Alex Bardy signature

On this day in 1916, Alexander Bardy enlisted in Deseronto. He was born on July 8th, 1869 (although he claimed to be born in 1879 on his attestation paper), the son of Peter Bardy and Lydia (née Doxtator), who were Mohawks. Alex married Margaret Brant in 1892 and by the time he joined the army the couple had eight children. Their eldest son, Louis, had enlisted in March 1915.

Bardy joined the 155th Battalion with the regimental number 636416. He was five feet four and three quarter inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. His service record shows that he arrived in England in October 1916 and served in France with the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles. He was hospitalized with influenza in 1917 and in 1918 was suffering from myalgia and rheumatism. His vision was tested and found to be poor and Bardy was discharged as medically unfit for all of these things in August 1918. He arrived back in Canada on October 8th, 1918 on the SS Llanstephan Castle and was discharged in Toronto on November 18th, 1918.

Alex survived the war and was living in Brant Street, Deseronto in 1921 with his family. He lived to be 80 years old, dying in Deseronto on April 4th, 1950.