CEFRG.ca

Category: Soldiers

Between 1914 and 1919, over 650,000 Canadians served at home and overseas during the Great War. On the Western Front in Belgium and France, Canadian soldiers of the Great War distinguished themselves in numerous battles, including Second Battle of Ypres, Battle of Vimy Ridge, and Second Battle of Passchendaele. In Canada’s Last Hundred Days of the Great War, Canadian soldiers at the sharp end of the spear breaking through the enemy’s formidable trench defences, the Hindenburg Line. Their efforts have inspired these soldier stories.

Collections

Many collections used to bring the soldier stories to life. First, and foremost, the Personnel Records of the soldiers serving in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). This collection, like the others to follow, digitized and made available by Library and Archives Canada (LAC). Secondly, the War Diaries of the CEF often provide vital information about a soldier’s life not contained in their service file. Finally, Circumstances of Death (CoD), War Graves Registers (GRRF), and Veterans Death Cards provide further information on The Fallen. These three collections in conjunction with records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) vital to cases of identification and recovery of The Missing.

Courts Martial Records (FGCM)

Additional collections used to present the soldier stories include Courts Martial Records. Courts martial had the authority to try a wide range of military offences that resembled civilian crimes like fraud, theft or perjury. Others, like desertion and cowardice – purely military crimes. Records of individual courts martial consist of an average of 20 to 25 documents, mainly standardized forms. These document the trial and the charges under the Army Act.

MIKAN photo collection

Finally, the most powerful way of bringing soldier stories of the Great War to life, the images of the MIKAN collection digitized by LAC.  Often complementing these photos – images held by the Imperial War Museum (IWM), some of which also contain images captured by the Official Canadian War Photographers (CWRO) during the Great War. Both LAC and IWM have film collections which further bring the reality of the soldier stories of the Great War to life.

  • Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon in the Great War

    Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon in the Great War

    Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon 2001072 son of Thomas (Teddy) J. McMahon (Father) and Mary (Quinn) of Dorset Street, Port Hope, Ontario, born on 21 May 1896 in Port Hope.

    Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon
    Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon

    Attestation

    Previous military service of eight months in the 39th Battalion, at this time, Norman stood 5 Feet 9 Inches with ruddy complexion, grey eyes and black hair. A Roman Catholic and Fisherman by trade, then attested 21 February 1917 with the Cobourg Heavy Battery.

    MIKAN No. 3521943 Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon
    2nd Canadian Heavy Battery in action. July, 1917. MIKAN No. 3521943

    Last Will

    Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon completes his will later on 21 March 1917, bequeathing all to his father Teddy. Witnessed by his friends, Harold (Harry) Frederick Cunningham 3257024, and James Newbury Houston 5679, both Caretakers of Cobourg Armouries also enlisted with the Cobourg Heavy Battery. Harry served in Canada, discharged 23 April 1918, and James died later on 22 June 1950.

    T.o.S. by the Reserve Brigade of the Canadian Field Artillery later on 22 April 1917. Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon embarked Halifax on 10 May 1917, later disembarking in Liverpool on 22 May 1917.

    MIKAN No. 3522547
    N.C.O.s, 1st Canadian Heavy Battery. MIKAN No. 3522547

    S.o.S. Reserve Brigade to 2nd Brigade, Canadian Reserve Artillery Depot on absorption, Shorncliffe, 22 June 1917, and Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon S.o.S. to the 11th Siege Battery, Shorncliffe, later on 28 June 1917.

    11th Canadian Siege Battery

    Organized at Shorncliffe in May 1917 from personnel of Reserve Artillery Depot. Arrived in France 18 October 1917.
    Personnel later absorbed into 1st, 5th and 8th Canadian Siege Batteries. Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon proceeded overseas to 1st Canadian Siege Battery from Seaford, 18 October 1917 and later arrived at unit 3 November 1917.

    Officers & N.C.Os. 1st Canadian Siege Battery, 7 March 1919. MIKAN No. 3522623
    Officers & N.C.Os. 1st Canadian Siege Battery, 7 March 1919. MIKAN No. 3522623

    1st Canadian Siege Battery

    Initially organized in June as No.1 Heavy Battery Depot under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel F. Minden Cole. No.1 Overseas Battery Canadian Siege Artillery on 1 October 1915, and later mobilized at Halifax, recruited in Montreal, Saint John and Cobourg. Left Halifax 22 November 1915 aboard SAXONIA, later arrived in England 30 November 1915 with a strength of 6 officers, 210 other ranks.

    Officers & N.C.Os. & Men, 1st Canadian Siege Battery, 3 March 1919. MIKAN No. 3522624 Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon
    Officers & N.C.Os. & Men, 1st Canadian Siege Battery, 3 March 1919. MIKAN No. 3522624

    Became 97th Canadian Siege Battery, Canadian Siege Brigade on 24 February 1916., and later arrived in France on 14 June 1916. Became 1st Canadian Siege Battery on 29 January 1917, and later with 1st Canadian Heavy Artillery Group, which, on 12 January 1918, became 1st Brigade Canadian Garrison Artillery.

    Lt.-Col. Frederick Minden Cole DSO CEFRG
    Lt.-Col. Frederick Minden Cole DSO, Mount Royal Cemetery, 15 September 2019, CEFRG

    Leave

    Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon admitted to No.11 Canadian Field Ambulance, 16 November 1917 with Influenza (first wave), later admitted to No.98 Field Ambulance the next day, and finally discharged on 23 November 1917.

    MIKAN No. 3395517 Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon
    1st Siege Battery having their midday meal late in April,1918. The crew is eating around a BL 9.2 inch seige howitzer and shells. MIKAN No. 3395517

    9 November 1917 the last day in action in the Ypres Salient. Then, early on the morning of 13 December 1917 as the unit prepared to move south, Gunner Clemence William Hewitt 91764, living above ground and acting as Mr McDowell’s batman, had orders to call the latter at 5:00 a.m. The former about to enter the corridor leading into the officer’s sleeping quarters when confronted by a sheet of flame whereupon he dashed through same and with great presence of mind brought Lt Col Stewart to safety.

    Lieutenant John William McDowell
    Lieutenant John William McDowell

    In the meantime, three officers succeeded in escaping by way of the ventilation shaft, but after this it was impossible to render any assistance to those inside, and 17 officers burnt to death including Lieutenant John William McDowell of this unit and a Brigadier-General. The origin of the fire could not be ascertained.

    Influenza

    Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon granted 14 days leave to UK, along with two other ranks, later on 28 October 1918. Immediately upon returning to his unit, admitted to No.5 Canadian Field Ambulance, Influenza (third wave) on 13 November 1918 and later transferred to No.1 Canadian Casualty Clearing S tation, 14 November 1918. Gunner Norman Joseph McMahon died the following day, 15 November 1918. Buried later in Auberchicourt British Cemetery on 16 November 1918.

    Auberchicourt British Cemetery

    Auberchicourt a commune mining village in the Department of the Nord, 11.5 kilometres east of Douai on the road to Valenciennes, the cemetery then one kilometre west of the village on the northside of the road to Erchin, 300 yards away from the Communal Cemetery.