Regimental Number: 437843
Rank: Private
Branch: 7th Battalion
Rene was born in Ploërmel, France on February 17, 1894. In 1913, he emigrated to Canada. He enlisted in the Canadian Army in November of 1915.
On September 7, 1916 at the Somme, Rene was buried by a shell explosion. He was deaf and dumb for three months afterward due to shell shock. Rene also suffered from weakness and palpitations afterward, and had tremors in his hand that went away when he was alone. Rene was discharged on February 18, 1918, having been found medically unfit due to shell shock.
After the war, Rene worked for the Forestry Department and ran a trap line in the Fort Vermilion area. Rene married Marie Celeste Bourgault on January 7, 1931. They were transferred to Hythe in 1945 and remained there until 1967, when they retired to Vernon, BC. Rene died on January 10, 1975.
Sources: surname file; Pioneer Round Up p. 82a