Mar 4, 1888

Born in East Hendred, Berkshire, England to Thomas and Mary Belcher

Dec 1, 1916

Attested into the 254^th Battalion CEF in Madoc, Ontario

Ø  Number 1093104

Ø  Next of kin given as Thomas Belcher, father, Horn Lane, East Hendred, Berkshire, England

Ø  Previous occupation given as Farmer

Ø  No previous military experience given

Ø  Religion given as Church of England

The battalion trained in the Belleville, Ontario area

May 16, 1917

Transferred to the Special Service Battalion, #3 Special Service Company in Kingston, Ontario

Aug 27, 1917

Transferred to the RC & F (Railway Construction and Forestry) Depot in Rockcliffe, Ontario

Feb 9, 1918

Admitted to the Military Hospital in Brockville with a diagnosis that reads Bronchitis and Varix, a swelling of the arteries in his legs

Feb 25, 1918

Discharged to duty from hospital

Mar 24, 1918

Embarked the SS Grampian in Halifax, Nova Scotia with the 7^th Draft of Canadian Forestry Corps

Apr 3, 1918

Disembarked in Liverpool, England and proceeded to the CFC (Canadian Forestry Corps) Depot in Sunningdale

Apr 18, 1918

Transferred to the108th Company, 55 District, Canadian Forestry Corps in Perthshire, Scotland

May 22, 1918

Transferred to the Canadian Forestry Corps Depot in Sunningdale

Jun 3, 1918

Transferred to the 6^th Reserve Battalion, Canadian Infantry in Seaford

Sep 12, 1918

Transferred to the 21^st Battalion

Arrived at the CIBD (Canadian Infantry Base Depot) in Etaples, France and Taken On Strength of the 21^st Battalion

Sep 16, 1918

After leaving the base depot, he joined the CC Rein C (Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp) in Aubin St. Vaast, France

Sep 19, 1918

After leaving the reinforcement camp, Private Belcher joined the 21^st Battalion in the front line on the Arras – Cambrai Road on the west side of Canal du Nord, France

Oct 10, 1918

While approaching the Erclin River, west of Iwuy, France, Private Belcher received a shrapnel wound to his neck and was evacuated to the No. 9 CFA (Canadian Field Ambulance) for first aid before being transported to a casualty clearing station

Oct 12, 1918

Transferred to the No. 14 General Hospital in Wimereux, France

Oct 14, 1918

Invalided to England aboard the Hospital Ship St. David

On arrival in England, he was admitted to the Military Hospital in Eastbourne

Transferred to the EORD (Eastern Ontario Regimental Depot) for pay purposes while in hospital

Nov 14, 1918

Transferred to the Canadian Red Cross Hospital in the Cooden Camp, Bexhill and Varicose Veins was added to the diagnosis

Jan 13, 1919

Granted 10 days sick leave

Feb 28, 1919

Transferred to the No. 5 Canadian General Hospital in Kirkdale, Liverpool

 In March 1919 he married Elizabeth “Bessie” Flanagan in Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire.

Mar 31, 1919

Embarked the Hospital Ship Essequibo in Liverpool

Apr 10, 1919

Disembarked in Portland, Maine, USA and proceeded to Kingston, Ontario where he was Taken On Strength of Military District No. 3 Casualty Company

Apr 11, 1919

Admitted to the Queen’s University Military Hospital with a diagnosis that reads Varix, a swelling of the arteries in his legs

May 13, 1919

Discharged to duty from hospital

May 14, 1919

Discharged from the CEF in Kingston, Ontario

Ø  Rank on discharge Private

Ø  War Service Badge Class “A” issued number 279387

Ø  War Service Badge Class “B” issued number C-55677

Ø  Proposed residence on discharge Madoc, Ontario

Following his discharge, the British War Medal and Victory Medals were sent to him at Madoc, Ontario

Jul 5, 1919

Elizabeth Belcher embarked the SS Tunisian in Liverpool

Jul 14, 1919

Disembarked in Montreal, Quebec and proceeded to Madoc, Ontario to join her husband, Joseph

Oct 25, 1927

Elizabeth died in Madoc, Ontario of Kidney Disease and was buried in the Lakeview Cemetery in Madoc

Jul 29, 1931

Married to Verna Alzina Alexander in Deseronto, Ontario

Jan 30, 1968

Joseph Charles Belcher died in Madoc, Ontario and was buried in the Lakeview Cemetery in Madoc