to join the Canadian Forestry Corps, 1917 (SPRA 2014.061.014c)
The upcoming issue of Telling Our Stories focuses on forests and forestry in the South Peace. To give you a sneak preview of an article highlighting the Sawdust Fusiliers and the role they played in the First World War, here are the names of some local men who served in the Canadian Forestry Corps. For biographies of these men, visit the World War I Soldiers Memorial.
Private Andrew Bennett
tripped while on parade in 1916, which led to doctors discovering a cyst on his knee
Private John Blonke
jaw was fractured when he was assaulted by a civilian in Scotland
Private Walter Bowen
was badly gassed in 1917 and also suffered from flat feet, which led to his transfer to the Forestry Corps
Private Leonard Broomfield
served with No. 11 Company in France, where they were engaged in aerodrome construction
Private Fred Burrin
was appointed ‘logcutter’ and given a raise in pay, but reverted to Private at his own request
Captain Robert Campbell
was made second in command of No. 41 Company in August 1918
Private Frederick Chiverton
was transferred to the Forestry Corps due to recurring heart trouble
Sergeant Henry Connery
three of his four sons also joined the army in WWI
Lieutenant Harlie Conrad
enlisted in the RNWMP in 1914 as a way of getting into the army
Private Ernest Constantin
had been hard of hearing since childhood, but condition was worsened by army life
Private Jerry Cronin
had a cataract in his right eye, due to having been struck in the eye with the end of a whip
Private John Cummins
worked as a logger before joining the Forestry Corps
Private Frank Dundas
medical examination states that he was missing the tip of a finger
Private Omer Dupont
while serving in England with the Forestry Corps, he married an Englishwoman
Private Joseph Duszinski
was shot in the arm in May 1916 at Ypres
Private Thomas East
was a widower with eight children when he enlisted
Private William Fair
after being wounded in June 1917, a large piece of shrapnel remained embedded near his shoulder blade for six months
Private Isaac Frazee
his left hand was paralyzed after receiving multiple shrapnel wounds in May 1916
Acting Sergeant Robert Gerow
he and his son both served in the Forestry Corps
Private Robert Gerow
served in France with the Forestry Corps for a short time before falling ill and being sent to hospital in England
Private Henderson Graham
was blind in his right eye, and therefore not fit for active service at the front lines
Sergeant Charles Hastings
due to a mining accident in 1903, one of his legs was shorter than the other
Private John Kneafsey
while in the Forestry Corps, he was thrown off a truck; his clavicle was fractured and he had a concussion, which led to dementia
Private Chester Lowe
was only 15 years old when he enlisted
Private Gordon McCullough
suffered from dementia, likely due to shell shock; died in 1924 as a result of having been gassed during the war
Private Robert McDonald
in January 1918 he was sent to the School of Farmery to receive training for cold shoeing
Private Charles MacGregor
lied about his age by ten years in order to enlist
Private George MacGregor
worked as a cook during his time in the Forestry Corps
Private Henry Moss
after the war, a miscommunication led to his wife and family believing him to be dead, and it was decades before he was reunited with them
Private William Noll
when he left to enlist in 1918, he pinned a poem to his door stating that he would not be returning to the area
Private Lorne Nowry
after serving in the Forestry Corps, he came to Grande Prairie and bought a sawmill
Acting Corporal Jacob Orman
before being transferred to Forestry Corps, he was attached to the Russian Embassy in London
Private Raymond Pellerin
was wounded at Vimy Ridge before being transferred to the Forestry Corps
Private Thomas Rice
when he slipped on ice, his foot became jammed between a log, the carriage, and the skidway
Private Mike Rostalski
was shot in the leg in May 1917, after which he was transferred to the Forestry Corps
Private Herbert Stewart
after being injured at the front lines, he was transferred to the Forestry Corps; in 1918, a log fell from a wagon onto his leg, causing severe damage
Private Peter Stuart
worked as a lumberjack before the war
Private George Tate
injured his shoulder during training and as a result he remained in England with the Forestry Corps for the duration of the war
Private Robert Tilt
dyed his hair in an unsuccessful attempt to look young enough to enlist in World War II
Acting Sergeant Spencer Tuck
was gassed at Ypres in August 1916, losing partial function of his right eye