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Private John Hatchman

John Hatchman was born Dec 21st, 1884 in England and later immigrated to Canada with his mother. John worked as a policeman in Waterloo, and spent four years with the Royal Canadian Artillery. John fell in love and married a woman named Lillian.

When war broke out in August 1914 John enlisted for the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Ottawa, Ontario. Despite his military and police experience John was enlisted as a Private. John fought for the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment) in Belgium during the Second Battle of Ypres. On the evening of May 8th, 1915 John did not answer to roll call following action with his battalion at Bellewaarde Lake near Ypres. He was reported missing by his superiors and was later officially presumed dead. As no body was ever recovered Private John Hatchman is commemorated at the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium.

Service number: 273

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“Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial,” Commonwealth War Graves Commission, accessed March 24, 2015, http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/91800/YPRES%20(MENIN%20GATE)%20MEMORIAL
“PTE Hatchman is Wounded and Missing,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, May 29, 1915.

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Bugler Ralph Messett

Ralph Messett was born on February 20th 1891 in Pennsylvania. Ralph was one of ten children born to Mary Ann Shuh and Henry Messett. In 1911 Ralph worked in Picton, Ontario as a laborer before later getting a job as a marble and granite cutter in the Waterloo region. Ralph also worked for the 29th Waterloo Regiment for four years prior to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Ralph joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a Bugler for the 2nd Battalion of the Canadian Infantry. In May 1915 Ralph was shot in the pelvis in Wimereux, France. Ralph was treated at the Rawalpindi British General Hospital but on May 15th, 1915 Ralph succumbed to his injuries. Bugler Ralph Messett is buried at Wimereux Communal Cemetery in France.

Service number: 7773

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“Canadian Virtual War Memorial: Ralph Messett,” Veterans Affairs Canada, accessed March 21, 2015, http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/84380?Ralph%20Messett
“Wimereux Communal Cemetery.” Commonwealth War Graves Commission, accessed March 21, 2015, http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/8200/WIMEREUX%20COMMUNAL%20CEMETERY
“PTE. Smith is Well,” Waterloo Chronicle, May 20, 1915.

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Private Richard George Barnes

Richard George Barnes was born on the 13th of February 1894, and was the fourth son of Elizabeth and Richard Barnes. There was a large age gap between Richard and his older brothers, with a decade separating him and his next youngest brother Alfred. Richard was of English heritage and was brought up in the Lutheran Church thanks to his mother. Richards’s father worked as a steam bender in Galt. Richard attended Central Public School and he later worked as a clerk. While Richard listed himself as a widower on his attestation papers, he did not name his deceased wife.

Richard volunteered for the Canadian Military on September 23rd 1915 at the age of 20. Richard fought during the Second Battle of Ypres. On May 23rd 1915, while digging a service line in Festubert, an enemy shell killed Private Richard Barnes and four other soldiers. Private Richard George Barnes was buried behind a trench at Festubert and is commemorated at the Vimy Memorial in France. Barnes St in Cambridge is named after Richard Barnes, George Barnes, and RJ Barnes who all fought in the First World War.

Service number: 21343

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“Canadian Virtual War Memorial: Richard George Barnes,” Veterans Affairs Canada, accessed March 15, 2015, http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/1564989?Richard%20George%20Barnes

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Private Richard Williams

Richard (Dick) Williams was born in England to Ada Williams in 1888. After immigrating to Canada, Richard worked as a clerk prior to the outbreak of the war. He lived in the Coombe House in Hespler. With no military or militia background, Richard volunteered to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1914. As an experienced horseman, Richard fought for the 5th Battalion, the Canadian Mounted Rifles in France. On May 24th, 1915, Richard was reported missing and later was presumed dead. Private Richard Williams is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial in France.

Service number: 12913

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“Vimy Memorial,” Commonwealth War Graves Commission, accessed March 15, 2015, http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/87900/VIMY%20MEMORIAL

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Sergeant Edward Bird

Edward Bird was born on August 1st 1884 to James and Elizabeth Bird in Leicester, England. He immigrated to Canada in 1910 on the SS Lake Manitoba at the age of 25. In 1911, Edward worked full time as a logger earning $230 per year. He then moved onto being a shoe cutter. On September 22nd 1914 Edward went to Valcartier, Quebec and volunteered to join the 1st Canadian Infantry. On April 24th 1915 Edward was promoted to Sergeant. On June 15th 1915 Edward went missing and was officially presumed dead. Sergeant Edward Bird is commemorated at the Vimy Memorial.

