Preamble
This site is a collection of information that has been gleaned from a variety of sources. It is an attempt to provide as much meaningful information and data as can be found, related to these 20 young men, from the small town of Port Dalhousie, who fought and died for their country in the First World War. The work is largely that of a "Port Boy",....Herb Davies, who has had this vision for many years. It contains information he has researched and found at a variety of online locations, as well as gathered on a trip to Europe in the spring of 2013.
Herb states: "As my curiosity turned to research, early findings were just random statistics. It is often said that statistics are dry and impersonal. But then the dates, age and occupation as well as seeing their signatures written in their own hand started to form pictures of these 20 individuals, and what life in a small town in Ontario was like a century ago. 100 years ago all of the men mentioned here were alive. These vignettes can be expanded as more facts are found and added to the picture. Some already have enough information to tell a story about the individual's experience. Some are still rather blank. Hopefully more information can be found and added to the record; any reference to any of these names would be most welcome. These men's lives were divided in two. First, they were citizens of Canada, loyal to the British monarchy. Second, they were soldiers, men of their times who rose to the occasion and answered the call of duty. Looking for adventure overseas. Had these citizens not become soldiers, very little would be known about them. And fewer still would ask. But the Great War of 1914 intervened and was so catastrophic in affecting millions of ordinary people's lives that it must be remembered in any way possible. This project is an attempt to add to that memory. Military records and military histories provided most of the information collected here. More is needed in reference to the relationship between these men and their families in the town. Additionally, there are several excellent local history books about the town, especially in relation to the Welland Canal and the industry attracted by water power, for example, the Rubber Factory. Any historical references to life in the town up to 1918 or mention of any of the 20 names in newspaper articles, almanacs, family records during this period would be of value. Hopefully as this project develops, it will create a cross-section of life in a typical small town a century ago, and will also generate a profile, a collective experience of life for those who served in the Great War, for those whose lives were divided in two."
The following sites are where the vast majority of information has been gathered from. Included are the names of the organizations, as well as a link should you want to do some sleuthing yourself:
Relevant Summaries
These are the birthplaces of the 20 men whose names are on the cenotaph
Port Dalhousie 6
St Catharines 2
Toronto 1
Edinburgh 6
Glasgow 1
Hastings Eng. 1
Shetland Is. 1
Birmingham 1
The Summaries below, provide a bit of a picture as to the what and who the small town of Port Dalhousie lost as a result of these men heading off to war, and never returning. One might have thought that all would be young in age,....but the average age shows something different. As well, besides some fairly young men,....there were also some older men who likely would have been established in the community. So, Port lost a lot of it's youth, who would be just starting off in careers, as well as men who were likely an integral part of a very vibrant community. The question of course is, what was life like after these men were gone,.....and how did the community cope without them?
Age Range: 20 to 37
Average Age: 25
The list and range of occupations listed below, shows that although the town of Port Dalhousie was a well established lake port community on the Welland Canal,....it was also a vibrant industrial town as well,....and one not solely reliant on shipping and agriculture!
Occupations:
Herb states: "As my curiosity turned to research, early findings were just random statistics. It is often said that statistics are dry and impersonal. But then the dates, age and occupation as well as seeing their signatures written in their own hand started to form pictures of these 20 individuals, and what life in a small town in Ontario was like a century ago. 100 years ago all of the men mentioned here were alive. These vignettes can be expanded as more facts are found and added to the picture. Some already have enough information to tell a story about the individual's experience. Some are still rather blank. Hopefully more information can be found and added to the record; any reference to any of these names would be most welcome. These men's lives were divided in two. First, they were citizens of Canada, loyal to the British monarchy. Second, they were soldiers, men of their times who rose to the occasion and answered the call of duty. Looking for adventure overseas. Had these citizens not become soldiers, very little would be known about them. And fewer still would ask. But the Great War of 1914 intervened and was so catastrophic in affecting millions of ordinary people's lives that it must be remembered in any way possible. This project is an attempt to add to that memory. Military records and military histories provided most of the information collected here. More is needed in reference to the relationship between these men and their families in the town. Additionally, there are several excellent local history books about the town, especially in relation to the Welland Canal and the industry attracted by water power, for example, the Rubber Factory. Any historical references to life in the town up to 1918 or mention of any of the 20 names in newspaper articles, almanacs, family records during this period would be of value. Hopefully as this project develops, it will create a cross-section of life in a typical small town a century ago, and will also generate a profile, a collective experience of life for those who served in the Great War, for those whose lives were divided in two."
The following sites are where the vast majority of information has been gathered from. Included are the names of the organizations, as well as a link should you want to do some sleuthing yourself:
- Veterans Affairs
- Canadian Virtual War Memorial (part of the VA site)
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- Canadian Headstones (Ontario)
- Nicholson, Col. Gerald WL - Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1918 (book)
- Iarocci, Andrew - SHOESTRING SOLDIERS 1st Canadian Division at War 1914-1915 University of Toronto
Relevant Summaries
These are the birthplaces of the 20 men whose names are on the cenotaph
Port Dalhousie 6
St Catharines 2
Toronto 1
Edinburgh 6
Glasgow 1
Hastings Eng. 1
Shetland Is. 1
Birmingham 1
The Summaries below, provide a bit of a picture as to the what and who the small town of Port Dalhousie lost as a result of these men heading off to war, and never returning. One might have thought that all would be young in age,....but the average age shows something different. As well, besides some fairly young men,....there were also some older men who likely would have been established in the community. So, Port lost a lot of it's youth, who would be just starting off in careers, as well as men who were likely an integral part of a very vibrant community. The question of course is, what was life like after these men were gone,.....and how did the community cope without them?
Age Range: 20 to 37
Average Age: 25
The list and range of occupations listed below, shows that although the town of Port Dalhousie was a well established lake port community on the Welland Canal,....it was also a vibrant industrial town as well,....and one not solely reliant on shipping and agriculture!
Occupations:
- Rubber Workers 3
- Labourers 4
- Sailors 2
- Farmers/Fruit Grower 3
- Shoe Maker 2
- Plumber (Water Works) 1
- Locomotive Fireman 1
- Electrician 1
- Lineman 1
- Bookkeeper 1