Image: View down Bear Creek with banks of trees on either side, 1928 (SPRA 107.59)
Regimental Number: 106262
Rank: Private
Branch: 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles
John was born in Whitesand, Saskatchewan on August 21, 1883. In 1910, he came west and filed on the eastern half of 27-71-6-W6 in the Bear Creek district. John enlisted in the Canadian Army in December of 1914. According to his service file, he attended sniper’s school in May of 1916. In June of 1916, John was believed to have been killed. What had actually happened was that he had been captured on June 2, and his prisoner of war status was not reported until July 11. John was held at Dulmen, Wahn, Sprottau, and finally at a chateau in Switzerland in December of 1917. He was in hospitals, possibly with tuberculosis, as a prisoner of war. John was finally repatriated in December of 1918. He and his wife Margaret were living in Spirit Lake, Saskatchewan at the time of his death on August 12, 1947.
Sources: Sources: Edson to Grande Prairie Trail p. 117
- Attestation Paper
- Lives of the First World War
- Enlists (March 16, 1915)
- Prisoner of War (Aug. 1, 1916)
- Prisoner of War (May 22, 1917)
- Nominal Rolls of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
- Veterans Death Card
- Find A Grave
Soldier Spotlight highlights veterans from the Archives’ online Soldiers’ Memorial. Each week, our volunteers select a remarkable individual to showcase in this blog series. The Soldiers’ Memorial commemorates more than 1,100 WWI veterans and 2,300 WWII veterans from our region. Three dedicated volunteers have contributed over 1,200 hours to this project by researching and writing biographies. Our goal is to have all South Peace soldiers acknowledged for their service. If you know of someone who lived in the South Peace and should be listed on the Memorial, or would like to get involved by researching a local veteran, please contact the Archives.