Deseronto Archives

On this day in 1916, Gerald Clifton King signed up in Ottawa. He was born on September 15th, 1899 in Deseronto, the son of John King and Lily (née Morrison).

King’s regimental number was 541593. He was five feet seven inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair.

King’s service record shows that he arrived in England on March 25th, 1916. He was sent to France in November. In May 1917, his true age was discovered (there is a copy of his birth certificate in the file) and he was sent back to England as he was only 17 and too young to be serving overseas. He served in England until March 1918, when he was sent home to Canada. He was discharged as medically unfit in Kingston on July 18th 1918, due to a hernia caused by falling off a horse and a heart condition.

Gerald married Vera Milburn Riddell on October 8th, 1928 in Ottawa, when he was working as a civil servant. A note on his service file records that he died on February 3rd, 1970.