WW1 /emigrated to join in Canada

[J.J.]

Here is something I have come across in the immigration to canada site...that we have some young lads with families of their own, wives and sometimes children...who came to Canada to sign up. Attestation papers say wife and home address back in england...
 Does anyone have any idea why they would have done this rather than sign up in their own country? Doesn't seem to be an age problem....were they perhaps not accepted and want to fight that badly?  If anyone has come across anything that would fill in some information let me know..as it has us all at a loss.

[jorose]

I wonder if it was just that they'd gone to Canada for work and then the war started, with wife and children still at home?  Many times you'll see the husband emigrating first and the rest of the family coming afterwards.

Did these people stay in Canada afterwards or return home to England when the war ended?

[old rowley]

don't know if I can answer your query JJ but I have such a thing in my own family. My grandfather (on my fathers side) had six years with the reserves, served in the 1st ww in the HLI, was wounded in the head and had baynet wound to leg was discharged (or so it is believed)  from the army. He then signed up as a fireman on a ship, sailed to Canada signed off from his ship he then joined the Regiment of Canada and went once more back to the front serving under the maple leaf. Why he rejoined to go back to the front no one is sure and why go to Canada to do it is another puzzle (my own view is, is that the head wound did it for him........... if you get wounded once that is enough you don't rejoin for a matching pair......if you know what I mean). Thankfully he survived the war and came out of it with nothing more except an MM.

old rowley

[J.J.]

Hi rowley...Yours may well be one of the older queries I had in mind...as there are several...
Jorose...the most recent request has nothing on the family...the attestation papers were just found ...and thus my inquiry, as this had been questioned
before... I just went to look for the thread to put the url on here, but can't
locate it  ...will do so when I find it...J.J.

[Shash]

My great grandfather emigrated in 1891 to Canada and sent for his family in 1893. They all lived in Toronto Canada. For some reason, his son, my grandfather, at age 34 and owner of a luncheonette, decided to join the army. He died in Fuchey France on armistace day and left a wife and three sons behind. One son was born while he was at war and he never saw him. Therefore, a person who joined the war may have emigrated to Canada via their parents.

shash
P.S. we were left with a large item from his death and I imagine that many families received this. Does anyone know if Canada or England handed them out and what it is made of please? It is a large circle, flat  like a coin about 5 inches across. On it is written "He Died For Freedom And Honour." There is a Greek kind of figure and a lion on it. My grandfathers name is below the figures hand. The item looks like it is copper. I would apprciate any informaton on it please.

[M.T.H]

On it is written "He Died For Freedom And Honour." There is a Greek kind of figure and a lion on it. My grandfathers name is below the figures hand. The item looks like it is copper. I would apprciate any informaton on it please.

Hi Shash,

It's a WW1 death plaque!

http://www.24carat.co.uk/medallionworldwarideathplaque.html

Mick

[manmack]

many men joined the canadian army because the pay and food were better,but i think jorose has solved this one,i have come across men who went to canada to get a job and a house,then when hes settled,send for his family,mack

[Shash]

Mick, thank you for letting me know what it is and what it is made of by way of the web page on it. Now that I know it is bronze, I can polish it accordingly.

Thanks again.
shash

[Shash]

manmack, there is one reason that I am glad my grandfather joined the army. His attestation form is so interesting with a description of him on the back of the form. We coudn't believe he was so short - the shortst ever in our family and he had tattoos down both arms! Naturally we wished he had lived on, but the description helped a bit to know him.

shash