Shellbrook and the First World War

On Tuesday, 4 August 1914 Britain declared war on Germany which automatically brought Canada, as a British dominion, into the conflict. However, Canada had the freedom to determine the country's level of involvement in the war and elected to raise the Canadian Overseas Expedition Force.

"Germans Now at War with Belgium,"
8 August 1914, Shellbrook Chronicle, Shellbrook, SK.

During the 4 years, 3 months, and 7 days that Canada participated in the war, from Shellbrook and the surrounding districts of Briarlea, Brightholm, Cookson, Crutwell, Deer Ridge, Foxdale, Hazel Ridge, Holbein, Lone Spruce, Mayview, Mount Teviot, Nisbet, Parkview, Pine Grove, Pleasantville, Rayside, Rich Valley, Rozilee, Silver Cliff, Silver Grove, Sturgeon River, Sturgeon Valley, Three Creeks, Wild Rose, and Yankee Valley over 400 men are believed to have serve with the CEF.

Of the known local men who enlisted, 64 would die in service to their country and those that lived would return home carrying the visible and invisible wounds of “the Great War.”

Following is an incomplete list (with possible duplications) of the local men who served:

A
Agnew, Thomas David
Allen, Claire Woodworth
Allen, Floyd Julius
Allison, Hugh McLeod “Scotty Jim”
Allison, James
Anderson, Bernard Barton†
Anderson, Robert George Stewart†
Anderson, Arthur
Anderson, Barney
Anderson, Billy
Anderson, Duncan
Anderson, Halver Martinus
Anderson, Howard
Anderson, Robert
Armstrong, Joseph Elliott
Armstrong, Kenneth
Armstrong, Leslie
Augusta, John Burton†

B
Babineau, Edward
Bain, John
Ballantyne, Willie D
Banks, Martin
Barkway, Alfred Jack
Bates, Charlie
Bathrow, Forrest Elmer†
Beagle, Frank
Beaven, William Arthur John “Bill”
Beck, Percy Goudin†
Belcher, Benjamin†
Belcher, Alfred “Alf”
Belcher, William Henry
Bergman, John Malcolm
Bergman, Malcom
Biner, Reginald Amsden†
Birkett, George H
Birnell, John
Bishop, F
Black, Daniel†
Botn, Reinhardt
Boyd, Edward
Brazenall, Francis
Briggs, Sidney
Brown, Joseph “Joe”†
Brown, George
Brown, Reg
Bruce, Dan
Brundson, Frank
Bryden, Thomas Hunter†
Bryden, Charles Gerald

C
Cackburn, Gordon
Callaghan, John Charles Thomas
Cameron, James†
Campbell, Charles Levi†
Campbell, Alex
Campbell, Howard
Canfield, Bill
Cardinal, Charles Cambell
Carr, George
Chandler, Thomas
Chapman, Harold†
Chapman, Henry
Church, Harold
Clancy, George
Clancy, James Havelock “Jim”
Clarke, Cornelius “Nobby”
Clarke, Sam
Clarke, Samuel Boyd
Cockbourne
Coleman, Stanley
Coles, Richard
Coles, Donald Lewis
Collins, Wilson Harold
Comeault, Alfred “Fred”
Comeault, W H
Comeault, Willie Giaumme
Cook, Jack
Cornwell, G†
Cowles, Douglas
Crothers, F
Crowthers, Fred

D
Daly, Francis, Leo
Danczak, Anton
Davidson, Hugh
Davies, George
Davis, F
Davison, Horace
de Satge, Rene Cosme Joseph
Deferia, John
Denford, William Henry “Bill”†
Denford, Albian
Denford, Alfred
Dennis, Frank
Derochers, Emile
Deymes, Ernest
Ditmar, Walter
Dixon, Clarence
Dixon, Samuel Clarence
Dobson, George Wilbur†
Downing, Albert
Doyle, Charles

E
Eldred, Balfour
Eliott, Edward
Ellard, Charles Elfred
Elliot, Edward Jardine “Ned”
Elliott, William Sorimigeor
Elphinstone, William
Emele, Benhart
Ernst, Charles William

F
Fabbinnor, Frank
Fairfax, Carl
Fairfax, Edwin/Edward
Falk, Joseph
Fawcett, Martin
Felmore, Harry
Fleming, P F
Foden, Alfred
Forsberg, Oscar
Franks, Alex
Fraser, John George
Fraser, Thomas
Freyman, Carl
Fuller, Arthur
Fuller, Fred
Furbank, William George Charles†

