Kenora Great War Project

 

You can also view an Alphabetical List

The People

soldier_photobar

These are the stories of Kenora participants in the First World War.

Search by name, or filter the search results using the list of options below.

Sinclair, Levi Wilmot

Kenora’s David George Sinclair and his wife Eliza Ann Bock had four sons that served in WW1 – Leslie Foster John (born 1887), Levi Wilmot (born 1893), Roy Frederick (born 1895) and Benjamin Elton (born 1899). The family arrived in Rat Portage (Kenora) in 1903 and settled north of town in the rural area of… Read More »

Gooding, Stratton Blair

The Somme Offensive was a series of battles that lasted from July to November 1916 and resulted in enormous casualties for both the Allied and German armies. The Canadian Corps arrived at the Somme in late August and in less than three months they suffered 24,000 casualties. One of the wounded was Private Stratton Blair… Read More »

Hansen, John William

Illness and disease caused many casualties in the First World War and some soldiers died even before they left Canada.Trooper John William Hansen of Keewatin, Ontario had three older brothers who served overseas and they all survived the war. John joined the 34th Fort Garry Horse in December 1918 and the following spring, during his… Read More »

Wright, Edward Lewis

Edward Lewis Wright was born on 25 November 1890 in Ilford, Essex on the outskirts of London, England. His father William Edward Wright, a gardener, was born in 1865 in High Ingar, Essex and had married his first wife Sarah Jenkins during the 1st quarter of 1883 in the registration district of Chelmsford, Essex where… Read More »

Dinnel, William

According to his attestation papers William John Dinnel was born 10 August 1884 in Newton Stewart, Ayrshire, Scotland.   His obituary lists his birthdate as 05 August 1883.   His parents were William Dinnel (gardener) and Agnes Campbell.   At age 25, on 26 December 1908, William married Sarah Jane Young in Glasgow, Scotland.  … Read More »

Cherry, John Joseph Roland

John Joseph Cherry was born on 19 August 1890 in Keewatin, Ontario. His parents were Thomas Joseph Cherry and Caroline Hawkin. Siblings included Cecil, Agnes, Marion and Norah. John’s father was born in Ireland and immigrated to Canada 1871. He was a Reeve for Keewatin in 1907 and 1908 becoming Keewatin’s first Mayor in 1909… Read More »

King, Joseph Harold

Regimental Quarter-Master Sergeant Joseph Harold King, DCM, enlisted in Kenora, Ontario in December 1914 and served with the 52nd Battalion for four years. He stayed in England after the war and died young, at age 36. Joseph was the son of William King and Maria Barfoot of Winshill, Burton-on-Trent, England. William and Maria were married… Read More »

Farris, Laughlin Alexander

Private Laughlin Alexander Farris was the youngest son of Edward John Farris and Isabella Sinclair. John and Isabella were both from the Maritimes and they were married in 1888 in Amherst, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. Their first two sons, Angus Sinclair and John Edward, were born in Nova Scotia. When the 1891 census was taken… Read More »

Jahn, Andrew Peter

Private Andrew Peter Jahn immigrated to Canada from Denmark in May 1913 and the First World War started the following year. He enlisted in the spring of 1916 and served in England, France and Belgium for over two years. Andrew was wounded at Passchendaele but he survived the war and returned to Canada with his… Read More »

Degagne, Pierre Emile

Pierre Emile (Pete) Degagne was born on 09 August 1894 in Rat Portage (now Kenora), Ontario. His parents were Pierre George Degagne and Florida Charron. Siblings included: George (1893-1970), Joseph (1896-1966), Leo (b. 1897), Maria (1899-1899), Albert (1901-1901), Ida (1902-1903), Flora (b. 1904) and Clovis (1906-1915). The 1911 census shows the family  living in the… Read More »