Deseronto Archives

On this day in 1916 Milton Richard Crouse, a cloth cutter, enlisted for the first time in Oshawa. He was born in Deseronto on December, 16th, 1901, the son of Richard Crouse and Maggie (née Bradshaw), meaning that he was fourteen years old when he signed up.

He served five months in the 182nd Battalion with the regimental number 868317. He was five feet six inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. He was discharged on October 9th, 1916 in Niagara-on-the-Lake as medically unfit after serving for five months and he enlisted again in the same battalion on October 10th, this time with the number 868394. A note on his service file states “Accepted as a bandsman. Not to be taken overseas.” There is also a note bearing Crouse’s mother’s signature, giving him permission to serve as a bugler.

Crouse (now with the rank of Acting Corporal) was once again discharged as being under age on February 24th, 1917.

In 1921 Milton was an inmate of the provincial jail in Regina, Saskatchewan. He married Lyla Elizabeth Grace Milligan on September 23rd, 1922 in Lindsay, Ontario. She died of tubercular meningitis in Toronto on January 6th, 1926. On April 23rd, 1927 Milton got married to Evelyn Hawley in Toronto. He got married for a third time in Brentwood, Essex, England in 1943 to Margaret Fuller. In 1956 Milton and Margaret travelled to England on the RMS Saxonia for a three month vacation in 1956. He died in Kensington, London, England on October 1st, 1959.