Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthFebruary 15, 1898
Place of BirthGlasgow
CountryScotland
Marital StatusSingle
Next of KinWilliam Killough, Keewatin, Ontario
Trade / CallingFlour miller, Lake of the Woods Milling Company
ReligionPresbyterian
Service Details
Regimental Number1036713
Service Record Link to Service Record
Battalion238th Battalion
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Infantry
Enlisted / ConscriptedEnlisted
Address at EnlistmentKeewatin, Ontario
Date of EnlistmentAugust 8, 1916
Age at Enlistment18
Theatre of ServiceGreat Britain
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Death Details

Killough, Alexander

Alexander Killough was born on 15 February 1898  in Glasgow, Scotland. His father William Killough was originally from Ireland and had married Mary Brownlie (née Cowie), a young widow with a small daughter Isabella Brownlie, on 29 July 1894 in the District of Milton, Glasgow. Living a few houses apart on Hopehill Road at the time, William’s occupation was given as iron foundry warehouseman. Their first child, daughter Rubina (Ruby) was born on 20 March 1895, followed by George on 28 March 1896, and then Alexander. The 1901 Scotland census found the family living at 20 Grove Street in Glasgow, household members including parents William and Mary, Mary’s daughter Isabella who had assumed the Killough surname, George and Alexander; Ruby was not listed with the family.

Father William and son George were found on the passenger list of the  Scotian that arrived in Halifax on 8 April 1912, followed by his mother Mary and Alexander who arrived in Canada on 7 September 1912 on the  Grampian, destination Keewatin, Ontario to join husband. The Lake of the Woods Milling Company in Keewatin was a drawing card for many recent immigrants, and eventually William, George, and Alexander all found employment with the mill. Isabella and Ruby immigrated in 1913, settling in nearby Winnipeg to work as maids at the General Hospital.

Alexander and his brother   George enlisted in Winnipeg on 8 August 1916. With the 238th Battalion (Forestry), the brothers embarked from Halifax aboard the  Scandinavian on 13 September 1916. Once in England Alexander and George were  transferred to the Canadian Forestry Corps, taken on strength in London in early December. For the most part  Alexander’s service during the war was with the No 132 Company that was employed at Candwell Wood, Mansfield, and Nottinghamshire, England until he transferred to the No 127 in Jedburgh, Roxburgh, Scotland in May of 1919. In August of 1918 he was granted one good conduct stripe and given a Christmas leave in December.  Private Alexander Killough returned to Canada aboard the  Empress of Britain, arriving in Quebec on 11 July 1919, eventual destination, Keewatin.

On 3 October 1923 Alexander married recent Scottish immigrant Elizabeth Jack in Winnipeg. They had one known child, daughter Sheila who became a dancer/choreographer with the Winnipeg Ballet. A death date/place could not be found for Alexander, but according to Elizabeth’s obituary of February 1997 in Winnipeg, she had been predeceased by him.

Alexander’s brother George’s service was cut short by chronic suppurative otitis media, middle ear infections. He was returned to Canada aboard the Saxonia on 30 November 1917 as part of a ‘party of medically unfits, etc, sailing from Liverpool’. His destination was given as Winnipeg. George was next found on the 1920 United States Federal Census for Minneapolis, Minnesota, a lodger with occupation given as miller. Enumerated on 9 January, he crossed back into Canada 20 January 1920, giving his father in Keewatin as next of kin. George Killough died on 1 February 1921 in the Manitoba Military Hospital, Tuxedo, Winnipeg, following several operations on his ears. He is interred in the Military Section of Brookside Cemetery in Winnipeg.

By the early 1920’s Alexander’s parents had moved to 50 Raglan Avenue in Winnipeg. His father William died in 1932, and mother Mary in 1947; both are interred in Brookside. His sister Ruby married Albert Coates in August of 1917 in Kenora and they eventually moved to Vancouver where Albert died in 1950 and Ruby in 1989. It is unknown if they had any children. Isabella married Frank Hurd in October of 1917 in Kenora. They moved to Winnipeg where Frank died in 1948 and Isabella in 1969, Alexander surviving her at the time. Both are interred in Brookside Cemetery. Isabella and Frank had two known children, both sons.

Alexander and George Killough were honoured at a Keewatin Roll of Honour Ceremony in Keewatin in August of 1919 and are commemorated on the  Lake of the Woods Milling Company Roll of Honour plaque, Municipality of Keewatin For King and Country plaque, and the Town of Keewatin Roll of Honour plaque.

By Judy Stockham

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