Reginald
Barton
Thank you to Bruce
Kettles for providing the service file
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May 24, 1895
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Born in London
England
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Oct 20, 1917
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Medical
examination held at Port Hope Ontario under the MSA (Military Service Act) of 1917. Reginald Barton was classified A2, meaning that he
was fit for service after conditioning and training.
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Jan 7, 1918
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Drafted into the
1st Depot Battalion EOR (Eastern Ontario Regiment) under the MSA of 1917
Ø Number 3055522
Ø Next of kin given as Jack Wade, friend, of Port Granby Ontario
Ø Previous occupation given as Farmer
Ø No previous military experience given
Ø Religion given as Methodist
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Feb 21, 1918
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Embarked the SS
Melita at Halifax Nova Scotia as part of the 3rd Draft of the 1st
Depot Battalion EOR
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Mar 4, 1918
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Disembarked at
Liverpool England and proceeded to Seaford where the Draft was absorbed into the 6th
Reserve Battalion
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Aug 9, 1918
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Transferred to
the 21st Battalion and embarked for France
Upon arrival
at the CIBD (Canadian Infantry Base Depot) at Etaples he was TOS (Taken On Strength) the
21st Battalion
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Aug 13, 1918
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Left the CIBD to
join the Battalion
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Aug 15, 1918
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Joined the 21st
Battalion rear details near Marcelcave with 47 other reinforcements. The main body of the 21st Battalion was
involved in front line fighting near Foquescourt
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Aug 27, 1918
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Just 12 days
after joining the Battalion, Pte Barton received a fatal gun shot wound during the advance
on the Sensee River near the village of Gaumappe. He
was taken to a field ambulance where he was given first aid and then transferred to the No
33 Casualty Clearing Station, where he died from his wounds
Wancourt
British Cemetery
Pas de Calais France
Following the war the
British War Medal, Victory Medal, Plaque (Dead Man’s Penny) and Scroll were sent to
his friend Jack Wade at Port Granby Ontario, as he was listed as his next of kin.
There was no Memorial
Cross issued as he was single and his mother had predeceased him.
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Below is the
Newtonville Ontario War Memorial which honours the men of that village lost in the war
Reginald Barton is also remembered on a plaque at the entrance to the cemetery in Orono, Ontario
that honours members of the community lost in the Great War
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2008
During the Remembrance Day ceremonies in 2008, Veteran's Affairs Canada conducted a vigil
each night for the week leading up to November 11. This vigil consisted of
projecting the names of every Canadian soldier who is listed with the Commonwealth War
Graves Commission on various buildings and monuments across Canada, and in London
England. The photo below shows Pte Reginald Barton's name being projected on the
outside wall of Canada House in London England.
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2010
For the 7 nights leading
up to November 11, 2010, the names of all Canadian soldiers were projected onto the
Belgian War Memorial in Ypres. At the same
time, the same names were being broadcast via the internet to schools across Belgium and
Canada. The image above shows the opening
ceremonies at the Belgian War Memorial on November 4, 2010.
Below on the left is the
name of Reginald Barton being projected on that wall.
Below right shows the name being broadcast to the schools. Each name appeared for 25 seconds and each night
9,700 names were shown.
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