Deseronto Archives

Edward Louis Counihan, a teamster, enlisted in Toronto on this day in 1917. He was born in Deseronto on November 15th, 1900, the son of Jeremiah Counihan and Johanah (née Hill). The family were in Deseronto in 1901 and had moved to Toronto by 1911. When Edward enlisted, his mother was living at 34 Jerome Street and his father’s whereabouts were unknown.

Counihan joined the York & Simcoe Foresters (part of the Canadian Forestry Corps) with the regimental number 2499309. He was five feet six inches tall, with a medium complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair. His service record shows that he was transferred to Number 2 Special Service Company on December 10th, 1917. On April 26th, 1918 a Medical Board was convened to discuss his case. He had a goitre and the army had discovered that he was under age and would not be eighteen until November that year. They recommended that he be discharged from the army.

Edward was discharged in Toronto on May 24th, 1918. On the previous day he had been on trial at the City of Toronto Police Court. There are two certified copies of his convictions for car theft on his service file. On May 8th he had stolen a car belonging to E. Hammel and on May 10th he stole a car belonging to T. H. Norman.

He was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment at Toronto Municipal Farm (also known as Langstaff Jail Farm).

Counihan died on October 28th, 1957.

On this day in 1917 William James Shatraw signed up in Kingston. He was born in Deseronto on July 18th, 1898, the son of Antoine Shatraw and Sarah Elizabeth (née Druce).

Shatraw joined the Canadian Field Artillery with the regimental number 344079. He was five feet five inches tall, with a dark complexion, hazel eyes and dark brown hair. His service record shows that he arrived in Liverpool on the SS Missanabie on February 16th, 1918 and went to France on October 8th to join the Canadian Artillery Pool. He was treated for infections in England in 1919 and arrived back in Canada on the SS Olympic on July 7th.

William was demobilized in Kingston on July 11th, 1919. He married Edith Olive Sager in Deseronto on October 20th of that year. He died in September 1972 and was buried in Deseronto Cemetery.

Leo Eugene Snider, an automobile salesman, signed up in Winnipeg on this day in 1917. He was born in Deseronto on October 22nd, 1884, the son of watchmaker George Edmund Snider and Iva (née Wartman). The Snider family were still in Deseronto in 1901 but had moved to Coe Hill by 1911. Leo was living in Saskatoon and working for the McLaughlin Carriage Company when he enlisted. He gave his father’s address as 12th Avenue East, Vancouver.

Leo joined the Canadian Army Service Corps with the regimental number 2115732. He was five feet nine inches tall, with a dark complexion, blue eyes and black hair. His service record shows that he arrived in England on June 5th, 1918 on the SS City of Marseilles. He went to France with the Canadian Army Service Corps on June 26th, 1918 and served there with the Canadian Engineers Mechanical Transport Company until May 16th, 1919. He returned to Canada on the SS Olympic on June 6th, 1919 and was demobilized in Toronto on June 21st.

Snider was back in Saskatoon, still working for McLaughlin, in 1921. He died in Saskatoon on January 19th, 1950 and was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery.

On this day in 1917 Herbert Edgar Wicks, a glass-cutter, signed up in Brockville, Ontario. He was born in Norfolk, England on November 21st, 1898, the son of Herbert Edgar Wicks senior and Agnes Clara (née Baker). His father died in 1898 and in 1901 Herbert and his mother were living with his great-grandmother, Eliza Baker in Norwich. Eliza died in 1904 and Herbert came to Canada on the SS Dominion in September 1907, aged eight, with a party of Barnado’s children heading for Toronto. His mother remained in England.

A photograph of Herbert featured in Ups and Downs, the journal of the Barnardo’s Homes in May 1910. The journal noted:

We may present the portrait of Master Herbert E. Wicks to our readers as that of a boy who is a good sample as well as a most encouraging product of our work. He has been boarded out for the past three years in a thorough comfortable, happy, Christian home, where he has received the best of care and been under good wholesome training. Both at school and at home Herbert bears an excellent character, and is, in fact, as good a boy as we could wish to see.

Herbert enlisted in the Railway Construction and Forestry Depot with the regimental number 2161219. He was five feet two inches tall, with a fair complexion, blue eyes and blond hair. He gave his address as Napanee. His service record shows that he left Halifax on the SS Metagama in November 1917. He arrived in France on March 12th, 1918 and joined the 44th Battalion on the 23rd of that month. Just 34 days later, he was killed in action.

On this day in 1917 John Joseph Marrigan, a machinist, enlisted in Toronto. He was born in Deseronto on December 27th, 1886, the son of hotel keeper Michael Marrigan and his wife, Elizabeth (née McVicker). Michael died in May 1914 and Elizabeth was still living in Deseronto when John enlisted. John’s cousin, Thomas Bernard Marrigan had signed up in May 1917.

Marrigan joined the York & Simcoe Foresters (part of the Canadian Forestry Corps) with the regimental number 2499026. He was described as being five feet eight and a half inches tall, with a medium complexion, grey eyes and medium hair. His service record shows that he left Canada aboard the troopship Wiamana in June 1918. From September 1918 he served in France with the Canadian Railway Troops, returning to England in January 1919. Marrigan left Liverpool on the SS Carmania on February 1st and was demobilized in Toronto on March 3rd.

In 1921 John was living at 28 West Aveune, Toronto, with his mother, brother and sister. A note on his service file states that he died in Scarborough on April 27th, 1963.