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Aug 14, 1892
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Born at Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland
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May 12, 1917
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Attested into the 4th Divisional
Signal Company, Canadian Engineers, at Calgary Alberta
Ø Number 2265961
Ø Current address given as 107-4th Ave. E., Calgary Alberta
Ø Next of kin given as RSM Frank Coles (father) of 30th
Cavalry Reserve, Colchester England
Ø Previous occupation given as Stenographer (graduate of Garbutt
Business College with Honours)
Ø Previous military experience given as 2 years 7 months with Lord
Strathcona’s Horse, Winnipeg, and currently a member of the 4th Field
Troop, Canadian Engineers, Calgary Alberta
Ø Stated to be single
Ø Religion given as Salvationist
Mother, Mrs Ellen Coles, was stated
to be living in Salmon Arm, British Columbia
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Aug 31, 1917
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Will made out at Signal Training Depot,
Ottawa, leaving estate to Miss Belle Watson (fiancé) of 2119, 5th Street,
Suite 1, Calgary Alberta
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Nov 24, 1917
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Embarked the SS Megantic at Halifax Nova
Scotia
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Dec 7, 1917
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Disembarked at Liverpool England
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Dec 8, 1917
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TOS (Taken On Strength) the CETD (Canadian
Engineers Training Depot) at Seaford
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Dec 19, 1917
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TOS the 7th Reserve Battalion at
Seaford
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Feb 15, 1918
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TOS 6th Reserve Battalion at
Seaford
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Apr 11, 1918
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Proceeded to France with a draft for the PPCLI
(Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry)
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Apr 12, 1918
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Arrived at 3rd CBD (Canadian Base
Depot) and TOS the PPCLI
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Apr 15, 1918
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Arrived at CCRC (Canadian Corps Reinforcement
Camp)
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May 6, 1918
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Address for father changed to Sgt Major, 5th
Cavalry Reserve Regiment, Aliwal Barracks, Tidworth, Wiltshire, England
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Jun 5, 1918
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SOS (Struck Off Strength) to the 21st
Battalion
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Jun 6, 1918
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TOS 21st Battalion
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Jun 8, 1918
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Joined the 21st Battalion in the
field
The following is
from the 21st Battalion War Diary:
“A
draft of twenty Other Ranks arrived from the 3rd Divisional Wing, CCRC. These Other Ranks had been despatched from England
as reinforcements for Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.”
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Aug 8, 1918
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Wounded with 2 gun shot wounds to right arm
and admitted to No 1 CFA (Canadian Field Ambulance) then transferred to the CCS (Casualty
Clearing Station)
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Aug 9, 1918
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Transferred to the No 11 Stationary Hospital
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Aug 10, 1918
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Invalided to England aboard the Hospital Ship
Guildford Castle
Posted to the EORD (Eastern Ontario
Regimental Depot)
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Aug 12, 1918
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Admitted to Graylingwell Hospital, Chichester
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Aug 19, 1918
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Transferred to No 11 Canadian General
Hospital, Moore Barracks with Mania Depression and insanity associated with injury
Ø Confused and maniacal on admission
Ø Along with gun shot wounds to arm, he suffered a concussion from an
exploding shell
Ø He thought “the Matron was the Queen and that he had won the
Victoria Cross”
Ø He also thinks he is “Jesus Christ” and studying Pelmanism
Ø Constantly claps his hands
Ø Verbigeration (obsessive repetition of meaningless words and
phrases) is present that lasts for a couple of hours at a time and is a discomfort to
other patients
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Sep 19, 1918
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Transferred to Notts County War Hospital,
Radcliffe on Trent
Ø Patient is noisy, sleepless and incoherent
Ø He is easily excited and violent and must be sedated
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Oct 17, 1918
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Transferred to Lord Derby War Hospital,
Warrington for mental observation
Ø Patient is sleepless and suffers from headaches
Ø Claims he fell off a horse in 1912 and was dazed
Ø Knows that he is not well mentally
Ø Has a sexual complex about his condition
Ø No signs of organic nervous disease
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Nov 26, 1918
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Invalided to Canada aboard the Hospital Ship
Araguaya
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Dec 4, 1918
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Received a slight scalp wound from another
patient. A report of the incident recorded
the following:
Ø “Pte Coles is a mental case.
He is very noisy and talkative and annoys the other patients. Pte Nicholls who is also a mental patient and is
excitable. He admits striking Pte Coles on
the head with a spittoon cover causing a superficial scalp wound.”
Ø This wound required one suture
Ø The report is signed by the Officer Commanding the troops aboard the
Hospital Ship Araguaya
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Dec 7, 1918
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Disembarked at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Dec 9, 1918
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Address for father changed to Salmon Arm,
British Columbia Canada
Admitted to Military Hospital at Cobourg
Ontario with Dementia
Ø Dec 18, 1918 – patient shows less maniacal symptoms
Ø Jan 3, 1919 – patient is not so maniacal and not so resistful to
treatment
Ø He denies any of his relatives were insane, but there is a report that
great aunt and great uncle were insane
Ø Jan 6, 1919 – Boarded for discharge to custody of SCR
(Soldier’s Civil Re-Establishment)
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Jan 6, 1919
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Medical Board at Cobourg Ontario notes:
Ø Disability noted as Dementia
Ø Gun shot wounds are healed with no disability
Ø Suffers from hallucinations
Ø Talks continuously with extreme incoherence
Ø Not oriented as to time and place
Ø Has shown some improvement since admission at Cobourg Hospital
Ø Condition is considered permanent and progressive
Ø To be treated with Hydrotherapy, medication, rest and extra
nourishment
Ø Recommended discharge as Medically Unfit and be passed on to SCR for
custodial care
Ø Soldier could not sign the report due to mental condition
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Jan 21, 1919
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Discharged from the CEF at Kingston Ontario as
Medically Unfit
Ø Discharged as Medically Unfit and in order that further treatment may
be carried on by the SCR
Ø War Service Badge Class “A” issued, number 316806 as well as
a Class “B”, number c68989
Ø Proposed address on discharge – Ontario Military Hospital,
Cobourg Ontario
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Jun 26, 1919
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Discharged from hospital to SCR for
confinement and custodial care
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Oct 17, 1919
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SOS the SCR and applied for War Service
Gratuity
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Nov 14, 1919
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War Service Gratuity of $350.00 approved.
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Dec 15, 1922
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British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to
Ontario Military Hospital at Cobourg Ontario
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Nov 16, 1929
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Replacement medals sent to RR #2 Salmon Arm,
British Columbia
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Dec 5, 1956
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Deceased
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