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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Sawchuk (Savchuk), Steve

According to his attestation papers, Steve Sawchuk (Savchuk) was born on 25 December 1885 in Ostrozan, Kiev, Russia. His parents were Philip and Domikia/Dominikia Savchuk. Steve was married in Russia and when he signed his attestation papers he gave Maria Savchuk, wife, who still lived in Russia as his next of kin. He also said… Read More »

Hughes, John Llewellyn

Gunner John Llewellyn Hughes, usually known as Jack, was born on 12 January 1890 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His father, Hugh Hughes, was born in Liverpool, England and his mother, Sarah Thompson, was from Wales. They had three other children: Hugh Gladstone, Winnifred Jane and Frederick. Not long after Jack was born his parents moved to… Read More »

Kendall, Reuben Duffett

Reuben Duffett Kendall was born on  28  August 1895 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), in northwestern Ontario. His father William Glanfield Kendall was from Rettendon, Essex, England. At age twenty-three William had immigrated to Canada, first living in Stratford, Ontario where he worked for the Grand Trunk Railway before moving to Winnipeg in 1882… Read More »

Loyst, John Wesley

Corporal John Wesley Loyst enlisted in March 1916 and served overseas for two and a half years. He was wounded at the Battle of Vimy Ridge but he survived the war and returned home in June 1919. John was the oldest son of John Wesley Loyst Sr. and Mary Sinclair of Chase, British Columbia. John… Read More »

Dodds, Gilbert Charles Gordon

Staff Sergeant Gilbert Charles Gordon Dodds enlisted with the 12th Field Ambulance in March 1916. He left for England in June and served overseas for three years, returning to Canada in June 1919. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and the Military Medal. Gilbert, also known as Gordon, was the only son of Reverend… Read More »

Atkinson, Lawrence Edward

Lawrence Edward Atkinson was born on 1 March 1895 in Moncton, New Brunswick. His father Harvey Alexander (Harry) Atkinson was from Shediac, New Brunswick while his mother Alice Gertrude Kennedy had been born in the States, her parents also from New Brunswick. The 1891 census found the family living in Moncton where Harvey was working… Read More »

Russell, Francis

Private Francis Russell signed up with a field ambulance unit in July 1915 and served overseas for almost a year. He was invalided back to Canada in February 1917 due to illness. Francis was the son of Alban and Elizabeth Russell of Fulham, London, England. He was one of nine children and he was born… Read More »

Tennant, George William

Private George William Tennant was the son of George Tennant Sr. and Catherine (Kate) Margaret Lambert. George Sr. and Kate had at least five other children: Herbert Maxwell (1889), Francis Lambert (1892), Janet Louisa (1894), Charlotte Mary (1900) and Roland Judd Murray (1904). Most of the children were born in Port Arthur, Ontario but George… Read More »

Benson, Robert John

Robert John (Bobby) Benson was born on 18 May 1894 in Davidson, Saskatchewan. His parents Hans Benedikt Johannesson and Rosa Gudmundsdottir were from Iceland, marrying on 22 July 1876 in Grenadarstadur, Sudur-Thingeyjarsysea. The couple gave birth to two children in Iceland, Egill (George) in 1875 and Vestium (Weston) in 1879. At some point after Weston’s… Read More »

Montgomery, William Earl

With a family of eight children, five of the Montgomery sons were to enlist during the war. The Montgomery family had its roots in Lanark County in Ontario. Oswald Montgomery Sr, the son of a farmer and local justice of the peace, was born in 1857 in the township of Drummond. On 11 June 1884,… Read More »