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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Sampson, Louis Frederick

Private Louis Frederick Sampson arrived in France with the 52nd Battalion in February 1916. Less that four months later he was missing and presumed killed at the Battle of Mount Sorrel. Louis was born on 12 October 1887 in London, England, the son of Louis Sampson Sr. and his wife Eliza. At the time of… Read More »

Cridge, Alfred John

Alfred John (aka ‘Jack’) Cridge was born on 12 December 1892 in Bridgewater, Somerset, England.   His parents were James Weston Cridge and Emma Rendells.   Jack was educated in Bridgewater and learned the butcher trade.   In June 1913 he immigrated to Kenora, Ontario, Canada. On 17 April 1915 Jack enlisted with the 52nd… Read More »

Riley, Edward

Private Edward Riley was in his early 50’s when he enlisted in Winnipeg in 1916 and was to serve with the Canadian Forestry Corps in England for the last two years of the war. Although a birth record for Edward could not be found it is likely that he was born in 1865 in the… Read More »

Hedlund, Carl

Carl Gustaf Edward Hedlund was born on 28 February 1897 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora) in northwestern Ontario. Both of his parents were from Sweden, his father Johannes Gustafsson from Bäck, Skaraborg in Västergötland, while his mother Hilda Karlsdotter was from Fredsberg, also in Skaraborg. With the encouragement of the Swedish government back in… Read More »

Rochester, Ernest Marshall

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. Gun batteries were a frequent target, to put them out of action, and both sides developed methods to locate and destroy batteries. Sergeant Ernest Marshall Rochester served with the 30th… Read More »

Kenny, F

As reported in the 2 April 1919 edition of the Kenora Miner and News, the towns of Kenora and Keewatin held a large reception for returning veterans at the Tourist Hotel in Kenora. On the list was F Kenny, identity unconfirmed. He was likely returning veteran Frank Kinney.    

Jorge, James

Although the birth date of 18 June 1887 was given on James’ attestation papers, it was likely that he was born on 21 September 1878 in Bucharest, Romania as given in his obituary. Little is known about James’ early life other than that he came to the United States in 1901 and then on to… Read More »

Edwards, John Elias

John Elias Edwards was born on 27 August 1883 in Crook, Helmington Row in the registration district of Bishop Auckland in Durham, England. His parents Joseph Edwards and Emily Williams were from the Ruabon-Rhosllanerchrugog, Denbighshire area of northern Wales but had married on 6 March 1876 in Oldham, Manchester in Lancashire. At the time new… Read More »

Brown, James Gowans

Air Mechanic James Gowans Brown was born on 14 December 1890 in Arbroath, Forfarshire, Scotland. He was the oldest son of William Brown and Isabella Gowans. William and Isabella were married in Arbroath in 1887 and they had at least three children: Williamina (1888), James (1890) and John (1892). At the time of the 1901… Read More »