Apr 21, 1888
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Born to John and Hannora (nee Donahue) Bresnahan
in Quebec City, Quebec
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Jun 1, 1905
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Shown on the payroll of the 8th
Regiment, Royal Rifles at Valcartier, Quebec until July 13, 1905, with the rank of Private
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Aug 28, 1914
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He is shown with the rank of Sergeant with the
36th Regiment
Admitted to the No. 1 Stationary Hospital at
Valcartier, Quebec with a diagnosis that reads “TB?”
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Aug 29, 1914
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Discharged from hospital and sent home from the
Valcartier Camp
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Mar 15, 1915
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Attested into the 21st Battalion at
Lindsay, Ontario
Ø Number 59092 (temporary number 1305)
Ø Next of kin given as Florence Bresnahan, wife, of 10 Widmer St.,
Toronto, Ontario
Ø Previous occupation given as Lead Glazer
Ø Previous military experience given as RCR 3 years and 36th
Peel Regiment for 3 years
o The RCR is incorrect as he actually served 3 years with the 8th
Regiment, Stadacona Royal Rifles which was commonly called the Royal Rifles
Ø Religion given as Roman Catholic
Ø Assigned to the Depot Company
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May 6, 1915
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Embarked the RMS Metagama at Montreal Quebec
He
developed a cold while onboard ship with a severe cough and some hemorrhaging from his
lungs. He was not hospitalized on arrival in
England
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May 15, 1915
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Disembarked at Devonport, England and proceeded
to West Sandling, near Hythe, Kent
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May 23, 1915
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Reported to be AWL (Absent Without Leave)
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May 25, 1915
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Reported for duty and sentenced to 14 days
detention and forfeited 3 day’s pay
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Jun 10, 1915
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Admitted to the Moore Barracks Canadian Hospital
at Shorncliffe, diagnosed with Pulmonary Tuberculosis
On admission, he gave information indicating
that he had to give up his occupation as a Lead Glazer due to poor health and became a
waiter prior to enlistment.
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Jun 18, 1915
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Medical Board recommends that he be admitted to
a Sanitarium for 6 months, then be discharged from the CEF
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Jul 8, 1915
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Recommended for discharge from the CEF by
Lieutenant Colonel W.S.P. Hughes, Commanding Officer of the 21st Battalion at
West Sandling
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Jul 15, 1915
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Pte Bresnahan was transferred to the 39th
Reserve Battalion while in hospital, but this order was later rescinded
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Aug 3, 1915
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Invalided to Canada aboard the SS Hesperian,
embarking at Liverpool
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Aug 4, 1915
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SOS (Struck Off Strength) the 21st
Battalion on proceeding to Canada for discharge
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Aug 12, 1915
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Disembarked at Quebec City, Quebec and joined
the Discharge Depot, at Quebec City
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Sep 1, 1915
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Proceeded home on sick leave with subsistence
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Sep 30, 1915
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Admitted to the Muskoka Convalescent Home with a
diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis
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Oct 23, 1915
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Discharged from the Convalescent Home
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Nov 17, 1915
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Removed from the payroll of the Discharge Depot
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Nov 18, 1915
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Posted to the Casualty Company at Quebec City,
Quebec
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Jan 31, 1916
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SOS the Casualty Company and re-admitted to the
Muskoka Convalescent Home
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Mar 23, 1916
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Shown on the payroll for the Casualty Company,
MD #5 at Quebec City and transferred to the Lake Edward Sanatorium
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Apr 3, 1916
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Discharged from the CEF at Quebec City,
Quebec
Ø Rank on discharge Private
Ø Discharged by reason of no longer being physically fit for service
Ø Proposed residence on discharge 199 Richmond St., Toronto, Ontario
A pension was granted the same day
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Jun 12, 1916
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Volunteered for service with the Duty Detachment
at Valcartier, Quebec
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Jun 22, 1916
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Medical Board at Valcartier finds evidence of
Tuberculosis and recommends that he be admitted into a Sanitarium. However Pte Bresnahan refused that recommendation
and was discharged from the Duty Detachment.