G
Garneau, Alphonse
Gates, Ralph Byard
Gerlock, Geo
Gibson, Edward
Gilmore, Thomas McCracken†
Goodwin, W†
Gordon, Albert
Goudal, Pierre Joseph “Peter”†
Gouldhawke, Robert Thomas
Grayston, Robert Beverley “Bev”
Green, William John†
Green, Earl Levern†
Green, A, R
Green, Hilliard Cunningham
Green, Reg
Greening, Jeff
Gregson, Harry
Griffin, Charles Fredrick “Fred”†
Griffin, John William
Griffin, Wm
Griffiths, William
Gunville, Patrick

H
Haldorson, Hans
Halliwell, John Henry
Halvorson, Pete
Hamilton, James
Handcock, Charles Herbert
Hanger, Henry “Harry”†
Hanson, Edward
Hanson, Jack
Hanson, William
Harrington, James
Harris, Bryand
Harris, Edward Charles
Harris, Irvine
Harris, J, B
Harvold, Olaf
Haslep, A†
Hatch, William†
Hatchell, Leslie David “Les”
Haydock, Herbert “Bert”†
Heap, Thomas Reginald†
Heap, Edward F
Henderson, John
Henderson, W
Hendrickson, Jack
Henry, Richard
Hensleigh, Harry Nicholas†
Hickinson, William
Hicks, Fred
Hislop, Andrew†
Hodgson, John Davis
Hodgson, Leonard
Hodgson, Ralph
Hoffman, Karl
Holden, Les
Holt, Ernest
Hoopfer, Leon Edwin†
Horley, Lewis
Hughes, Thomas
Humber, Albert “Dick”
Hunt, Henry
Hunter, Robert
Hutton, George
Hyndman, John “Jock”

I
Ibister, George Robert
Ibister, Thomas Edward

J
Jacobs, Frank
Jacobson, Anthony
Jebson, Horace Richard
Jennings, George
Jervis, Frank
Joels, Charles Henry
Johanson, Hans
Johnson, Freeman
Johnston, Hector
Jorgensen, Paul Skotte†
Joyee, Frank

K
Keane, Augustine Joseph†
Keating, Wilbert Lloyd “Wib”†
Kelly, W
Kennedy, Herbert Bruce†
Kennedy, Arthur
Kennedy, Fred
Kennedy, Thomas
Krugel, John†

L
LaBounty, Edward
Lafond, Nap
Lake, Arthur James “Art”
Lanes, Carl John
Langerak, George
Langerak, Gunder S
Langerak, Oscar
Larson, Elvin†
Larson, Alvin
Lathen, Gerald
Lawless, Richard
Leigh, John Sebright
Lewis, Ernie
Lidstone, Frank
Lofthouse, Thomas†
Longrak, Gunder
Lovenins, Axel
Luck, Walter John
Lukes, Jack
Lycan, Jack
Lycan, Ray William
Lycan, Wilett Roy

M
MacAskill, George A
MacDonald, Douglas
MacDonald, Norman
MacKay, John†
Mansfield, John “Jack”†
Marchant, John Albert
Marshall, Alfred Leonard “Alf”
Marshall, Joseph “Joe”
Martin, Walter Thomas†
Martin, William Albert
Mason, Lewis
Mason, Louis
Matthews, Frank Richard
Mayer, Ludwig
McCallum, James
McIlroy, Clarence Robin
McKay, Murdock†
McKeel, Harry
McLean, Charlie
McQuarrie, Burton
McTaggart, William Adamson
Middlemiss, Alan Mungo†
Millard, Emmet Lawson
Milne, James Wood†
Mocha, Stanley
Moffat, John B “Jack”
Moore, Percy Harold†
Moore, James Henry “Captain”
Moore, William Edward
Moore, Reginald James
Morrison, Harry
Morton, Neil Alexander†
Morton, James William
Morton, John
Morton, Louis
Morton, T†
Mulgrew, John
Murray, James
Murry, Jim

N
Nascow, Carl Adolph
Nelson, Edward John†
Nelson, Martin Ludwig
Nelson, Nels
Newton, Wellington

O
Olesen, John
Olsen, Herbert Archibald
Orman, Henry
Otte, Eddie Henry
Otte, Clemens
Otte, Ed
Overmann, Francis Christian “Frank”
Owen, Ernest

P
Painter, Perl Hervey†
Painter, William Corley
Parish, Harry†
Paulin, Dominique
Payne, Herbert
Pearce, Harold Wilfred†
Pearce / Pierce / Pierse, Jack†
Pearson, Frank
Peasley, Charles Glenville
Peasley, Charles
Pederson, Lowens
Pepper, Frank Sr.
Pepper, Vivian
Perks, H
Peterson, Nels
Pickering, Henry
Pickering, William Fillmore
Pocock, Cliff
Polcolk, Cliff
Poppy, Edward Reasbeck
Potter, William
Potts, James
Potts, James
Prosser, Herbert

