Saturday 24 April 2021

Hamilton

 

Location:  City of Hamilton     N 43.25592   W -79.86721

In Gore Park, 64 King Street East.

This memorial was dedicated in May 1923 by the Governor General of Canada, Lord Byng.  The granite cenotaph was gifted to the City of Hamilton by the Canadian Club of Hamilton.  It is a replica of the British cenotaph found in Westminster, London.  Originally, the only words on the memorial were "Our Glorious Dead", but since then the years of the World Wars, Korea and most recently, Afghanistan have been engraved in the grey granite column.  The top of the main column is shaped like a casket, and at the top of two smaller side pillars are sculptured fighting equipment of the Great War.  At one point, three brass flagpoles jutted out of the memorial, now only one flagpole with a single Canadian flag is flown, although there are now three flagpoles in the grounds in front of the cenotaph.  


Marker text:

Front:

OUR

GLORIOUS

DEAD

 

1914 - 1918

1939 - 1945

1950  KOREA  1953

 

 

 

 

 

Right side:

AFGHANISTAN 

2001 - 2014









Saturday 17 April 2021

Toronto - Firefighters War Veterans

 

Location:  City of Toronto     N 43.65229   W -79.38157

Inside Old City Hall, 60 Queen Street West.

 

Outside of the Old City Hall is the famous Toronto Cenotaph, but just behind the huge granite memorial, head inside the beautiful classic building, go past the second set of doors, look to your left to see this and two other plaques dedicated to those from the city who served during the Great War.  

The plaque was erected after World War I by the Toronto Firefighters' Association.  Research is continuing on the history of the plaque and will be updated once I have more information.  The photos and information I have come from Al Thomas of the Toronto Firefighters War Veterans Association, who continue to support and promote military veterans of the Toronto Fire Service provide a Colour Guard that can be seen in many local parades.  Thank you to Al Thomas and the TFFWVA for allowing me to highlight their memorial plaque and their great work.

The complete story of the Toronto Firefighters War Veterans Association can be found on their website:  https://www.tffwva.ca/

I have reproduced part of that history here with an excerpt from their webpage"

Historical Toronto Firefighter War Veteran Information for World Wars I and II

Many Toronto Firefighters enlisted to serve England during World War I, with many volunteering their services during 1915. One Toronto Firefighter, Captain Charles O. Ardagh of the Rose Avenue Hall, enlisted in 1916 despite the fact that he was eligible for his pension and retirement. Captain Ardagh, it is noted, volunteered not just to serve his country but because he was ‘lonesome for his own two boys who had enlisted as well.’ Firefighters who died overseas are commemorated in a plaque which was erected by the Toronto Firefighters’ Association Local 113 at ‘Old City Hall,’ 60 Queen Street West. Department records show that

five firefighters were killed in France sometime between 1914 and 1918. They were: F.D. Fisher, Clarence Kerrigan, Walter Parker, A. Caskie* and Ed Blake* (* These men do not appear on the memorial plaque but are referenced in the 1960 Toronto Fire Department History Book written by Melville Hodgson as having died in France during 1914-18).

 

Twenty-three Toronto Firefighters enlisted overseas during World War II to assist England during the Blitz. Their mandate was to extinguish fires and to protect both life and property in case of fire in Great Britain, Isle of Man, and Northern Ireland, on land and ships and vessels at sea. It also included both rescue and salvage. These men, serving in Companies 1 to 8, upon arriving in the UK partook in a 4-week training course in various aspects of firefighting. After training was completed, Britain’s National Fire Service withdrew from their stations and they were staffed entirely by Canadians (143 Professional Firefighters from across Canada enlisted). Canadian Firefighters then attended all lull-time fires, as well as any blitz fires. They participated in normal life in England, complete with social and sporting events. Canadian Firefighters were regarded very highly on the fireground as well, and it was noticed by one Fire Chief that the Canadians were always ready to volunteer for any sticky, dirty job … and they were never happier than when on the fireground.

 

While in England, there were a few casualties to the Corps members and many injuries. When the war ended, most Firefighters returned home to their previous departments. Prior to their departure a farewell party was thrown for them in Trafalgar Square and were paid tribute for saving British lives and property. By February 1945 the men were back in Canada, along with 20 British brides. It is interesting to note that while these Toronto Firefighters were in England, Auxiliary Firefighters

took their place back in Toronto; after the war the Auxiliary Fire Service was disbanded.

 

Marker text:

1914     T.F.D.     1918

TO THE HONOUR OF THOSE OF

THE TORONTO FIRE FIGHTERS' ASS'N.