Service number: 7019

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“Vimy Memorial,” Commonwealth War Graves Commission, accessed March 15, 2015, http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/87900/VIMY%20MEMORIAL

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Private John Anderson

John Anderson was born on February 13th 1888 in Galt (Cambridge), Ontario. His father, John Anderson, was an immigrant from Scotland who worked as a grocer. His family raised him in the Presbyterian Church. John’s father passed away before the First World War. John was a member of the militia prior to 1914. He volunteered to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force on September 23rd 1914 at 26 years old. He fought with the 29th Highland Light Infantry in France as a private. John was killed in action on June 15th 1915 in the Battle of Givenchy. Private John Anderson is buried at Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery in Souchez, France.

Service number: 18168

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“Another Galt Soldier Killed in Action, Berlin Daily Telegraph, August 26,1915.
“Anderson, John,” Commonwealth War Graves Commission, accessed March 10, 2015, http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/584747/ANDERSON,%20JOHN

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Corporal Robert Gordon

Robert Gordon was born to Wilson and Agnus Gordon of Straid, Co. Antrim, Ireland on March 28th, 1890. Robert was a part of the Royal Irish Rifles militia for two years. Robert immigrated to Canada by himself in 1911 to work as a laborer in Guelph. He lived as a single boarder with Ernest and Lennie Barker. Robert volunteered to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force September 18th, 1914 and fought for A Company 1st Battalion. During his time in France, Robert was promoted to the rank of Corporal. Regrettably on June 15th, 1915 during the Second Action at Givenchy, Robert was reported missing and was later presumed to be dead. Corporal Robert Gordon is commemorated at the Vimy Memorial.

Service number: 6218

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“Gordon, Robert” Commonwealth War Graves Commission, accessed March 21, 2015, http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1568482/GORDON,%20ROBERT

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Lance Corporal Charles Haskell

Charles Haskell was born on March 3rd, 1894 in Wadhurst, Sussex, England. In 1911 when Charles was 17 he and his family immigrated to Canada on the SS Teutonic. They settled in Galt (Cambridge), Ontario where Charles worked as a mechanic and butcher. Charles was among the first to volunteer to fight for the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the fall of 1914. Charles was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal, likely due to his middle class standing, as he had no previous military or militia training. Charles fought for the 1st Battalion in France, where he was killed in the trenches on June 15th, 1915 during the Second Action at Givenchy at the age of 21. Lance Corporal Charles Haskell is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial in France.

Service number: 7044

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“Canadian Virtual War Memorial: Charles Haskell,” Veterans Affairs Canada, accessed March 21, 2015, http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/1568987?Charles%20Haskell

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Corporal Archibald Patterson Housler

Archibald Patterson Housler was born in Scotland to Alexander and Catherine Person Housler on May 25th, 1885. Archibald was trained as a mechanic in Scotland and immigrated to Canada in 1906 where he made almost $500 per year. Archibald was a member of the 4th Kings Own Scottish Boarders (K.O.S.B) infantry regiment for over 10 years and was a member of the 91st Regiment (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada) for one year. Upon declaration of war in 1914, as an active member of the militia, Archibald joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a Corporal. He was fighting for the 1st Battalion in France at the age of 30 when he went missing on June 15th, 1915 during the Second Action at Givenchy. Corporal Archibald Patterson Housler is commemorated at the Vimy Memorial in France.

Service number: 7042

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“Vimy Memorial,” Commonwealth War Graves Commission, accessed March 15, 2015, http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/87900/VIMY%20MEMORIAL

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Private John Maley

John Maley was born on January 6th, 1891 in Scotland. John gained a couple of months experience with the Highland Light Infantry in Glasgow. Then at 20, John followed his family to Canada, arriving in Quebec on June 5th, 1911 on board the SS Athenia. John’s sister Margaret and brother-in-law Joseph Rennie housed John, his brother William, and sister-in-law Rosanna in Galt (Cambridge), Ontario. Despite some initial difficulty finding work, John got a job as a laborer in Galt. John’s brother William was the highest wage earner in the household working as an engineer and earning $624 per year.

Following the outbreak of the war, John was the only one of the brothers to volunteer to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force. John fought as a Private in the 1st Battalion in France. Sadly, at 24 years old, John was killed in action during the Second Action at Givenchy while in the trenches at Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée. Private John Maley is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial in France.

Service number: 7176

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“John M. Maley,” Waterloo Region Generations, assessed March 20, 2015, http://generations.regionofwaterloo.ca/getperson.php?personID=I139102&tree=generations