Leo Clarence Dubey signature

Leo Clarence Dubey, a bartender, signed up in Montreal on this day in 1917. He was born in Deseronto on February 9th, 1894, the son of Honoré Dubé and Helzilda (née Desjardine). Leo was working as a telephone operator in Deseronto at the time of the 1911 census.

He joined the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery with the regimental number 349761. He was five feet six inches tall, with a dark complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. His service record shows that he arrived in England on December 7th, 1917 on the SS Megantic and joined his unit in France on February 27th, 1918. On July 17th he was admitted to hospital after being injured in an accident while on duty, receiving bruising to his chest and abdomen. He was discharged two weeks later.

On November 2nd, Leo was admitted to hospital again, suffering from a fever. He remained there until November 18th, but somehow found time to be charged with drunkenness and “being in Paris Plage without a pass” on November 14th. For this he was sentenced to forfeit two weeks’ pay. Perhaps he had been celebrating the end of the war that day; on December 24th he was back in hospital suffering from a venereal disease.

Dubey was transferred to England on January 26th, 1919 and arrived back in Canada on the SS Minnekahda in March. He was demobilized in Kingston on March 29th, 1919. In 1921 he was living in Montreal with his younger brother William, working as a clerk.