Home Defence - ? archives

[hadenmaiden]

I have a G Uncle who was a British Home Child - managed to get his Middlemore records from Canada quite easily, and it's very useful.  I know he survived WW1, and apparently he enlised for "Home Defence" Just wondering if anyone might be able to pouint me in the right direction to know where I might be able to ookfor/ ask for his records to see where he went next?  Many thanks 

[Jane Eden]

Did you mean in the 2nd WW if so you might mean the Home Guard.

http://www.home-guard.org.uk/

Jane

[hadenmaiden]

No, sorry, Jane, during WW1 he enlisted for Home Defence in Canada, when he absconded from his adoptive family.  Thanks for the link, though.  Jacky

[samthompson]

Hi there

If you want to post his name and particulars I can dig around here in Canada and see what can be found. I think home defence is also known as the reserves.

Here are some clips that might be of interest

http://home.thezone.net/~ainal/for_king_and_country.htm

HMS Briton's reservists were tasked with a number of home-front defence duties. They provided an armed piquet for the Admiralty's wireless station at nearby Mount Pearl, a site Stanley Hillier visited several times in mid 1916 (but not in the capacity of Guard). Reservists also manned the harbour's main defence battery at Fort Waldegrave. Abandoned in 1870, the Fort was reactivated in June-July 1916 and manned by members of the Newfoundland Legion of Frontiersmen. The RNR maintained a 12-pounder gun there to protect the harbour entrance

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~jacktar/halifaxexplosion.html

John G. Armstrong, "Canadian Home Defence, 1914-1917 and the Role of Major-General Willoughby Gwatkin, unpublished master's, Royal Military College of Canada, 1982 thesis.

Let me know if I can help

Thelma

[hadenmaiden]

Thelma, that's a really generous offer, many thanks.
He was:  William Haden, born c 1903.  Arrived in Halifax, NS 1909.  Stayed with a family called Matheson/Mattheson , Batestone, Cape Breton.  Apparently he absconded in late summer of 1914 to enlist for Home Defence.
Don't know much more than that, other than that he survived the first world war.  I've checked the War graves site, and veterans archives, but can't find anything there. Thanks again, you're a star

[KarenM]

Hi there,

Not sure if you have seen this site, but it lists soldiers from WWI attestation papers who enlisted in Canada. 

http://www.genealogy.gc.ca/06/06_e.html

Karen

[hadenmaiden]

Thanks for that, Karen - I managed to get the attestation papers for his older brother a while back, but William wasn't old enough, and joined the Home defence at age 14.  I'll keep trying   ;o0  Jacky

[samthompson]

Hello

Is this  him arriving in Canada (name spelled Hadin not Haden)

HADIN , William
Age: 6 
Sex: M 
Year of arrival: 1909 
Microfilm reel: T-4734 
Ship: Carthaginian 
Port of departure: Liverpool 
Departure Date: 25 May 1909 
Port of arrival: Halifax 
Arrival Date: 9 Jun 1909 
Party: Middlemore 
Destination: NS and NB 
Comments: No specific locations given 

On the same ship is this young boy - any relation to your William?

HADEN , Ernest
Age: 11 
Sex: M 
Year of arrival: 1909 
Microfilm reel: T-4734 
Ship: Carthaginian 
Port of departure: Liverpool 
Departure Date: 25 May 1909 
Port of arrival: Halifax 
Arrival Date: 9 Jun 1909 
Party: Middlemore 
Destination: NS and NB 
Comments: No specific locations given 

So if William was born in 1903 he was only 11 when he tried ran away. Wow, wonder what prompted him to do this - desire to get back to England?  I can't find him in the WW1 site (Karen also sent this site) but I did find Ernest.

HADEN , ERNEST  10/04/1897  222561  RG 150, Box 3908 - 54 

Ernest Haden died in WW1 and is buried with the family that he was placed with

BLACK ROCK CEMETERY
Boularderie Island, Victoria County, Nova Scotia

Alex Urquhart 18 Jan 1924 age 86 yrs
Wife Christy McLeod 12 Oct 1896 age 44 yrs
Ernest Haden 85 Battn NS Highlanders
Killed in action 6 May 1917 age 21 yrs

Name: HADEN
Initials: E
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Private
Regiment: Canadian Infantry (Nova Scotia Regiment)
Unit Text: 85th Bn.
Age: 21
Date of Death: 06/05/1917
Service No: 222561
Additional information: Adopted son of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Urquhart, of Millville, Boulardarie, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: IV. C. 12.

I'll dig around more. From the Middlemore records do you have the first names of the family he was placed with?

Cheers,
Thelma

[samthompson]

Hello,

here is a long shot

from the Canadian Divorce Records
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/022/008/022008-100.01-e.php
Haden, William George    Baker, Esther    Statutes of Canada 1923 156

Do you know your William's middle name

Thelma