Sarah McGarry | First World War

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Private Herbert Frank Morris

By Sarah McGarry • On October 13, 1915 • In Commemoration

Herbert Frank Morris was born on June 9th, 1885 in Gene Abbas, Dorset, England At 23 Herbert married a woman named Clara and they lived in Portsmouth, England together. In 1910 Herbert and Clara welcomed a baby girl into the world and named her Lilian Beatrice Morris. Herbert, Clara and Lilian then moved to Canada, settling in Preston, Ontario. Herbert worked as a steward until February 1915 when he enlisted in Guelph to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Frank served as a Private in the 1st Battalion of the Canadian Infantry in Belgium. Sadly, on October 13th, 1915, he was killed in action in the trenches west of Messines in Belgium. Private Herbert Frank Morris is buried in the St. Quentin Cabaret Military Cemetery.

Service number: 402162

“Canadian Virtual War Memorial: Herbert Frank Morris,” Veterans Affairs Canada, accessed March 21, 2015, http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/444418?Herbert%20Frank%20Morris

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Private Frank Henry Murr

By Sarah McGarry • On October 13, 1915 • In Commemoration

Frank Henry Murr was born on April 8th, 1890 in Stone, Kent, England to Thomas and Flora Murr. When Frank was 22 he immigrated to Canada to work as a machine hand at a factory with his brother in Galt (Cambridge), Ontario. He arrived in Canada on board the SS Corsican on November 12th, 1912. As a single young man Frank volunteered to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force in January 1915. Frank served as a private in the 1st Battalion of the Western Ontario Regiment of the Canadian Infantry in Belgium. On October 13th, 1915 Frank was killed in action in the trenches east of Wulverghem. Private Frank Henry Murr is buried in the St. Quentin Cabaret Military Cemetery in Belgium.

Service number: A/2155

“Canadian Virtual War Memorial: Frank Henry Murr,” Veterans Affairs Canada, accessed March 21, 2015, http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/444422?Frank%20Henry%20Murr

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Corporal George Cecil Potts

By Sarah McGarry • On October 13, 1915 • In Commemoration, Uncategorized

George Cecil Potts was born on June 2nd, 1893 in England. George was educated at Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. In 1912 George and his mother Mary immigrated to Canada and settled in Galt (Cambridge), where Mary worked as a shopkeeper. George worked as a shoe cutter and was an active member of the 29th Regiment (Waterloo Regiment) for three years. When the First World War broke out in August 1914, George volunteered to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force where he was promoted up to the rank of Corporal. Sadly on October 13th, 1915 George was killed in action in the trenches northeast of Wulverghem at the age of 22 Corporal George Cecil Potts is buried at the St. Quentin Cabaret Military Cemetery in Belgium.

Service number: 7067

“Canadian Virtual War Memorial: George Cecil Potts,” Veterans Affairs Canada, accessed March 21, 2015, http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/444450?George%20Cecil%20Potts

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Lance Sergeant Joseph Spooner

By Sarah McGarry • On November 14, 1915 • In Commemoration

Joseph Spooner was born on May 22nd, 1870 in Bury Saint Edmunds, Suffolk, England. Joseph married Alice S. Franks and together they had nine children before immigrating to Canada in 1904, where they had their final child. Their children’s names were (in order of birth) George, Alice, William, Rose, Margaret, Florence, Arthur, Edward, James, and Wilbert. The family arrived in Canada on board the SS Lake Champlain on November 28th 1904, and they settled in Galt (Cambridge), Ontario. Joseph was a successful in real estate, and his children, many of whom were now in their late teens and early twenties worked as well to support the large family. Joseph also spent seven years with the 29th Waterloo Regiment as a Field Artillery Driver.

At 44 years old, Joseph joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in late October 1914, a couple of months following the outbreak of the First World War. Joseph was promoted to Lance Sergeant of the 18th Battalion (Western Ontario) in Belgium. On November 14th, 1915 Lance Sergeant Joseph Spooner was killed in action and was later buried at Ridge Wood Military Cemetery. In February 1916 Joseph’s third eldest son Albert volunteered to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force at age 18. Albert was the only one of Joseph’s sons to enlist, and he returned home after the war ended.

