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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Gourevitch, Simon

Private Simon Gourevitch enlisted in August 1914 and served with the 8th Battalion (Royal Winnipeg Rifles). He survived four years of war and returned to Canada in the spring of 1919. According to his attestation Simon was born on 16 May 1885 in Smolensk, Russia, a city in the western part of the country near… Read More »

Peterman, William Albert

Private William Albert Peterman was married and the father of four daughters when he enlisted in January 1915. He served overseas for three years, most of that time with the 27th (City of Winnipeg) Battalion. William was the oldest son of William and Mary Peterman of East Gwillimbury, North York, Ontario. He was born on… Read More »

Hamilton, Andrew

Andrew Hamilton was born on 4 March 1883 in Mulmur, Dufferin, Ontario. His father Henry (Harry) Hamilton was from Ireland while his mother Agnes Smith was from Scotland. The couple married on 20 November 1874 in Avening, a community near Mulmar. Andrew had three older siblings, William, George, and Margaret (Maggie), and four younger siblings,… Read More »

Porter, John Hardie

John Hardie Porter was born on 13 January 1896 in Udny, Aberdeenshire in Scotland. A small community, it is located about 20 kilometres north of Aberdeen. John’s father William Porter, a mason, was from Methlick while his mother Jessie Hardie was from Torphins, both within a 30 kilometre radius. The couple married on 7 July… Read More »

Elliott, Thomas Breedon

Thomas Breedon Elliott was born on 20 May 1878 in Smeeton Westerly, Leicestershire, England. His father Jonas Breedon Elliott was from Leicester while his mother Caroline Burnaby was from the Pipewell-Rushton area in Northamptonshire where the couple had married in the first quarter of 1875. Thomas had an older sister, Florence (1876) and younger brother… Read More »

Hales, Wilfred

On 03 August 1888 Wilfred Hales was the 2nd born of 8 children in Peterborough, England to John Hales and Betsy Anne Peacock.  ‘Billy’, as he was known to friends, immigrated to  Canada  in 1911.   He joined the group of young men in Kenora that were from his  home town in England.  They became… Read More »

Watkinson, William Reuben

Although he gave his date of birth as 23 July 1893 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England on his attestation papers, Reuben William Watkinson was born in 1889. His mother Lydia Ashman was born in London and married his father George Watkinson, widower, in Birmingham in 1883. George, born in Birmingham, had previously married Mary Ann Fisher… Read More »

Barker, Frederick Joseph

Frederick Joseph (Fred) Barker was born on 11 January 1863 in Shoreditch, London, England. He was the first born child of Stephen Barker and Emma Elizabeth Bartholomew who had married on 2 April 1861 in Tower Hamlets, Bethnal Green, London. While living in England father Stephen’s occupation was given as carman at the time of… Read More »

Fisher, William

Sapper William Fisher was one of three brothers from Keewatin, Ontario who served in the First World War. He spent more than three years overseas and returned to Canada in March 1919. William was born on 25 January 1882 in Maybole, Ayrshire, Scotland. His parents, William Fisher Sr. and Elizabeth Armour, were married in Maybole… Read More »

Wilding, Alfred John

Lance Sergeant Alfred John Wilding enlisted in February 1916 and served overseas for three years. He was wounded twice but he survived the war and returned to Canada in June 1919. Alfred was born on 3 February 1890 in Stagsden, Bedfordshire, England. His parents were Harry Wilding, a farm worker, and Jane Elizabeth Hobbs. Harry… Read More »