Deseronto Archives

William Wesley Quackenbush, a brakeman, signed up in Montreal on this day in 1918. He was born in Deseronto in October 1891 (the birth registration says on October 3rd, he stated October 10th when he enlisted). His parents were Edley Alexander Quackenbush and Ida (née Lewis). His father died in 1896 and his mother married Edward Badgley in 1897. In 1910 Wesley and his brother Bernard were living with their uncle, Goldie Lewis and his wife Ruby, in Sandy Creek, New York. He gave his mother’s address as 2 Waite Avenue, Watertown, New York when he enlisted.

Quackenbush joined the 1st Depot Battalion of the 1st Quebec Regiment with the regimental number 3083937. He was five feet tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. His service record shows that he arrived in England on the SS Oxfordshire on July 15th, 1918. He was admitted to hospital for a month in Bramshott on October 17th, suffering from influenza. The following May, he was in hospital again, in Ripon, with tuberculosis. On July 12th, 1919 he was invalided home to Canada and spent a month in hospital in Montreal with chronic bronchitis from July 22nd.

Wesley was demobilized in Montreal on August 25th, 1919. He married Mina White in 1927. There is more information about him and his brother Bernard on the Litchfield family tree. He died in Watertown, New York on June 10th, 1981.

Frederick George L’Esperance, a munitions worker, signed up in Kingston on this day in 1918. He was born in Deseronto on October 22nd, 1898, the son of George L’Esperance and Georgina (née Beyette). In 1901 the family were in Deseronto, but they had moved to Trenton by 1911 and were living there when Frederick enlisted.

L’Esperance joined the 1st Depot Battalion of the Eastern Ontario Regiment with the regimental number 3057913. He was five feet seven and a half inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. He was transferred to the Canadian Field Artillery in Kingston on November 1st, 1918 and demobilized there on November 30th.

In the 1921 census he was back in Trenton with his family, living in Ferry Street and working as a labourer. He married Albina Bernard on February 11th, 1926 in Trenton. By that time, he was a plumber and he gave his address as Detroit, Michigan.

On this day in 1918 Frank Clinton Kimmerly, an assistant purchasing agent, was conscripted in Toronto. He claimed to have been born in Deseronto on April 5th, 1888, but his birth was registered as May 15th, 1880. His parents were James Kimmerly and Martha (née Dafoe). The family were still in Deseronto at the time of the 1901 census, but they were living in St. Catharines when he was drafted into the 1st Depot Battalion of the 1st Central Ontario Regiment with the regimental number 3035201.

Frank was five feet five and three quarter inches tall, with a medium complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He was single when he was conscripted, but got married a few weeks later, on May 13th, to Mina Winnifred Earl in Toronto. His service record shows that he left Canada on the SS Pannonia on June 5th, arriving in England on the 28th. He served in England with the Canadian Artillery Regimental Depot until September 1919, when he returned to Canada on the SS Regina, arriving on September 19th. He had been promoted to the rank of sergeant in April 1919.

Frank and Mina moved to the United States and were living in New York City with their two children in 1925 and 1930. Frank died in Kingston, Ontario on August 8th, 1955.

On this day in 1918 Robert Bertram Richardson, a miller, was conscripted in Kingston. He was born in Deseronto on April 10th, 1887, the son of Reuben Richardson and Eliza (née Robertson). In 1901 the family were in Tweed, but they were back in Deseronto when Bertram joined the army.

Richardson joined the 1st Depot Battalion of the Eastern Ontario Regiment with the regimental number 3057759. He was five feet two inches tall, with a ruddy complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He was missing the first joint of his left index finger. His service record shows that he arrived in England on July 7th, 1918 on the SS Waimana and served in England for the remainder of the war. He suffered from bronchitis while in England and was invalided back to Canada in August 1919. He was demobilized on August 14th in Kingston.

Bertram died on October 12th, 1971 and was buried in Deseronto Cemetery.

On this day in 1918 Clement Archie Jones enlisted in the United States Army in Rochester, New York. He was born in Deseronto on August 14th, 1890, the son of James Jones and Annie (née Clement). James died in 1892 and by the time of the 1915 New York census the family had moved to Rochester. Clement completed a draft registration card in June 1917, claiming exemption due to the need to support his widowed mother. He was described as tall, of medium build and with dark blue eyes and dark brown hair.

Jones enlisted in the 12th Company, 3rd Training Battalion, 153rd Depot Brigade and was transferred to Company K, 310th Infantry on April 25, 1918, according to the World War Service Record Rochester and Monroe County, New York. He trained at Camp Dix, Wrightstown, New Jersey and went overseas on May 20th, 1918.

Some 96 Deseronto-born men completed draft registration cards in the United States. However, only a small percentage of those who registered went on to serve in the armed forces. Most of the US army personnel files of the First World War were destroyed by fire in 1973, so it is not easy to establish which of these Deseronto men joined the America military.