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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Ross, George

Private George Ross earned a Military Medal for his actions in a raid at Neuville Vitasse in late April of 1918, suffered a bullet wound to his knee at Amiens, and lost his life in an accident in 1940. George Ross was born on 22 May 1889 in Smiths Falls, Ontario. His father James Herkhimer… Read More »

Padberg, Paul Frank

Corporal Paul Frank Padberg was called up in May 1918, at age 21, and he served for a year in Canada and Siberia. Paul, often known as Pat, was born on 30 December 1896 in the Netherlands. He may have been born in the city of Leeuwarden or his family may have moved there when… Read More »

Maxwell, James Blythe

James Blythe Maxwell was born on 15 January 1896 in Keewatin in northwestern Ontario near present day Kenora. In early years he went by the name of Blythe while in later years as James. His father James Wellington Blythe Maxwell, a saw filer, was from Chelsea, Quebec a community about ten kilometres north of Ottawa…. Read More »

Chambers, George Henry

George Henry Chambers was the son of John and Mary Chambers of Sligo, County Sligo, Ireland. John was a career soldier who enlisted in the British army around 1871, at age 20, and went on to serve with the Royal Irish Regiment for 23 years. He married Mary Kerr in County Sligo in 1888 and… Read More »

Merkley, Willis Samuel

Private Willis Samuel Merkley was called up for service in January 1918 and sent to France seven months later. He was killed in action in September 1918 near Cambrai. Willis was born on 7 June 1892 in Chesterville village, Dundas County, Ontario. His parents, Salathiel Merkley and Laura Kittle, were both of German ancestry and… 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 »

Van Norman, Harry Hinds

Lieutenant Harry Hinds Van Norman, MC, enlisted in January 1915 and served overseas for three and a half years. He was promoted from Private to Sergeant in October 1915 and commissioned as a Lieutenant in April 1917. He earned a Military Cross in the last weeks of the war. Harry was the oldest son of… Read More »

Sanson, Ralph

Although he gave his birth date as 20 September 1888 on his attestation papers, Ralph Sansom (spelling later changed to Sanson) was born on 25 September 1887 in Emery, York, Ontario. Emery later became known as a neighbourhood in north Toronto. His father Alfred Sansom was from London, England while his mother Sarah Ann Sutton… Read More »

Sillers, Clifford McLeod

Clifford McLeod Sillers was born on 11 April 1893 in the RM of Turtle Mountain in southern Manitoba. Both of his parents Donald Sillers and Mary Jennison were from the Township of Hay in Ontario. According to a history book about Killarney, Manitoba, Donald had homesteaded in the area near Holmfield/Killarny in southern Manitoba not… Read More »

Moose, Frederick

Private Frederick Moose enlisted in August 1915 and served in France and Belgium with the 52nd Battalion and the Canadian Machine Gun Corps. He returned to Canada in March 1919. According to his attestation paper, Fred was born on 17 September 1891 in Nelson House, Manitoba. He was working in the Kenora area in northwestern… Read More »