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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Macintosh, Donald Alexander

Donald Alexander Macintosh was born on 27 April 1895 in Toronto, Ontario. His father John Alexander Macintosh, a lawyer, was from Vankleek Hill, Ontario. He was called to the bar in 1884 and in Cornwall became a partner in the firm of MacDonald and Macintosh founded by Ontario’s first premier John Sandfield MacDonald. The firm… Read More »

Robertson, Stuart

Private Stuart Robertson enlisted underage in September 1914, when he was 17 years old. He survived four years of war and returned to Canada in May 1919. Stuart was the son of William Robertson and Bertha Louisa Thompson of Vancouver, British Columbia. William was born in Cupar, County of Fife, Scotland and Bertha in Lancashire,… Read More »

Lowe, Thomas (1875-1918)

The final period of the war, known now as the Hundred Days Offensive, started with the Battle of Amiens on 8 August 1918. The four-day operation was a remarkable success for the Canadians but it cost them over 11,000 casualties. One of the fallen was Private Thomas Lowe of Kenora, Ontario. Thomas was originally from… Read More »

Brownlee, William Ferguson

Lieutenant William Ferguson Brownlee enlisted in the fall of 1915 and served in France with the Canadian Engineers. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in November 1918 and returned to Canada in August 1919. William was the son of James Brownlee and Margaret Hutton Rutherford. James was born in Hamilton, Ontario and started working for… Read More »

Gibson, James

James Gibson III was born on 2 March 1896 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), Ontario. His father James Gibson II was born in Bruce Mines, Ontario, the son of Irish immigrants James Gibson I (ore dresser) and Jane Cox. James I’s family later moved to Barrie and then on to Innisfil in southern Ontario… Read More »

Rochester, Herbert Cubley

When the First World War started aircraft technology was relatively new and airplanes were used mainly for observation. Major advancements were made over the next four years but flying was still dangerous and more pilots were killed and injured during training and reconnaissance than in combat. Second Lieutenant Herbert Cubley Rochester joined the Royal Flying… Read More »

Alcock, William Henry

William Henry (Billy) Alcock was born on 25 October 1898 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), Ontario. His parents were George and Emma (née Barker) Alcock who had married on 1 January 1883 in Faraday, Hastings, Ontario. After the 1891 Canada census the family had moved to Saskatchewan but by the 1901 Canada census they… Read More »

Robinson, Arthur William

Arthur William Robinson was born on 28 September 1883 on the Isle of Wight, England. His father Timothy Robinson was also from the Isle of Wight, while his mother Elizabeth Wilkins was from Walworth in Surrey. The couple married during the first quarter of 1872 in the Isle of Wight. Arthur’s father was a mariner,… Read More »

Hewitt, Edward

Edward Hewitt was born on 5 November 1890 in Gortnamoney, Moira in County Down in northern Ireland. His parents William Hewitt and Mary Ann Costley were both from the area, marrying on 3 April 1888 in Moira. At the time of Edward’s birth William’s occupation was given as ploughman on his birth record while later… Read More »

Knipe, William James

Farrier Sergeant William James Knipe enlisted with the Canadian Engineers and served for three years in England, France and Belgium. He returned to Canada in August 1919 with a war bride. William was the only son of James and Elizabeth Knipe of Liverpool, Lancashire, England. James worked as a carpenter and shipwright and he married… Read More »