Balfour, Henry Ezra “Harry”

Rank: Captain
Branch: 61st Battalion; 49th Battalion

Harry was born in Gore’s Landing, Ontario on April 26, 1893. He studied education, completing some of his undergraduate studies in Cambridge. When Harry enlisted in the Canadian army in October of 1915, he was living in Edmonton. On September 16, 1916, Harry was wounded. He was wounded a second time on October 8 (grenade wounds to his left arm and foot, right leg and thigh, and back). At first Harry was reported missing, but on November 2 it was reported that he had been taken prisoner. Harry was held at the following POW camps:

Kriegsgefangenlager Parchim Meckl
Furstenburgh
Straslund

He was taken ‘on staff’ in Copenhagen in December of 1918, and repatriated on February 1, 1919. Harry was granted permission to marry on February 15, 1919, and was married to Gerda Wolff in spring of that year. He worked as a teacher in Edmonton from 1919 until 1929, and as the inspector of schools for Grande Prairie in 1929 and 1930, a position to which he returned in 1933. Harry died in Lethbridge on February 6, 1965.

Sources: see newspaper database for more clippings relating to Harry’s career

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