From then until September of 1916 he claimed to
be a non-official recruiting officer for a CEF Battalion forming in Bowmanville, Ontario
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Sep 22, 1916
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Medical Board at the Montreal General Hospital
recommends that he be admitted to a Convalescent Home for treatment of possible
Tuberculosis
Even though he had never served in France, Pte
Bresnahan claimed to have been gassed at Ypres when he gave his medical history to the
board.
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Feb 8, 1917
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Medical Exam at Montreal, Quebec declares him to
be fit for service. There is no mention of
his previous health problems
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Feb 9, 1917
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Reinstated into the CEF and joined the 257th
Battalion at Montreal, Quebec
Ø Number 1102464
Ø Next of kin given as Florence Bresnahan, wife, of 49 Victoria St,
Montreal, Quebec
Ø Previous occupation given as Lead Glazer
Ø Previous military service given as 13 months with the 21st
Battalion
o Note that his actual service with the 21st Battalion was
only 5 months, although his total service was 13 months, most of it in hospital
Ø Religion given as Roman Catholic
There is no attestation paper in the file
provided for this, and details are taken from other documents from the 257th
Battalion
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Feb 16, 1917
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Embarked the RMS Missanabie at Halifax, Nova
Scotia
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Feb 27, 1917
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Disembarked at Liverpool, England and proceeded
to Purfleet, west of London
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Mar 8, 1917
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The 257th Battalion was re-designated
as the 7th Battalion CRT (Canadian Railway Troops)
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Mar 27, 1917
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TOS (Taken On Strength) the CRT Depot at
Purfleet
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Apr 4, 1917
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Admitted to the Military Hospital with a
diagnosis that reads Suspected TB
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Apr 26, 1917
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Transferred to the Military Convalescent
Hospital at Woodcote Park, Epsom
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May 11, 1917
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Transferred to the Ontario Military Hospital at
Orpington, Kent
On admission he claimed to have never being sick
before enlisting in the army in 1915, neglecting to mention being suspected of having TB
in 1914
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Jul 21, 1917
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Discharged from the
hospital and SOS the CRT Depot on proceeding to Canada for discharge. Embarked the Hospital Ship Letitia at Liverpool
and invalided to Canada
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Aug 2, 1917
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Disembarked at Halifax, Nova Scotia and
proceeded to Quebec City, Quebec and TOS the Discharge Depot there
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Sep 10, 1917
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Medical Board at Ste Agathe des Monts, Quebec
found him to be suffering from Tuberculosis and that the patient, after his condition was
explained, refused further treatment. The
Board recommended that he receive a 100% disability for 1 year, then be discharged from
the CEF
Pte Bresnahan stated that he had been in France
with the 21st Battalion from July of 1915 to April of 1916 and he claimed to
have been gassed at St Eloi in November of 1915, when he was clearly in Canada at that
time, and had never been to France.
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Sep 17, 1917
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Admitted to the General Hospital at Montreal,
Quebec
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Sep 22, 1917
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Discharged to duty
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Jan 23, 1918
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Admitted to the Ste. Agathe Military Sanitarium
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Feb 16, 1918
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Transferred to the D.C. Home, Montreal, Quebec
diagnosed with moderately advanced Tuberculosis
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Feb 27, 1918
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Discharged as his condition improved
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Mar 15, 1918
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Discharged from the CEF at Montreal, Quebec
Ø Rank on discharge Private
Ø Discharged in consequence of being medically unfit due to Pulmonary
Tuberculosis
Ø Proposed residence on discharge 227 Dalhousie St., Montreal, Quebec
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Oct 16, 1918
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Pte Bresnahan died of Influenza in Montreal,
Quebec and was buried in the Notre Dame Des Neiges Cemetery Montreal. His death was considered to be due to his service
Following the war, the British War Medal,
Victory Medal, Plaque (Dead Man’s Penny), Scroll and Memorial Cross were sent to his
widow, Mrs Florence Watkins (she had remarried), at 15956 Lamphere Road, Brightmoor,
Detroit, Michigan, USA
A second Memorial Cross was sent to his mother,
Mrs H Bresnahan, at 116 Bernard St., Montreal, Quebec
In that he never served in France, the Victory
Medal was issued in error, most likely a result of his repeated statements of having been
in France, when in fact he had not been there at any time.
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