Service number: 53878

“Canadian Virtual War Memorial: Joseph Spooner,” Veterans Affairs Canada, accessed March 21, 2015, http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/443500?Joseph%20Spooner
“Ridge Wood Military Cemetery,” Commonwealth War Graves Commission, accessed March 21, 2015, http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/51100/RIDGE%20WOOD%20MILITARY%20CEMETERY

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Private Reginald Sears

By Sarah McGarry • On December 4, 1915 • In Commemoration

Reginald Sears was born on November 5th, 1889 to Thomas and Jennie Sears in Welland, Ontario. Reginald worked as a manufacturer in the Waterloo region. He was also a skilled horseman and was qualifying for a commission with the 2nd Dragoons, Brantford in 1915. Reginald did not volunteer to fight in 1914, but following the sinking of the Lusitania on May 7th 1915 he “threw up his commission” and enlisted. Reginald joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force on May 11th, 1915 as a Private in the 4th Regiment of the Canadian Mounted Rifles. Reginald fought in Belgium, but on December 4th, 1915 he was killed in action in the trenches at Ploegsteert. Private Reginald Sears was buried at Berks Cemetery Extension.

Service number: 109591

107086_5

“Canadian Virtual War Memorial: Reginald Sears,” Veterans Affairs Canada, accessed March 21, 2015, http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/107086?Reginald%20Sears

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Private John Gerbig

By Sarah McGarry • On December 20, 1915 • In Commemoration

John Gerbig was born on October 4th, 1887 in Berlin (Kitchener), Ontario to Conrad and Catherine Gerbig. John’s father worked as a night watchman at a local Sugar Factory. While John’s father Conrad was a Lutheran of German heritage, John’s mother Catherine was a Roman Catholic immigrant from Germany and she raised John and his older sister Ida in the Catholic Church. Ida married a man named Theodore Schmidt and they had a son named Gordon in 1908 and another named Roy in 1912. Following Catherine’s death, the family moved in with Ida and Theodore. John worked as a painter while Theodore worked as a machinist.

Just after his 27th birthday, on October 28th, 1914 John enlisted for the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Galt (Cambridge). He fought for the 18th Battalion as an infantry soldier in Belgium. Five days before Christmas in 1915 John was killed in action in Ridgewood. Private John Gerbig is buried at the Ridge Wood Military Cemetery West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Service number: 53918

“Ridge Wood Military Cemetery,” Commonwealth War Graves Commission, accessed March 21, 2015, http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/51100/RIDGE%20WOOD%20MILITARY%20CEMETERY

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Private Eric Carthy

By Sarah McGarry • On December 26, 1915 • In Commemoration

Eric Carthy was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England on March 13, 1896 to Joseph and Harriet Boothby Carthy. Eric and his older brother Percy immigrated to Canada in 1913 on board the SS Cymric. Eric had worked as a woodworker and lived at 39 Waterloo Street, Berlin (Kitchener).

At 18 years old Eric enlisted in February 1915 in Berlin, Ontario and joined the 18th Battalion, Canadian Infantry, Western Ontario Regiment. His older brother Percy joined a few months later. Eric went overseas in April 1915 and made it to the front on September 16, 1915. Eric was killed in action on Boxing Day, December 26th, 1915. Private Eric Carthy is buried at Ridge Wood Military Cemetery near Ypres, Belgium. The Royal Canadian Legion: Branch 50 also remembers him on the Wall of Remembrance. Percy was also killed in action nine months later in September 1916.

Service number: 54209

“Canadian Virtual War Memorial: Eric Carthy,” Veterans Affairs Canada, accessed March 7, 2015, http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/443089?Eric%20Carthy
“Canadian Virtual War Memorial: Percy Carthy,” Veterans Affairs Canada, accessed March 7, 2015, http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/1566177?Percy%20Carthy
Source: A Book of Remembrance: Members of the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Kitchener, Ontario.

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