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.

Private Ichimatsu Shintani in the Great War
Born in Hiroshima

Private Ichimatsu Shintani of Hiroshima City at 35 years of age a late arrival to the war in 1918. He survived the first wave of Influenza soon after his arrival at the front. Ichimatsu seriously injured later during the Battle of the Scarpe.

Hiroshima City

Ichimatsu Shintani born 5 October 1883 in Hiroshima. Parents Hayagi and Rito Shintani also of Hiroshima City.

Tomo (Tomo-no-Ura), préfecture d’Hiroshima, Japon Panorama de la ville depuis la colline des temples. A56445, Albert Khan Institute, 21/12/1926 – 31/12/1927, 21/09/1926 – 20/12/1926, Opérateur Dumas, Roger.

Believed to be Nagasaki. A71067XS, Albert Khan Institute, 01/01/1926 – 31/12/1927, Opérateur Dumas, Roger.

Enlistment

Ichimatsu’s enlisted with the present address of CPR Grain Yard, Montreal. He was a car (railway) cleaner by trade. A late arrival to the Great War, Private Ichimatsu Shintani 3081335 attested 7 January 1918 in Montreal with the 1st Depot Battalion, Quebec Regiment. He stood 5′ 2″ tall with Oriental complexion, brown eyes and black hair. Apparent age, 34 years, 3 months.

Likely a misunderstanding, Private Ichimatsu Shintani immediately listed as AWOL 7 January 1918, and from 7 to 15 January 1918.

RMS SAXONIA circa 1900.

On 18 February 1918, Pte Shintani departed for England aboard SS SAXONIA from Halifax.

England

Private Ichimatsu Shintani 3081335 proceeded overseas on 15 March 1918. ToS of the 23rd Reserve Battalion upon arrival at Bramshott Camp.

Bramshott Camp © IWM HU 128884

Tos of the 24th Battalion on 20 June 1918.

24th Battalion (Victoria Rifles)

The 24th Battalion had organized in October 1914 under the Command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Alexander Gunn. Mobilized at Montreal and recruited in Montreal.

Brigadier General John A. Gunn, CMG, DSO, VD – Twelfth Commanding Officer, 1921-1922. The original oil portrait by Lieutenant (Robert) Allan Barr, hangs in the Queen’s Own Rifles Officers’ Mess. Photo by Christopher Lawson, June 17, 2010.

The Victoria Rifles embarked from Montreal 11 May 1915 aboard CAMERONIA. Disembarked England 20 May 1915, with a strength of 42 officers, 1089 other ranks. Arrived in France 15 September 1915 with the 2nd Canadian Division, 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade, and later reinforced by 23rd Canadian Reserve Battalion.

France

Private Ichimatsu Shintani entered France on 21 June 1918. Admitted to No 7 Canadian General Hospital, Etaples on 30 June 1918 with influenza, later discharged on 7 July 1918.

A patient in traction on the officers’ ward at No. 24 General Hospital at Etaples © IWM (Q 8033)

ToS of the CCRC on 14 July 1918. He finally joined his unit in the field on 14 August 1918, two days after the beginning of the Battle of Amiens.

Battle of the Scarpe

The attack on 28 August 1918 left only three Officers and 150 Other Ranks holding the objectives. Lt-Col W H Clark Kennedy wounded in the left early in the attack.

Lieutenant-Colonel Clark-Kennedy VC, OC, 24th Battalion. Lt. Colonel Clark-Kennedy won the Victoria Cross during the Battle of Arras on August 27-28, 1918, when he personally led his battalion forward, and coordinated the movements of nearby units, to allow the entire brigade to resume the advance after machine gun positions had stopped it. He continued to direct the advance even though wounded through the next day. MIKAN No. 3214054

Pte Shintani initially reported as one of 18 Missing after Action. He was admitted, along with 125 other wounded the following day to No 7 CCS.

Casualty Clearing Station. Some wounded Canadians present a nurse with a dog brought out of the trenches with them. October 1916. 3395812

Private Tokutaro Iwamoto MM, also born in Hiroshima, one of nine men in the battalion killed during the action.

Pte Tokutaro Iwamoto MM, 18 April 2018, Upton Wood Cemetery, CEFRG.ca

Private Tokutaro Iwamoto MM

Wimereux

Admitted No 14 General Hospital in Wimereux on 30 August 1918, large lacerated scalp wound right temporal region. Wound excised. Fracture incomplete trephine. Small extradural clott.

Wimereux seaside resort seen from the north, with Pointe de la Crèche and Cap d’Alprech in the distance

England

King George Hospital, Stanford, 1 October 1918, numbness disappearing, wounds clean.

Canadian Army Hospital: Orpington, Kent: Operating Room, 1918 Premier William H. Hearst office records, RG 3-3, S 15648, Archives of Ontario, I0052162

No 16 Canadian General Hospital, Orpington, 23 November 1918, headaches, dizziness, and aching of muscles above right scapula. Numbness in arm disappeared.

Canada

To Epsom Park, 29 April 1919, and later invalided to Canada on 23 May 1919.

Ste Anne de Bellevue Hospital

Private Ichimatsu Shintani admitted to Ste Anne de Bellevue Hospital on 4 June 1919, GSW face and fractured skull.

At the end of the Great War, the military hospital at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue had its own railway siding (above) where invalided soldiers were off-loaded on stretchers right from the train, which likely was loaded at Halifax. It says much about the number of wounded expected, to have a dedicated rail siding for their efficient delivery. Photo via Ste. Anne’s Hospital.

Second World War

Investigated by the RCMP at the request of Evelyn Bridson in May of 1943. Married to Yvette Borden, an occidental, at this time.

National Field of Honour

Ishimatsu married Shintani (born Huakahi Mana). They had 3 children, Yoshino Shigemori, Shinichi Shintani and Kawika Shintani. Ishimatsu passed away in 1971, at age 88, and buried at the National Field of Honour in Pointe-Claire, Quebec.

Pte Ichimatsu Shintani, AA1265 National Field of Honour, 5 June 2024, CEFRG.ca

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June 20, 2024