Deseronto Archives

Orval Johns enlisted in Toronto on this day in 1917. He stated that he was born in Deseronto on June 6th, 1894 and he named his mother, Sarah Johns, as his next of kin. He was living at 48 Duncan Street in Toronto when he signed up and was working as a sawyer. Charles and Sarah John (note different spelling of the surname) were living in Tyendinaga in 1901 and in Prince Edward County in 1911 and 1921. They were both Mohawks: Sarah’s maiden name was Smart.

Johns had originally signed up on April 10th, 1916 with the 216th (Bantams) Battalion (regimental number 273404), but was discharged as medically unfit on June 27th, due to having flat feet. In 1917 he enlisted again, this time joining the Canadian Forestry Corps. He was five feet tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. His service record shows that he arrived in Liverpool on May 14th, 1917. He crossed the Channel to France on June 17th and served there until 1919. Orval returned to Canada on the RMS Empress of Britain in March 1919. He was demobilized on April 1st, 1919 in Toronto.