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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Rodger, John Cousland

John Cousland Rodger was born on 26 July 1896 in the Dennistoun area of Glasgow, Scotland. His father John Rodger was from Holytown, Lanarkshire while his mother Cecilia Jenkins Cousland was from Glasgow. Although both were living in Glasgow at the time, the couple married on 4 October 1892 in Perth. John Sr, listed as… Read More »

Jones, Edward

Birth date and location: According to his Attestation Papers, Edward was born February 25, 1882 in Kamloops, British Columbia. Names of parents and siblings: Cannot be confirmed at this time. Early life: Prior to enlisting, ‘Ed’ had been a Blacksmith and appears to have been living and working in Kenora, Ontario. War experience: Edward, aged… Read More »

Hallett, Clarence Beamish

Although he gave Truro, Nova Scotia as his birth place, Clarence Beamish Hallett was born on 21 June 1886 in a small community just outside of Truro called Brookside. His father William Courtney Hallett was from Sussex, New Brunswick while his mother Florence Emma Cox was from Falmouth, Nova Scotia. The couple married on 5… Read More »

Guernsey, Frederick Fuller

Frederick was born on 16 October 1885 in Stuartburn, Manitoba. His parents were William Robert Guernsey and Francis Fuller who had come to Manitoba from England in 1882. William listed ‘tailor’ as his occupation on his arrival. Frederick was one of thirteen children in the family. Four were born in England, five in Manitoba and… Read More »

Smith, Herbert Douglas Sinclair

Herbert Douglas Sinclair Smith was one of the over 4,000 Canadian fatal casualties of the Battle of Passchendaele Oct 27-Nov 12, 1917). Badly wounded during the battle, he later died in hospital in England. Born July 20, 1879/1878 in Burford Township, Brant County, Ontario to William Taylor Smith and Margaret Matilda Carpenter, Herbert grew up… Read More »

Thrasher, John Mangan

John Mangan Thrasher was a man who lived in rare company. One of the first to volunteer for service in the Kenora area he served the entire war from the fall of 1914 to the spring of 1919 overseas. He rose through the ranks from Private to Captain, and was one of fewer than 100… Read More »

Storey, Hayston

Hayston Storey was born on 20 March 1892 in Oulton, Cumberland, England. He was the son of Esther Storey, also born in Oulton, and grandson of James and Mary (née Hayston) Storey. Over the years grandfather James worked as a cotton weaver, husbandman (free tenant farmer) and in latter years operated a market gardening business… Read More »

McRitchie, Roderick

Company Quarter-Master Sergeant Roderick McRitchie was the son of Donald McRitchie and Anna McLeod of Kenora, Ontario. He was born on 10 October 1868 in Victoria County, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and he had at least six brothers and five sisters. His family moved to Ontario in the 1890s and settled in Rat Portage (later… Read More »

Renger, Carl

Private Carl Renger enlisted in September 1916 at age 18 and served overseas for two years. He was wounded in France in the last months of the war but he survived and returned to Canada in April 1919. Carl was the only son of Augusta Rabes and her first husband Emil Renger. Carl was born… Read More »

Charlebois, Emile

Private Emile Charlebois of Kenora, Ontario was called up in November 1917, at age 28. He served for seven months with the 1st Depot Battalion, Manitoba Regiment. Emile was the youngest son of Joseph Charlebois and his second wife Azilda Picard. Joseph married Azilda in October 1884 in Saint André-Avellin, Quebec, a small village north… Read More »