Kenora Great War Project

 

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The People

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These are the stories of Kenora participants in the First World War.

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Larson, John

John Larson’s name appeared in the 10 June 1916 edition  of the Kenora Miner and News for enlisting with the 197th Battalion. His identity and service could not be confirmed.  

Iliff, Thomas Charles

Thomas Charles Iliff was born on 14 September 1891 in the RM of Springfield, Selkirk, Manitoba. First born child, his parents Powers Cowley Iliff, who had arrived in Canada from Wales aboard the Circassian 29 June 1885, and Ann Matheson, daughter of William and Christiana Matheson of Springfield, had married in Springfield on 15 October 1890…. Read More »

Miller, Jacob William

Private (Acting Corporal) Jacob William Miller was born in Minnesota and living in northwestern Ontario when the war started. He enlisted in Kenora on 26 December 1914, when volunteers were being raised for a third overseas contingent. He was 37 years old at the time and working as a traction engineer. He gave his date… Read More »

Wilcox, Sydney Charles

Sydney Charles Wilcox was born on 26 July 1883 in Windsor, Hants, Nova Scotia. His father Charles Smith Wilcox was from Windsor while his mother Emma Gertrude Thom was from Quebec City where the couple married in 1880. Returning to Windsor, Charles and his brother George were both hardware merchants. Children born to the family… Read More »

Glenn, Thomas Blake

Private Thomas Blake Glenn, usually known as Blake, was the son of John Thomas Glenn and Emily Brydges. He was born on 10 November 1889 in Petrolia, Lambton County, Ontario. His parents had married in 1878 in nearby Wyoming, Ontario. Blake had two older brothers, John Bertram (1879) and Frederick Aylmer (1887), both born in… Read More »

Scott, Robert Brown

Robert Brown Scott was born on 8 February 1878 in Glasgow, Scotland. His father Robert Scott was from Biggar, Lanarkshire while his mother Jessie Cleghorn was from Glasgow. The couple married on 23 June 1868 in Glasgow. The 1871 Scotland census placed the family in Edinburgh where Robert Sr was working as a railway clerk…. Read More »

Brynelson, Nels Austin

Sergeant Nels Austin Brynelson was the son of Nels and Augusta Brynelson of Starbuck, Manitoba. His parents were both born in Norway and immigrated to Canada in the mid-1880s. They settled in northwestern Ontario where Nels (Sr) became a section foreman for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He worked at several railroad stations just east of… Read More »

Preece, Alfred

Private Alfred Preece was born on 16 October 1894 in Newdale, Manitoba. His birth name was Abraham Alphonse Preece and his parents were Thomas William Preece and Mary Jane Threadkill. Thomas was born in England and immigrated to Canada as a child. Mary was born in Ontario and both of her parents were from England…. Read More »

Jeffery, Harry

The Germans used massive amounts of artillery in the First World War and more than half of Allied casualties were the result of artillery fire. There were all different kinds and sizes of shells and they were a constant danger during battles and in the trenches as well as behind the front lines. Private Harry… Read More »

Lowes, Roderick Percival

Although he gave his birth year as 1894 on his attestation papers, Roderick Percival (Percy) Lowes was born on 18 March 1898 in Chapleau, Ontario. His parents were William and Annie (née Stewart) Lowes. William worked for the Canadian National Railway, first as a brakeman, and  then for many years  as a conductor. The young… Read More »