Deseronto Archives

On this day in 1916, William James Watson signed up in Toronto. He was born in Deseronto on June 21st, 1893, the son of Ernest Arthur Watson and Annie (née Shane). He was working as a chauffeur when he enlisted.

Watson joined the 124th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force with the regimental number 770157. He was five feet nine inches tall, with a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. His service record shows that a medical board diagnosed him with chronic double otitis media on April 26th, 1916. He had been suffering from the ear infections for five years and was hard of hearing as a result. Watson was discharged from the army on May 5th, 1916 as medically unfit for further service.

William married Isabella Charlton in Toronto on January 17th, 1917, at which time he was a munitions worker.

On this day in 1916, Allen Asselstine signed up in Deseronto. He was born on May 24th, 1869 in Roblin, Ontario, the son of Henry Asselstine and Louisa (née Windover). He claimed to have been born in 1880. He had been married three times by the time he joined up. Firstly to Annie Godfrey in 1894, then to Ella Walker in 1899 and to Nellie Arthurs on November 25, 1915.

Asselstine joined the 155th Battalion with the regimental number 636336. He was described as five feet eleven and a half inches, with a dark complexion, black eyes and black hair. His service record shows that he served in Canada for two years (having deserted at one point) and was discharged on June 24th, 1918 because he was over age.

Allen survived the war and got married again on July 23rd, 1921 to Martha Elliot in Belleville. He died on December 14th, 1955 and was buried in Belleville.

On this day in 1916, Percy William Armitage enlisted in Kingston. He was born in Toronto on July 25th, 1892, the son of Elias Armitage and Hattie (née Fryer). The family were living in Deseronto at the time of the 1901 and 1911 censuses. Percy was a banker. His younger brother, Norman, had enlisted in May 1915.

Percy joined the 50th Battery of the 13th Canadian Field Artillery Brigade with the regimental number 304654. He was described as having a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair and was five feet six inches tall. His service record shows that he was transferred to the 52nd Battery. He arrived in England on September 26th, 1916 and went to France on August 28th, 1917. On November 6th, 1918 Percy was granted two weeks of leave in the UK. His leave was extended to three weeks because the war had ended. He returned to France in December. In March 1919 he was treated in hospital for a month for an infection. When he was examined prior to leaving the service in June he was clear of disease.

Armitage arrived back in Halifax on board the RMS Olympic on July 8th, 1919. He was demobilized at Kingston on July 11th. He married Lida Dorothy Lake after the war. He died at the Riverdale Hospital in Toronto on August 12th, 1974 and was buried in Newcastle, Ontario.

William John Wilson, a schoolteacher, signed up on this day in 1916 in Picton. He was born in Northport, Ontario on November 14th, 1896, the son of Benjamin Franklin Wilson and Henrietta (née Cryan).

Wilson joined the 155th Battalion with the regimental number 636349. He was five feet seven and a half inches tall, with a ruddy complexion, hazel eyes and dark brown hair. He had previously served with the Royal Canadian Dragoons (for 70 days). On January 23rd he was struck off the strength of the battalion, to train as an officer.

In Deseronto on April 10th, 1916 William signed an officer’s declaration paper, becoming a lieutenant in the 155th Battalion. His service record shows that he left for England on October 17th, 1916. In January 1917 Wilson was transferred to the Canadian Forestry Corps, and given the rank of Temporary Captain. He was in France in 1918 and was transferred to the Forestry Corps Depot at Sunningdale in England for duty with the Royal Air Force on August 7th, 1918. He sailed for Canada on May 14th, 1919 and was demobilized on May 26th.

Wilson married Amy Elizabeth Heywood on June 2nd, 1923 at Walkerville, Ontario.

Joseph Laheed Smart signed up in Winnipeg on this day in 1916. He was the second member of his family to join the army – his son (Joseph William Smart) had enlisted on December 8th, 1915. Joseph Laheed Smart was born in Tyendinaga on November 12th, 1871 or 1872, the son of David Smart, a Mohawk, and Jerushia/Sonora [?] (who seems to have been born in the United States, of English ancestry). He married Philomène Picard (née Rauney) in Sudbury, Ontario on June 25th, 1893.

Smart joined the 101st Battalion with the regimental number 700618. He was five feet nine and a half inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. His service record shows that he left Canada on the SS Olympic on June 28th, 1916. He was transferred to the 42nd Battalion, which he joined in France in October 1916.

