Feb 29, 1891

Born at London Ontario

Dec 26, 1914

Attestation form filled in at Brandon Manitoba on joining the 45^th Battalion 

Ø      Number 424103
Ø      Next of Kin given as Mr William Balsdon (father) of Lavenham Manitoba
Ø      Previous occupation given as “Farm Labourer”
Ø      No previous military experience given
Ø      Religion given as Church of England

o       It should be noted that there were no entries on the medical portion for height, hair or eye colour, girth or expansion

o       Also of note is that the date on the medical portion is February 24, 1916, 14 months after the front of the form was dated and 1 month after joining the 21^st Battalion in the field

o       It should also be noted that the Oath section, along with the 2 spots for the Officer Commanding to sign were left blank, no signatures, front or back.

o       Strangely, Leslie Balsdon signed in the appropriate places and his signature is witnessed by GW Trollope, who was the Orderly Room Clerk with the 21^st Battalion in Kingston in December 1914, and

I suspect one of two things has happened here, either there were no Attestation papers filled in when he presented himself for service, or if they were filled in, they were lost.  In either of those cases, replacement papers were filled in later in 1916 when he joined the 21^st Battalion in the field for records purposes.

Jun 1, 1915

Embarked the SS Grampian at Montreal for England with a draft from the 44^th Battalion

Jun 9, 1915

Disembarked at Devonport England

Jun 10, 1915

Transferred to the 9^th Reserve Battalion at Shornecliffe

Jan 19, 1916

Sent in a draft from the 9^th Reserve Battalion to the 21^st Battalion

Jan 20, 1916

TOS (Taken On Strength) the 21^st Battalion at CCRD (Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp) France

Feb 2, 1916

Left CCRC to join unit

Feb 3, 1916

Joined the 21^st Battalion in the field

Apr 2, 1916

Killed in Action.  He is commemorated on the Memorial at the Menin Gate in Ypres Belgium, Panel 10 - 26 - 28

From the Casualty form in his file “Killed in action while on a bombing attack, body not yet recovered from trench.”

Jun 1, 1920

Memorial Cross sent to his mother at Lavenham Manitoba

Dec 13, 1920

Scroll sent to his father at Lavenham Manitoba

Nov 29, 1921

Death Plaque, along with the British War Medal and Victory Medal were sent to his father at Lavenham Manitoba