Some time ago I began searching for information on various names of the WW1 soldiers who are named on the local cenotaph. Following the gathering of all the data and cross checking the information as best I could, I decided to list the names in the order in which they died due to their service in time of war. I found all sorts of variations in spelling as well as some very distinct errors. There will be those who may wish to add to some of the information.

Since this is a summary of information from numerous sources it was suggested that this should be made available for others to view.  Everything was found either on line or at public archives such as Provincial Archives, L.P. Fisher Library, and various books and newspapers etc.

More information could be included, but this is 16 pages. To those who wish to find documents or possible photos etc. they can go to Library and Archives Canada or the Virtual War memorial or other sites to go more in depth.

Paul Hanson
Notes
The major battles of Ypres (1915), Vimy (1917) and Passchendaele (1918) resulted in hundreds of soldiers whose bodies were never found and lie buried in the fields of those areas. The names of those who were never found are indicated as “named” at the various memorials The Menin Gate which contains the names of 55,000 Commonwealth soldiers, 6,983 are Canadian. The Tyne Cot British Cemetery is the largest Commonwealth War Cemetery
in the world. There are 11,871 graves and 70% (8,365) are unidentified. 89% (554 soldiers) of the 966 Canadians buried there are not identified. The Vimy Memorial has 11,285 names which includes all soldiers who died in France with no known grave.70% of the soldiers who died at Vimy have a known grave. There are at least 20 different cemeteries in the vicinity of Vimy that contain graves of the soldiers who died in that particular battle. As the soldiers located a body it would be taken to the nearest headquarters for identification and recording of information then directed to the nearest cemetery. Renown Canadian historian, Norm Christie has an extensive resource both in print and on line relating to Canadians buried in Commonwealth War Graves in Europe.

Men who enlisted in an infantry battalion in Canada were moved to a massive Reserve Battalion upon arrival at England. The original battalions, 26th and 104th from New Brunswick had their diminished ranks augmented by these new arrivals. They would be in combat with men from their own military district but the battalion number at attestation could be changed upon arrival in England. This change was commenced in 1917 due to the high sequence of consecutive battallion numbers. Consequently a soldier could have enlisted in the 44th, 53rd or 78th batallion but when he served in France or Belgium he
would have been transferred to the 26th or 104th etc. batallion.

There are several anomalies on the Woodstock Cenotaph names. Included in this summary, notations have been added in the fine print to indicate the spelling and variations of names etc. that have been identified which can be helpful in searching records. The occupation or trade of the soldier was part of the Attestation document. It was added to the information that has been gathered to indicate the effect that the loss of a soldier was not only a loss to the family but the whole community.

As information is constantly being gathered by the numerous agencies who research this aspect of our history. There will be new information that may be found possibly photos, that should or could be shared and possibly added and this is welcomed.

SOURCES: Library and Archives Canada (Attestation Papers) (Circumstances of Death), Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Veterans Affairs Canada, Canada Census records, CEF Soldier search, Great War Forum, Battlefields.ca, DND National Inventory of Canadian Military Memorials, Nominal Rolls of CEF, N.B. Provincial Archives, L.P. Fisher Library, Carey Library Houlton, American Battle Monuments Commission. World War One Reminiscenes of Steve Pike by Gene Dow, The Story of Knowlesville by Judson Corey.

REVISED: November 2016