On April 14th, 1917, Smart received a severe gunshot wound to the left ankle at Vimy and was sent to England for three months to recuperate. In July he was treated in hospital for myalgia. He returned to France in October 1917 but was sent back to England in December as being unfit for further service in France. In January 1918 he was sent back to Canada.

A medical board in Winnipeg examined Smart on February 27th and noted that he was over age and still suffering from myalgia. He was discharged as being medically unfit on March 12th, 1918.

Notes on Joseph Laheed Smart’s file indicate that payments were stopped to his wife because she had married another man. Philomène Smart died of womb cancer on January 5th, 1918. Joseph died in Sudbury on November 30th, 1964.

On this day in 1916, Jacob Maracle enlisted in Dundas, Ontario. He was born in Tyendinaga in late 1891 or early 1892, the son of Moses Maracle and Eliza Ann (née Brant), who were Mohawks.

He joined the 129th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force with the regimental number 784113. He was five feet four and a half inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair.

Jacob’s service record shows that he went absent without leave from July 16th, 1916. He was struck off the strength as a deserter on August 17th.

George Brant signed up in Deseronto on this day in 1916. He stated that he was born in Deseronto in 1897, the son of Lizzie Brant.

George joined the 155th Battalion with the regimental number 636211. He was five feet four inches tall, with a dark complexion, blue eyes and black hair. His service record shows that he served for six months and then went absent without leave in May, being struck off as a deserter on June 8th. He was handed over to the civil authorities and imprisoned for nine months. On December 8th, 1916 he signed up again, this time in Kingston, joining the 207th Battalion with a new number: 246784. Three days after enlisting, he signed a form confessing that he had deserted.

Form of Confession of Desertion

I, George Brant, do hereby confess that I am No.___________ of the 155th Battalion, C.E.F.?  and that I deserted from that Corps on about May 1916.

Signed this 11th day of December 1916.

Brant arrived in England on September 15th, 1917 and joined the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in France on December 7th, 1917.

George Brant was wounded in the left leg at the Battle of the Canal du Nord and was sent to England to recover. He rejoined his unit in France on October 22nd. He was demobilized in Kingston on March 19th, 1919.

Please comment if you can tell us more about what happened to George after the war.

On this day in 1916, Clifford Allan Myles signed up in Toronto. He was born in South Woodslee, Ontario, on May 23rd, 1895, the son of William Myles and Emma (née Brown). The family had moved to Deseronto by 1916, when William was the proprietor of the Deseronto House Hotel on Main Street (where Deseronto Public Library is today).

Myles joined the 92nd Battalion with the regimental number 193455. He had previously served as a corporal in the 46th Regiment. He was described as five feet eight and a half inches tall, with a dark complexion, grey eyes and black hair. His service record shows that he travelled to England on the SS Empress of Britain, arriving on May 29th, 1916. He was transferred to the 42nd Battalion and arrived in France on October 3rd, 1916.

Myles was awarded the Military Medal on March 26th, 1917 and a Bar to this medal on May 26th of the same year, when he was serving as a lance corporal in the 42nd Battalion near Vimy. The citation for the Bar explains the context of this award:

Honours and Awards Citation Cards, Library and Archives Canada (image courtesy of Ancestry.ca)

BAR TO MILITARY MEDAL

On 1st. April 1917 N.B.Neuville St. Vaast during a successful daylight raid this N.C.O. led his party with marked coolness and skill 100 yards along enemy’s front line bombing enemy dugouts with Stoke’s and No.5. Mills and establishing and maintaining a block to cover withdrawal of another party from enemy’s second line. He was granted a Military Medal for outstanding bravery displayed in a previous and equally successful raid on February 13th. 1917, A.F.W. 3121 1-4-17

The unit’s official war diary describes the February 13th (page 1, page 2, page 3) and April 1st (page 1, page 2, page 3) raids in some detail and mention Myles by name.

During 1917 Myles was treated in England for shell shock and he stayed in England for the rest of the war. He was promoted to corporal in June 1918. Myles left Scotland on the SS Saturnia in May 1919 and was demobilized in Kingston on May 22nd.

Clifford married Bertha May Connors on November 1st, 1922 in Colborne, Ontario, when he was working as an electrician. He died on February 4th, 1969.