Kenora Great War Project

 

You can also view an Alphabetical List

The People

soldier_photobar

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

Search by name, or filter the search results using the list of options below.

Howard, Clifford

Clifford Howard was born on 24 August 1897 in Kingston upon Hull (Hull for short), Yorkshire, England. His father was Matthew Edward Howard who worked for the most part as a painter although also found on censuses as a perambulator maker and a hand cart painter. His mother was Sarah Jane Gibson. The couple had… Read More »

Nairn, Alfred Tennyson

Alfred Tennyson Nairn was born on  19 August 1899  in Keewatin, Ontario, a small community just west of Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora). In his early years he went by the name of Tennyson but after the war he  switched to Alfred. His father Robert Nairn was from Netherhill, Dunlop, Ayrshire in Scotland and had… Read More »

Reeves, James George

James George Reeves was born to Jonathan and Sarah Ann Reeves on April 13, 1880 in Tadworth, Surrey, England. In the 1891 U.K. census, his mother was 59, father 54 and there were several siblings: Frances Elizabeth (30), William Jonathan (21), Ada (20), Thomas (15), James George himself (12), and Herbert Edgar (9). In the… Read More »

Charest, Homer

Homer was one of several children born to Isaie Charest and his wife Emelie Bedard.  The family lived near Sherbrooke, Que.  Homer was just two years old when his mother died.  His father married again to Marie Laroche in February 1887 in Baie-du-Febvre, Quebec.  At some point Homer and his older brother and perhaps other… Read More »

Caslake, Arthur

According to his attestation papers, Arthur Caslake was born on 7 May 1881 in St Mary’s, Ontario. However it is likely that he was born as Arthur Coupland in 1879, the son of Rachel Coupland. The 1881 Canada census for St Mary’s found Rachel and Arthur living with Rachel’s widowed mother Elizabeth Coupland. In 1884,… Read More »

Robertson, Duncan

Shortly after Britain declared war on 4 August 1914 the Canadian government proposed   raising an Expeditionary Force to send overseas. By late September a contingent of 32,000 volunteers had been assembled at the new military camp in Valcartier, Quebec. Two thirds of the men in this 1st Canadian Contingent were born in the British… Read More »

Tomkins, Harry

Birth date and location: Harry’s actual birth is recorded in the second quarter of 1877 in the registration district of Aston, County of Warwickshire, England; however he states that his birth was June 4, 1879, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. There appears to be no explanation as to how this date was determined. Family and early life:… Read More »

Young, Robert John

Robert John Young was the son of Isaac Young and Jane Johnston of Kenora, Ontario. Isaac was born in England and Jane in Huron County, Ontario. They were married in 1889 in Wingham, Huron County, where Isaac was a farmer. A daughter Mary Jane was born the following year and she was followed by Robert… Read More »

Palmer, Peter

Sapper Peter Palmer was living in or near Keewatin, Ontario when he was called up under the Military Service Act on 11 November 1917. He had failed to register as required and he was classed as a Defaulter. He was probably working for the Keewatin Lumber Company as that was the address he gave after… Read More »

Williamson, James

James (Jim) Williamson was born on 18 April 1886 in Shaw, Lancashire in England. His father Thomas Williamson was from Derbyshire while his mother Harriett Matthews was from Lincolnshire, the couple marrying in 1885 in Shaw. At the time of Jim’s birth his father was working as a porter. Moving to nearby Bury, another community… Read More »