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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Kelly, Frank James

According to his attestation papers, Francis James (Frank) Kelly was born on 1 March 1895 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora) in northwestern Ontario. His father James Kelly was the son of  Irish  immigrants that had settled in the village of Brussels, Huron, Ontario. His mother Martha Mathieson was born in Admaston, a small community… Read More »

Greenwood, Henry

Although he gave Whitemouth, Manitoba as the place of his birth on his attestation papers, Henry Greenwood, along with his twin sister Elizabeth, was born July 13, 1893 in Winnipeg. His father and mother had immigrated from England in 1892, first homesteading in Whitemouth, Manitoba for about two years before moving to Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora)…. Read More »

Norberg, Victor Albert

Victor Albert Norberg was born on 13 July 1894 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora) in northwestern Ontario. His father Charles Eric Norberg was from Sweden while his mother Marguerite Jensen was from Denmark, the couple marrying in Rat Portage on 16 July 1891. At the time of the marriage Charles Sr’s occupation was given… Read More »

Lang, Walter William

Private Walter William Lang of Quill Lake, Saskatchewan enlisted in March 1916 at age 24. He served overseas with the 28th Battalion and he was killed in August 1918, during the Hundred Days Offensive. Walter was the oldest son of George Lang and Catherine Daum. George and Catherine were both born in Woolwich Township, Waterloo… Read More »

Spradbrow, George Ralph

George Ralph Spradbrow began his flying career in the Royal Flying Corps in WW1 and moved progressively through bush flying and general aviation to become one of the first pilots of corporate flying in Canada. George was born on 20 November 1896 in Toronto, Ontario.  His parents were Charles Spradbrow and Elizabeth Locke. Siblings included:… Read More »

McKee, Robert Elsworth

Private Robert Elsworth McKee was married and the father of a baby daughter when he enlisted in January 1917. He served in England and France with the Canadian Forestry Corps and returned to Canada in November 1918 after suffering an injury. Elsworth was the youngest son of John McKee, a farmer, and Margaret (Maggie) Thompson…. Read More »

Holt, Harry

Lance Corporal Harry Holt joined the British army in 1912 and served for eight years, two of them spent as a German prisoner of war. After his discharge in 1920 he immigrated to Canada. Harry was the son of Walter Holt and Eliza Riley of Manchester, Lancashire, England. Walter and Eliza were married in 1890… Read More »

Mann, Arthur Joseph

Although he gave his date of birth as 21 August 1890 on his recruitment paper, Arthur Joseph Mann was born on 23 August 1891 in Bonfield, Ontario. His parents James and Marguerite (née Laporte) Mann, both originally from Quebec,  had married in Bonfield.  Other children born to the couple were Henry Laporte (1887-1922), Jean (John)… 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 »

Victory, John William

John Willam Victory signed his first set of attestation papers in Kenora, Ontario on 26 December 1914. His date and place of birth was given as 7 January 1876 in Nelson’s River in Nova Scotia, next of kin as his mother Nesbitt Victory in Nelson’s River, and occupation as labourer. Kenora newspapers of the day… Read More »