Hi Rodger,
I have found one fellow that
might be who you are after, although not a perfect match.
You have Edward George Hill born 1877, and this fellow is George Edward Hill, who believes his birth date to be 16 Apr 1876, and born Helston, Cornwall. He served in WW1.
Army records are here:
https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&app=CEF&id=B4350-S033They are slow to load, and many pages are "over-digitized" and hard to read.
Going from memory, I think he was a mechanic by trade. It will be on the first page.
Page 37 of 80 states born Cornwall, separated from wife Ellen Louise and has four children:
John Edward, age 11
George William, age 9
Elizabeth Wilhelmina, age 7
James Frederick, age 5
The page with the children was dated 1916.
Page 38 of 80 states both parents are deceased.
Page 65 0f 80 states birth town/city of Helston, dob 16 Apr 1876
The next of kin was William Bollman (or Bullman). He was listed as trustee, as George's army will leaves his assets to the children. William is brother to the estranged wife, Ellen Louise.
A quick search of the family in the 1911 census did not reveal them.
There was a 1916 census, and the children are living with William Bullman, and William's mother, Wilhelmina.
Three of the children are still with William in the 1921 census.
After the war, George Edward applied for a soldier's land grant in Abee, Alberta. (He enlisted in the army in Edmonton, Alberta).
The birth dates of the children (born Manitoba) can be searched here:
https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.phpI had a hard time finding Elizabeth,so will include her here. Her middle name was misspelled and transcribed as follows:
Elizabeth Wilhilmena Hill
28 Dec 1908
Rapid City, Manitoba, Canada
If you think this is the right family, I, or others, can expand on it, as there is marriages etc for the children. The last sighting of this George was Abee, Alberta, and unfortunately, Alberta is one of the more "difficult" provinces to find BMD's in.
Edited to add:
In the 1901 census, Rapid City, Manitoba, George E. Hill, born 16 Apr 1876, working at farming. Immigration year to Canada was 1880, so age 4. Single (he married Ellen Louise Eliza Bollman in 1904)
In the 1921 census, George lists himself as single, and farming in Abee, Alberta. He is living alone.