R
Read, Emrey
Read, Harry
Read, Scott
Read, Landon
Riggall, David “Dave”
Riggall, Ernest
Risedorf, Robert La Verne
Ritchie, Wm
Roberts, Charles Edward
Roberts, Frederick James
Roderick, Edward T
Rose, Jack
Rosser, T H
Rowden, William
Rowe, Edward

S
Salsberry, Samuel
Sandal, Ingvald Danislson
Sanderson, George Archibald Peter
Sanderson, George
Sanderson, Robert
Sanderson, Thomas Scott
Sanderson, Scott
Saunders, Bernard Leslie
Saunders, Leslie Bernard
Scott, Reginald Bernard†
Scott, J R
Scott, Joseph Henry
Scott, Robert James
Scyrup, Edward Charles
Seggie, Peter McNab
Seggie, Hamish Sr.
Selko, Michael
Small, Charlie
Small, James
Smart, Andrew
Smith, Arthur†
Smith, Arthur, Albert
Smith, Hubert
Smith, Sidney
Smith, Wm
Soberg, Oscar Gustav†
Soles, James Henry
Sparks, Amos John†
Sparks, Edgar
Sparks, George
Steacy, George William
Stenberg, Sigurd
Sterling, Charles Henry†
Sterling, Albert Victor
Stone, Fred
Stuart, James Alexander “Sandy”†
Swain, Louis
Swift, G†
Szells, Alex

T
Taylor, E†
Taylor, Thomas Trevor†
Taylor, William
Temple, George
Thompson, Harry
Tolton, Charles
Toogood, Frank
Towns, George
Travnicek, Albert
Trepanier, Jacques Denis
Treverton, George
Twiss, Robert Dudley†

U
Utley, James A Sr.

V
Vanstrom, Earl

W
Wabe, E†
Warren, William Clifford
Waterhouse, James Rhodes
Watson, G
Watts, Norman
White, Robert
Whittingham, Ernie
Whittingham, John
Wiles, William
Williams, Charles William†
Wintermute, Ed
Wood, Alvin
Wood, Elared Lawrence
Wootton, Horace

Y
Young, Frank George

Parkside's Intimate Connection to the 'Empress of Ireland'

In 1914 on Thursday, May 28th the ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) departed Quebec City for Liverpool, England at 4:30 pm on her ninety-sixth voyage with 1,477 passengers and crew on board.

RMS Empress of Ireland, ca. 1906-1914. Photograph courtesy of the
Library and Archives Canada/PA-116389.

Nine and a half hours later in the early morning hours of Friday, May 29th at 2:00 am near Sainte-Luce-Sur-Mer she collided with the Norwegian collier SS Storstad and sank into history as the worst peacetime maritime accident to occur in Canada.

"Empress of Ireland Is Reported Sunk,"

30 May 1914, Shellbrook Chronicle, Shellbrook, SK.

Empress of Ireland
Is Reported Sunk
--------
Was in Collision During Fog with
Coal Barge - Had 1200 Aboard
850 Land at Rimouski.
--------
The Steamer “Empress of Ireland,” which left Quebec
on Thursday, May 28th, at 4.30 pm, encountered a dense
fog shortly after leaving. While anchored 39 miles from
Quebec was struck by Collier “Storstadt.” The “Empress
of Ireland” is reported as sinking fifteen minutes after-
wards. The collision occurred at 3 am Friday morning,
when most of the passengers were asleep in their berths.
The ship had 1200 passengers on board.

Only meagre reports are now at hand, but from all
accounts death list will run between 870 and 1050 drowned.

It is reported that 350 were saved at Rimouski, leav-
ing 870 still to account for. The vessel was in charge of
Lient. Kendall when it left Quebec.

Mr. J. P. Lenquist and his sister, Moroto, of Parkside,
had booked Berths No. 612 and left here Saturday last to
catch the boat at Quebec on their way home to Gothenburg.

The Empress of Ireland sank within fourteen minutes and of the 1,477 persons on board the ship, 1,012 died and 465 lived. Of the 1,012 lost, 840 were passengers and 172 were crew. Of the 465 saved, 217 were passengers and 248 were crew.

The Parkside residents were listed on the “Passenger & Crew List of the Empress of Ireland” published by CPR in 1914 as Jonas and Martha Lindquist.

They were were among the 465 saved.

Thirteen days later on Thursday, June 11th the Linquists boarded their ill fated ship's sister ship, the Empress of Britain, and sailed onto their destination of Gothenburg, Sweden.