WHO SERVED IN THE GREAT WAR

AND IN MEMORY

OF THOSE OF THEIR NUMBER

WHOSE LIVES WERE SACRIFICED.


KILLED IN ACTION

FISHER, F.G.     KERRIGAN, C.W.

PARKER, W.V.


SERVED IN FRANCE

BEAUVAIS, A.

BRITTON, W.R.

CAMERON, A.K.

CAMERON, W.

COX, W.R.

FALLIS, N.

FISHER, J.F.

FLEMMING, D.

FLEMMING, W.  M.M.

FLETCHER, JAS.

HAMILTON, A.

HANNA, M.

HARRISON, L.L.

HAYNES, W.H.

HAZLETT, J.

HENRY, J.

HOLLINGWORTH, G.

HOLLINGWORTH, H.

HOUGH, C.

HURD, G.K.

KIRK, JAS.

LATIMER, GEO.

McDANIELS, E.

McGOWAN, W.M.  M.M.

NICOLLS, R.J.

O'BRIEN, G.

PURCHASE, T.S.L.

ROCHE, J.

ROGERS, T.

SALTER, W.L.

SIMPSON, E.J.

SMITH, W.H.

SPROULE, W.

STROUD, J.

TOZER, W.

WILLIAMS, T.

WOOSTER, F.N.

YEATES, C.  D.C.M.


SERVED IN ENGLAND

BUCHANAN, N.

DAVIES, W.

IRVINE, T.

STEWART, J.

SWEETMAN, G.

TIMNEY, J.

 

SERVED IN CANADA

ARDAGH, C

*CLUTE, P.A.

CORBETT, W.

PIGGOTT, J.

McCREERY, D.

MORRISSEY, J.

NICKOLS, G.

NOBLE, G.

*RIDOUT, S.

SHERIDAN, B.

*SMITH, G.S.

SMITH, H.

STEWART, M.G.

TIERNEY, E.

WALKER, W.R.

WHATTLING, JAS.

 

*DECEASED

 

"THEIR NAME

LIVETH FOR EVERMORE."

 

ERECTED BY THE TORONTO FIRE FIGHTERS' ASSOCIATION.



 



Saturday 10 April 2021

Pakenham

 

Location:  Lanark County     N 45.33010   N -76.29061

On the east side of County Road 29, beside the public school.

 

 This cenotaph is situated in the Pakenham Township Community Horticultural Park which is situated on the right of Pakenham Public School. 
The Pakenham area is known for the five-arch stone bridge built across the Mississippi River.  Built in 1901, it is the only five-arch stone bridge in North America. The community itself is named for Major-General Sir Edward Pakenham who was killed near the Mississippi River in the southern United States commanding British forces at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. 

The Celtic Cross on the memorial symbolizes the Irish heritage of the early settlers to this area.  The names of the brave men who made the supreme sacrifice in the World Wars are listed on the cenotaph.


**Special thanks to fellow researcher Louise Bellec for the photos and the description.


Marker text:

Front:  

                                                                           KOREA

                                                                        1950 - 1953

 

                                                             TO THE GLORY OF GOD

                                                      AND IN SACRED MEMORY OF

                                                             PTE.W.E. FISHENDEN

                                                                   JAN. 7th 1917

                                                               PTE. E.W. GEMMILL

                                                                   NOV. 3rd 1917

                                                             PTE. A.W. FISHENDEN

                                                                  FEB. 28th 1918

                                                                PTE. A.T. BURGESS

                                                                   AUG. 8th 1918 

                                                            PTE. A. WILLIAMSON

                                                                  AUG. 14th 1918

 

                                    MEN FROM THIS PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES

                                                            IN THE GREAT WAR

 

                                           THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE

 

 

 

 

Right:           

                                                                  1914 - 1918

                                                                   J. H. BLAIR 

                                                                   W. FRASER

                                                                T. HAGGERTY


                                                               G. T. LAIDLAW

                                                                 T. MUNDAY

                                                                     L. SEAL

                                                                 J. SINCLAIR

 

                                             MEN FROM THIS TOWNSHIP WHO
                                               MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE

 

 

 

Left:                                                          1939 - 1945

                                                              W. A. CAMPBELL

                                                                R. H. DEUGO

                                                               E. J. LEDOUX

                                                            A. E. B. LAIDLAW

                                                                D. S. SCOTT

                                                               K. A. SCOTT

 

                                           MEN FROM THIS TOWNSHIP WHO
                                            MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE

 










 

 

 

 

 

Friday 2 April 2021

Tillsonburg

 

Location:  Oxford County     N 42.86208   W -80.72914

In front of a shopping mall, at 200 Broadway Street

This memorial, known as The Soldiers Memorial Monument was unveiled on Armistice Day, November 11th, 1929 to great fanfare and a celebration of remembrance for the local heroes who died in the Great War.  The monument cost the citizens of Tillsonburg $3800 and fundraising was a true community effort, spearheaded by the Lions Club.  The memorial stands nineteen feet high and is made of light grey La Casse granite from Quebec, the same as that used for the gargoyles on the Peace Tower in Ottawa.  The impressive monument has remained in the same spot where it was originally erected in 1929, but the surrounding area has changed dramatically in the many years that have passed.  It was once located in a promenade centered in the main street in front of the Town Hall, but having never been relocated, now sits in front of a shopping plaza, a black iron fence surrounding the memorial.  The names of the major battles of The Great War are engraved in the sides of the cenotaph, while a plaque on the back lists the names of the fallen from both World Wars.  In 2014, a small plaque was added to recognize the sacrifices made in Afghanistan.

 


Marker text:

Front:

1914-1918          1939-1945

IN MEMORY

OF THOSE WHO PAID

THE SUPREME SACRIFICE

AND

IN HONOUR OF THOSE

WHO SERVED

IN

THE GREAT WARS

WORLD WARS I & II

& KOREA

AFGHANISTAN

UNITED NATIONS          PEACEKEEPERS

 


Left side:

YPRES

FESTUBERT

SICILY

SANCTUARY WOOD

FRANCE

MT. SORREL

SOMME

GERMANY

VIMY

 

 

 

Right side:

HILL 70

PASSCHENDAELE

ITALY

AMIENS

BRITAIN

ARRAS

CAMBRAI

ATLANTIC

MONS

 

 

 

Back:

1914     WORLD WAR I     1918

ALLEN, A

AMOS, AH

ATTWATER, HF

BELL, S

BELLAS, J

BERRY, EG

BLATCHFORD, EA

BLATCHFORD, TL

BOYLE, FS

BYNG, JD

CAMPBELL, WH

COVINGTON, WH

CURTIS, RS

DAVIDSON, T

DICK, MW

DOVE, H

DOWNEY, JL

EASEY, AJ

ELLIS, JW

ELMER, E

FAIRS, GH

FISHER, HW

FISHER, W

FRANKLIN, C

FREED, JE

GREENWOOD, EJ

HARRIS, LW

HEAPE, W

HEARSEY, CF

HOLLINGSHEAD, EG

HOOPER, EW

JENNINGS, CT

KAAR, G

LEDBURY, B

MALCOLM, FE

MATTHEWS, HC

MOWFORTH, GR

MULDER, G

NEVILLE, HH

OATMAN, WB

OSTRANDER, H 

RICHEY, RE

RUSSELL, CS

SCOTT, SW

SINGER, C

SMITH, TM

STARKISS, SG

STOTT, A

STROUD, FL

WILLIAMS, GE

WILLIAMS, J

WRIGHT, FF

YOUNG, EE


1939     WORLD WAR II     1945

BEAVIS, WH

BREMNER, DAE

BREMNER, FC

BRINGLOE, JH

BROWN, GF

CAMPBELL, CA

COBB, NA

COLVIN, JM

DAVIS, OL

EITEL, EL

FISHER, FL

FOX, AJD

FRENCH, WE

GEROW, WJ

GRAHAM, WH

HAGELL, JG

HALL, G

HANEY, P

HAWKINS, AB

HAYCOCK, WC

HOLLINGSHEAD, J

LECKIE, JL

LESTER, RL

LEWIS, CF

LIDSTONE, RJ

LOCKEY, GJR

MARTIN, AE

MIELL, HE

MUDFORD, V

MYRICK, JF

MYRICK, PR

PALMER, L

PORTER, J

RICE, RM

ROBINSON, FV

RODGER, LR

ROUSE, HE

SMITH, KW

STROUT, AC

WALDECK, CE

WALLINGTON, S

WILKINSON, GL

WOOD, HNH

 

DONATED IN MEMORY OF F/O JIM SERGEANT R.C.A.F. WWII

 

"ALL'S WELL FOR OVER THERE AMONG HIS PEERS A HAPPY WARRIOR SLEEPS"

 

Photo from the unveiling.  November 11, 1929.  Same location as today, different surroundings.