Deseronto Archives

Joab Walter Powles, a bushman, signed up in Toronto on this day in 1917. He stated that he was born in Newport, Brant, Ontario on March 11th, 1872 and that his current address was Deseronto. He gave his next of kin as his father, Isaac. Joab may be the son of Isaac and Julia Powless (both Mohawks) who was born in Tyendinaga in 1869.

Joab joined the Toronto Forestry Draft with the regimental number 2250975. He had previously served as a private in the Simcoe Foresters for two years. He was five feet five and a half inches tall, with a medium complexion, grey eyes and black hair. His service record shows that he arrived in England on July 5th, 1917 on the SS Jusiticia. He joined the 58th Company of the Forestry Corps in France on July 27th. On August 8th he was admitted to hospital in Le Havre, suffering from bronchitis. He was transferred back to England to convalesce and then sent home to Canada. He left Liverpool on November 17th, 1917 on the SS Saxonia and spent time in the Spadina Military Hospital in Toronto. He was discharged from the army as medically unfit due to being over age (48) and having emphysema on January 30th, 1918.